Drag Night at the Exchange

By Dylan Marsh
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
WINDSOR, Vt. — The Windsor Exchange, a well-known DIY space in town, held its very first drag show on Saturday, August 6, 2022.

A short time ago the Windsor Farmers Exchange was a derelict building, hidden in overgrowth, and owned by the railroad company. After being purchased and turned into a multi-use performance space, the Exchange has seen a number of different types of performances over the years. This last Saturday was the first time the venue hosted a drag performance, which was only made possible by a collaboration between a number of local organizers.

“I really want to emphasize that putting on the show was a group effort. Between folks from Windsor pride month planning, the town offices, the local music & art community, and the performers, we had an amazing team come together to make the night the success that it was. It would not have happened without a lot of people putting in a lot of time and effort, which is something that I really love about the Windsor community,” said one of the show organizers, Davis McGraw.

The idea for having the show came from discussions during June’s Pride Month events in Windsor, which hosted events such as the Windsor Pride Ride and a rock-and-roll pride party. Members of the planning board came to realize that there was a significant gap in offering these kinds of performances in town and came to the conclusion, if someone is going to do it, why not them.

Performer Anita Cocktail had also noticed the lack of drag shows in her former home of Windsor and reached out to the ally group putting on Pride Month festivities to see if they’d be interested in hosting a show.

Cocktail has been performing drag shows for the last five years. The Windsor native has also hosted her own shows for the last three. Merchants Hall, an event venue in Rutland, has been the home of many of her performances. With the last few years of performing under her belt, Cocktail says that drag not only helped her to gain confidence and discover herself, but also that a drag show isn’t what many people think of it.

“We’ve had a lot of people that heard we’re doing it and we’ve invited them out. A lot of people thought it wasn’t for them, that it’s just a bunch of guys in dresses. It’s really so much more than that. It’s burlesque, and comedy and music, there’s a little bit of everything. You put on a hell of a show and 95% of people that were on the fence are going to come back,” said Cocktail of performing.

Other performers for Saturday’s show were Cocktail’s “drag daughter” Ivanna Cocktail, Burlington’s Emoji Nightmare, and drag king Prince Muffin. Emoji Nightmare is a well-known performer in the Burlington area, hosting shows at venues like Higher Ground and co-founded the popular Drag Queen Story Hour. According to Cocktail, their shows will often have guests with ages ranging from 20 to 80 years old.

The question of whether there was an interest in a drag show in Windsor was met with a resounding yes, when the Windsor Exchange barn facility reached capacity with excited guests. On a particularly hot summer Saturday, organizers for the event made certain to keep performers and guests as cool as possible, keeping the doors and windows of the facility open and providing water. McGraw, who has had a hand in producing and promoting many events at the Exchange, kept the safety of showgoers and performers in the highest regard.

“It’s clear that people want to come out, check out a drag show and have a good time. I’m still blown away by how smooth everything went. My experience working with (Cocktail) was really awesome. I just hope people see how well this went and are inspired to host their own drag shows,” said McGraw.