Residents from around North Texas gathered in Plano for another drag brunch.
Pepper Smash, located at The Shops at Legacy, hosted another iteration of its Sass & Smash Drag Brunch on Sunday afternoon. The show was once again hosted by drag performer Adecia Lush.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, all-ages drag shows spurred a number of protests in the greater Dallas area and other cities around Texas in recent years. Such performances have also prompted accusations of being “derisive, divisive and demoralizing misogyny,” a sentiment expressed by West Texas A&M University president Walter Wendler, who canceled a drag show on the campus last March.
DX visited a previous drag brunch at Pepper Smash on February 11, however, attendance was sparse. Jon Kilburn, owner of Pepper Smash, said that he believed the low attendance was likely due to the Super Bowl later that afternoon. He predicted that future shows would have greater attendance.
Kilburn was not wrong. On Sunday, the venue quickly filled with groups of adults from across North Texas and some from as far away as Houston.
The event saw over 30 tickets sold, according to Kilburn, and the fact that some attendees were coming in off the street indicated to him that the local community was receiving the shows favorably.
“What you see today is normal. Last time, it was SuperBowl Sunday, so we expected a small crowd,” said Kilburn. “However, just like last time, some people came from off the street and really enjoyed it. So word of mouth is getting it out there.”
Guests were served alcoholic drinks and items from a brunch menu before the start of the show at around 1:30 p.m.
Adecia Lush and two other drag queens performed various dance routines to popular music while interacting with guests, some of whom showered the performers with cash tips. One performance was themed on the Miss Bulltrunch character from the 1996 movie Matilda.
Some of the performances were sexually explicit, with some guests participating. Guests who were celebrating birthdays were also acknowledged during the show.
Kilburn said that his previously shared views have not changed, and he intends to continue marketing the bar as a safe space for the entire community.
The event was 21 and up.
