‘A Brunch of Drag’ returns to San Marcos

A Brunch of Drag will soft launch at 11 p.m. on Feb. 14 at Eden with the aid of drag queens and the San Marcos community.

Eileen Dover, drag artist, hosted A Brunch of Drag every fourth Sunday of the month at The Davenport before the bar shut it down. The final show, on Sept. 22, 2024, celebrated the event’s two-year history. Dover wanted to bring back the showcase due to the reaction it received when it left.

“[A Brunch of Drag leaving] got a lot of hype and not only in the sense of pure sadness for the community, but I think more now than ever, since that has been taken away and we had to replace it, it’s been rough,” Dover said.

With the recent bans for the LGBTQ+ community, Dover felt it was crucial to find a safe and inclusive space to provide the showcase.

“There’s no other opportunities to have community in one room if we don’t create them,” Dover said.

Dover found Eden, a bar on 206 W San Antonio St., on Dec. 7 when she partnered with Lewk Magazine for its release party. She approached Francis Foglia, owner of Eden, about doing a drag show there. Having been to drag brunches in Austin before and hearing of Dover’s situation, Foglia said he was very open to the idea.

“Honestly, they’re always fun, they’re very lively and I enjoy the fact that I can provide a place that is comfortable and something I think is honestly a perfect fit for it,” Foglia said. “From what I can tell, we’ve had a lot of good feedback [on social media], and I think a lot of people are very excited about it.”

Dover said it will be the same production as before, but she will see how people like the space before the showcase has a hard launch this spring.

Despite the event being at night, Dover calls it A Brunch of Drag since it is a familiar name within the community and signifies her and the show’s return. She said the idea is to have a once-a-month queer nightlife and a once-a-month queer brunch.

“There isn’t anywhere that’s having such a nightclub event for queer people ever since Stonewall,” Dover said. “There are other drag productions and showcases happening in San Marcos, but we created such a loyalty with that production from the get-go that we’re trying to bring that back for everybody.”

Yu Phoric, drag artist, will perform at the showcase for the first time. She knows of the shows in San Marcos and coordinated with Dover on ideas. Being on board with A Brunch of Drag, Phoric feels Dover posting gigs lets people know there is traffic in San Marcos.

“If we keep on hosting these shows and allow ourselves to get the opportunities like these or spaces… that are willing to pay Queens properly and also allow them to perform there, I think that’s amazing,” Phoric said.

The new showcase will premiere a twist: an AFTER DARK Galentine’s Day Edition drag show, priced at $5 until 11 p.m. and $10 after.