This year, 4,500 people participated in final voting — the highest number that host and creator Jessica L'Whor has seen since starting the show in 2018. Messages of support from Governor Jared Polis and Nina Flowers from RuPaul's Drag Race kicked off the night, and state Representative Leslie Herod made a special in-person appearance.
While celebrity speeches and emotional victories fed the elated atmosphere, L'Whor did not forget those lost to the Colorado LGBTQ+ community. She took a moment to honor Ari Harms, who performed as a drag king named Simon Paul, with a remembrance video set to "Seasons of Love." Harms went missing from the Pioneer Park Campground in May 2023. A moment of silent reflection for other absent community members followed.
The two-hour show concluded with L'Whor's favorite categories: the iconic Ten Freshest Faces (a title coined by Westword contributor Keith Garcia in 2016) and Six "Not So" Freshest Faces of Colorado Drag. The Ten Freshest Faces will perform at X Bar at 9 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, followed by the 'Not So' Fresh on Sunday, May 19.
Meet this year's ten up-and-coming drag stars as well as the six established performers who always rock the stage:
The Ten Freshest Faces of Colorado Drag
AllSpyce (she/her)
Age: I'm fifteen. Just kidding.
Years doing drag: One and a half
Inspired to perform by: I actually want to shout out to Stella Diver. She is my partner. She inspired me. We both started doing drag together. She won Freshest Faces last year. We both love performing, and we love making people happy. She's my biggest inspiration in drag.
Drag persona: She's kind of all over the place, but she's mainly dark, a little bit punky, but she loves pink, so she's kind of like Avril Lavigne. I would call myself the Avril Lavigne of drag.
Drag family: We are the Apocalypse Haus; there are four of us, and we are the four horsewomen of the apocalypse: AllSpyce, Stella Diver, Jill Literate and Sera Tonin.
Where to see AllSpyce: I have an open stage show every second Sunday of the month at Revival Denver Public House and we also have a house brunch every month.
Banana Splits (she/her)
Age: 26
Years doing drag: Eight
Inspired to perform by: I was very much a Halloween queen growing up; I always dressed up for Halloween. I was also in the theater and did all that, and then I watched RuPaul's Drag Race in high school. Me and my sister used to put on T-shirts as wigs, and we would pretend that we were drag queens. It just spiraled from there.
Drag persona: Banana Splits is like the imaginary friend that you never asked for. She just showed up under your bed one day and tried to sell you cigarettes. But I am really inspired by unconventional materials. I love wacky, campy, stupid drag.
Drag family: I have drag sisters, but we don't share a last name. I would say a lot of the divas in Freshest Faces are my sisters.
Where to see Banana Splits: I am booked everywhere. I will always take a booking at X Bar, Charlie's, Tracks and Hamburger Mary's. Those are my usual spots, but people should definitely check out my Instagram and my TikTok as well.
Brenda Telladaga StaxXx (she/they)
Age: 23
Years doing drag: I've played around with drag since 2017, but I've been actively doing drag for four years.
Inspired to perform by: It's a little cheesy, but I found out what drag was between season six and season seven of RuPaul's Drag Race. I didn't start drag because I was like, "Oh, I want to be on that show" — I saw what they were doing, and I always wanted to be able to perform for an audience. This gives me an outlet to do that.
Drag persona: Brenda is a very high-energy dance chameleon. I want to be able to show every side of drag that I can, whether it be femme queen presenting, a drag king or a drag monster. I want to do it all.
Drag family: My drag family is the StaxXx Navy. Prettiest family in Denver, but that's because I have a bias.
Where to see Brenda StaxXx: You can see me at Charlie's. I have performed at X Bar, as well, and Tracks. Anywhere they have brunches.
Finnish Hymn Alnite (she/they)
Age: 27
Years doing drag: Two and a half
Inspired to perform by: I was a competitive dancer before I started drag. I was invited to Club Q one night, and some friends were like, "We have an open stage if you want to come on." And I tried it out to dance, and I fell in love with both dancing and drag.
Drag persona: The main thing is I'm a dancer. I like Broadway, I like jazz. I do tap, jazz, hip-hop, ballet — all that kind of stuff.
Drag family: I am a part of the Haus Alnite. My drag mom is Betty Swallows Alnite. I'm also under Rayven Alnite.
Where to see Finnish Hymn Alnite: I live in Colorado Springs, so I mainly perform at the Wagon Wheel and at Fritzy's. But you can also catch me at Hamburger Mary's, X Bar, Tracks, all around town.
Marishka StaxXX (she/her)
Age: 25
Years doing drag: Two years
Inspired to perform by: Performing, I'm not sure — but drag in general: fashion. I'm a very big fan of fashion, and I always wanted to be a model. I think drag gave me the opportunity to do it.
Drag persona: Marishka is definitely a fashion queen, a mug queen. I am a very human person. I care a lot about people, even in drag. I know some drags get a little bit mean and sassy, but I don't get there. I always care about everybody.
Drag family: I'm from the House of StaxXx, one of the biggest houses in Denver. I just got added to the family.
Where to see Marishka StaxXx: I'm always performing at Charlie's, and right now I'm competing at Drag-O-Lympics every Thursday at Tracks.
"If it's on my body, I made it," says Nini Coco.
Nini Coco
Age: 28
Years doing drag: I've been performing for one year but I've been exploring drag in my bedroom for about four years.
Inspired to perform by: I learned to sew during the pandemic and then I started experimenting with different thrifted items and upcycling them. It started to bring out this feminine side of myself and I figured out how to channel that through drag and makeup. I was at home and feeling so antsy to take my drag into the world. Drag-O-lympics was my first time performing and then I ultimately won the competition after auditioning for that show, which was really exciting
Drag persona: Nini Coco is the animated supervillain brought to life. She is sharp and graphic and a little bit angry. Like I might need therapy, but instead, I do drag. I make all my costumes, I do my own stunts, the whole thing.
Drag family: I don't have a drag family but I have a lot of siblings in drag. We all help each other out and share ideas and inspiration.
Where to see Nini Coco: I perform pretty often at Tracks Denver and X Bar. Check my Instagram and I'll post my shows there.
Petty Patty (they/them)
Age: 25
Years doing drag: I just hit five years in February.
Inspired to perform by: I started performing drag because I was like, damn, they get a lot of free alcohol and are having fun at the same time. So I said, "I'm going to do that."
Drag persona: She's a little bit musical theater; she's bright, neon, funny, stupid — she's everything mixed into one.
Drag family: I was adopted at the end of my season of O-lympics last year. So my drag father is Bootzy Edwards Collynz, and my drag mother is Porsha DeMarco-Douglas.
Where to see Petty Patty: I am literally everywhere. X Bar, Hamburger Mary's, sometimes Charlie's, but everywhere.
Sera Tonin (she/her)
Age: Thirty, but put 24
Years doing drag: One and a half
Inspired to perform by: I loved watching the early seasons of RuPaul's Drag Race, and particularly Willam and Courtney Act. And I got to meet Courtney Act at Tracks. She was super nice, and we just had a really good talk, and I was like, "I want to do that."
Drag persona: I am Denver's country Barbie. I'm from a town in South Dakota with a population of about 68 people. So I wanted to combine queer and country culture, much like Orville Peck and Trixie Mattel.
Drag family: We are called the Apocalypse Haus with me, Stella Diver, AllSpyce and Jill Literate.
Where to see Sera Tonin: My house has a monthly themed drag brunch every last Saturday at Revival Denver Public House. The next brunch is Taylor Swift's Eras Tour-themed, with Dany Wynters as a special guest on March 30 at 11:30 a.m. Apocalypse Haus has a show on April 16 at 7 p.m. at Roxy on Broadway, themed lace and leather and hosted by Stella Diver, with special guest Minor Misdemeanor. I also guest-judge at Hamburger Mary's occasionally with Betty Swallows Alnite for her show So You Think You Can Drag, which is on Sundays at 7 p.m.
Stack of Cakes (she/her)
Age: 21 forever
Years doing drag: A year this month
Inspired to perform by: This was a creative outlet that was calling me to step out. The star was ready to be born.
Drag persona: Stack of Cakes is a Latina queen straight from Mexico. She's big, outrageous, and has a body to die for. She likes having fun, she likes making friends, and she just likes having a good old time.
Drag family: Stack of Cakes is self-made. She has no drag family. I've been working my butt off to get to the level where I'm at.
Where to see Stack of Cakes: Pretty much anywhere. I've been at Charlie's, X Bar, I've been in NorthCo, Fort Collins, Greeley, down in Colorado Springs. Just look me up at Stack of Cakes on any social media platform.
Zimmorah Mei De Amantes Ninja (she/her)
Age: 26
Years doing drag: Six
Inspired to perform by: I saw some friends in a local show doing a really shitty job, and I decided I could do it better, so I started.
Drag persona: It's about celebrating Black trans art. It's about celebrating feminity. It's soft but it's fierce. It's fun and very entertainment-heavy. It's dancey and just a good time. If you wanna have a good time, you come to a Zimmorah show.
Drag family: I have a lot of drag family. I am a co-mother of the Haus of De Amantes with Soña Rita. I'm also in the House of Ninja, and I am also Porsha DeMarco-Douglas's baby.
Where to see Zimmorah Mel: I am all over. If there's a show, I'm probably in it.
The Six 'Not So' Freshest Faces of Colorado Drag:
Coco Bardot is one of Porsha DeMarco-Douglas's drag children.
Jay Cupcake Photography
Age: Thirty-something
Years doing drag: Eleven
Inspired to perform drag by: The Denver drag scene and being influenced by a few great performers is why I do drag. And, you know, I didn't get enough attention as a kid.
Drag persona: My drag persona is a modern-day Mae West meets Baby Tate. I love dabbling into the classic side of burlesque and mixing it with the cunt that drag can bring.
Drag family: I am one of Porsha DeMarco-Douglas's many misfit drag kids.
Where to see Coco Bardot: You can see me performing at the Clocktower Cabaret, Drag Bingo at Ironton Distillery and Crafthouse, X Bar and Jaguar Room.
Juiccy Misdemeanor (she/her)
Age: 28 years young
Years doing drag: Officially three and a half years.
Inspired to perform drag by: I've always been a fan of drag. I love the art of illusion and performing combined. I think it's such a rare and amazing talent. And of course, some of my inspirations in drag are: Felony Misdemeanor, Chevelle Brooks, Jazell Barbie Royale, Sasha Colby and many others.
Drag persona: Juiccy Misdemeanor, also known as the Dancin' Diva Doll of Colorado and the Legs of Denver, is fun, high energy, sparkly and just a sweet gal. With inspiration from old-school pageant drag to the glitz and glam of sequins, she loves to make an impression and put on a show. She knows and performs Beyoncé and Ciara, but also knows Chaka Khan and Donna Summer, making her well-rounded with a plethora of repertoire to perform. Juiccy loves the community and curating safe spaces for all. When she's not in drag, you can still find her dancing and bopping around the city. She is a professional dancer and has trained all her life for the love and art of dance.
Drag family: We are a smaller family, but we are the legendary House of Misdemeanor, voted this year's 2024 Drag House of the Year. My family consists of mother Felony Misdemeanor, Minor Misdemeanor, LeeLee Misdemeanor, Zarah Misdemeanor, Michelle B. Misdemeanor, Anne-Michelle Misdemeanor (daughter of Minor), Freya Misdemeanor (my daughter) and Victoria Sexton Misdemeanor.
Where to see Juiccy Misdemeanor:I am all over the city. I perform at a lot of our city's best queer, gay, LGBTQ+ establishments. My residency and home bar is X Bar. I host there every first Sunday currently for the House show, also some First Fridays for X Factor. I am also a frequent artist of Drag Nation and so many other shows and venues.
King Vaughnz (he/they)
Age: 23
Years doing drag: Four
Inspired to perform drag by: When I started questioning my gender, videos of drag kings came up in my recommendations. I searched more and wanted to do what they did. Being a drag king has helped me see myself and have confidence in transitioning.
Drag persona: Typically known as a heartthrob, he advocates for his communities and doesn't shy away from being vulnerable, whether that be emotional, sexual or political, embracing all parts of their identity.
Drag family: House of Dazzle.
Where to see King Vaughnz: They have a monthly show every first Monday of the month (Coffee with Kings) at January Coffee and are in the process of producing more. All events will be updated weekly on his website.
Minor Misdemeanor (she/her)
Age: 34
Years doing drag: I have been doing drag for a very long time, since I was eighteen. Gosh, that's on and off for sixteen years. That's wild.
Inspired to perform drag by: Miss Nina Flowers. I was an opening act for her show Drama Drag as a dancer with my crew, and after the third show, she told me, "You will no longer be dancing. You are going to do drag." And the rest is history. She's always guided me to pull out the most artistic side of myself. Felony [Misdemeanor] has also been a huge inspiration. I mean, look at her and her accomplishments. She was also my biggest cheerleader and told me to stay true to myself.
Drag persona: Fun hype girl. She sneaks you a fifty-milligram edible when you least expect it and is there to have a fun, good, positive time and an all-around silly person. She performs hard but loves her family and sisters even harder. At the end of the day, I'm there to make everyone's day better in any way I can, because you don't know how much time we have left on this earth. If I go tomorrow, I want people to think: "I'm going to miss that stupid bitch."
Drag family: I am the first-born to Felony Misdemeanor, and it was just us for such a long time. Thelma and Louise. Then out of nowhere, our family blossomed into the beautiful, iconic family we are today. I adore my family and would do anything for them. We are all so different from each other, but when you see a show or us together, you go, "I get it; I see it." My family motivates me every day; they are flawless human beings. If you thought we were busy, just wait for this upcoming year — we have so much planned for everyone. More gagness coming to you from us. I also want to give a special shout-out to my sister Roxy Misdemeanor, who passed away in 2018. Second-born to Felony. She will forever be missed and is forever loved. Our House of the Year award includes her, and she will always be a part of this house. This one is for you, sister.
Where to see Minor Misdemeanor: Monthly at JAD's Mile High Smoke for Blaze N' Bingo, Cellblock M at X Bar hosted by Felony Misdemeanor, and at my other cousins' shows the StaxXxs: Charlie's Caliente, hosted by Andrea StaxXx, and StaxXx on Colfax, hosted by Mia StaxXx. Also at the Jaguar Room — Brunch at Jag, hosted by Brittany Blaze-Shearz, and Tracks Denver, Drag Nation and anywhere anyone will have me.
Porsha DeMarco-Douglas (she/they)
Age: 36
Years doing drag: I've been doing drag for almost two decades.
Inspired to perform drag by: I lost a bet and have been doing it ever since.
Drag persona: I would say that right now I give off that auntie vibe. She kicks, flips and splits with love for her family.
Drag family: I belong to three houses. I am the mother of the House of DeMarco, I belong to the House of Sexton, and I am the mother of the international iconic House of Ninja Colorado.
Where to see Porsha DeMarco-Douglas: You can find me being fat, Black and fabulous at Tracks, Hamburger Mary's and X Bar.
Salacious Behavior (she/her)
Age: 23
Years doing drag: I've been doing drag for four years.
Inspired to perform drag by: Growing up in Texas watching pageant queens was a big inspiration to get my drag career started.
Drag persona: My drag persona is a little sexy, a little sassy and a whole lot of fun.
Drag family: I am a part of the Haus of Behavior, a drag family I started with my real-life brother, who also does drag.
Where to see Salacious Behavior: Mainly in Durango, but I'm also all around the state.
