The Bay Area’s celebrated annual Mardi Gras party Bal Masque took place on April 15, 2023, at The Café, when Krewe de Kinque (KDK) social/ charitable club observed its 20th Anniversary in the heart of the Castro. Official partying began with a traditional New Orleans-style parade led by Grand Marshal Tory Teasley, whose colorful umbrella was the first of many moving in sequence throughout the venue.
KDK founder and King I Gary Virginia, who welcomed guests, first envisioned the popular annual event. This year’s Bal Masque was hosted by King & Queen XIX Mark Hankins, Jr., and Tawdry Hepburnn, who crowned KDK Queen & King XX, Moxie Penn and Robert Tucker, aka Pup Mez. Sister Dana Van Iquity of the San Francisco Bay Times was the official bearer of the Mardi Gras beads, which were well-earned on the dance floor as DJ Sergio Fedasz & hot Go Go dancers bumped up the party. Another Bay Times columnist, drag artist and fundraiser Donna Sachet, performed, as did Bay Area cabaret chanteuse Connie Champagne.
This year’s Bal Masque theme, “The 415,” inspired a spectacular San Francisco-centric costumed tableaux show, state-of-the-art lights and sound, and festive décor. Guests placed bids on enticing silent auction items, with many winning great raffle prizes. Revelers also enjoyed Jell-O shots as well as the $7 Hurricane drink specials and full bar service.
Proceeds from this year’s Bal Masque will benefit the LGBTQ+ Ukraine Emergency Fund managed by locally-based Rainbow World Fund (RWF). Three LGBTQ+ agencies, on the ground, are directly assisting LGBTQ+ Ukrainians in and out of the country. At the event, RWF Executive Director Jeff Cotter spoke about the Fund before introducing Andrii Ivashchenko, who recently fled from Ukraine to San Francisco.
KDK on Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/34jt6rud
Rainbow World Fund’s LGBTQ+ Ukraine Emergency Fund: https://tinyurl.com/y5zeh33h
Published on April 20, 2023
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