Bushwig: NYC’s Premiere Celebration of Drag and Art

August 15, 2022 Vacationer Staff

Pull out your best synthetic hairdo and get ready for Bushwig 2022 on September 10-11 at NYC’s Knockdown Center!

It’s hard to believe that Bushwig – New York City’s festival of Drag, Music, and Love – will celebrate its 11th anniversary this year. Co-founded by drag performers Horrorchata and Babes Trust in 2012, the event has expanded continuously through the years, outgrowing two previous venues before settling down in its current home, The Knockdown Center in Maspeth, Queens. The show has always combined a mix of international and local talent, some famous, some not. In the true spirit of the art of drag, the main focus of Bushwig has always been to create a safe, inclusive, and community-focused event for drag artists and enthusiasts.

The event has featured various types of entertainers through the years such as Azelia Banks, the Boulet Brothers, Amanda Lepore, Scarlet Envy, Evah Destruction, Honey Davenport, and countless others. Lady Bunny has been a significant part of the show’s history and will be featured again this year. It should be noted that Lady Bunny’s Wigstock was NYC’s premiere drag festival from 1984 all the way through 2005. In many ways, Bushwig has carried that torch forward since its inception with honor and respect for the legacy Bunny built with her show.

In addition to Lady Bunny, other performers announced for this year’s festivities include Bebe Deluxe, Kerri Colby, La Zavaleta, Merrie Cherry, Kevin Aviance, Evangeline, Lavender Thug, Gia the Warrior Princess, Untitled Queen, and about 140 other acts with more announcements to come, including a special secret headlining guest.

What makes this event so unique and powerful is that it is a showcase for underground queer art in all its varied forms. There will be drag queens, drag kings, trans performers, ballroom performers, musical acts, performance art, comedy, and every type of artistic and gender expression you can imagine on display for you to marvel at and enjoy. It’s an unapologetic celebration of what it means to be queer in one of the queerest cities on earth!

Attendees are encouraged to be themselves and wear decadent and fierce costuming. Security will be handled by a team brought in by Bushwig that has been specifically trained to work with the LGBTQ community. Organizers request that you leave the booze and other party favors at home. Alcohol will be available to purchase at the bars in the Knockdown Center. This is a 21+ event.