MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - This isn’t your grandma’s bingo, most likely, but if it is your grandmother’s bingo, you have a cool grandma. This is Drag Queen Bingo.
There’s the stereotypical bingo you see on TV, like on “Curb your Enthusiasm.”
Then, there’s this. Welcome to Drag Bingo. It goes down every Thursday night at the Time Out Market Food Hall on South Beach.
Virginia Gil, editor, Time Out Miami: “Our mission at Time Out is to help people explore the city. We wanna inspire them to go out. We took that same ethos into curating Time Out Market, including the programming.”
Your host for the evening is the fabulously entertaining Athena Dion.
Athena Dion, host: “Alright, let’s play some bingo!”
Just getting prepared for our interview with Athena was almost as fun as bingo night itself.
Athena Dion: “Oh, say can you see?… I wanna live my Whitney moment…. Are you recording all this? Because this would be good b-roll.”
OK, now for the interview.
Athena Dion: “People think bingo’s like an old lady sport, but when you add a beautiful drag queen, honey, it just turns it up a few notches.”
While the fun and games are going on, you can grab food and drinks inside the market.
Time Out extends its happy hour drink specials for bingo night.
Virgina Gil: “If you want to come play, that’s great. If you wanna just eat and drink, there’s a place for you too.”
That’s kind of the whole idea with Drag Bingo — belonging and feeling welcomed, especially considering this is Pride Month!
Athena Dion: “Everyone’s around. We have straight guys in there, we have straight women in there, and you don’t look at labels anymore. You’re just there having a good time and enjoying space — especially after the year we all just went through! Now’s not a time to be locking each other out. We’re supposed to be coming together, and I think that’s really important. I feel like I’m doing God’s work, OK?!”
Hey! Being around people! Remember that?
It’s something Eddie Martí Kring appreciates.
He works with an LGBTQ rights organization called “SAVE”, and he’s a drag bingo regular.
Eddie Martí Kring: “People are really yearning for connection. It was really cool seeing being want to engage and have a good time.”
And you’re pretty much guaranteed a good time with Athena calling the shots.
Athena Dion: “Make some noise for Salma, she’s our winner! .. It’s just fun for us to get together in South Beach and have a place to come and chill. It’s really a good time.”
Drag Bingo is every Thursday night from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Winners get $25 gift cards to Time Out Market!
FOR MORE INFO:
Time Out Market
1601 Drexel Ave,
Miami Beach, FL 33139
786-753-5388
https://www.timeout.com/
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