If the Internet has proven anything, it’s that each touch, taste, smell, sight and emotional and physical interaction has the ability to become fetishized. And for all you know, your grandma’s running a webcam business out of Shady Oakes. So where do all of these kinks get kinky in three-dimensional space, you ask? Well, here in Dallas they’ve got several options. This weekend, the Crowne Plaza Hotel (1015 Elm St.) hosts one of the year’s largest, Beyond Vanilla 23. Workshops feature everything from the expected (“Bondage 101”) to the less-so (“Blood Ritual/Cutting,” and “Electricity, It’s Not Just for Light Bulbs Anymore!”). Psychotherapist and author Dossie Easton gives this cycle’s keynote address and there’s a new award up for grabs in the 2013 International Puppy and Trainer Contest, which we assume involves peeing on a pad and having your nose rubbed in it. Or just lots of belly scratches. Either way, it’s totally happening. Register at beyondvanilla.org. Single-day tickets cost $39 to $59 and a three-day pass is $110.
Sept. 28-29, 2013