How Project PURE brought ballroom culture to San Marcos

By Brooke Bousley

Blog Content Contributor 

San Marcos, a town where nightlife is typically defined by the stereotypical college bar or club experience, was recently home to a rare and transformative sanctuary for unabashed fervor. The local creatives and youth gathered for an event directly involving ballroom culture, hosted by a student-run creative publication for Project PURE: The Ball. The only requirement? Authenticity.

The event itself featured four vibrant categories known as Vogue, Face, Runway, and Body. While Project PURE traditionally centered around more editorial-based projects, this ball offered the opportunity for raw self-expression concerning participants both inside and outside of the publication.

For Kristina Barron, who previously modeled for Project PURE’s spring 2026 “Eat the Rich” campaign, the ball allowed for a more distinct shift from previous creative endeavors.

“Compared to my experiences with PURE, it was more, like, editorial stuff, creating a story, especially with the theme last time…it was, kind of, in a way, very political,” Barron said.

“With the Vogue event, it was more like letting loose and expressing ourselves through us instead of just portraying a whole other thing. It was all truly what was coming from us, and not really what we were told to do.”

To honor what the theme of the event represented, Barron drew inspiration from the 1970s through the 1990s in terms of pop culture and disco-related references.

She adorned what could be a more modernized spin on her look with rhinestones below her waterline, knee-high black heeled boots and all-black attire intended to emulate a fierce sincerity.

Furthermore, this event provided a rare outlet in a small Central Texas town that directly centers around eccentric fashion and unapologetic queer expression.

“As a community, especially a young community, [we] need to really have something in San Marcos [where] we feel like we have a voice, especially when it comes to the queer community, and I feel like we don’t see a lot of that in San Marcos,” Barron said.

“Even though we, like, know about ballroom through Paris Is Burning or a show like Pose, I just feel like we just don’t see a lot of it [anymore] …We should bring back the ballroom stuff because I feel like it’s just a way for us to have fun again.”

Historically rooted in Black and Latino LGBTQ+ communities, ballroom culture has long served as a safe space for those seeking refuge from hostile environments and the future formation of chosen families. Honoring that complex legacy was of utmost significance to the organizers of the event.

Calvin Collins, the director of operations for Project PURE, said the event stood firm in these roots through the creation of a judgment-free zone geared toward self-expression.

“I feel like we honored its history by simply being true to ourselves and offering a place for others to do the same,” Collins said.

“The very reason for the birth of ballroom culture was to create a space where people could express themselves freely and without judgment, and I feel like we succeeded in creating that same kind of space here in Central Texas.”

Among the night’s competitive categories, Collins said that the Body category seemingly and profoundly resonated with the crowd.

“I could tell that people really enjoyed being able to be expressive and celebrated for their bodies, whatever shape they come in,” Collins said. “It was also the most fun category to watch!”

For Collins, coordinating a ball in San Marcos was acutely personal. Due to growing up with limitations surrounding in-person queer representation, he heavily relied upon social media and often felt an overarching disconnect from the community.

He said supplying the local youth with a tangible and heartfelt opportunity made the efforts that led up to that point worthwhile.

In terms of what is next on the horizon, Project PURE has no plans to halt its momentum. The organization is rehearsing for the next major milestone– a fashion show scheduled for Oct. 17, in which organizers yearn to continue the construction of spaces tailored towards performance, creativity and fashion itself.

“If we were able to make even one young person feel a little more comfortable in their own skin, then I feel like we did our job by hosting this event,” Collins said.

For any additional information or updates about the upcoming Project PURE events and application deadlines, readers can follow their Instagram.