For the third year in a row, Pride Ride is happening at Homewood Mountain Resort in North Lake Tahoe. It was created as a way to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with a weekend of skiing and a lot of fun events like dinner and a drag show, including Deja Skye from Season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. There’s a meetup, a post-ski party with a DJ, a pride parade, and a dual slalom drag race to see who is the fastest drag queen.
This all takes place at Homewood Mountain Resort from March 24 to March 27, 2022! This event is a fun, inclusive weekend full of events and activities organized in collaboration with LGBTQ+ non-profit partner Project MORE and area businesses, Pride Ride was created to celebrate and support the LGBTQ+ community.
Along with a weekend of skiing, they are hosting a variety of mini-events both on and off the mountain including a Dual Slalom Drag Race, Ski Parade down Rainbow Ridge, Virtual Raffle, and more.
Here's what to expect:
Dinner & Drag Show | Friday, March 25 at West Shore Cafe & Inn (Across the Street from Homewood)
Enjoy a three-course meal as you are entertained lakeside during Pride Ride’s first-ever Dinner & Drag show at the West Shore Cafe. Featuring Deja Skye from Season 14 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, this amazing show includes talented drag artists from throughout Northern California. Tickets are $100 per person plus tax and gratuity and reservations are required in advance. Doors open at 6 pm and the show will begin at 6:30 pm.
Ski/Snowboard Meetups | Saturday, March 26 & Sunday, March 27 at 10:00 am, meet at the bottom of Madden Chairlift
Meetup for a casual group ski/snowboard on both Saturday and Sunday mornings at 10 am at the bottom of the Madden Chairlift. Meet new people, take a few laps and enjoy the Homewood big blue view! View our trail map here.
Apres Pride | Saturday, March 26 & Sunday, March 27 from 2 pm to 5 pm, at Homewood’s North Base area
Keep the post-ski party going off the mountain with Après Pride at Homewood’s North Base on Saturday and Sunday. Keep warm next to the outdoor fire pits and grab a drink as you enjoy DJ Cisco playing at the base of the mountain. Reminisce about your day as you hang out with old friends and meet new ones! Entry is free.
Rainbow Ridge Pride Parade | Saturday at noon, meet at the summit of Old Homewood Express.
Join us for our 3rd annual Rainbow Parade! Appropriately placed on Rainbow Ridge, our signature 2-mile long beginner trail, this parade is set to stretch from peak to shore while showcasing everyone’s colorful ensemble all the way down. Be sure to bring a flag and colorful attire, we’ll be filming this celebration from above with a drone. Simply meet us at the summit of the mountain (on top of the Old Homewood Express chairlift) at 12:00 pm to join. View our trail map here.
Dual Slalom Drag Race | Saturday from 1 pm – 3 pm starting at the Big Blue View Bar
Who is the fastest drag queen of them all? We’re ready to find out. From 1-3 pm on Saturday, we’re hosting a free-to-enter race where we’re asking for all participants to dress in their best drag ensemble as they race head to head with other competitors. The top 3 finishers will be rewarded with a handful of prizes! Registration is free, open to all ability levels and can be made the day of the event at the Big Blue View Bar starting at noon.
'Drag Race' stars Ben DeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon on tour this fall
Global drag icons and RuPaul’s Drag Race stars, BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon are taking the stage once again in a post-apocalypse-mas extravaganza certain to make this yuletide gayer than ever! That’s right… After a year of doom, gloom, and zoom, the Queens of Christmas have risen from the rubble to unearth your favorite holiday tradition with a 26-city tour of The Return of The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show, LIVE! (Produced by BenDeLaCreme Presents) across the U.S., U.K. and Canada from November 13 - December 30, 2021. This run marks the biggest tour for Jinkx & DeLa’s holiday show since its wildly successful inception, as they return with their signature whip-smart comedy, brand new songs, and a few perennial favorites.
In exclusive statements to Entertainment Weekly, BenDeLaCreme said, “After a year in captivity Jinkx and I are bustin’ at the seams and rarin’ to go! Waiting for Santa is NOTHING compared to the excitement I feel to be back in theaters, sharing the holidays with the chosen family we’ve collected around the globe!” Jinkx Monsoon added, “I’m thrilled to be back on tour with my sister DeLa, celebrating the holidays the way I was meant to: boozed up, bawdy, and on display.”
For the past three years, Jinkx and DeLa have owned the holiday season with their critically-acclaimed sold-out holiday tours (To Jesus, Thanks for Everything in 2018 and All I Want for Christmas Is Attention in 2019). In 2020, BenDeLaCreme produced her first-ever film under BenDeLaCreme Presents with The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special (Hulu / PVOD), a 60-minute variety special made for the screen. The special debuted to critical acclaim and solidified itself as a global queer holiday must-watch for years to come.
The Return of The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show, LIVE! is produced and directed by BenDeLaCreme, co-written and co-created by BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon, and associate produced by Kevin Heard. For more information, and to sign up for updates, visit jinkxanddela.com.
U.S. Tour Dates:
November 30 – Portland, ME (State Theatre)
December 1 – Boston, MA (The Wilbur)
December 3 – New York, NY (The Town Hall)
December 4 – New York, NY (The Town Hall)
December 5 – Washington, DC (Lincoln Theatre)
December 6 – Philadelphia, PA (Keswick Theatre, Glenside)
December 8 – St. Paul, MN (The Fitzgerald)
December 9 – Chicago, IL (Thalia Hall)
December 10 – Detroit, MI (The Majestic Theatre)
December 12 – Austin, TX (Paramount Theatre)
December 14 – Denver, CO (Paramount Theatre)
December 16 – Phoenix, AZ (The Van Buren)
December 18 – Los Angeles, CA (The Theatre at Ace Hotel)
December 19 – San Francisco, CA (The Palace of Fine Arts Theatre)
December 21 – Seattle, WA (The Neptune)
December 22 – Seattle, WA (The Neptune)
December 23 – Seattle, WA (The Neptune)
December 24 – Seattle, WA (The Neptune)
December 26 – Seattle, WA (The Neptune)
December 28 – Vancouver, BC (Vogue Theatre)
December 30 – Portland, OR (The Newmark)
Praise for Jinkx & DeLa
"Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme are the Queens of Christmas." - Entertainment Weekly
"Filled with queer Christmas cheer, these queens deliver the goodies." - Film Inquiry
“A masterclass in polished, elevated drag, that plays to the special talents of its stars, this is a pairing not to be missed.” - Glasgow Theatre
“[Jinkx & Dela] are experts at the kind of physical comedy Lucille Ball perfected in her heyday. Whether it’s with a snarl of the lip, in Jinkx’s case, or a widening of the eyes, in DeLa’s, each has the ability to make small movements speak volumes…” - Exeunt Magazine
About BenDeLaCreme
Director, Producer, Co-Creator, Co-Writer, Starring as Herself
Sweet as pie and sharp as cheddar, the Terminally Delightful BenDeLaCreme is known for combining her background in performing and visual arts with a love of spectacle, glamour, and Saturday morning cartoons.
Continuing to break new ground by, and for, drag artists, DeLa’s production company, BenDeLaCreme Presents, produced its first national tour with, To Jesus, Thanks for Everything! -Jinkx and DeLa, co-created and co-written by BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon. In 2019, the queens hit the road again with a brand new holiday show titled, All I Want for Christmas is Attention. That tour was a sold-out sensation and marked DeLa’s first producer credit for an international tour. In 2020, BenDeLaCreme self-produced, directed and co-wrote her debut film under BenDeLaCreme Presents, The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special, which became a critical and commercial success, leading to an exclusive licensing deal with Hulu. DeLa is thrilled to add producing and directing her first film feature to her long list of career achievements. BenDeLaCreme also made a cameo appearance along with Jinkx Monsoon in Hulu's biggest film debut to date, Happiest Season. She has dazzled crowds throughout the Americas, Europe, and Australia, premiered four critically acclaimed solo shows off-Broadway, as well as written, directed, and produced myriad narrative works and variety spectaculars that have played to sold-out audiences for over a decade. BenDeLaCreme’s live performances have received glowing reviews: “Keeping you entertained while making you think about your place in the world is all a part of the BenDeLaCreme experience,” said Forbes and Billboard raves that her work “...soars past entertainment and into the realm of theatrical art.”
About Jinkx Monsoon
Co-Creator, Co-Writer, Starring as Herself
Since winning Season 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race, Jinkx Monsoon (she/her) has travelled the world performing her original cabaret shows with her music partner, Major Scales. The duo are best known for their highly acclaimed show The Vaudevillians, which enjoyed multiple extensions Off-Broadway and toured to many international festivals. With original music by Major Scales, Jinkx has released two albums: The Inevitable Album and The Ginger Snapped (available on Apple Music, iTunes and Spotify). While live performing is her passion, Jinkx is no stranger to film and TV work. Besides her stint in reality TV, she has appeared on the CBS cop drama Blue Bloods, the Netflix original AJ and the Queen, and has voiced characters for such animated shows as Steven Universe, Mighty Magiswords, Bravest Warriors, as well as a few surprises that are yet to come! Jinkx has been the subject of two documentaries: Drag Becomes Him, and The Queens. She is an award-winning stage actress, having won the Gregory Award for her portrayal of Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and most recently, The MAC Award for her show The Ginger Snapped, co-written with Major Scales. You can watch her web show, Cool Mom with comedy partner Nick Sahoyah on the streaming app WOW Presents Plus. Jinkx is extremely proud of her partnership with BenDeLaCreme, having co-written and co-starred in both To Jesus, Thanks for Everything! -Jinkx and Dela, All I Want for Christmas is Attention and The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Special now on Hulu.
It's time to talk about everyone's favorite subject in drag, SHADE! We all throw it, but when does the lines blur from the fun of shade to downright bullying? Sit back and get ready for the Shade of Drag!
The shade of it all. You’ve all seen it on RuPaul’s Drag Race and on Untucked, and guess what? It’s happening every day in real life. I’m talking about drag bullying, the point where the shade just isn't cute or fun.
Peak Shade: Who Should Go Home? 👀 RuPaul’s Drag Race youtu.be
Why is it that today’s drag has to be so vindictive? Sure it sells good TV, and everyone loves a catty queen, but there is a fine line between throwing shade and being a bully. I have sadly pushed the line way past shade myself.
What happen to the camaraderie, when, at the end of the day, queens united and loved one another? We need to take a step back to a time when there was an attitude of love and tolerance. Let's return to the ‘Drag Golden Years’ when our community loved and supported one another.
I am very thankful to all the legendary queens who paved the road, with many sacrifices, allowing us to freely express ourselves today and prance around in our mini-dresses. When greats like Nashville legend Tina Louise began, people were being jailed for dressing outside their gender. Living with day-to-day struggles like that, you can definitely understand why the bond between the queens was so much stronger. They found power through their community, which made them stronger individuals and performers as well.
Today, though, is a completely different story. Some queens feel that, every time they dress up in drag, it’s a competition. While the drag community is filled with competitions, not every night on stage is a contest. To me, drag is an art form entirely about entertainment! As long as my audience is entertained, I feel like I’ve done my job.
Living in a world that already stacks so many obstacles against our community, why add more to the stress and bully one another? When I spoke to some of the performers I work with in Nashville, there were plenty of shocking stories. One girl was attacked backstage by three regular performers while guest spotting at “their bar” and another discovered a queen had urinated in her bag backstage during a competition.
Years ago, I asked one local performer why she was often rude to other girls. She laughed at my question and said, “You have no business asking any questions about drag much less writing a column about it. You clearly don’t know, aren’t you new to this?” I remember my reaction like it was yesterday, I admit I giggled a little at that. At least this queen didn’t save any chatter for behind my back, so I had to give her some props for that!
At my first big hosting gig, one queen who no longer worked there said, when asked about the show, “I don’t work there anymore, that rotted queen is hosting now…” Later in my drag career, after winning a local fan-voted contest, another performer announced my performance to the audience as, “Supposedly this is the best.”
Another time I saw one queen brought back out and ridiculed for not wearing panties. Mind you, she was fully padded, so nothing X-rated was to be seen. This was just the hosts' ploy to embarrass her in front of the entire bar.
There was one queen who really touched my heart who has since passed away. She was fun, creative and made more tips than any of us, just by being herself and expressing herself anyway she could. The more seasoned queens of course paraded her around like she was a big joke. But she never cared, because she knew when on stage she was going to let her light shine brighter than anyone else.
Here are some quotes I received from other queens when I asked, “What are some examples of shade thrown at you?”
“I have never seen anything like it in my entire career!”
“You look like a dumpster mummy!”
“What type of drag do you call this?”
“Did you design this outfit or did your sewing machine just blow up?”
“Who taught you how to paint, Bozo the clown?”
“I can't do that song with you because I don't have a wig for that”
“You should really ask someone to help you with that face”
“She's doing what she calls performing”
I am from a small town, so bullying was an everyday thing in my life. In a sense, I’m thankful for that, because it did give me a thicker skin. I was mostly a victim, but sadly sometimes played the perpetrator. Bullying is like an illness that can easily be spread.
Bullying is a real life issue that everyone faces, not just the drag community. Let’s quit causing more damage to our brothers and sisters and encourage them for being brave enough to be unique or different. People are very precious and extremely fragile. Sometimes they can be broken very easily without even showing the smallest crack.
With all the hard work that goes into being a drag queen, the last thing a queen needs is to be tormented because someone thinks she doesn’t fit the mold. I wish all cities celebrated more types of drag and had a variety of venues and events for girls to showcase their talents. Drag is so fluid! It has no specific way it should be done. That is what makes it so amazing!
If you ask me, this drag on drag crime has got to stop! It’s time to bring back the nice days! Retract those claws, ladies, Welcome your sisters with open arms. Lovingly give advice, not advice with shady undertones. Realize what you think works may work for you, but might not be best for someone else. And guess what? Take some advice sometimes too: you will be surprised at what works for you.
Until next time, love one another and try not to be so freaking judgmental because “we're all born naked and the rest is drag!”