Castro Fair to Honor Cookie Dough

This Sunday's Castro Street Fair will be dedicated to Cookie Dough, the beloved San Francisco drag queen who died earlier this year.

The drag star, also known as Eddie Bell, 51, had regularly taken part in the fair, hosted the neighborhood's popular Monster Show, and appeared in the annual drag show "Golden Girls" before he died in January after being diagnosed with meningitis.

The theme for the 42nd annual fair is "Queen," to celebrate "all things drag and the life and work of Cookie Dough," said Fred Lopez, the fair's executive director.

"Come wig out with us," Lopez said. "We're really hoping the public will show up in any number of drag paraphernalia."

As usual, this year's fair is expected to include music and dancing, among other entertainment, along with food and exhibitors.

In a letter set to be part of the festival's program this year, board President Juan Garcia talked about why the fair, "and especially the 18th Street stage," is being dedicated to Cookie Dough, who he described as "my sweet friend."

"I only had to share with her the theme and she would round up an army of wild drag kings and queens to invade our Market Street Stage ...," Garcia said. "She was a true professional and always made my life so easy leading up to and during the fair."

Around five years ago when fair organizers moved the Monster Show closer to the Edge, at 4149 18th Street, the show's "weekly home bar," the new spot "was an immediate success, rivaling the Market Street stage in popularity," Garcia said.

One entertainment highlight this year will be the electronic pop duo Ejector, who will appear on the 18th Street stage.

"They had worked with Cookie on a number of things, and they were excited to be able to pay tribute," Lopez said.

Ejector's Ben Holder, 45, said in a Facebook message, "Cookie's kindness, love, and generosity has touched so many of us. She was always willing, and excited, to give performers their first stage. Ejector's first stage was at the Monster Show when it was at Harvey's," the restaurant at 500 Castro Street. "We will be forever grateful for her kind, warm love and support."?

Michael Chu, 53, Cookie Dough's partner, said in an interview, "I'm very amazed and very grateful that [organizers are] paying tribute to Cookie."

Chu choked up while speaking about Cookie Dough and the trouble he had getting his partner of 14 years back to the United States after he became ill while on a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

"He was the love of my life and brought me tremendous joy, and I miss him terribly," Chu said.

In an email, Heklina, the drag queen who starred in and co-produced the "Golden Girls" with Cookie Dough, said, "Performing at the Castro Street Fair was a highlight every year for Cookie, and something she was immensely proud of. She spent a ton of time and energy each year" curating the show with Chu, who's also known as DJ MC2.

Heklina, who's also known as Stefan Grygelko, added, "I always thought she was crazy doing all that work for free, but that's me - I'm the bitchy one and she was always the sweet one. I learned a lot about patience and giving back to the community from Cookie, and I miss her terribly and always will."

She said fair organizers "could not have picked a better person to honor. Cookie embodied everything positive about our community - caring, supportive, generous, and selfless. She would be thrilled! I know she'll be looking down on all of us on October 4."

The fair, which has an operating budget "just over $200,000," Lopez said, has more than 25 local beneficiaries.

Lopez said organizers hope to give away at least as much as was distributed last year, when beneficiaries combined received approximately $74,000.

New this year is the Kink Karnival Alley, a fun adult-oriented area presented by kink.com. It will include midway-style games and amusing contests, alongside some of San Francisco's bawdiest vendors, go-go dancers, and more.

This year, vendors are being encouraged to activate both sides of their booths, which will be placed on the sidewalks, in order to help draw people in to local businesses. Vendors used to be in the street but moved after Castro Street's sidewalks were widened before last year's fair.

"We want to make sure the local merchants are being highlighted as much as possible," Lopez said.

Prices for nonprofits, arts and craft vendors, and fine artists to have booths will remain the same, but costs for for-profit businesses have increased to $1,500 this year. Lopez couldn't recall what last year's price was.

Anyone hoping to catch a glimpse inside Strut, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation's new men's health center at 470 Castro Street, will likely be disappointed. The center isn't expected to be open to the public until later in October, but it will have two booths at the fair.

For more information about the fair, visit www.castrostreetfair.org.

The Castro Street Fair takes place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, October 4. The suggested donation at the gate is $5-$10.

Full disclosure: The Bay Area Reporter is a lead sponsor of the fair and will have a booth at the event