Cambria Women�s Weekend: Parties, Wine, Nature and Hundreds of Lesbians

September 10-13, Cambria, Calif., may be the perfect destination for any card-carrying lesbian… it’s in wine country, it’s nature at its best … and more than 300 lesbians will be in residence.

The 2^nd annual Cambria Women’s Weekend will take over the Cambria Pines Lodge for three days and nights of live entertainment, outdoor parties, nightlife, gourmet dining and chances to enjoy the area’s natural beauty.

Cambria Women’s Weekend is an annual event produced by Women On A Roll (WOAR), a lesbian social club in Southern California, founded by filmmaker, producer and promoter Andrea Meyerson.

Photo by Beck Starr

“I was so excited with the enthusiasm and positive response from our guests last year,” Meyerson says. “It’s wonderful to witness a vibrant group of lesbians surrounded by Cambria’s incredible natural beauty, exciting parties, fine wine, fabulous entertainment and fun-loving women.”

Cambria is nestled on the California coast mid-way between Los Angeles and San Francisco. “It’s really a mix of the most beautiful coastline in California and this amazing forest and rolling vineyards … it all comes together right there,” Meyerson says.

The quaint artist’s town has galleries, shops and restaurants and some locals claim it has an invisible, protective power. William Randolph Hearst’s Castle is six miles north and giant elephant seals gather by the hundreds at nearby Point Piedras Blancas.

Cambria Women’s Weekend grew out of Meyerson’s desire to provide lesbians with something different. “I had a presence at Dinah Shore Weekend for about 10 years. I just decided I wanted to create a signature event for Woman on a Roll.”

She wanted to take women somewhere different and began looking at the central California coast as an option. “I liked the idea that it was an area that was gay friendly but there weren’t any gay parties there yet … I found Cambria Pines Lodge, which is right in the heart of Cambria. I just fell in love with it and every time I would take a tour, I could visualize the place being packed with women. It’s on 25 wooded acres and it has a luxurious feel but at the same time it feels very rustic. I just thought this was the perfect home to do it… they were willing to let us do 100 percent buyout, which was important to maintain the exclusivity and privacy for women.”

With 150 rooms at the Inn, the Cambria weekend is contained in size. “I kind of like keeping it that way. A lot of the rooms are suites so they can very comfortably sleep four and even six people … The local women come to our events and parties. And some people will rent a house nearby … I like that we can’t really grow it any bigger because I think that 350 to 400 women is enough for a really fun, exciting party but also has a little bit more intimate feel.”

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The weekend begins on Thursday night. “We all meet in the lodge and everybody has a chance to get acquainted … a little later we do Karaoke,” she adds.

On Friday, guests can attend a wine tasting garden party with live music. “When people check in to the hotel, they get their gift bags and go up to this beautiful garden setting … Connie Rouse will be singing and we will have free wine tasting all afternoon… Friday night is our welcome dinner … After dinner we are having a retro dance party and Lori Michaels will be singing in the bar.”

This is Michaels’ second year at the event. “It’s a great weekend,” she says, “We had a blast… I was so pleased when Andrea invited us back … I’m going to be doing a love songs’ lounge set on the keys and vocals, where I play some love songs  while women enjoy their wine and just kind of chill out and listen. Then we are doing the sexy kind of performance and dance party stuff where people can watch the show and dance on the dance floor with us and our show, Me and the Girls.

“Andrea does a phenomenal job of putting the event together… we are very excited to be a part of it again this year,” Michaels adds.

On Saturday morning, guests can choose from several activities. A 10-12 mile bike ride through scenic countryside will take riders to a farm store known for their olallieberry pies, made from a locally grown berry. “When they arrive at the farm store a piece of pie will be waiting for them …” Meyerson says.

Guests also can opt for a kayaking excursion in Morro Bay, home to sea otters, sea lions, and a variety of birds. “You dock your kayak and do a 10 or 15 minute walk to the sand dunes and they show you the marine and wildlife.”

Back at the lodge, fitness expert Terri West will lead a boot camp on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

The lawn and pool party starts at noon on Saturday. “We’ll have live entertainment with Lori Michaels, Me and the Girls, and our DJ will be spinning tunes all day,” Meyerson says. “Terri West will be refereeing our games… games with a twist… You don’t have to be really fit, you just have to come with a really good attitude … The popular game last year was pass the dildo, so that was fun.” 

Saturday night’s comedy event features comedian Gloria Bigelow, followed by headliner Suzanne Westenhoefer.

“She asked me to do the first one and I was unavailable,” Westenhoefer explains, “so I couldn’t wait to do the second one. Andrea is not just the promoter of the event, she is a very good friend … Who knows what she will make me do… I’ll probably be serving food or something,” Westenhoefer adds.

“I know so many people who went …  I am completely excited … it’s so beautiful up there… I want to see the sea lions… you can spend all freakin’ day staring at them… You think you are going to see five sea lions and there is a colony of hundreds of sea lions... It’s going to be a blast…”

Following the comedy show, guests will head to the next dance party… “We are looking at a jungle theme, not that people have to dress that way, just for some ambiance,” Meyerson adds.

“Saturday at midnight we are doing something different this year… the Cambria Les Idol competition … We are going to have six to eight contestants and all the contestants that register during the day on Saturday will be given a free performance workshop by Sweet Baby J’ai, who was one of headliners at the event last year, to help them prepare for their debut.”

The weekend wraps up on Sunday, when guests can attend an offsite farewell luncheon with music.

To find out more about Cambria Women's Weekend, visit www.cambriawomensweekend.com or call 310-578-8888.