Give us a twirl, Rebecca Mae:

Sunday, Sept. 9

If you have lived in a U.S. city of reputable size, you may have noticed an interesting and rather steep rise in the number of drag brunches hosted on a regular basis.

If you have been living here in Erie, however, this has not been the case.

"Every other big city has drag brunches everywhere, and Erie deserves to have one that's successful and bring top-quality entertainers to the city," said Tom Widdowson, the creative, glamorous and twirling force that, once bewigged, bejeweled and gussied up with layers of expertly applied make-up, becomes Erie's own Rebecca Mae.

With sell-out events averaging every other month, Widdowson has brought something to Erie that most of the area's inhabitants didn't even realize they were missing: the spectacularly entertaining performances of drag queens at the top of their game, served up alongside bangin' brunch foods and many mimosas. September's Drag Brunch remains at the Bourbon Barrel, with Erie's original queen Michelle Michaels co-hosting, and house cast Siren Kelly and Evon Michelle, plus special guests Sasha Nolan and Danyel Vasquez, bringing the fierceness all afternoon long.

"And there is definitely going to be a big surprise at this September show," Widdowson confided.

Also new this year are sponsorships by local businesses, as well as raffle baskets and giveaways. Widdowson commented, "I'm amazed that so many local businesses are willing to help out."

He shouldn't be, though — even in the last week, we can find examples of small businesses helping one another, while the past six months or so have been an incredibly empowering time for the LGBTQ community in Erie.

Widdowson is definitely excited for the future, both the city's and Rebecca Mae's. "Erie is changing. Erie is growing. Erie is embracing every walk of life." — Cara Suppa

11 a.m. (doors); 12:15 p.m. (show) // 1205 State St. // $35 (tickets available until Sept. 7) // facebook.com/rebeccamaesdragbrunch