Let the Games Begin

By Joanna Miller in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 13, 2006 1:54PM

It’s taken a lot (seriously, a lot) to get here, but the Gay Games have finally arrived. The week-long event kicks off Saturday with opening ceremonies at Soldier Field. Events will be held at 33 venues throughout the city and the suburbs.

Tickets for the opening ceremonies and closing ceremonies at Wrigley Field are still available. Premium ticket packages can be purchased at a discounted rate on the Gay Games Web site until 10 a.m. today. Opening ceremony and event tickets are also available at select Hot Tix locations.

Many of the sporting events are free and a list of events and venues is available (in PDF) on the site. Tickets and passes for selected events range from $10 to $40 and are also available online.

The Pink Flamingo Aquatic Show, as well as the DanceSport and Diving passes, are already sold out.

With 11,655 athletes from 65 countries expected to participate in the games, the festivities will be hard to ignore. And why would you want to?

If sports aren’t you thing, there’s all sorts of parties and cultural events lined up for the week. We’ll be covering some of these in more detail as the day goes on.