The Annual Mr. Lower East Side Pageant returns to the neighborhood for its 20th edition

[Fun With Fritz in 2018 by Walter Wlodarczyk]

After several years in exile, the Mr. Lower East Side Pageant is coming back to the neighborhood for the 2019 edition, said to be the 20th annual*.

Reverend Jen, the longtime MC, is hosting again this year. She shared details about this year's event, happening March 23 at Bedlam, 40 Avenue C between Third Street and Fourth Street.

Per her media advisory:

It's time for the annual Mr. Lower East Side Pageant whereupon the women and gay men of New York and Parts Unknown choose one lucky man to rule the area South of Houston and East of the Bowery.

The 20th annual Pageant will prove to be an extra glamorous affair, much like the Ms. Universe Pageant, if all the contestants were hairy and liked Budweiser. To compete in this cutthroat Pageant, contestants need not live on the Lower East Side. (Because, no one can afford to anymore.) They simply must possess qualities, which would make them a proper representative of the neighborhood. (What those qualities are, we're not sure ...)

They also must prepare for the following three categories: 1.) One-Minute talent competition. 2.) Swimwear, and 3.) Evening Wear combined with Q&A. Contestants must show up no later than 8 p.m. to compete or, they can email Rev. Jen in advance.

The chosen Monarch will also receive a slice of pizza from Rosario's, a 6-pack of Budweiser and the knowledge that he has been chosen by the people. Runner-up will receive the dubious title of Mr. Tribeca and will get to wear a smaller vagina-shaped crown throughout the year.

Prizes will also be awarded for "Best Male Tits," "Best Nutsack" and congeniality. Appearances by past Mr. Lower East Sides and musical acts will make the evening especially magical.

The 20th Annual Mr. Lower East Side Pageant
Saturday, March 23, 8 p.m.
Bedlam, 40 Avenue C near Third Street
$10 (free for competitors)

* One Mr. LES Pageant historian is disputing this claim, noting that this may only be the the 19th-and-a-half installment of the pageant, given that the 17th edition was stopped while still in the first round.

Previously on EV Grieve:
At the annual Mr. Lower East Side Pageant (in Queens)

At the annual Mr. Lower East Side Pageant (in Queens)

Photos and text by Walter Wlodarczyk

Saturday saw the return of the Mr. Lower East Side Pageant — Downtown's answer to traditional beauty pageants that founder
Reverend Jen has described as being similar to Miss USA, "if all the performers were hairy and liked Budweiser."

The male-objectifying celebration of the weird is now in its 18th year, though fans might note that Saturday's was actually the 18th-and-a-half installment of the pageant, owing to the fact that the first attempt at the 17th was terminated just a few contestants into the first round, due to (in Reverend Jen's words) "reasons we won't go into."

This year's pageant was contested without issue at The Footlight in Ridgewood, which feels like a perfect home away from the Lower East Side for the event. This was the third time the pageant has been held outside the Lower East Side, the irony of which was well noted during the event. But as Reverend Jen aptly pointed out, the Lower East Side is really just a state of mind.

As always, the pageant consisted of three rounds — a one-minute talent competition, swimsuit, and evening wear combined
with question-and-answer. This year's competitors featured regular favorites (such as Tommy D Naked Man) and first-timers (artist Lisa Levy, who was crowned Miss Subways in September, attempted to add the Mr. LES crown to her collection).

Talents on display included butt painting, Barbra Streisand impersonation, and the filmmaker Dylan Mars Greenberg selling her artistic integrity in exchange for promoting their new feature film "ReAgitator: Revenge of the Parody," which you can now purchase on Amazon Video.

But it was Fun With Fritz who took the crown, having demonstrated considerable talent by making an omelette in his cod piece before having audience members roll him into a human breakfast burrito, not to mention flawlessly completing the Q&A segment by rattling off the names of numerous shuttered Lower East Side businesses.

Fritz promised to use the great responsibility of the Mr. Lower East Side crown to advocate for changing our currency from dollars to kindness.


[Josefina Concepción]


[Painting with Josefina Concepción]


[Mr. Barbra Streisand]


[Fun With Fritz]


[Fun With Fritz as a breakfast burrito]


[Reverend Jen]


[Dylan Mars Greenberg]


[Lisa Levy]


[Tim Shea]


[Pregaming with Tommy D Naked Man]


[Fun With Fritz is crowned winner]



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Thanks to Walter Wlodarczyk for the photos. Find more of his work here. Reverend Jen has an art show up at MF Gallery through Saturday.

Brooklyn will now host the Mr. Lower East Side Pageant

[Photo last year by Walter Wlodarczyk]

Funny thing happened on the way to the 16th annual Mr. Lower East Side Pageant — it's moving to the Lucky 13 Saloon in Gowanus.

Here's more from the Pageant's creator, Rev. Jen, on Facebook:

Sadly, the infamous Mr. Lower East Side Pageant, which was originally scheduled for January 31st at Cake Shop was cancelled at the last minute due to the "fun police" and fear of penile exposure. So in a bizarre turn of events it's moving to Brooklyn! This is OK, given the Lower East Side is a state of mind and frankly, the Lower East Side can suck it, as all creative activity has been exiled from the neighborhood due to greedy landlords. (Landlords recently almost exiled me from the LES in housing court!) I'm pretty sure that someday, the Mr. Lower East Side Pageant will be held in New Jersey.

You can find more details and the rest of Rev. Jen's announcement on the Facebook event page.

H/T The Lo-Down!

At the Mr. Lower East Side Pageant

Reverend Jen's 15th Annual Mr. Lower East Side Pageant took place Friday night at the Cake Shop on Ludlow Street… So much drama! Talent! Man meat! (That means chest and like abs, right?) Slum Goddess has many of the gory details and photos and video right here.



The two photos here are by EVG Facebook friend Walter Wlodarczyk. If you're on Facebook (or not), then you can find a whole lot more of his photos from Friday night here.