Sundays at Camelot are fierce and so are the drag queens
Next time you drive around downtown West Palm Beach on a Sunday night and get blocked by a woman wearing feathers, sequins and stilettos using your car as a dancing partner, relax. This is all part of the show — the drag show that is. At Camelot, every Sunday through May, the hottest drag queens in South Florida bring out all the stops: art, fashion, music and comedy, so catch a show before it’s too late. The bar opens at 5 p.m. and there’s a live D J to attract the crowd. Then, at 6:30, the beautiful queens get the party started with people sitting on chairs in the front of Camelot. This is where you’ll see the diva struts and the traffic stopping. These performers have skills. By 8:30, the show is taken inside, under disco lights with music. What you need to know before you go:
1. Everyone is welcome
If you’ve been to a drag show before, you know the audience is diverse and friendly. And no, you don’t have to be gay, bisexual or transgender to attend. You’ll see straight couples and best friends to families and singles. This is a show for anyone and everyone.
2. Every month has a new host
To keep things exciting, every month will be hosted by a talented drag queen. This month, you’ll enjoy the talents of Velvet Lenore who has devoted her life to entertainment and helping children in need. Lenore is a local celebrity. She’s performed in South Florida for more than 20 years and works at several organizations like Compass Center in Lake Worth to help LGBTQ youth. And she has earned an impressive amount of awards and titles, including “Best entertainer of the year” in 2013 at Kind of a Drag, “Miss Palm Beach Pride” in 2016 and “Classic Miss Fort Lauderdale” in 2015. She’s awesome. She’s a humanitarian. You’ll love her.
3. Be respectful of the host and performers
Drag shows are a lot of fun — and will stay that way if everyone checks their rudeness at the door. Seriously, don’t be that first-timer. Think of it like watching a play or Broadway show. You don’t get to boo, bash or make fun of the performers. You don’t throw things or carry on a loud conversation in the middle of an act. Behave yourself and respect the show as you sip your favorite drink.
4. Bring cash
Drag queens love to perform, but it isn’t easy or economical. They have to purchase clothing, fabrics, wigs, makeup, shoes and everything to make their shows stand out. As with any production, this costs money. So when the queens perform, make sure you show some love. And never, ever throw your money at them. You can kindly hand them the money as they perform.
5. Every Sunday has a different theme
Drag shows are all about themes and surprises, and Camelot on Sundays isn’t an exception. They’ve had Divas Night where they perform to musical pop icons like Madonna, Beyoncé and Tina Turner.