By Hayley Crandall
Iron Horse Hotel. (Credit: Jordan Dechambre, Iron Horse Hotel’s Director of Lifestyle)
The Iron Horse Hotel is hosting a “Divas & Drag Pride Brunch” on Sunday, June 28 to celebrate the last weekend of pride month and give back to local LGBT organizations. The event features Iron Horse Hotel’s regular brunch, special drinks and performances from Milwaukee drag queens.
In previous years, the warehouse-turned-luxury-hotel has hosted the official pride fest brunch, but with the COVID-19 pandemic plans had to shift. That wasn’t going to stop them from supporting the LGBT community, according to Jordan Dechambre director of lifestyle.
“We wanted to make sure we were still doing something to mark pride month,” said Dechambre. “We want to do what we can to celebrate the entire notion that love is love.”
The menu ranges from spins on traditional lunch sandwiches to just good ole’ waffles with toppings. Another big feature is the $20 bottomless mimosas, which can be a fun time, Dechambre said.
In addition to the mimosas, the hotel has also added a specialty drink menu specifically for this brunch. Sales from the drinks will be divided up and administered to local LGBT organizations, according to Dechambre. The partnered organizations will be announced during the event.
A show with the meal is also included. Two local Milwaukee drag queens, Dear Ruthie and Shannon Dupree, are scheduled to give performances in the afternoon.
“I think with the success of Jaida Essence recently on RuPaul’s Drag Race, people are really excited about finding out more about drag queens,” said Dechambre. “We have some amazing drag queens here in Milwaukee, but not everyone realizes that. Not everyone knows we have a really strong scene.”
Having only been open since the beginning of the month, the Iron Horse Hotel has been making appropriate adjustments to keep patrons and staff safe as it welcomes people back.
The brunch capacity is maxed out at 20% to assure safety, Dechambre said. Wait staff also are equipped with custom Iron Horse personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand sanitizer from a local distillery is available for use.
Brunch will take place on “The Yard,” an extravagant outdoor patio that was already the regular space for dining and eased some worries with restrictions.
“The Yard is very large,” said Dechambre. “We are able to really spread things out. We have the luxury of space which is very exciting for us.”
Even with guidelines in place, business has been steadily continuing at the Iron Horse Hotel, according to Dechambre, and regular brunches are planned to continue. The regular brunches are scheduled for the weekends throughout the summer and are music themed.
“They’re a lot more fun, a lot more Milwaukee,” said Dechambre. “It’s a chance to really sit back and relax for a while.”