Booking and details
Dates Fri, Aug 9, 2024
Tickets Free
Duration 5:30 - 7:30pm
Please note: This event has been moved indoors to the Folger’s Great Hall and Elizabethan Theatre due to forecasted rain and high temperatures.
FREE Folger programming all summer long! Bring your friends for a relaxed summer evening with food, drinks, music, dancing, poetry, and more. It’s a chance to discover new artists and performers and explore the Folger’s galleries and gardens.
Join us for an evening of queer celebration hosted by Grace Towers with Be Steadwell and Pretty Boi Drag. During the evening, Little District Books will be on-site selling books and we’ll be featuring the art of Laya Monarez in our Great Hall.
Our exhibition halls will be open throughout the evening; timed-entry passes are recommended.
Grace Towers
Grace Towers turns heads wherever she goes. She has now shared 11 fabulous years in San Francisco, in which she has made a deep impact on the life of the city by carving out queer spaces and nurturing the queerdos who frequent them. She has Graced the city with her signature sabor latino, innumerable commanding performances, generous philanthropic endeavors, transformative mentorship programs, and legendary genderf*ck style. Through her unwavering commitment to community, she encourages self-acceptance, creative expression, body positivity, and the use of DRAG as as a portal for change—all with effortless Grace, style, and poise.
Be Steadwell
Be Steadwell (They, She, He, Be) is a queer pop composer and storyteller from Washington DC. Be composes songs on stage using looping, vocal layering and beat boxing. Be’s original music features earnest lyricism, and affirming queer content. Be’s goal as a musician is to make other black girlies, introverts and weirdos feel seen and loved.
Pretty Boi Drag
Pretty Boi Drag is an award-winning drag king production based in Washington, D.C., that has been captivating audiences since its founding in 2016. The brainchild of visionary creators Lexie Starre, Chris Jay, and Pretty Rik E, this sensational show has become a prominent and celebrated fixture in the world of drag entertainment.
What sets Pretty Boi Drag apart is its explicit focus on highlighting and celebrating the talents of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) performers. In a realm where diversity is essential but often underrepresented, Pretty Boi Drag takes center stage, offering a platform for expression, creativity, and empowerment for BIPOC drag kings.
Laya Monarez
Laya Monarez is a transgender latinx artist based out of Washington DC. Her studio is located at Hole In the Sky, a NE DC Art Collective. She studied at the Corcoran College of Art and Design where she received her BFA in 2005. She has had several murals in the DC area, many of which were commissioned by the Latin American Youth Center. You can find her murals at the Park View Rec Center in Petworth and one of her restorations on Klingle Road in NW. She previously had a mural at the National Zoo and in the Pinch Nightclub but unfortunately both walls have been remodeled.