By The Daily Caller (U.S.) | Created at 2026-09-26 18:31:25 | Updated at 2026-09-26 19:05:14
1 hour ago
A local community arts network in New York featured drag performers stripping down to thongs in front of infants and children at its annual festival, according to exclusive photos and videos obtained by the Daily Caller.
The Community Arts Network of Oneonta (CANO)’s annual City of the Hills Festival received sponsorship from the City of Oneonta and the New York State Council on the Arts, according to a City of the Hills Facebook post.
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The hour-long public drag performance, which took place on Sept. 19, was promoted on the City of the Hills Festival’s Facebook page and held in Muller Plaza, a public area in downtown Oneonta. (RELATED: INGERSOLL: NBC Gives An Absolute Clinic For How Media Hides Sexual Grooming Of Minors)
Videos and photos obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller show drag performers participating in the “Draglesque to Downtown” event, with toddlers and young children seated just feet from the performers.
Two videos feature a performer who identifies as Teejae Dee on Facebook stripping and performing in close proximity to children in the audience.
During the performance, Dee stripped down to a thong-style costume, performed floorwork and acrobatic moves in front of the crowd, climbed across picnic tables, engaged in suggestive movements and accepted money from audience members.
Dee also promoted the performance on his Facebook page, writing, “ONEONTA CITY OF HILLS FESTIVAL. Perfect fall kick off coming through! Sickening Showcase w a stunningly studded cast! Festival is ALL day! SHOWS at 4pm.”
Other performers included individuals identified on Facebook as Lilly Bola, Starling Silver, Natalie Taylor and Joel Gonzalez, who were tagged in Facebook posts containing photos from the festival performance reviewed by the Caller.
Photos from the event show five performers posing in drag on and around the plaza’s Gallodoro Memorial Stage, while videos obtained by the Caller show multiple performers stripping and dancing as children watched nearby.
Advertisements posted on both CANO’s and the City of the Hills Festival’s Facebook pages did not indicate that stripteases would be part of the performance, nor did they include any images suggesting that performers would be scantily clad.
When asked by the Daily Caller about the performance and the presence of children, CANO responded, “Community Arts Network of Oneonta’s City of the Hills Festival is a long-standing event promoting arts and culture that welcomed over 6000 attendees this year. The City of Oneonta and the Community Arts Network of Oneonta have been nationally recognized as an arts vibrant community and the event is a large economic driver for the city and greater Oneonta area.”(RELATED: Democrats Put On Masterclass In Missing The Point During Child Sex Change Hearing)
“The festival schedule is well publicized so attendees are well informed about the performances and activities and we take all precautions to ensure the safety of participants. This year’s event was a wonderful success that was well attended and we are excited to bring it back to the community again next year! “
The Caller followed up by asking whether CANO considered the “Draglesque to Downtown” performance appropriate for children to attend.
CANO did not respond to the follow-up before publication.
The New York State Council on the Arts confirmed to the Daily Caller that it awarded CANO a nearly $50,000 grant for administrative costs.
“The New York State Council on the Arts supported the Community Arts Network of Oneonta with an FY 2026 Support for Organizations grant for $49,500. This funding went for administrative costs for the organization,” a Council on the Arts spokesperson told the Caller.
Kayla Ver, who was present at the festival, blasted the decision to hold the performance in front of children, writing to the Caller, “When did teaching small children it is good and normal for strange men to take clothes off near them become acceptable? When did parents and adults applauding vulgarity, revealing outfits, and taking one’s clothes off for money teaching kids it is a good thing to do become celebrated? When did the fear of offending an adult acting out fetishes around children become more important than protecting little children?” (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Talarico Finds His Base — Drag Show Attendees, Mexico Fans And Purged Voters)
The Caller reached out to the City of Oneonta and Otsego County’s administrator seeking information about their involvement in or sponsorship of the festival, including whether taxpayer dollars or government grant funds were used to support the event. Neither responded to the Caller’s request for comment before publication.
The Caller also contacted Cooperstown All-Star Village and Oneonta Ford for comment about their involvement with or sponsorship of the festival. Neither responded to requests for comment before publication.
