Sycuan Pride Weekend Returns with Ross Mathews, Carson Kressley and Mariam T Leading the Celebration
By Cesar A Reyes
Pride Weekend at Sycuan Casino Resort brims with excitement the moment you walk through the doors. There’s the music echoing across the casino floor, the poolside laughter rolling through the desert heat, the sight of drag queens, dancers, DJs, couples, friends, and chosen family all sharing the same space without apology. Undeniably, Sycuan Pride Weekend has become one of Southern California’s most joyful LGBTQ+ celebrations — a place where community comes first and the party never loses its heart.
From Friday, June 26 through Sunday, June 28, Sycuan Casino Resort in El Cajon will once again transform into a full-scale Pride destination packed with live entertainment, drag performances, dance parties, gaming events, brunches, and nonstop energy. What started as a celebration has evolved into a full weekend experience, bringing together locals, visitors, performers, and allies for three days centered around joy, visibility, and connection.
“This event requires so much work, love and most of all, PRIDE,” says entertainer and producer Mariam T, who returns for her fourth consecutive year helping shape the weekend’s festivities. “You really get to see the spirit of inclusivity and community when working on events like this. So many people come together and work hard to make the vision happen and bring so many people so much joy. That’s what Pride season means to me: expressing our joy and coming together.”
And that spirit is woven into every part of the weekend.
The celebration kicks off Friday, June 26 at Retreat Pool & Cabanas with the Oasis Pool Party beginning at 3 p.m., featuring classic and contemporary house mixes by DJ Jinx Mirage. As the afternoon heat turns into evening energy, the Lobby Bar keeps the music flowing with upbeat dance and pop sets from DJ Alex and DJ Junior the Disco Punk beginning at 4 p.m.
Then the night turns all the way up.
At 9 p.m., Jazzlene East Coast hosts the Welcome Party at the west end of the casino with beats by DJ Dida Padilla, setting the tone for a weekend designed to celebrate queer joy loudly and unapologetically.
For Mariam T, the weekend is about more than entertainment. It’s about bringing the spirit of Hillcrest to a wider audience.
“It means so much to be able to bring the spirit and energy of Hillcrest all the way out to El Cajon,” she gushes. “The entire staff and all of the guests have always been so kind and welcoming to us, and I feel right at home at Sycuan. They know how to treat a queen!”
That warmth is exactly what keeps performers and guests coming back year after year.
Saturday, June 27 may be the biggest day of the weekend lineup, beginning with the SPLASH Pool Party at Retreat starting at 11 a.m.. DJ Autum Leilani brings house and techno mixes to the water while guests lounge poolside, float down the lazy river, or dance beneath the sun.
Later that evening, television personalities and RuPaul’s Drag Race judges Ross Mathews and Carson Kressley bring their wildly popular “A Lil’ Bit Judgy Show” to Sycuan’s Live & Up-Close Theater at 8 p.m. The duo, known for their quick wit, hilarious chemistry, and decades-long friendship, promise an evening full of laughter, stories, playful shade, and audience connection.
“A good freaking time!” Ross Mathews promises when asked what audiences can expect. “A chance to close the door on the outside world and laugh! Carson is so funny and charming and fabulous and we just adore each other. Always have. Always will. This is a chance for us to connect with people in real life and spread joy.”
That chemistry has made the pair fan favorites both on-screen and on-stage. Carson Kressley says their friendship naturally fuels the show.
“We will just have a great time when we are together,” Kressley shares. “I think that really shows when we are lucky enough to be on the judging panel together at Drag Race. So we will bring that same spirit, spill some tea, give some advice — solicited or not — and most importantly have a fun night celebrating our community.”
For both Ross and Carson, Pride is deeply personal.
Ross describes Pride as something lived daily.
“For me, Pride isn’t a day or weekend or a month,” he says. “It’s a way of life. I love being gay. I can’t imagine being anybody else. And our community deserves to be proud of who we are.”
Carson’s connection to Pride goes back decades, remembering the first Pride celebration he attended in New York City in 1991 shortly after moving from small-town Pennsylvania.
“I had NO IDEA there was such a vast, diverse and welcoming community,” he recalls. “I felt such pride, safety, joy and community.”
But Carson also remembers the fear and heartbreak surrounding the AIDS epidemic during that time.
“In many ways it was a sad and scary time,” he says, “but the community came together and still was able to gather, protest, celebrate and remember.”
That balance — honoring the past while celebrating the present — remains at the core of Pride Weekend events like Sycuan’s.
After Ross and Carson leave the stage Saturday night, the celebration continues with Mariam T’s BAD Bingo at 10 p.m., featuring performances by Fantasia Royale Gaga, Eda Mame, and Jazzlene East Coast. Guests will have the chance to win a share of $10,000 in cash and prizes while experiencing the chaotic, hilarious, high-energy atmosphere that has made BAD Bingo a local favorite.
Then comes Sunday.
For the brunch crowd, Mariam T hosts Waffles & Wigs Drag Brunch at noon inside the Heritage Event Center. Featuring performances by Fantasia Royale Gaga, Lauren Banall, Juliana Dick, and Eda Mame, the event combines drag, comedy, cocktails, and comfort food into one final celebration before the weekend closes out. Guests can enjoy a buffet complete with a mini waffle station, scrambled eggs, applewood smoked bacon, and more.
And for anyone not ready to head home, Retreat Pool & Cabanas hosts the PLUNGE Pool Party from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. with music from DJ Ms Mo and DJ Rockstar Aaron.
Mariam T calls the entire weekend “the ultimate staycation.”
“With amazing dining, lots of live music and entertainment, fantastic drag shows, so many amazing restaurants, a spa, two pools, hot tubs and a lazy river, it’s really an amazing weekend,” she said.
Her advice for surviving Pride Weekend?
“Stay hydrated, stay alert, be NICE, bring CASH, and keep your phone in your front pocket.”
Simple advice for a weekend built around freedom, fun, and community.
At a time when LGBTQ+ spaces become all the more important, Sycuan Pride Weekend isn’t just another party on the calendar. It’s a reminder of what happens when people come together to celebrate exactly who they are loudly, proudly, and without compromise.
Read our Q & A with Ross Mathews, Carson Kressley and Mariam T (click on the image for the full Q&A)
