Take Five/ Five Questions with Mariah Hanson Founder & CEO of Club Skirts
Mariah Hanson is the founder and CEO of the world-famous “Club Skirts Presents The Dinah,” the largest lesbian event in the world and the original version of the modern Dinah Shore Weekend of festivities in Palm Springs.
Mariah, whose past philanthropic endeavors have included a two year term on the Board of Equality California and several years on the “Women’s Night” committee for the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, continuously utilizes The Dinah as a platform to mobilize the LGBT community around humanitarian projects and social issues. She’s lent her support to various charity causes and activist movements such as GLAAD, NOH8, The San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Community Center. In addition she was the recipient of the prestigious “ATHENA Leadership Award” from the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce for her contributions to Palm Springs as well as the first recipient of the Legacy Award by the LGBT Community Center of the Desert. To add to her many accolades, Mariah will also be one of the honorees (alongside Lily Tomlin) at the 2015 NCLR Dinah Weekend Garden Party.
We recently got a chance to “Take Five” with Mariah and find out what it takes to put together the largest lesbian event in the world and also find some down time on that overflowing plate of hers.
For the few who don’t know, tell our readers a little bit about Mariah Hanson.
The San Jacinto Mountains hold a special place in my heart. I spent the last two years living up there and horseback riding all over the mountains from Pinion Flats to 9000 feet above the quaint town of Idyllwild. We live in a breathtakingly beautiful area and I am honored to call it my favorite place for work and play. My latest thrill is “back country packing” where you take your horses up into the wilderness and camp out for days at a time. It’s dangerous but you will not find a more serene way to spend your hours, when you are not battling mudslides, wild animals, lightening storms and such ;) I never thought of myself as a camper and I do confess I did hours of research before my first big trip on the best rated boxed wine. Yes, there is such a thing!
You took a small, one-night event with about 1,500 attendees to a five day globally recognized party with some ten times that, what do you think is the main reason for the success?
I invest so much back into the event. My entertainment budget alone is well into the six figures. I am committed to producing events that are beyond what anyone else in the country at my level is doing: straight or gay. Our community is worth it. We deserve to be spoiled and that’s what I try to do — spoil our guests! Of course, that also means they are very unforgiving if they don’t like my entertainment pick ;) Hopefully we have helped raise the event standard for all women. It’s part of our culture to celebrate our lives through dance and music and I want to provide the best.
It’s hard to believe that this year will mark the 25th year of the Dinah, what are some of your favorite memories from the past 24?
This is our 25th event. Probably my current favorite past moment was the Indie Arie concert. She brought such heart and soul to her performance with us. That was the year I brought my Mom and she also brought her Mom who travels with her. My Mother was very involved with the civil rights movement and they chatted about life and experiences and designing your own clothes and it all felt very special that year. I think of it often.
But quite frankly every Dinah has a special place in my heart – our artist roster is spectacular and keeps on growing.
All the amazing artists that walk on our Dinah stage give more than 200% of themselves and leave us all in awe – from Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, The Pussycat Dolls, Pat Benatar and Salt’N Pepa, to name a few, they have ALL been memorably OUTSTANDING.
Of all the places you could have chosen to put on this event, why did you choose Palm Springs?
There is no better place to produce an event of this magnitude than in the politically correct, sunshine city of PS. The city supports diversity and civil rights and that’s right where I want to be.
What can the attendees look forward to this year?
First of all we’re turning 25, so attendees can expect a HUGE celebration – we’re taking the event to a new zenith!
This is the Ultimate MUST SEE, MUST EXPERIENCE Dinah EVER! The non-stop action, the house-packed crazy wild Pool Parties, the sexiest Go-Go dancers, the best DJs, the spectacular entertainment, the celebrities, plus the hottest girls in the world, we got it all!
Trust me, it’s not just going to be another mind-blowing, spectacular year, it will be the best Dinah I have ever produced, unlike anything you’ve seen yet!
