February in Rapid City tends to run cold, but this weekend Aby’s will be leaning into something warmer.

On February 21, The Love Shack takes over 406 5th Street for a drag show that blends comedy, glamour, and emotional honesty, with a portion of the $20 cover benefiting the American Heart Association. The theme may shift from show to show, but the intention stays consistent: meet the moment.

“We usually theme to what’s going on around us,” says Miss Dixy Divine. “Current times, holidays, pop culture events. In March we’re doing an ode to Catherine O’Hara.” The Love Shack’s theme this month came from Miss Cherry, but that responsiveness to culture is part of what keeps these shows feeling current rather than routine.

When curating a lineup, Dixy looks for range. “We may be drag queens, kings, and burlesque performers, but we all bring something different. From comedy, to glamour, to sex appeal.” That variety is intentional. Drag, at its best, holds multiple tones at once.

Comedy is central to Dixy’s own performance style. “I try — and I emphasize try — to be funny,” she says, though glamour has its place as well. “Who doesn’t want those moments?” Beneath the humor and polish is something more personal. “Intimacy is part of a lot of drag. Not in a sexual way. We are allowing people to view into our lives through what we are doing. We lay a lot out there when we perform. Sometimes we are putting our full emotions out there.”

It is easy to see a drag show as spectacle, but there is infrastructure behind it that audiences rarely notice. Booking performers. Coordinating music. Compiling shared drives. Rhinestoning outfits. Decorating the venue when the theme calls for it. The shimmer on stage is built on hours of careful work.

Rapid City’s drag scene continues to grow, though Dixy sees the most meaningful change within the performers themselves. “We strive to push each other to be better at our craft.” What remains essential is protecting safe space. “I want to make sure everyone there feels safe to not only come, but to be themselves. It may only be for a night, but that matters.”

By the end of the evening, the hope is simple: “Love. Pure love.”

For anyone who has never attended a local drag show, her advice is direct. “Just come let loose and have some fun. Don’t take us so serious, because we don’t. If you let your guard down, you may just find yourself having a great time.”

Bring friends. Make friends. Leave with an open mind and a full heart.

The Love Shack begins February 21 at Aby’s. Tickets are available at the door, and a portion of proceeds supports the American Heart Association.