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BREWERIES

Fit for a queen

Tractor Brewing to host Halloween-themed drag bingo

Published

Drag Queen Bingo HallowQueen Edition

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19

WHERE: Tractor Brewing Co. Wells Park, 1800 Fourth St. NW

HOW MUCH: Free ($4 for bingo cards and $2 for dabbers); for more information, visit 

The Halloween season will get started early this year at Tractor Brewing.

A holiday edition of Drag Queen Bingo will take place at the brewery’s Wells Park location at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19. Entry is free, but each purchase of a $4 bingo card or a $2 dabber — the ink pen used to mark the card — goes to benefit the New Mexico Brewers Guild. The proceeds will help the organization hold special events like the IPA challenge and conferences and advocate for legislation to positively impact the craft brewing industry.

“We’re going to have 15 to 20 prizes and then performances in between with the drag queens. They’ll be dressed up in different Halloween outfits,” Jeremy Kinter, Tractor events and marketing director, said. “In between they’ll be doing dance numbers to raise a little bit more money. We do a ‘drag in a bag’ where we call contestants up, and they have to dress in drag, and then they dance against one another. Whoever raises the most money for the nonprofit wins.”

Tractor typically hosts Drag Queen Bingo on a quarterly basis, each with different themes. All are held to benefit various nonprofit organizations — in this case NMBG — as part of the Beers for a Better Burque initiative. Tractor is something of a pioneer when it comes to these types of events.

“We like to keep it fresh and unique,” Kinter said. “It is one of our most popular events, but we were also one of the first breweries to do it in town. We’ve been doing it for going on 12 years now, so we’re one of the oldest running drag queen bingos in town … It usually packs the place every time we have it.”

Just prior to the event, on Friday, Sept. 11, Tractor unveiled a new cocktail menu, providing some intriguing drink options for the festivities.

“It’s a desert Gothic cocktail menu theme,” Kinter said. “You can expect some kind of spooky and spicy cocktails for sure. It’s a really cool menu.”

Since the event is free, Kinter advises attendees to arrive early with cash to tip the drag performers. Credit cards are accepted for the bingo cards and dabbers, however.

That’s not the only event Tractor has planned in conjunction with the NMBG. On Saturday, Oct. 24, the brewery will hold a large-scale Halloween fundraiser at Wells Park, with further details to be announced. It will be a ticketed event that includes vendors, live music and a costume contest. Admission fees will benefit NMBG.

“It’s going to be a big parking lot event, a lot of fun,” Kinter said. “A lot of cool stuff, like magicians and carnival performers and stuff like that.”

BUSY WEEKEND: A number of breweries from around the state will be holding events next weekend. Icebox Brewing in Las Cruces will be the site of Boxtoberfest, a two-day event on Friday, Sept. 18, and Saturday, Sept. 19, that includes games, food and live music at its 2825 W. Picacho Ave. location.

Meanwhile, the Lamy Beer Fest, 152 Old Lamy Trail, goes down on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. A $25 ticket includes six samples from the featured breweries, a souvenir pint glass and a free full beer of the attendee’s choosing. Those who don’t want to drive to Lamy can purchase a Sky Railway train ticket from the Santa Fe Depot that covers entry into the festival.

Elsewhere, Milton’s Brewing in Carlsbad will celebrate its 10th anniversary with Septembeer Fest, an event that, in addition to beer, is highlighted by weenie dog races, Keg-lympics and a beard and mustache contest, among other things. Septembeer Fest takes place on Saturday, Sept. 19, in downtown Carlsbad from noon to 10 p.m.