A forum for parties, too

Philadelphia's Equality Forum began its life as a big gay block party, but has evolved over 15 years into a weeklong series of lectures, workshops, symposia and other serious-minded examinations of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.

Which is not to say there's no fun left in the forum.

SundayOUT proves that point. Market Street from 2nd to 5th streets becomes a giant playground on Sunday, with more than 100 artists, vendors, music and live entertainment adding to the already cool neighborhood of Old City, with its galleries, clubs and restaurants. There's even a special area for kids, to encourage families to attend. The street fair starts at 11 a.m. and will be going strong until 6 p.m.

After that, the partying moves to several clubs, including Bleu Martini (24 S. 2nd), Fluid (613 S. 4th), and Pure (1221 Saint James St.) to wrap up the week's festivities. *