ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —
It would be difficult to come up with two things that capture Asheville Pride better than beer and drag shows.
The Pride Bar Crawl is a six-venue fundraiser coordinated by Crawl With US. The proceeds from the event will go toward Youth OUTright, an organization that supports queer and trans youths. The crawl will begin at 4 p.m., Saturday, June 22, at Catawba Brewing Company on 32 Banks Ave., Asheville.
The six bars and breweries that the Crawl covers are based in the South Slope neighborhood of downtown Asheville. While Catawba Brewing is the check-in spot, participants are invited to visit the other venues in any order they choose. Several locations will feature special deals for the event.
- Banks Ave. Bar, 32 Banks Ave. #101
- Catawba Brewing Company, 32 Banks Ave.
- Daddy Mac’s Down Home Dive, 161 Biltmore Ave.
- Dalton Distillery, 251 Biltmore Ave.
- Hi-Wire Brewing, 197 Hilliard Ave.
- Well Played Board Game Cafe, 162 Coxe Ave. #101
The Crawl incorporates two drag shows to break up the event, hosted by the reigning Miss Blue Ridge Pride, Alexis Black. The first show is 7:30 p.m. at Daddy Mac’s. The second will close out the Crawl at 10:30 p.m. at Scandals Nightclub, 11 Grove St.
Black is enthusiastic about her responsibilities as Miss Blue Ridge Pride, which is an accolade that accompanies several other titles, including “the current reigning Miss Dillsboro of Sylva, of all places,” Black laughed.
Miss Blue Ridge Pride is a title that comes with a lot of weight, especially for Black.
“In the past, it didn’t really mean anything. It was just a shiny little crown,” Black said. “But I believe it started four years ago actually meaning something to people. To me, it’s a job. You raise money for the community, you raise money for people needing gender affirming care. At least, that’s what I’ve done.”
The Crawl is only the latest in several events Black has hosted as Miss Blue Ridge Pride, and much tamer than one of her last, Paddle for a Cause on June 15.
“They built me a little stage on a raft, and as everybody was drinking and floating along down the river, I was performing alongside them,” Black said. “It was nuts.”
The Crawl will be another opportunity for Black and the other drag performers at the shows, Anthony England, Euphoria Eclipse and Josie Glamour, to share the defining message of Blue Ridge Pride.
“It’s mostly just helping out those (who) need help in the community,” Black said. “Just being a voice for those people that don’t know if they have a voice to say anything, or if they can’t find their voice. Especially being a person of color, it’s kind of needed now. So that people can actually see and be aware of what’s going on.”
Tickets and more information about The Pride Bar Crawl can be found on the event website, www.crawlwith.us/asheville/pride.