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Excelsior M.C. — Fire Island Leather Weekend 2026

May 15 - May 17

🌊 Excelsior M.C. — Fire Island Leather Weekend 2026

📅 Dates: May 15–17, 2026

📍 Location: Cherry Grove, Fire Island, New York

About Excelsior M.C.

Excelsior M.C. is a longstanding New York City–based men’s club founded in 1975. The club was born from a leather-weekend on Fire Island sponsored by a motorcycle club. Over the decades, Excelsior has grown into a community pillar — committed to leather culture, brotherhood, social engagement, and charity. 

Excelsior fosters a welcoming, inclusive environment for gay men and leather/kink-interested individuals, blending social events, club runs, fundraising, and community outreach. Annual events like Fire Island Leather Weekend carry forward the club’s mission of celebration, education, and solidarity. 

What Is Fire Island Leather Weekend

Fire Island Leather Weekend is one of New York’s premier leather-community events. Every May, Excelsior hosts this “Run” on Fire Island, with Cherry Grove as the central locale. The 2026 theme is “AREA 51: Deep Probe Ahead.” 

Attendees who purchase a Run Pass get access to all weekend events: leather demos, cocktail and social hours, five meals, entry to the Mr. Fire Island Leather Contest, and a collectible run pin. 

Events typically include:

  • Welcome dinner and registration check-in
  • Social nights, after-hours receptions, and hosted cocktail hours
  • Leather-themed activities: boot-blacking, demos, poolside parties, pool/cocktail socials, cigar/social events, seminars or workshops (when scheduled) 
  • The Mr. Fire Island contest and a Parade of Colors — a highlight for many attendees celebrating leather clubs and community identity. 
  • A farewell brunch or closing-day gathering to wrap up the weekend. 

 

Registration & Pass Pricing

  • Early-bird Run Pass starts at US $199 and includes full access to weekend events. 
  • Pass tiers rise: Tier 2 is US $210, Tier 3 US $220, and last-minute registration US $230 (if available) as event approaches. 
  • The Run Pass includes everything listed above — events, meals, contest entry, run pin, and shared community experiences. 

 

Travel & Accommodations

Weekend events take place across multiple venues in Cherry Grove, Fire Island. 

The primary host accommodation is the Belvedere Guest House, Fire Island’s well-known guest house for men — located beachfront and near community hotspots. 

Visitors typically reach Fire Island via the rail-to-ferry route: take regional rail (e.g. Long Island Rail Road) to Sayville, shuttle to the ferry terminal, then ferry to Cherry Grove or nearby Fire Island Pines. 

Why It Matters

Fire Island Leather Weekend is more than a party. It’s a celebration of leather culture, LGBTQ+ community, solidarity, and friendship. It offers a rare space where people can connect, express themselves, and embrace their identities with others who share similar values. For many, it becomes an annual tradition of belonging, pride, and personal connection.

Details