—Prince: The Immersive Experience: “I was dreaming when I wrote this/So sue me if I go too fast…” Put on your raspberry beret (or whatever you feel funky in) and take in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Created by Superfly and The Prince Estate, The Experience (at 540 N. Michigan Ave.) is an interactive celebration of the iconic artist’s life and legacy. Lose yourself on an interactive trip through the music and life of Prince. Journey through 10 multidimensional spaces and explore a purple universe where you will step inside the iconic Purple Rain album cover, groove on a dance floor to Prince songs, pretend you’re a producer and so much more! Check it out soon, as it is only open until Oct. 9 (barring an extension); visit http://princetheexperience.com/.
—The Light of a Cuban Son: An absorbing book, this Lorenzo Chavez work is set amid the turmoil of the Castro revolution and is a coming-of-age story about Martín Cruz—a gay boy determined to stay true to himself as he searches for happiness against all odds. It’s a tale of madness, oppression—and perseverance.
—Beers & Queer History: This book, written by Dr. Eric Cervini and released through Miller Lite, isn’t quite 30 pages—but it is packed with stories and hand-drawn pictures of 10 iconic bars across the nation (including Chicago’s The Jeffery Pub, NYC’s The Stonewall Inn and Julius’, L.A.’s Black Cat Tavern and D.C.’s The Chicken Hut). The guide costs $19.33, in honor of the United States’ first known queer bar, New Orleans’ Cafe Lafitte, and all proceeds will support Equality Federation. See http://shop.millerlite.com.
—Teleflora Pride bouquets: Say it with flowers! Through July 31, people can order Teleflora’s new (and absolutely beautiful) “Dreaming of Rainbows” and “Rainbow Love” bouquets—and 10% of proceeds will go to LA Pride. See http://www.teleflora.com/.
—Andrew Davis