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The second annual Cascadia Drag Festival attracted drag artists and fans from outside Portland’s immediate bounds to the Clinton Street Theater on May 22–24. As with last year, the Cascadia Drag Festival platformed more than 100 drag artists on the Clinton’s stage, sprouting around it a sidewalk makers market and satellite programs like drag-hosted karaoke nights at UnderBar in Vancouver, Wash., and at Suki’s, and an opening night party at Dots Cafe across the street.
Thursday night’s opening show was dedicated to Dahlia Kash, an event producer who died earlier this year. Kash’s co-producer, Destiny Smokez, co-hosted Dahlia’s Night—a revue of Black and Indigenous performers of color, including Kash and Smokez’s drag children—with fellow producer-performer Risqué and Rye. Friday night’s programs included Drag Dangerzone (a new works showcase hosted by Valerie DeVille) and Lash Bash, a five-category night hosted by event producer and vintage shop owner Wolfgang X that merged drag show with fashion runway presentation. Saturday’s main events were four hourlong revues hosted by Bolivia Carmichaels, Lady Berry Matthews, Sugarpill and XO Skeleton, respectively.
WW attended Carmichaels’ show, which began around 1:15 pm and ran nearly to 2:30. The Old Town treasure showed the kids how drag’s done through her full-body connection to Selena’s “Disco Medley,” acting out lines without being afraid to get silly or inappropriate (Carmichaels dusted off groaner dad jokes inherited from the late Darcelle XV to kill time). Highlights from the opening revue included Mary Montrese’s video game-inspired number and drag king Clyde Maxx’s literally auto-erotic mashup of Kesha’s “Joyride” and Charli XCX’s “Vroom Vroom” with a comedic song about two trucks fornicating. The finale performance by Mona Trombona and Glambo, a literally gender-swapping homage to The Addams Family, inventively highlighted the Cascadia Drag Festival’s strongest features: a pulse-check on the ways drag has fused with other artforms and fandoms like burlesque, music and cosplay; and a way for small-town performers and fans to connect with Portland’s broader community.