On June 9 at 7:00 p.m., Kingston hosted its 6th annual Drag in the Park.
Open to people of all ages, Drag in the Park platforms queer identified local artists by bringing two hours of music, colour, and joy to Confederation Park.
Members of the Kingston community came together behind the Visit Kingston building with lawn chairs, picnic blankets, and lots of cash, ready for a night full of remarkable performances and high energy. Needless to say, they weren’t disappointed.
The show featured six performers, including the two hostesses, Tyffanie Morgan and Rowena Whey. The pair have been hosting Drag in the Park since their first show on a friend’s back deck six years ago. But their commitment to the drag scene didn’t start there; Tyffanie Morgan has been performing in Kingston for 25 years and is considered a drag mother to many.
The annual performance is in support of Trellis HIV and Community Care. Established in 1988, Trellis is a local organization that supports and provides harm reduction services for people living with, at risk of, or affected by HIV/AIDS and other Sexually Transmitted and Blood-Borne Infections (STBBIs).
“I not only get to financially support underserved members of the community, [but] I also get to share a message of love and support for the queer community,” Whey wrote in a statement to The Journal.
Volunteers from Trellis were present throughout the show to collect donations from audience members. The drag performers themselves also collected cash tips and immediately deposited them into Trellis’ red collection buckets. Every dollar raised was donated to the charity.
The hosts emphasized the diversity that comes with drag performances and proved it with appearances from a variety of performers, including Yuni-Verse, Sundae Mourning, Whiplash, and Street Meat. Each performer brought something new to the stage and with a wide range of artists, there was truly something for everyone to enjoy.
“Our drag community is so diverse and special in its performers,” Yuni-Verse wrote to The Journal. “We’re a rarity in Ontario and it’s something people should seek out.”
Despite having a stage, the performers all maneuvered through the crowd, giving almost every audience member a great view. They lip-synched and danced skillfully to popular hits, even acknowledging that a drag show wouldn’t be complete without The Weather Girls, “It’s Raining Men.”
Halfway through the show, the hosts introduced Amanda Girling, the executive director of Trellis Community Care. Calling Drag in the Park Trellis’s biggest fundraiser by far, Girling told the audience that it has raised over $25,000 for the organization since they started six years ago.
“I can’t believe we are Trellis’s largest fundraiser, thanks to the generosity of the many spectators out there willing to give and experience a lively drag show,” Morgan told The Journal.
The night was stacked with everything from outfit changes to somersaults, to coordinated dance routines to ABBA’s greatest hits. Each performer invited the audience to sing, dance, and celebrate along with them.
When the show ended at 9:00 p.m., the audience lined up for pictures. Despite being tired from their show, the drag performers posed fabulously for each one.
With performances like these it’s clear that Drag in the Park has a long future ahead of it.
What started off as an intimate gathering of friends six years ago has evolved into an annual experience which draws in massive crowds ever year and spreads awareness for Trellis and the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.
Tags
Drag in the Park, Rowena Whey, Street Meat, Trellis, Tyffanie Morgan, Yuni-Verse
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