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Howard Community College (HCC) proudly announces the third-annual Drag[on] Extravaganza, a celebratory and educational drag show, to be held on October 24 in HCC’s Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center. Regional celebrity drag artists Bev, Cyrus K. Stratton, Evon Dior Michelle, Man!c, and Sapphire Dupree are scheduled to perform, featuring music by Temporary Boyfriend. The evening will include a panel discussion, audience participation, and a meet and greet with the cast. A resource fair and queer vendor market will start the evening at 6 p.m., with the main performance beginning at 7 p.m.
“As we celebrate LGBTQIA+ History Month, we want to entertain but also educate our audience. That is why Drag[on] Extravaganza is so much more than a drag show,” said HCC’s Director of Public Relations, Grace Anastasiadis. “In keeping with HCC’s mission and values of diversity, equity and inclusion, the event shows support for the LGBTQIA+ community, connects people with culturally competent resources, and immerses audiences in queer culture.”
Drag[on] Extravaganza, one of Howard County’s most well-attended and anticipated drag performances has quickly garnered nationally acclaimed awards. HCC’s Dragon Media produced a documentary highlighting the making of Drag[on] Extravaganza, LGBTQIA+ history, and drag culture. Affectionately referred to as a Dragumentary, earlier this year, it earned two bronze awards in the 45th Annual Telly Awards in the categories of Online Culture and Lifestyle and Online Information.
The annual Telly Awards honor excellence in video and television across all screens. Competing against entries from globally recognized organizations like Warner Bros., National Geographic, and Newsweek, HCC’s achievements are truly remarkable. The awards demonstrate the college’s dedication to creating high-quality educational and cultural content, setting a high standard for community colleges nationwide.
The 2023 Drag[on] Extravaganza and Dragumentary also earned two honorable mentions in Ragan’s Corporate Social Responsibility & Diversity Awards Program, in the DE&I Campaign/Initiatives – Event and in the CSR & ESG Engagement and Communications – Video categories. The program celebrates the outstanding efforts of organizations that demonstrate exemplary commitment to corporate social responsibility and fostering diversity and inclusion within their communities and workplaces.
“Congratulations to Howard Community College,” said Brendan Gannon, Senior Marketing Manager for Ragan’s Award programs. “Your commitment to making a positive impact through corporate social responsibility and diversity initiatives is truly commendable.”
The awards featured entries from national and international organizations, including Cisco, Walt Disney World Resort, L’Oréal Group, and the PepsiCo Foundation. Selected from a wide pool of entries, Howard Community College was the only community college recognized as a finalist across all categories.
Drag[on] Extravaganza gets its name from a play on the Howard Community College mascot, the dragon. The third-annual event is partly made possible by the Howard County Arts Council through a generous grant from the Howard County Government. For more information about this free event and to view the award-winning Dragumentary, visit HowardCC.edu/Drag.
Since 1970, Howard Community College (HCC) has been a preferred college choice for students and families in Howard County, Maryland. A public community college, HCC offers associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development training, and continuing education classes to nearly 22,000 credit and noncredit students each year. HCC received the 2019 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s only presidential-level honor for performance excellence in organizations.