Chi Town is waving the rainbow flag!
Deemed as the best drag brunch in Chicago, The River Kitchen + Bar is bringing sickening numbers and iconic looks every weekend to people lucky enough to attend.
With a roster including talented local queens such as Abbey LaPlant, Kimberly Summer, and Veronica Pop, this is one show not to miss. Plus, Market Days is just one week away and an actual meal combined with a mimosa might serve you well after hitting up the circuit parties.
The queens recently chatted with PRIDE to spill the tea on their legendary brunch and what people can experience at Market Days this year.
PRIDE: Abbey, Market Days is coming up and we're all getting excited. What should fans expect at drag brunch during Market Days weekend at The River?
Abbey: Market Days Sunday is always one of the craziest brunches of the year. This year, Kimora Blac of RuPaul’s Drag Race season nine is joining Veronica Pop and Kimberly Summer as a guest host of the show along with former D.C. Drag Queen of the Year Cake Pop. Chicago’s very own Sativa Feliciano Diamond who will also be performing. We may even see a little bonus performance during our 3pm show from Boy J or Mark who work as our stage managers every week.
Kimberly, You have exciting brunches all year round. What makes Market Days different?
Kimberly: For those who aren’t familiar with Market Days, it's a weekend where vendors can come to the Gayborhood of North Halsted and sell their products on the street while bars host outdoor events. It’s also one of the largest circuit parties in the world on that weekend, and people from everywhere flood Chicago to get a piece of the pie (or offer up their own). We get to see so many beautiful and exciting people stop by from all over. There’s this amazing sexual freedom in the air and possibilities feel endless. Our brunch has always been one that pushes boundaries and people respond to that by making our spot a major Market Days destination.
Veronica, why is your brunch considered the best in all of Chicago?
Veronica: Honestly, our drag brunch really set the expectation for other brunches around the city. We did a lot of trial and error til we found the perfect formula to an amazing brunch! We have such a diverse and talented group of performers each week, so you get a little bit of everything, including a power ballad where the whole venue is singing Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" at the top of their lungs. You can also expect reveals, splits and some avocado toast! We have created such a fun &andsafe environment for our guests, so that's why they keep coming back each week!
Kimberly, with everything happening politically, why is it important for the LGBTQ+ community to come together and enjoy the art of drag and brunches like these?
Kimberly: Normally I’d try to answer this question from a place of love and neutrality, but we do not live in normal times. It’s important for us as drag queens to do what we do because we need our enemies on the far right to know that we are not backing down or forfeiting our freedom of expression, and we’re not intimidated by you. We are no longer the children you used to bully in middle school. We’re not going anywhere and we will continue to live our lives and spread queer joy to every corner of the Earth. If that frightens you, good. This rhetoric you’re spewing is fake news you pulled from the 1940s. it’s tired and feels a lot like projecting.
Veronica, what advice would you have for someone attending Market Days for the first time?
Veronica: HAHAHAHA! My advice if it's your first time attending market days, drink LOTS of water & just have fun! It's such a crowded weekend but you still gotta be be safe and healthy!
Abbey, where can people go to get tickets and more information?
Abbey: You can make a reservation to join us right on our website at www.theriverchicago.com. We will post updates on availability and additional shows on our Instagram @dragmetotheriver. Reservations are strongly suggested, but we do seat walk-ins after all our regular reservations have been seated. So if you are in the neighborhood, you can always swing by at your desired showtime and see if you can snag a seat at for any of our sold out events.
