Editing Circuit party (section)

===Founding as disco parties (1970s)===
[[Image:CircuitParty.jpg|thumb|A circuit party in [[Atlanta, Georgia]]]]
The start of the circuit has been attributed to many different parties that sprang up during the late 1970s and early 1980s.  These proto-circuit parties in the late 1970s, the precursors of what later became circuit parties, were called ''[[disco]] parties.'' They lasted one evening only, and were held in various large venues in [[metropolitan area]]s with large gay populations.  Although Flamingo and 12 West were [[LGBT culture in New York City|Manhattan]] clubs that had theme-centered gay parties, these nightclubs were eclipsed by the opening of [[The Saint (club)|The Saint]] in the [[East Village, Manhattan|East Village]] in 1980.

The Saint, which was constructed inside the renovated space that had once housed the renowned Fillmore East theatre, featured a dome-covered dance floor, the dome being suspended in mid-air, and a complete [[planetarium]] mechanism that projected a starscape onto the dome above the dance floor. While open every weekend beginning in September, The Saint's once monthly parties became marathon events that drew gay men from around the world. These parties created the concept of a single disco party being the focal point for a weekend getaway in the gay community.

What was to become another circuit party was founded during the same time period by Corbett Reynolds, a [[Columbus, Ohio]]-based artist and [[nightclub]] owner in the late 1970s.  Initially, Reynolds envisioned a one-night party-to-end-all-parties, designed around the theme of the color Red (hence the name "Red Party"), which was to be held at Reynolds' nightclub, “Rudely Elegant.”

The Red Party proved to be so successful, and drew so many outside visitors, that it filled the Valley Dale Dance Hall to capacity and became an annual event, outliving the closure of the bar in the early 1980s. Reynolds was a true artist, creating complete party-scapes all in red. On the 25th anniversary of the Red Party, the theme of which was to have been "Rome", Mr. Reynolds died. Those in charge of his estate thought about how, if at all, to continue the event and, in the end, decided to retire the concept of the "Red Party" and leave it to history.