The third annual Drag on Ice performance, held yearly as part of the Chinook Blast celebrations in Calgary, went off with nary a protest in sight for 2025.
That was a distinct change from 2023, when anti-transgender protesters threatened to disrupt the inaugural performance, and led it being held a month later at a secure venue.
Drag on Ice organizer Karla Marx said that proves that the drag community was right all along about the art form.
“The very first year that we ran this, it was under a cloud of controversy because people said we shouldn’t be doing this. And we said, ‘no, no, this is right. This is a wonderful event,'” Marx said.
“We have consistently proven those people wrong, and that queerness is a celebrated part of this community. That we are out here on skates, entertaining, just like every other person, and we’re so excited to be here, it means so much for us to still be a vibrant part of this and to be bigger every year.”
Marx said it proved what she had been saying all along: that the hate from protesters would blow over.
“They can’t maintain this rage farming forever, but we are here. They might be mad at us, but we exist. We continue to exist. We’re not going anywhere, because this is who we are, and we are not a threat to anybody,” Marx said.
“We’re here to celebrate. We are here to uplift, and we’re here to say you can find a place in this community. That’s our message, and our message is love.”
Held at The Confluence, the all-ages drag show drew several hundred spectators despite the weekend chill.
The show, sometimes silly, sometimes funny, and more than a little over-the-top drew cheers from visitors and more than a few people dancing along to the songs selected by performers.
The new venue, a smaller-scale ice rink, also proved to be the perfect venue for the drag performances, said Marx.
“It’s bigger than a normal stage. You get to flow around and move, and there’s a lot more fluidity. There’s a lot more grace and gliding. It’s like a fantasy out here to be flowing across and be able to attract so many people,” Marx said.
“It offers some really exciting things that you normally don’t get in a stage performance you could only find at Drag on Ice.”
That the event drew so many children, youth, and families she said was also a reflection of how drag as an art form could be tailored to different audiences.
“It’s a wonderful queer art form that is something for everybody, and that drag performances can be tailored to all audiences. We can be sexy nightclub entertainers, and we can be wonderful all-ages shows,” Marx said.
“Just as comedians are trusted to voice Disney characters and do late night sets, drag performers know the difference as well.”
Photos from Drag on Ice 2025
