Fresno's Drag Festival kicked off at 11:30 a.m. at Our Saviors Lutheran Church.
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The ticketed event features well-known drag performers who do family-friendly numbers, including to Disney songs.
There's also a story time portion where the performers read age-appropriate books to the kids.
The event had pushback from dozens of people who protested outside of the church.
It also drew criticism from Fresno City Councilmember Garry Bredefeld on social media where he called the event "sickening and disgraceful."
"I just feel like instead of the love that they're trying to spread they're spreading more hate," organizer Isabel Ramos says. "That's not what my event is about. my event is about acceptance and love and creating a safe space for our children."
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Bredefeld sees the event differently.
"They can try to dress it up. They can try to say it's not as bad as it used to be. It's not as sexualized as it used to be, we're selling tickets. it's a private event. The bottom line. It's wrong. Children don't need to be at drag shows," Bredefelds says.
The Fresno Police Department had extra resources on hand at the event.
Officials say they were there to preserve the peace and make sure everyone was abiding by the law.