This year’s Pony Cabaret will be hosted by Erin Scott’s character, Mister Sister, right, and Ms. Cookie, the alter-ego of UBCO’s Michael V. Smith.
What: Pony Cabaret, a variety show evening of entertainment
When: Saturday, March 7, doors open at 7 pm
Where: Revelry, 1383 Ellis St., Kelowna
Cost: $22.50 general admission, $35 balcony seating, $75 per seat table seating
Ten years of ponying around comes full circle for UBC Okanagan creative writing professor Michael V. Smith.
Smith is the brainchild behind Pony Cabaret, the annual evening of drag and musical entertainment that features queer culture and performances, including music, drag, storytelling and comedy.
The event features co-hosts Ms. Cookie and Erin Scott as the duo “Mister Sister”. Cookie is Smith’s alter-ego, and her role is to be the biggest freak in the room so everyone else can feel a little more normal.
Smith says he created Pony to have somewhere for queer performers and friends to make weird art, be political, speak out and speak up.
“Ten years later, I’m proud as anything for the amazing talent we’ve seen on the Pony stage. Cabaret is all about moving culture forward, resisting normalcy, and for me that also means demanding social justice,” Smith adds. “We can see it in our programming, and with our audience. We’re a loving people who want the world to be a lot more like Pony everywhere, every day.”
This year’s event will feature queer and allied performers, including the formidable post-noise-rock trio Down the Lees, Two-Spirit tease drag artist Rez Daddy, Ottawa singer-songwriter Glenn Nuotio, queer Nisga’a writer and sound artist Jordan Abel and San Francisco’s artist-activist performers Annie Sprinkle and Beth Stephens. DJ Daddy will be spinning dance tunes throughout the evening.
Pony Cabaret will be back on stage on Saturday, March 7, in a new venue at Revelry, in downtown Kelowna, explains Erin Scott, an artist, poet, performer and UBCO doctoral student. Scott has performed in Pony for the past 10 years and has been a co-host of the event for the last four.
“We’re incredibly excited to host this year’s event in a new venue right in the heart of downtown. It’s a vibrant community hub, purpose‑built for performances and creative events,” says Scott. “It offers the perfect atmosphere to bring people together and celebrate our queer community.”
Pony Cabaret is supported by UBCO’s Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, and is organized by the Inspired Word Café. The event is part of the annual New Leaves Festival, which welcomes artists from the Okanagan and across Canada for three days of high-calibre performance that explores the idea of art as a vehicle for sociopolitical resistance and community building.
The event is a fundraiser for the Inspired Word Café. There are three tiers of ticketing: $22.50 for general admission, $35 is balcony seating or $75 per seat for table seating, which includes a full meal. The show is designed for a 19-plus audience, with a bar and concession available before and during the show. The venue is fully accessible on both floors.
“I am so thrilled to be presenting Pony again, and I am proud of the 10 years of entertainment we have provided to our community,” says Smith. “Last year’s event sold out, so I’d recommend people get their tickets now.”
For more information about Pony Cabaret, or to purchase tickets, visit: www.inspiredwordcafe.com/events/2026/1/23/pony-cabaret
