Northfield is “Out In The Open” – With Mrs. Moxie

Twenty years ago, I visited Northfield, Minnesota for the first time. It was a town nestled between two universities with a mix of ideas. Perhaps a sea of tolerance in Rice County.

In the past few years, the LGBTQ+ community brought themselves out in the open. The Northfield Pride at The Park has been held at their Central Park – just east of the bustling Division Street. They will hold their fourth annual event on June 1.

However, Northfield is becoming a year-round center for LGBTQ+ life. One would look no further than its most visible personality around town.

Meet Mrs. Moxie – Greater Minnesota’s drag queen, radio host, and beacon for rural LGBTQ+ life.

Craig, AKA Mrs. Moxie, is originally from Fergus Falls. She came to Northfield with her husband, Ryan, AKA Mr. Moxie, in recent years. Since then, they have settled into a life that have been more than fulfilling, although, it started out differently. “I started off as a young kid, just playing in my mom’s clothes, and Grandma had a box of Halloween clothes,” explained Mrs. Moxie. “Every Halloween, it started off just dressing up and trying to impersonate Mrs. Doubtfire and all those things. That’s how I started into it, but I didn’t fully start doing drag consecutively until I think it was about two years before the pandemic.”

From there, Mrs. Moxie’s star began to rise. “Once the pandemic started, me and Mr. Moxie started doing online trivia nights and game nights hosting through Facebook, because prior to that, I did a few shows,” she further explained. “I did a few shows for the Northern Minnesota area, I guess you could say, and then it slowly turned into we moved to Northfield, and now I have been in Northfield for over three years and have been continuing to do it pretty consecutively.”

Mrs. Moxie’s drag was informed by pop culture trends of yesterday and today. She cited “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” as well “To Wong Foo” as inspirations towards a distinctive drag aesthetic that is both classic and rural – or, a mix of both. After all, Mrs. Moxie also describes herself as a “theater kid.”

A very resourceful “theater kid,” may we add. Mrs. Moxie sews “90 percent” of her wardrobe, as well as creating her own wigs.

Northfield became the epicenter for Mrs. Moxie’s drag. She began hosting Trivia Nights at Imminent Brewing to hosting drag brunches and other events at the Grand Event Center. Mrs. Moxie would also make appearances across the state, including Marshall during their Pride celebrations and at Bloomington Pride last year. All of this, while connecting with a troupe of drag performers out of her native Fergus Falls. Her latest performances now include such drag performers, such as Lexi D, Izzy Stunnin’, Mr. Haywood, and Stacy Hundin – all from Fergus Falls’ Catwalk Party.

You will most likely see Mrs. Moxie at Imminent Brewing in downtown Northfield, hosting game and trivia nights, as well as fundraisers for Northfield Pride. Laura Meyers, one of the owners at Imminent Brewing, sums it up best when she said, “there’s a certain strength to being able to stand up and say, ‘This is what we’re doing and we’re not going to just back down because a couple people got upset about it. And we’re, we’re going to stand up and be courageous.’ One of my favorite quotes right now is that there is no courage without vulnerability. So, let’s be clear. Everybody who’s participating in this, particularly those who are out in front, Mrs. Moxie, they’re taking a risk.”

Part of a community that taking risks are those who open their doors to the LGBTQ+ community in Northfield – not just Mrs. Moxie. Other businesses in Northfield have no qualms in flying our flags to welcome us inside. Farmstead Bicycles and Raven’s Nest Café on Division Street share a common building that provide a space for us. The Ole Store Restaurant, Grand Event Center, and Keepsake Cidery were also mentioned in this context.

In addition to her appearances in Northfield and beyond, Mrs. Moxie also hosts a radio show from the city’s The One/KYMN-FM called “Out In The Open With Mrs. Moxie” with her husband Ryan and the show’s producer Rich Larson. “We started that in September, and it actually came from just having coffee with my buddy Rich,” Mrs. Moxie explained. “We sat down, and I said, ‘You mentioned that you think it’d be cool if a drag queen had a radio show. Where do you want to go with this?’ It just came from there, and I didn’t know what it was going to be about.”

“All I knew is I wanted it to be kind of a podcast, talk show vibe, but also still educational, and also bringing awareness to music artists or allies in the music industry,” Mrs. Moxie further explained. “Because growing up in a conservative smaller town, hearing the same artists who don’t respect inclusivity or diversity, they’re very stuck in their ways. I love to see the representation in the music. Rich has helped me with that, in producing a show that gives people a new perspective through music as well.”

How has it been working with Mrs. Moxie? Larson said that she “has been fearless when it comes to that stuff. We’ve done shows on religion. We’ve done shows on sobriety. We just did a show about allyship. The very first show was basically Mox interviewing Mr. Moxie. We’ve talked about marriage and we talked about families, and we had a whole show on drag.”

“It’s been amazing, because what it is, it’s a solid issue-oriented talk show, and Mox is a great interviewer too,” continued Larson. “She’s fantastic. She really knows how to carry a conversation. I mean, she sat down, she’s doing hour-long interviews with people without breaking a sweat. It’s great. It’s fantastic. I am just happy to be sitting there pushing the buttons.”

With so much going on in her life, Mrs. Moxie is supported by a growing and loyal fanbase. People of all ages make up her fanbase. However, she gets her deepest support from her family. “I have grandparents that are big supporters,” explained Mrs. Moxie. “I have my mom, all of these people. Especially even, I will say, having a husband who is truly, truly invested into it now, and wants to even dabble into it and help besides doing IT work, has really been a driving force behind me to see the support and keeping the momentum of who I am and what I do.

You will see Mrs. Moxie, among many others, at Northfield Pride on June 1 at Central Park. Northfield Pride chairperson, the Reverend Cindy Maddox of the First United Church of Christ in Northfield, is proud to welcome down to the city of about 21,000. Our community has responded. “The first week we opened up applications for vendors and exhibitors,” said Rev. Maddox. “We had over 30 the first week. And every day I check and every day we have more. We’re over 40 now, and I think by the end of the time, we should easily break our record last year of 55.”

Not just vendors – just see who will be on stage inside the park. “We are upping our game as far as what’s going to be on the stage, so that we’re bringing more performers,” explained Rev. Maddox. “And of course, going to have Mrs. Moxie there to liven things up. And everybody loves when she brings the kids on stage, and they all have a big dance party up there. That’s one of the highlights of Northfield Pride.”

Away from Central Park, Rev. Maddox and the Northfield Pride committee are planning events closer and beyond June 1. “Patrick Scully is bringing his One-Man Show,” she announced. “We’re still confirming the date on that, but it will be within seven to 10 days of Pride in the Park. One of the churches is bringing in a trans activist and author to speak. Clean River Partners is sponsoring a special hike. It’s kind of a…scavenger hunt hike at the Arboretum, looking for different species and that sort of thing. We’re going to have a Pride Hike.”

As for the future, Rev. Maddox and the Northfield Pride committee are looking ahead. Such as sponsoring events year-round on a quarterly basis. “One of the things Northfield Pride is doing is we have community gatherings with community leaders and are in the process of developing support groups and that sort of thing with various groups,” Rev. Maddox said. “But all of those are in the planning and talking stage right now.”

As for Mrs. Moxie, she’s got a full schedule ahead for Pride month. On June 1, there’s Mrs Moxie’s Game Night at Imminent Brewing in Northfield starting at 7:00PM. She will also appear in Marshall MN on June 8th during their Pride weekend. On June 22nd, she will be hosting another A Very Moxie Brunch! at The Grand Event Center starting at 10:00 AM. If you miss that one, the next A Very Moxie Brunch! will be on October 19th at 10:00 AM at The Grand Event Center.

And coming this holiday season, her annual holiday show – A Very Moxie Christmas Carol! – will be at The Grand Event Center.

Let’s not forget that ever first Monday of every month, “Out In The Open With Mrs Moxie” is on the air at KYMN Radio at 8:00 PM, and on Streaming services Last Friday of every month

Northfield is just a 45 minute-to-an-hour drive from the Twin Cities, or just under an hour from Rochester. Make your plans to come out to this city of 21,000 and celebrate with Mrs. Moxie and the great folks of Northfield for Pride!  Or, listen in on “Out In The Open” on the radio or streaming app. Maybe check out Mrs. Moxie and her drag family perform across Minnesota during this Pride Season.

Northfield Pride at The Park
Saturday, June 1 – 12:00 PM-4:00 PM
Central Park, 421 4^th St. E, Northfield, MN
www.northfieldpride.com

Out In The Open with Mrs. Moxie
www.kymnradio.net/out-in-the-open/