Modesto continues to draw stars of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’ Here’s who’s next, and where
Weekends in Modesto are a drag, but to fans of drag entertainment, that’s the way they like it.
Modesto is not a city to shy away from drag queen entertainment, and recent shows at Splash Bar have drawn big crowds to see big-time queens. Fans of the popular competition reality television show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” no longer have to travel to bigger cities to watch their favorites from the show.
The year opened with a huge draw: Fan favorite Manila Luzon performed to a sold-out crowd that packed the Splash dance floor. Luzon is a veteran drag queen, having first appeared on season 3 of “Drag Race” and seasons 1 and 4 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars.”
“Manila gave us a big crowd,” said David Soria, better known as drag performer Sasha Devaroe, booker of drag entertainment at Splash Bar. Soria has been a drag queen performer for 17 years. He started out as a promoter for local clubs but became a performer by chance. “We needed a drag queen one night, and I dressed up, and ever since then, it’s been addicting,” Soria said.
With a long history in this scene, Soria has built a network of performers from near and far, bringing the drag entertainment to Splash with Drag Brunch, Drag Bingo and Fridays are a Drag, in addition to hosting and performing on the celebrity drag queen shows.
One of the people essential to getting the big-name performers is Alex Sanchez, a promoter and booker for his company Slay Yas Events. “I first started promoting because I was, and am, a big fan of the [‘Drag Race’] show,” he said.
Sanchez started his company in 2017 and booked some notable drag queens at Climax Bar & Nightclub right before it closed in 2018. He built a network of celebrity drag queens, but with no local venue available, he booked entertainment out of town.
He took a break in 2020 as the pandemic shut down most nightlife in the state. Then in late 2024, Sanchez returned to his business and focused his efforts on bringing celebrity drag performers to Modesto once again.
“If you want to go out to a big drag show, you usually have to drive out to San Francisco or San Jose or Sacramento. I think people are excited to have something different in town, after not having it for so many years,” he said.
Working with Soria, who had already established himself at Splash, they opened with Manila Luzon and have since brought “RuPaul’s Drag Race” current cast favorite Onya Nurve; season 9 competitor and co-winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars” season 4, Trinity “The Tuck” Taylor; and most recently season 16 competitor Mirage.
On April 26, season 9 and season 4 of “All-Stars” competitor Valentina will make her debut at Splash. “Valentina is actually someone that I have brought back when I was promoting at Climax,” said Sanchez. “At that point, she hadn’t been on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars’ yet and since being on the show, she’s also been a judge on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race Mexico.’ A lot of fans are really excited,” he said.
‘Drag is everywhere right now’
Soria said that after Manila’s sold-out show, they knew they needed a bigger space and moved outdoors despite some still chilly nights. “The turnout has been amazing. It’s great to see the community come back in full force and just come back to life itself, because drag is everywhere right now,” he said. “We even have people from out of town driving in to see these people. It’s been a very positive impact, not only on the bar, but the community itself.”
Sanchez said he is trying to get a celebrity queen booked one Saturday a month, and April’s commitment has many people excited.
Soria said the shows used to start around 10 p.m. but some neighborhood noise complaints have caused them to start the shows earlier, at 9 p.m. He said that while the celebrity drag queens draw a big crowd, drag fans should come watch the local queens during regular week shows. He suggests the Sunday Brunch show to first-timers. “I love my brunches, they are catered to anybody and everybody,” Soria said. “I like to create a very safe space for people who come, who may be afraid to go to a night show. I open up my branches for people to experience drag, and they usually do come to the night shows afterwards,” he said.
For Soria and Sanchez, the future of drag looks promising in Modesto. Soria even hopes some local queens will eventually make it on RuPaul’s show. As for who else may be coming throughout the year, Soria said, “We can’t say much yet because we don’t want people to get too excited if they don’t show up, but just know that summer is going to be amazing.”
Presale tickets for Valentina are on sale now on Eventbrite and limited tickets may be available at the door. For the latest news on the drag shows and events follow Splash on Instagram.
