SAN FRANCISCO — Glitter, glamor and plenty of charisma are part of a recipe to boost nightlife in downtown San Francisco, says Bobby Friday, host of the Drag Me Downtown event series. Bobby believes that “Drag is about unlocking that inner spirit you need to just shine and feel fierce, fantastic and over the top.”
The event series kicked off Thursday at Harrington’s Bar and Grill on Front Street. Last year, each Drag Me Downtown event attracted more than 200 people and this year promises to be even bigger.
Bobby is excited about the community’s response, saying, “I helped them produce the first Drag Me Downtown event series and it was such a success, people loved it so much and it was so much fun to see strange beauty and to bring strange art to spaces that you might not normally find.”
Dozens of people gathered at Harrington’s to enjoy an evening of spectacular shows and entertainment. The event is part of a broader effort to revitalize downtown while celebrating Pride.
Melissa Buckminster of the Downtown SF Partnership emphasized the inclusive nature of the event.
“It’s really important to remind people that downtown is for everyone. I say a little crazy. ‘It’s not just brothers in vests who come to work for banks and technology. It’s a place where the LGTBQ community has always been is embraced’ whether it’s here, whether it’s SoMa, whether it’s the Tenderloin. This is everyone downtown.
The series features new artists each week at various downtown restaurants, with upcoming events at PABU Izakaya on June 13, The Third Floor at the Jay Hotel on June 20, and One Market Restaurant on June 27.
Ben Bleiman, owner of Harrington’s Bar and Grill, noted the importance of such events.
“People think it’s a chicken-and-egg thing. They used to work downtown because they had to. Now they come downtown because they want to, so we have to give them reasons why they want to keep coming. And first Thursday, Drag Me Downtown – we have all the entertainment there.”
Although admission to Drag Me Downtown is free, advance registration is encouraged. All proceeds from the $10 pre-registration fee will benefit San Francisco’s Transgender District, the first legally recognized transgender district in the world.
Bobby encourages everyone to come out and support the event, especially at a time when other places in the country are pushing back against drag culture.
“We want to celebrate who you are and I think that’s what this series is really about,” Bobby said.
