Pride on the Rails: Stefon Royce Leads Richmond’s Pride Ride to D.C.

To celebrate WorldPride and spotlight Richmond’s LGBTQ+ community, Visit Richmond recently hosted a special Pride Ride from Richmond to Washington, D.C., in partnership with Amtrak. Among the standout moments of the trip was a live performance by local drag king Stefon Royce, whose presence and talent brought the train ride to life. Known for creative showmanship, Stefon offered guests a memorable sendoff as they headed to the nation’s capital. We caught up with Stefon to hear about his first time performing on a moving train, how the collaboration came together, and what moments stood out most from the journey.

Can you walk us through the moment you stepped aboard the Pride Ride train—what were your first impressions?
The decorations made me feel so comfortable and at home — seeing Pride colors throughout the train car was beautiful. The crowd was amazing. I boarded the train in drag as Stefon Royce, and it was a surreal moment. I was soaking up every second as I prepared to entertain the riders. In my 20 years as a Drag King from NYC, I had never done anything like this before.

How did you prepare your performance for a moving and unique venue like a train?
I picked songs that were fun, recognizable, and encouraged audience participation. “Boots on the Ground” was a great one — the crowd started waving their fans, and the energy picked up immediately. I’m a celebrity male impersonator, so my Bruno Mars act is always a hit. I also performed as Rick James and the Jackson 5 — people were singing along the whole time. I like to move around when I perform, and the motion of the train actually added something extra to the show. Honestly, I sometimes forgot we were even moving!

How did working with Visit Richmond, OutRVA, and Amtrak come about? What drew you to collaborate?
I first met Danielle Fitz-Hugh last year at VA Pride while I was in drag. I already knew her from the Chesterfield Chamber, but we had never connected on a business level. I own a small business, Extreme Fitness and Nutrition, and I reconnected with Danielle through InUnison. I reminded her that we had met before — and I was in drag at the time! We got to talking, and eventually, I was invited to perform on the Pride Ride.

The Visit Richmond VA team had never seen a Drag King before, so this felt like the perfect collaboration. Stefon Royce is actually a business entity under Extreme Fitness and Nutrition, so we were able to partner both businesses with Richmond Region Tourism.

OutRVA has also been amazing — they’ve been supporting my monthly all-Drag King Brunch at Gold Lion (every third Sunday at noon) for nearly a year now. It felt natural to partner with them for this event too. After the ride, the vibe stayed strong, so I invited the Visit Richmond team to my evening show in D.C. I had a gig already lined up, and I thought they’d enjoy seeing more drag. They had a blast — the energy never dipped from Richmond to D.C.

What was the atmosphere like in the train car after the ride? Did the energy carry forward into D.C.? 

Oh, absolutely. The whole train had such a great time — I could tell everyone really enjoyed themselves. That’s why I invited the Visit Richmond team to my D.C. show that night. It was the perfect way to keep the celebration going after the ride. Even though we missed the WorldPride opening concert, they came to see more drag and kept the fun going. I perform in D.C. six or more times a month, so it was easy to bring them into that world. The vibe stayed upbeat all the way from Richmond to D.C.

In what ways do events like this help elevate RVA’s LGBTQ+ scene on a national or even global stage?

Drag shows are a huge draw for tourism — just look at places like Las Vegas. And it’s not just the LGBTQ+ community that enjoys drag. Everyone loves a good drag brunch or show. Drag Kings are getting more recognition now, and people are really embracing it.

I’d love to see more events like this partnered with venues like the Altria Theater. That’s something I’ve been dreaming about — working with Altria and other partners to produce Drag King shows and bring them to bigger stages. Even Broadway-style shows! Tourists love that kind of entertainment, and it would be a great way to bring more visitors to Richmond.

The Pride Ride was just the beginning. I’ve already had people ask me when the next one is happening — they want another chance to ride the train with The Stefon Royce Experience. I’d love to partner with Visit Richmond again and help bring together drag, entertainment, and tourism in creative ways.

Though the train may have pulled into the station, the impression left by Stefon Royce and the Pride Ride continues to grow. Through performance, advocacy, and authentic connections, Stefon is helping shape Richmond into a destination that welcomes and celebrates LGBTQ+ travelers. From drag brunches in the city to dreams of future Pride Rides and large-scale partnerships, The Stefon Royce Experience is building momentum — and helping put Richmond on the map in new and meaningful ways. Find future Stefon Royce events on Instagram.