October might be long-gone, but Denver’s queer scene doesn’t exactly pack up the glitter when the calendar turns. Case in point: the Schule of Drag, a two-weekend crash course in all things fabulous, fierce, and fundamentally drag, hosted at The Center on Colfax. And yes, this recap is showing up fashionably late, but that’s showbiz, baby!
Guided by the incomparable August Celestial (they/them), participants stepped behind the curtain and into the world of transformation. August, with over eight years of drag artistry under their celestial belt, led the program through storytelling, makeup, movement, costuming, and the kind of heart forward mentorship that has become a cornerstone of Denver’s drag community.
What makes the Schule so special? It isn’t just a “how to” series, but more of an introspective and deep dive into drag as an art form, a history, a lineage, and a living, breathing protest wrapped in sequins. Whether someone arrived queen, king, creature, monarch, or “I don’t know what I am yet but I’m ready to find out,” the workshop welcomed them in like family.
The series unfolded over four full days:
Saturday, October 11 — Introduction, Storytelling, & Movement
Sunday, October 12 — Makeup & Costuming
Saturday, October 18 — Practice & Show Run Through
Sunday, October 19 — All-day Final Prep & the Grand Showcase at Ballyhoo.
Located inside The Center on Colfax’s vibrant community space, the workshop created a cocoon for transformation, part classroom, part dressing room, part queer sanctuary. The big finale at Ballyhoo turned those lessons into a live, joy saturated drag revue performed for friends, family, and community members who packed the room with love.
And in very Denver fashion, the energy was big, queer, emotional, and just a little chaotic, exactly how drag school graduation should be.
Registration for this round may be closed (RIP, FOMO), but the impact? Still very much alive. From baby draglets blossoming into performers to seasoned artists rediscovering their spark, this year’s Schule of Drag proved once again that drag is so much more than art, fashion, makeup, and glam—It’s a community, a legacy, and a lifeline.
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Photography by Zack Hartman. Follow on IG @zhartmanphotography.
