When you think of Seattle, it’s easy to default to the city’s ‘greatest hits’: Starbucks, the Space Needle, Grunge, fish markets, the rainy weather that is seemingly on loop (which is a misnomer—New York gets more annual rainfall than Seattle).
But if our recent celebration of the Emerald City’s rising brand stars has shown us anything, it’s that there is so much untapped enterprise and beauty percolating underneath its more publicized surface. And this holiday season, Visit Seattle is encouraging potential visitors to really delve into everything the city has to offer, from a festive Christmas cruise to a holiday-themed LGBTQ burlesque show.
Thankfully, they don’t expect us to discover all the good stuff on our own. Visit Seattle enlisted the help of a famous Pacific Northwesterner: RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Season 5 winner, Jinkx Monsoon.
Because honestly, who better to encapsulate the inherent magic and fun of any city than a beloved drag queen?
In a genuinely enchanting 14-part “mini-sode” web series, Monsoon hosts a lightning-quick talk show called “Let’s Unwrap This Town.” Each episode—the longest lasting 56 seconds—highlights a special holiday event, like the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of Nutcracker.
In addition to learning about the city’s plethora of hidden Yuletide gems, viewers are treated to Monsoon’s signature gift for banter, which played a huge part in them nabbing the coveted Drag Race crown in 2013.
Centering the dynamic Jinkx Monsoon as the welcoming wagon of sorts for this series really speaks to Seattle’s progressive, forward-thinking mindset.
“We needed a personality that could embody the fun and festive nature our city has to offer at the holidays. No one could do that better than Jinkx,” explains Ali Daniels, Visit Seattle’s CMO. “The holidays are a special time in Seattle from age-old traditions like Argosy’s Christmas Ships to new and sparkly events like Enchant Christmas. And we want to shout from the rooftops that there’s something for everyone happening in Seattle this holiday and everyone is welcome!”
You can catch the full, tragically short series on Visit Seattle’s website, YouTube, or Instagram TV, but we included a few more of our favorites below.
CREDITS:
Curator Films
Director: JD Walsh
EP: Nate Barr
Producers: Mark St John, Jill McBride
Editor: Felipe Marmolejo
Agency: PB&
Strategy: Britt Peterson Fero, Principal
Production: Pete Anderson, Head of Content
Creative: Matt McCain and Wa Vong
