Desert Entertainment with Tod
‘Best in Drag’ Returns to Los Angeles for All-Star Showdown
The best of the best in the drag show industry are heading to Los Angeles next month for an all-star competition that combines entertainment with fundraising.
“Best in Drag Show” returns Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles. This year’s event brings six former winners and runners-up back to the stage for an ultimate “Best Of” showdown.
Desert entertainment contributor Tod Macofsky spoke with longtime host Patrick Rush and contestant Stephen Molinaro about this year’s competition.
“It is our all-star year where four of our most popular winners are coming back to compete against two of our most bitter first runner-ups,” Rush said.
Molinaro, performing as Miss New Jersey, previously competed in 2013 and won the competition. This year, he is returning with a very different character and theme.
His first competition featured a New Jersey boardwalk and Wildwood-inspired theme. This time, Molinaro said the concept has a mafia-inspired twist.
The six contestants competing this year are Aurora/Miss California, Windy Twister/Miss Kansas, Katrina Debris/Miss Louisiana, Vava Fanculo/Miss New Jersey, Anita Tony/Miss New York and Reba Areba/Miss Texas.
Rush said the competition began about 37 years ago as a small gathering in a rent-controlled West Hollywood apartment, where several friends dressed up while watching the Miss America competition.
What started as a joke continued to grow, eventually becoming an annual fundraiser at the Orpheum Theatre.
The event benefits Alliance for Housing & Healing, now part of APLA Health, which provides housing and other assistance to people living with HIV. The show is produced by volunteers, and proceeds support the organization’s work.
The show also has a strong Coachella Valley connection. Rush said about a dozen people involved with the production now live in the Valley, and an annual bus trip brings local supporters to Los Angeles for the event. This year’s first bus is already sold out, with organizers considering adding a second.
The “Best Of” edition features the pageant’s traditional combination of costumes, performances and competition, with contestants taking part in swimsuit, talent, evening gown and question-and-answer rounds.
“Best in Drag Show” begins at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles.
TICKETS: bestindragshow.com
Explore: NBCPalmSprings.com, where we are connecting the Valley.
By: NBC Palm Springs
September 21, 2026
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