At a Celebrate Brooklyn! show in Prospect Park last year, performance artist Taylor Mac described drag as “taking everything you feel about yourself and the world on the inside, and wearing it on the outside.” With Bushwick’s fifth annual Bushwig drag festival coming up on September 10, Mac’s definition feels 2016 essential. There has never been a more important time to watch New York’s drag artists wear and perform their respective worldviews.
Bushwig’s price tag is steep — even earlybird weekend passes are $40 — but if you’re still keen to see the queens, there’s a way to get into this year’s festival AND see all of the shows for free: volunteer! Bushwick Daily reports that Bushwig is still looking for a few able-bodied helpers to lend a hand next weekend.
If you’ve never heard of Bushwig before, here’s a taste of what to expect. It’s a raucous, two-day festival in Bushwick that draws attendees in the thousands and promises all kinds of wild, whoop-inducing drag performances. Due to re-location this year’s venue is, somewhat fittingly, in Queens.
The volunteer gig is for Sunday cleanup, so it’s not a particularly glamorous gig. But it does mean that you can enjoy the festival in full before having to lift a finger. In exchange for your 4-hour cleanup shift, you earn yourself a full pass to all that the fest has to offer, which this year includes not only 150+ performances but also a dance tent, art installations, food booths and local vendors.
Interested volunteers can reach out to Bushwig’s volunteer coordinator Alejandro Rodríguez (aka Lady Quesa’Dilla) via the event’s Facebook page.