On any given weekend, live jazz still drifts from club doors along 18th & Vine. But in late June, the historic district comes alive with Pride on the Vine, bringing a fresh sound and energy. Music from a full lineup of Black LGBTQ+ performers livens the mood, while revelers in costumes, food trucks, and festive decor bring fun and flavor to the block party in the street.
The celebration is now going strong in its fifth year. Created by Quez Beasley, director of the 18th & Vine Arts Festival Foundation, the event has grown into a mainstay of Kansas City’s Pride Month calendar. With backing from the city’s Third District and Councilwoman Melissa Robinson, Quez launched Pride on the Vine to build something where nothing had ever existed. “There was never a Pride celebration (for the Black community),” Quez said. “There has never been a Black gentleman like myself who has been out with no care and said, ‘hey, it’s not fair that we don’t have Pride festivities.’”
Since then, the event has received a city proclamation that honors its cultural contribution to Kansas City. “It humbles you, and it makes you appreciate your work,” Quez said. “We don’t do it to get recognized, but it’s about the community getting recognized. So it lets me know that I’m doing something that’s getting people’s attention and creating change.”
Held at 19th and Vine, the district prepares each year for an all-out celebration. “We shut down the entire street,” Quez said. “It’s everything that you would want in a Pride block party.” Attendees this year can expect drag performances, a DJ, food trucks, space themed outfits, and a vogue competition. There is even prize money on the line. “Last year, it was $1,000 to the costume contest winner,” Quez said. “So this year, we’re going to vote on categories rather than just give $1,000 away.” Among the festivalgoers, it’s not unusual to spot city leaders. “A lot of the city officials come out to support what we’re doing,” Quez said. “You see them involved, and they walk in the streets with everybody.”
But there’s more to Pride on the Vine than the block party alone. Brunch with Quez & Friends: Pride Edition, now in its third year, brings the same energy into a more intimate setting. It’s part variety show, part political roundtable, and entirely festive. Quez and his guests interview city leaders and share updates on LGBTQIA-related initiatives and Pride Month activities across Kansas City. The brunch features drag performances, community games, and, of course, food. Quez said, “It’s more of a variety production where you have all of the components.” Tickets are $35 and include unlimited mimosas. “We feed you and we make sure you drink, because, you know, it’s Pride,” he said.
This year’s brunch was held on June 7th at Drexel Hall, with catering provided by Urban Restaurant. The event featured games, giveaways, and a best dressed contest with a $100 award going to the standout look of the day. “That’s what we are known for,” Quez said. “They love our games.”
Local business owner Tiara Dixon plays a key role in both events. As the owner of The Velvet Freeze Daiquiris and Smaxx, she provides space and food for Pride on the Vine and has supported Quez’s work since the beginning. “She is the host restaurant that keeps all of this going,” he said. “We use that space, and we bring in businesses on 18th & Vine to help us.”
Beyond fun and entertainment, Pride on the Vine represents an opportunity to bring the Black queer community into the spotlight. Quez noted the Black LGBTQ+ population is large and often underrepresented. “Sometimes we’re not highlighted like other races,” he said. Many are talented artists, entertainers, and entrepreneurs. Pride on the Vine helps bring that talent into the spotlight. “We are the arts of that community,” he said. “We do the hair. We do the makeup. We do styling. We make up everything that you need in the arts. And I think sometimes that gets overlooked.”
Quez was raised in Kansas City, and he is inspired by the culture of the 18th & Vine District. Through the years, his travels to places like New York City have expanded his perspective and sparked new ideas. With Pride on the Vine, his goal is to bring those experiences home in ways that uplift the community that raised him. “We have a lot of talent in Kansas City,” he said. “My job was to bring what I have seen in other states, other cities, and other countries back to 18th & Vine.” Attendance at Pride on the Vine has grown steadily, with 500 to 1,000 people expected this year. Promotion for both the brunch and the block party begins early and continues through the month.
Quez now serves as the LGBTQ+ Commissioner for Kansas City’s Third District. His role involves responding to any issues or needs that arise. This includes helping provide resources, ensuring inclusive entertainment and gathering spaces, and addressing incidents that impact the community. Looking ahead, Quez’s vision is expansive. “Maybe we start having more international and national acts come through to be our musical performances,” he said. “And one day I will see Brunch with Quez and Friends on television.”
For now, the focus is on continuing to create space for joy, safety, and celebration right where it belongs, in Kansas City’s historic core. For more information, visit quezpresents.com.
Featured in the June 28, 2025 issue of The Independent
