[title]
Update May 1, 2023: The next tour is coming up on Sunday, May 14 featuring Boyish Charm; tickets are on sale here.
Prepare to get schooled on NYC queer history by drag queen Alotta McGriddles on a boozy new trolley tour launching this weekend.
The Drag Me Out Trolley Tour combines a bar crawl and a history lesson for a fun Sunday afternoon in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The tours kick off with Alotta McGriddles as the guide, so expect plenty of laughs from this "comedy queen," Drag Me Out Trolley Tour's founder Taylor Minnis said.
RECOMMENDED: The 30 best gay bars in NYC
Here's how it works: You'll meet up at 9th Ave Saloon in Hell's Kitchen for drinks, then take the trolley to The Monster bar in Greenwich Village, then head to Metropolitan Bar in Williamsburg and finally end at Phoenix Bar in the East Village where a free drink and pizza will be waiting. During the entire experience, you'll get drink specials at the bars and free champagne on the trolley. Plus, you'll hear commentary and history from Alotta McGriddles. Tickets cost $69.
It's like the concept of a hop-on, hop-off bus, except there's alcohol, a drag queen's in charge and the vintage trolley's a lot cuter.
As the trolley winds through the city en route to iconic bars, you'll hear the queer history of each neighborhood as narrated by Alotta McGriddles.
"She's very familiar with the city," Minnis said. "She's born and raised here, so she's going to be giving her take on the city from a queer point of view."
Focusing on queer history is extremely important right now, Minnis said, especially given the right-wing aggression toward drag queen story hours.
“Gay culture is just so fun—why would you ever want to censor that?” he said.
The Drag Me Out Trolley Tour kicks off this weekend on Sunday, April 16, and tickets are going fast. But don’t worry if you can’t make it this weekend because the tours will continue this spring and summer featuring a variety of drag performers. Keep an eye on the group's Eventbrite for future events.