If you follow Seattle's incredible drag scene, you no doubt have heard of Anita Spritzer. Having performed in venues throughout Seattle and Tacoma over the last five years, she has risen to the top and is now adding Pridefest event curator to her long list of accomplishments, having organized "Bubbling with Pride" for the special weekend-long festival.

Spritzer is full of energy, and this is reflected in their stage persona. "I chose my stage name kind of on the fly. I wanted something punny and bubbly and fun. I just wanted something that would show my personality. I love a spritzer, and that's delicious on a hot summer day, and so am I. So there you go."

When performing, their biggest inspirations are drawn from their community. "I kind of lead everything I do with a sense of bringing people together and spreading joy and happiness and laughter. I think right now especially is a time when we need all those things," they said. "My inspiration comes from everyone around me, my fellow drag performers around the world, especially those on the Seattle scene. They inspire me, and that pushes me to be better."

With a love for their community, Spritzer has come up with a unique performance that is sure to bring some of the warmth they feel from their fans and fellow performers back to the streets of Seattle. "So, our vision was creating a show that was just celebratory of all things that Pride means, whether that be self-expression, diversity, love, happiness, laughter, smiles, all of those things. Community, I think, is a big one as well.

"And I think that's exactly what we did. We have a great lineup, and I'm so excited. The title says it all. We are Bubbling with Pride and we can't hold it in."

Spritzer has been working on the coordination of the upcoming show for the last several months. While organizing their first big live event since COVID hit has been difficult at times, what wasn't was finding performers who were interested in joining in on the celebration. "The good thing about the time that we're in right now is that everyone is so eager to perform... Casting the show was lickety-split. It really didn't take too long."

Bubbling With Pride will have two shows, one on Saturday evening and one on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 4 and 5). Both will be full of fashion, joy, and lots of drag. "I think drag helps empower the LGBTQIA+ community in ways of just sheer expression," Spritzer said, explaining how, even in a community that celebrates diversity and self-expression, finding ways to feel comfortable in one's outward expression of gender and sexuality can sometimes still be a challenge.

Their hope is that drag performances can help people learn to "walk through life and express yourself however you want to express yourself, and people will love you for that." They also believe that drag is an important aspect of the community, because it helps to bring people together. "That's definitely harder to do in a global pandemic, but even though we haven't been able to be together physically, I think drag has still brought so many people together, whether it be virtually or even just comments on social media. That aspect of coming together is what makes drag so powerful."

Spritzer credits the Seattle drag community for helping them to feel welcome and a part of something, even during the last difficult year. They hope that "Bubbling with Pride" can be seen as their love note to the community that has helped them to feel comfortable about their own self-expression.

"The Seattle drag community [has] some of the most loving, diverse human beings I have ever met. I am just so grateful to be a part of the scene. It is never not exciting. It is always exciting wherever you go, whether it be Kremwerk or Queer Bar or Skylark, or any of those places. It is always so, so exciting. And the scene supports each other, and I think that's really important too."

PrideFest will be a reflection of the incredible community Spritzer loves so much, an exciting weekend where people can come out and celebrate the energy and individuality that makes the LGBTQ community so unique. It is certain to be as surprising and unique as the community itself.

But for first-timers, Spritzer has some advice. "[People] can expect to see some big hair, they can expect to see some bright colors, and they can just expect to see exactly what the title says, us just bubbling with pride, being able to do what we do. There's going to be some amazing performances from some of my all-time favorite drag performers in the area. They can expect to see the amazing Cookie Couture, who is going to be DJing for us, and I am so excited... It's just gonna be a big ole' love fest, a big ole' Pride love fest."

So, if you've felt cooped up in the house, a little isolated, and in need of reconnection to Seattle's amazing LGBTQ community, look no further than Anita Spritzer's "Bubbling with Pride" event. It is sure to put a smile on your face and quench your need for connection. Come on down and celebrate the amazing drag performances inspired by Seattle's own vibrant LGBTQ community.

For PrideFest details, go to https://www.seattlepridefest.org/.