The 2026 AltBall Raised the Roof and Thousands of Dollars for Doorways

By Grayling Holmes / photos by artist as indicated

Electric!

Thrilling!

Spectacle!

Exhilarating!

Galvanizing!

Those are five words that describe ALTBALL 2026: ICON. VIP tickets to the event sold out in minutes – a testament to the power and performance level of the freshman and sophomore years that the event was in 2024 and 25. Junior year had to exceed those events. And, baby, the third incarnation of ALTBALL took you to school.

VIP’s were quickly ushered into the The Sovereign in the Grand Center Arts District the night of the ball. It was roped off like a Hollywood premiere. And like a premiere, the “stars” came R E A D Y to slay. The theme was ICON – Tina Turner – Gaga – Madonna – Prince – Bowie. Some drove up to the door, and girlfriend, did everyone R E K A N I Z E that they had A R R I V E D.

The air literally sizzled with anticipation. And on the other side of the velvet rope stood the sold-out crowd eagerly awaiting get in. No shortage of glitzy costumes for them either. Just because you couldn’t score one of the coveted, and rare VIP tickets (there were only a limited number) didn’t mean that you were any less ball-ready. As far as the eye could see, from the front door of The Sovereign, to the nether regions, there was an ocean of funky fashion – some made by designers.

Then there was the red carpet. Everyone got to walk it. Yes, it was Hollywood for the avant-garde, the peculiar, the afficionado of TODAY – fresh, hip, and, in a word ghetto marvelous – the world of ghetto alternate – those whose home for tonight was the ALTBALL.

Most of all, everyone came to open their hearts and their pocket books to Doorways.

Every dollar raised at ALTBALL supports DOORWAYS, a St. Louis nonprofit that has served the community for nearly four decades. Founded in 1988 as an interfaith organization offering hospice care at the height of the AIDS crisis, DOORWAYS has evolved into one of the region's most critical providers of housing and wrap-around services for individuals and families affected by HIV, illness and poverty.

And a whopping 100,000 greenbacks were raised on Saturday, May 15th, exceeding the prior two years since its inception.

A portion of every ticket, every drink, and every piece of merch went Doorways. The old cliché, “When people show up, they show out,” was more than commonplace on the 15th, it was a time when the generosity of St. Louisans, no matter how rich or how poor, helped out this vital cause. The Gateway City showed it cared.

Boom! It was showtime. “Please make your way to your seats, to disembodied voice on the PA system boomed.” Attendees made their way to their seats with a quickness.

It was packed. The main level, the balcony, every square inch of the theater was filled.

Breathless anticipation filled the room.

Tiélere Cheatem—the night’s emcee, donned in a white cone bra ball gown — appeared in a flash on stage and the room immediately knew this was no ordinary evening.

Translucent elegance was the word everyone was thinking. On such a big stage that jutted into the arena, they looked bigger than life — gown gliding across the stage — strides like a gazelle — swirling skirt around the bodice as if it had a life of its own. Attitude for days, the fabulous garments exuded, as did the god on which they were embodied. They extended their arms with what seemed like miles on gossamer and feathery wings that literally floated, or so it seemed. They threw the crowd into a frenzy.

The tone was set for what would become a breathtaking, boundary-pushing spectacle of fashion, music and performance… a night unlike anything St. Louis had ever seen before.

Opulence in world-class drag, stunning fashion, booty bumping music, and crowd-pleasing mayhem overflowed the stage onto the onlookers – everyone caught some of the unbridled voltage emanating from the stage.

The arena was taken to a new place, again and again.

A potpourri of his-trionics, her-strionics, they-strionics, them-strionics and every color of the rainbow of pronouns glowed as bright as the cosmos at the 2026 ALTBALL.

First up, a fashion show with 30 local designers who brought their A+ games. The models were kick ass! They elevated the art of runway to a new level.

ALTBALL Sophomore Year

The Designers FOR ALTBALL 2026

Alexandra Marie
Ariel Lynnore
B2FLY
Brazilian Baroness
Brock x Tyra
Callieco Couture
Clé Collections
CrispinMulatto
Elisa Pritchett
Faheem Rahman
Felia Davenport
Garçon de Coquille
Mariel a la Mode
Maxine Roeder
Michael Drummond
Michele Siler
MO Coyotes
Olivia Radle
Paulie Gibson
Saint Patrik
Shamaica Chanel
Shanna Britta
SMI
StXr
Sugasoul
Umi Dreami
Yasi Fayal
Zari Black

THEN

RuPaul's Drag Race and Project Runway star Utica Queen.

There was a contest that rivaled the LGBT ballroom subculture of the 70s and 80s. P O S E. Tens across the board.

St. Louis legend Vanessa Frost channeled Cardi B and brought the house down and brought the house down with her scorching gyrations.

Then Utica took the stage. The throng went wild. She brought out her cadre of models wearing her sublime creations.

It was a night where you just had to be there. But there was room for only so many devotees of the alt.

"ALTBALL was always meant to be a platform; a space for our community to show what we're capable of when we come together. And every year, we blow past what any of us imagined. The designers, the performers, the countless volunteers, the people from all walks of life who show up and show out for a cause—they're what made tonight what it was. Three years in, it's clear we can go bigger. And we will."

The ALTBALL may have outgrown the limited confines of the Sovereign. They literally raised the roof off the motha’, and just may need a bigger boat. No roof may be big enough to hold all the talent it continues to corral. The ALTBALL is, in a word, EXPLOSIVE.

For more information, visit altball.org or follow @altball.stl on Instagram.

ALTBALL 2026: ICON The Night In Pictures

Kristin Thompson, Kyle Crocker, Rachel Quirk, Ryan Falk, Dylan Kennedy, Blake Anderson

About DOORWAYS

DOORWAYS provides housing and supportive services for those in our community affected by HIV, illness and poverty. Founded in 1988, their programs include behavioral health, food assistance, career development and multiple platforms of housing. Today, they serve over 3,500 individuals each year. Learn more at doorwayshousing.org.