Dancer, fundraiser, and Stoli Ambassador Patrik Gallineaux is featured on the cover of this issue of the San Francisco Bay Times seated in a giant glittery red pump. It is the central element of the Key West High Heel Shoe Drop in Florida, which since 1996 has been lowered from the Bourbon Street Pub at the stroke of midnight on December 31.
This ultra queer New Year’s tradition was largely envisioned by drag queen Sushi (aka Gary Marion) and friends. They originally crafted a coach out of papier-mâché and chicken wire, but weather problems disrupted that tradition. An auto mechanic created the sturdier large shoe, and the rest is drag history. Sushi now descends from the pub’s balcony in the 6-foot-tall pump.
Fresh coats of glitter are regularly applied to the shoe, such that it has lost none of its original sparkle over the years. Gallineaux often wears glitter from head to toe as well, so the same can be said about his shimmery glow.
If you would like to see the upcoming Shoe Drop, news stations usually cover the event for Bay Area viewers. In person, crowds gather around the pub as night falls on New Year’s Eve. VIP tickets for viewing from the balcony are also available.
Published on November 18, 2021
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