Drag queen bingo returns to California State Fair during sixth annual LGBTQ-themed event
Three drag queens led the annual drag queen bingo game as part of the sixth annual “Out at the Fair” event at the California State Fair on Saturday, which aims to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community.
William Zakajshek organized the event this year, and co-founded the Out at the Fair organization 13 years ago. There are now 10 such events at state and county fairs across California, Oregon and New Mexico.
“It’s cool, because we get to show our community to those who don’t necessarily come for (LGBTQ) pride,” Zakajshek said. “It’s a family friendly version of our community. So it’s really allowed us to connect with allies at the fair just as well as the community.”
All attendees of the event, at Sacramento’s Cal Expo, were required to be at least 18 years old.
The drag queens Landa Plenty, A La Mode and No One led the game and played 18 rounds. They engaged with more than 100 attendees as they gave smaller prizes to those who could name the background song. They also made innuendos about the bingo “balls” and how “quick” someone earned a bingo.
The prizes during the game included Uber Eats and Amazon gift cards, LGBTQ+ merchandise, progress flags, San Francisco 49er merchandise and the grand prize of a 42-inch TCL TV.
At the halfway point of the game, the drag queens treated the audience to a drag show. They each took turns dancing flamboyantly through the audience and taking dollar bills from players who held them out.
It was Sacramento resident Joe Reynolds’ first drag show, and he was surprised when No One and Landa Plenty danced around him and his family during their performances. He had come to support his son Julian Reynolds, who won LGBTQ+ merchandise and an Uber Eats gift card.
“It means so much to have my family here with me,” Julian said. “My dad and my family were always so accepting and supportive which feels amazing.”
Allies attending the event included Brayden Honebein, who also won a progress flag and queer flag. The drag queens joked with him to wear the pride flag out of the event if he was a true ally, which he did.
“This looked like a fun event when my friends and I got to the fair,” he said. “It was important to me to support the queer community because I have family friends who are LGBTQIA+.”
Returners to the event included Connie Joseph, who had seen Landa Plenty perform at the fair last year. While she did not win any rounds of Bingo, she said called it “my favorite day at the fair.”
For the final prize, the queens had instructed the winner of the grand prize to immediately run their winning card to the front desk, as they played a “blackout” round of the game quickly calling the numbers on the Bingo balls. However, a technical malfunction caused a brief pause in the final round, allowing Cathy Dal Ben to realize she had a Bingo.
Her daughter, Amy Athey, ran the card to the front desk and the drag queens confirmed the victory.
“I had just wanted to organize an outing for my mom, sister and I. We used to come to the fair and we haven’t had a chance to spend time spend with just the three of us,” Athey said as she helped her mom carry the 42-inch TV. “We’ve always supported who people believe they are and respect their wishes.”
