Local Drag Brunch Crew Revives Retired Las Vegas Strip Christmas Decorations

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (702 Times, NV Globe) – The team from Treasure Island’s Drag Brunch Show has repaired and revitalized retired Christmas displays from the Las Vegas Strip for the public to witness in larger-than-life masterpieces.

Bryan Watkins, better known by his stage name Shannel, will perform at Senor Frog’s Drag Brunch. Despite his passion and profession in show business, the Ru Paul’s Drag Race TV program alum has always loved Christmas.

“I spend probably almost every day of the year thinking about, working on finding, buying, repairing, installing, planning Christmas,” Watkins said, whose family always scraped by to give him a wonderful Christmas despite not having the means.

Watkins has always adorned his home both inside and out, taking part in neighborhood-wide displays. He recently accumulated quite a collection of items, totaling 4,700 square feet of Christmas decor: 100,000 Christmas ornaments, 1,000 Santas, three miles of extension cords, 600,000 Christmas lights, and 150 Christmas trees, as well as dozens of retired gigantic displays and animatronics from places like the Bellagio and beyond.

Watkins, his manager Chelsea, a tailor from Drag Brunch, and numerous other creative minds put created a massive display on their front yard for entry into the Great Christmas Light Fight event last year, and won. Every room in their house was adorned in a different motif.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how much work it was. But through all that, the blood, sweat and tears of it, I kept thinking to myself, the joy that this is going to bring people,” Watkins said. Five thousand neighbors visited and toured the home.

Rather than battling the HOA over the massive displays this year, he chose to bring his designs into the community with a new venture: Santa’s Helper Designs, making decorations for local houses, businesses, malls, and even Allegiant Stadium.

Watkins shows how his show business knowledge helps him and his staff put on a spectacular Christmas show for the audience to enjoy.

“As an artist as a female impersonator, I am able to transform Bryan into Shannel, through artistry, makeup, smoke and mirrors. And it’s kind of the same thing with interior design, as well as Christmas: you’re taking a blank canvas and you’re starting over, and you’re sprinkling some magical Christmas dust,” he said.

“Christmas to me is something that, no matter how difficult the economy is, no matter what we’re dealing with in the world, there’s always going to be Christmas,” he said.

Credits: Fox 5 Vegas