DETROIT — On Friday March 25, Menjos opened it’s doors to their fourth annual Bear Expo – Spring Edition. Friday is the weekly Bear Necessities party. Followed on Saturday with Bear Expo, with Special Guest Seth Fornea, COLT model and dancer.
This was one of many Bear and Leather related events after a big announcement from, Tim McKee, Menjos manager, regarding the changes in the way the bar would be holding events, and opening it’s doors to the Leather, Bear, Kink, and Pup communities. Tim let us all in on the changes at the ICON Detroit 23rd Anniversary Party. He wanted everyone to know how welcome we would be in the bar.
Menjos is already home to the ICON Lounge, a location set aside in the bar to display the history of Detroit’s Bar and Leather scene of the past, present, and future, as well as hold special events and vendor areas for ICON parties. ICON Detroit, whom the lounge is named for, has been in the Detroit community for 23 years. ICON Detroit sets as its goal to project the positive aspects of the Leather Lifestyle, lend assistance to people living with HIV/AIDS, join the campaign against HIV/AIDS, and to partake in the continuing education in the are of HIV and HIV prevention. They hold a minimum of 10 events at Menjos each year to raise money for their various causes and at the Annual Anniversary party make their donations to each Charity.
Menjos just recently added to additional spaces to the bar for other aspects in our Community. The new Pup Pound, usually set up in the ICON Lounge when non-ICON events are going on, which has been a personal favorite space for this puppy. They also have set up the Onyx Alley – “Where the boys are”! They’ve revamped the Olympus Theater, where they hold special events and special erotic presentations.
I made it to both nights of the event and was able to explore many aspects of the venue. On Friday Night it was an ICON fundraising night. Tonight they chose to gear up as cops and haul various people, bears, and pups to the specially constructed jail, where you had to be judged on your infractions and pay or earn your way out of the jail cell. I may have spent some time in the jail cell with a ginger friend who earned a few choice spankings from me, in order for us to be released. Mind you, I had to ask the warden for special permission for my hand cuffs to be removed in order to spank this ginger properly.
Bears could be found throughout the entire bar, from shot boys to patrons and dancers and more. Menjos specifically called out for the puppy community to come and join the party on Friday night. They wanted to be joined by their furry little friend, encouraging the bears to swing by and wag something in the puppies waiting faces, pup petting being highly encouraged. And there was an abundance of petting throughout the evening. It was just a furry fun filled fantasy come true for many of us. The BearCare pop-up shop was there as well, selling everything from beard oils to lotions and soaps. With scents like black pepper, leather, and woodsmen, it was a lumberjack-scented evening.
Saturday was dedicated to Superstar Bear Model and Erotic Dancer Seth Fornea. Host Mr. Michigan Leather Brian Mailley spoke through out the evening and there was a special advance VIP party in the ONYX Alley prior to the events of the evening. Seth entertained the crowd through out the evening with his moves and took time to take pictures with patrons both on the dance floor and in the Special Photo Booth. There were hot muscle bear dancers and a special ass eating contest. Brian and Seth held a perfect Bare Bear Butt contest, pulling contestants from the crowd. Seeing the 50-year-old Sir with the 
perfect ass win was such an amazing sight!
There was a bear massage and beard trim station set up in the basement.
Sunday, they held the weekly tea dance and a Big Mouthwatering Bear Barbecue.
All in all, the Bear Expo was a huge success, raising money for local charities, bringing the leather, bear, and pup communities together and just producing a great event at a great venue. I can’t wait to see what the future holds with some of the upcoming events at Menjos, including the semiannual Dark Side of Kink event coming up this summer! I also want to thank Piero Palomino for the beautiful pictures he took throughout the evening.
