Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - This year's Vallarta Pride Festival will once again feature the Púlpito Drag Derby, one of the most unique block parties in the world!

Otherwise known as "Puerto Vallarta's Annual Running Of The Drag Queens," the Drag Derby offers four hours of fun and fabulousness that's part drag fashion show, part kick-ass competition, part community fundraiser - and 100% entertaining!

Set to take place on Calle Púlpito on Friday, May 24 from 4-8 pm, this year's event promises spectators a wild time as Drag Queens in feathers and heels race against the clock and each other, while competing in crazy challenges to win great prizes and the coveted 'Ruby Tacon' trophy.

After several years of being organized by the Amapas Neighborhood Association, 2019 will mark a "changing of the guard," and SETAC, Vallarta's LGBT Community Wellness Center, is taking over the reins of the event, and they plan to make it bigger, better and more fabulous than ever!

NEW DRAG DERBY FEATURES:

• Food Court - We are inviting local restaurants to provide street food booths along Olas Altas street, just past the main stage on the corner of Púlpito, for the entire length of the event.

• Men's Swimwear Fashion Show - Before the main drag show gets going, we plan to delight the crowd with a fashion show featuring local men's swimwear designers.

• New Challenges for the Drag Contestants - We have arranged for several new contests, taking advantage of the presence of male models! These include, among others, an arm-wrestling challenge against the models, a "dunk the model" booth, and a toilet toss! Each of the challenges will once again be sponsored by a local business.

• Closed-Circuit Video - Designed to address one of the loudest attendee complaints from previous years, this year's event will feature several cameras capturing all the action from the stage and the various challenges, and display it live on a large LCD screen behind the main stage.

• More Coverage - We also plan to raise the media profile and community impact of the Púlpito Drag Derby significantly.

As you can imagine, a shindig like this comes with a hefty price tag, so we are currently looking for sponsors to help cover the costs. Once the expenses have been covered, event proceeds will be used to support SETAC's ongoing efforts to reduce HIV and other STDs in Puerto Vallarta and the greater Banderas Bay region.

All of the contestants have already been sponsored, but there are still opportunities to sponsor the 2019 running of the Púlpito Drag Derby! To gratefully thank all of our sponsors, we have developed a comprehensive media plan that provides local businesses with significant exposure, before, during, and after the event. If you are interested in being a sponsor, click HERE for all of the details. For more information, or to make a donation, call Ed Thomas at 322-102-3383.

Everyone is invited to come out to the south side of Vallarta on Friday, May 24 to watch the drag queens as they "Lip-Sync For Their Lives" and attempt to complete other fun and outrageous challenges in their battle for the Drag Derby Queen title. It might be a knock-down, drag-out competition, but it's all for a good cause!

Calle Pulpito will be closed to traffic between Olas Altas and Amapas from 4-8 pm, so neighbors and visitors can fill the street, bet on the Derby winner, and buy food and drinks, while the Drag Queens take to the sidewalks - we wouldn't want anyone to break a heel on those cobblestones!

The event schedule and other details can be found on the Facebook at 'Pulpito Drag Derby.' We hope to see you there!

Located at Aldanaca 178 4A & 4B, in the Colonia Versalles of neighborhood of Puerto Vallarta, SETAC is a non-profit community and wellness center whose mission is to reduce HIV and other sexually transmitted infections in the greater Banderas Bay region through education, detection and prevention. Free counseling, testing, treatments and referrals for HIV and other sexual transmitted illness are just some of the free services SETAC provides to the entire population, without prejudice or discrimination. For more information, follow SETAC on Facebook, visit the website, call (322) 224-1974 or email contacto(at)setac.com.mx.