'This was created for family': Edmonton all-ages drag festival brings acceptance to the stage

Saturday, drag performers from across Canada were in the city for the first-ever Edmonton Drag Festival.

Tara Peninou travelled from Ponoka with her six-year-old daughter Birdie Burns.

"It just seemed like a fun kind of cool thing to do with my daughter for the day, it's always nice when these things are all-ages," Peninou said, adding it was Birdie's first time at a drag show.

It can be difficult to celebrate pride in Ponoka, Peninou added, referencing statements made by the riding's MLA, Jennifer Johnson, who was recently criticized for making derogatory comments about trans children.

“We live in a community where sometimes it feels hard to be somebody who’s supportive of this community," Peninou said. "It just feels really important to do this kind of thing and to let my daughter know that whoever you are, you're special and important.”

Edmonton Drag Festival organizer Conroy Smith said tolerance and togetherness are key messages of the drag festival.

"Together we are stronger, and we are going to be a better community if we can accept each other for who we are as people," Smith said.

The event was planned as a counter-movement against recent protests against drag performers and events in the U.S and Canada.

"They rebel against what they don't know and I think is just to show them who we are and what we do," Smith said. "That we are not here to disrupt, we’re not here to groom.

"We’re just here to have a good time and be ourselves and show love and diversity within our community that shows love to you as well, despite our differences."

Because of recent protests, Smith said the safety of performers and visitors was a concern for organizers leading up to the event.

The festival worked with EPS and the City of Edmonton to ensure a safe environment, installing fences with back curtains around the festival grounds and having extra security on site.

"This event is very safe for the community and for allies," Smith said.

Devon Walberg, 11, was at the festival. He watches RuPaul's Drag Race with his mom and was excited to go to his first live event.

"My mom is really into drag and so am I and it's just awesome," he said.

Walberg also liked seeing other kids enjoying the shows and hopes there are more all-ages drag events in the city in the future.

“It’s better to show your kids what people are like at a young age so it’s more normalized,” he said.

Smith was glad to see how many young faces were in the crowd, and he hopes to bring the all-ages drag celebration back to the city next year and give kids the chance to be part of the community.

"I'm happy to see them because this was created for family," Smith said. "Every event I do is family-friendly because I don't believe we should leave the younger ones [out]."