Huntsville Drag Brunch is family-friendly fun kids will love

Monthly shows at Campus 805 are kid-friendly
Brunch provided by Straight to Ale
Covid-19 guidelines in place

I have been obsessed with Ru Paul’s Drag Race ever since I found all of the seasons on a steaming service and binged them in 2015. Since then, I have been watching them in realtime. I enjoy the art, sass, and fun of all of the queens on the show.

The show has earned multiple Emmys along with several other awards. Ru Paul’s Drag Race has helped bring drag into mainstream media. So when I saw that Huntsville had a drag show brunch each month at the Straight to Ale Speakeasy, I was excited. When I learned that it was kid-friendly, I was ecstatic. When I saw that the month I wanted to go had a theme of princesses and villains of “magical movies,” I bought the tickets and waited for the day.

My child loves all things drama, music, and fun. So why wouldn’t I take her along with my husband to this show? I explained to my 4-year-old that she isn’t the only one who likes to put on sparkly dresses. Here’s our experience.

What to Expect at the Huntsville Drag Brunch

Make sure to purchase your tickets in advance, because they sell out quickly. When you arrive, have your tickets ready to scan at the entrance of the speakeasy at Straight to Ale (the moving lockers). The doors will open 30 minutes before each show and a hostess will show you to your table.

Due to Covid-19 protocols, tables were separated so each family or group had its own space. Some people even went as far as to decorate the table with table cloths and make it fancy! The Straight to Ale staff stop by your table to get your drink and food order. We went to the later show, so we just snacked on a pretzel with beer cheese. It was perfect for us because we were too busy singing, dancing, tipping, and cheering to eat much.

Parent Pro-Tip: One thing you will want to do before or after you have taken a seat is to get cash out for tips. The performers enjoy the applause, but tips pay the bills! We had four performers, and they each did two numbers in two different costumes. Talk about a quick change! Because of that, we got at least $20 in ones to split between the queens – they walk & dance around the room and really fun for the kids to tip their favorite performers.

When the lights dimmed, and the first performer came out, our mouths dropped. Lip-syncing to Cinderella’s classic song was beautiful, but when Whitney Houston’s, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” hit, the crowd went wild. Each performer from Ursula to the Fairy Godmother did a phenomenal job mixing both classic “mouse” songs and contemporary hits. My 4-year-old loved tipping them, singing along, and seeing all the beautiful costumes. A few more tips…

This show is truly family-friendly. Costumes and dance moves are not risqué.
If you choose to tip the performers, simply hand them the bills as they approach your table. It’s not polite to grab or touch the performers.
Songs at this show are usually a mix of popular kid’s movies mixed with contemporary pops hits.
Body positivity & acceptance plays a big role in the shows.

Going to a kid-friendly drag show helps kids develop empathy, learn about gender diversity and difference, reduce bullying, and tap into their own creativity. Plus, who doesn’t love a Disney singalong with a fabulous evil queen???

“Drag is for Everyone!”

When the show ended, we paid our bill and met two of the queens for photos. I chatted with the owner and a performer after the show to ask a few questions about the Huntsville Drag Brunch.

I learned that the Huntsville Drag Brunch has been family-friendly since the start in 2019. “The idea was to make it so that kids of any age could come and enjoy drag, ” owner Zonnell Glamoure told me. Performer Caila Malone added they wanted to bring drag out of the dark in Huntsville. “We wanted to capitalize on a need that wasn’t being met in Huntsville,” Zonnell noted. “And we like food too!”

Great Advice for Drag Show First-Timers

Here are three tips that the two queens gave us:

Don’t be scared or nervous. Nothing is going to happen that’s out of the ordinary. You aren’t going to be pulled on stage and made to lip-sync for your life.
Bring Dollars! They have an ATM at Campus No. 805 that will dispense $20, and the front of the house where you get your tickets will swap them out for dollar bills.
Come ready to have a good time! You do YOU when you come to brunch!

Finally, I want to comment on how impressive everything was from the costumes, the music, the wigs, the makeup, and the performances. What is amazing to me is that these queens do it all themselves. They are their own marketing team, makeup artists, costume designers, and more.

Huntsville Drag Brunch Show Details

Where: Straight To Ale Speakeasy at Campus 805 (map)
When: Usually the last Sunday of every month
Cost: $8 per person, does not include food

Covid-19 Precautions:
These guidelines are mandatory and in place for the safety of guests, staff, and entertainers: All guests wear a mask until they are seated. Event capacity is limited to 50% A limited brunch menu will be offered. Tables cannot be moved together. Large groups will have to be split up, or small groups will have to sit together (family style and making friends!).

Learn more by following Huntsville Drag Brunch on their Facebook page. You can get tickets through their Eventbrite page.

Editor’s Note: Not every local event is for every family or every kid. If this event isn’t something your family would enjoy, that’s perfectly OK! Just sashay away to our full event calendar and find something else you might like. We have always included a variety of kid-friendly events on this website, and always will.

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Beth Ridgeway

Beth Ridgeway lives in Madison with her husband, daughter, and toy poodle. She works as the Social Media Specialist at the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. When she’s not volunteering or working, you can find her binge watching Netflix, reading, or rehearsing improv.