Wigwood – Miami’s Can’t-Miss Spectacle

The Miami of today is known for its nonstop partying and melting pot of people — a combo that makes the destination a perfect fit for some of the world’s largest LGBTQ+ gatherings honoring its flourishing queer community. One of the most fabulous events to strut into Miami is Wigwood, an annual fest of all things queer.

Founded by Antonio Mendez (Miami drag star Queef Latina) and Adam Gersten (proprietor of the Wynwood bar Gramps and all-around dope dude), Wigwood has rapidly emerged as one of Miami's most highly anticipated annual events. The event is scheduled for February 4 and 5 in 2023, with local drag performers to be announced.

Read on to learn more about our discussion with Antonio Mendez about Wigwood’s past, present, and very exciting future.

One of Miami’s Biggest Queer Community Events

Before the inaugural Wigwood in 2017, parties like Double Stubble and Counter Corner were helping to propel Miami’s queer community and drag scene, but Mendez thought there was still something more to be done. He wanted to up the ante and give Miami more than just a few hours of celebrating queerness. “Wigwood was conceived as a way to fill the need for a larger, grander event where everyone could celebrate their queerness in a daylong setting,” he says.

At first, Wigwood was just a single day of awesome festivities, but it quickly grew into several days of “nonstop queerness,” Mendez says proudly. From the beginning, internationally known performers such as Thorgy Thor, Sateen, Milk, and Abhora participated in the event. Still, Wigwood has always maintained a commitment to the Miami queer community by seeking local performers.

After just a few years, Wigwood has expanded to take over several Miami venues, welcoming a diverse mix of drag performers, DJs, live musical acts, queer visual artists, and a variety of queer local vendors to contribute their talents. “Wigwood is an event by the community, for the community,” Mendez says, “and we hope to always keep it that way.”

An Event Inspired by a Life-Changing Experience on the East Coast

As one of the founders of Wigwood, Mendez is quick to credit his inspiration for the festival. Before he moved back to his hometown of Miami, Mendez was living in New York City, home to Bushwig, a world-famous annual drag festival hosted by the community of Brooklyn. During his six years as a New Yorker, Mendez had the chance to attend Bushwig in its early days and fell in love with it.

It motivated him to craft a celebration that was modeled after Bushwig but still represented Miami's uniqueness. He understood Miami didn't need a carbon copy of the New York event, but rather something that celebrated the destination’s distinctive cultures and characteristics in a fresh, new way. With business partner Adam Gersten, Mendez harnessed Bushwig's creative and carefree energy, and Wigwood was born.

Dreaming Big for the Future

The community has always been at the heart of Wigwood's mission, and every decision the founders make keeps the needs, wants, dreams, and hopes of queer Miami in mind. They hope to continue to do their part to ensure Miami is a place where the queer community is welcomed with open arms.

Asked about plans for Wigwood in the years to come, Mendez describes his larger vision for a community changed for the better. “Since Wigwood is very much about the local community, my hopes for the future are to bring in more Latinx queer and trans artists that reflect our interests. I also want to continue finding new venues throughout Miami that we can transform into safe spaces for us to celebrate in. By making ourselves more visible, we can continue to evolve Miami and its venues into a more accepting, progressive city.”

He's also optimistic about the future of the local queer scene and drag performers as a whole. “I see a very bright future for the drag and queer performers of Miami,” he says. “Since Wigwood attracts people from all over the country, it has become a networking event that has helped our talented locals get recognized by people in other cities. There are many rising stars here, and it’s only a matter of time until one of them makes it big!”

When you consider Wigwood's exponential growth in just a few years and its indelible impact on Miami, it’s easy to imagine all of Mendez’s dreams coming to fruition.

Be sure to follow @wigwoodmiami on Instagram or find @wigwood on Facebook to stay updated on the latest news, headline performer announcements, and much more!