Hold onto your wigs and make your way to the Los Angeles Convention Center this month for RuPaul’s DragCon. Now in its fourth year, the three-day extravaganza eleganza promises 85 of the hottest names in drag, including Drag Race darlings, pop-culture personalities and Mama Ru herself.
More than 40,000 fans turned up in 2017, and this year’s iteration comes through yet again with more than 300 exhibitors, workshops galore, Q&As, lip-synch contests, drag herstory and more.
Drag Race season-five contestant Detox says new girls, an expanded expo space and RuPaul’s second consecutive Emmy win (Detox squealed, “Two Emmys!”) have raised the stakes for this year’s drag- culture convention.
“It’s a lot of pressure: to outdo yourself, to outdo the other booths, but to also maintain great energy,” says Detox. “It’s the world’s largest meet and greet, and that can be super taxing, but it’s so beautiful seeing all of the families and supporters come together under one huge gay roof. Plus, my family has been with me the past three years running my booth, and that means the world to me.”
The trade-show—meets—runway-show wouldn’t be complete without DragCon’s infamous photo ops and sickening merchandise. Also in the mix is the Kid Zone, which last year brought coloring stations, a bounce house and Michelle Tea’s Drag Queen Story Hour.
In between snatching makeup tips and snapping selfies, attendees should head to the first-ever Werk Room, an interactive installation in which fans can stomp around the actual Drag Race set. RuPaul’s keynote lands on May 13, at 4pm, leaving plenty of time to visit other panels.
RuPaul’s DragCon is at the Los Angeles Convention Center May 11 4—8pm, May 12 10am—6pm and May 13 9:30am—4pm. $40—$250.