Galveston Island Beach Revue returns May 14-15 to celebrate seawall boulevard's vintage history.

Galveston Island, Texas, April 13, 2021 – Galveston’s vintage past meets present-day fun for the Thirteenth Annual Galveston Island Beach Revue. Presented by TGRE – tomsgalvestonrealestate.com and held at Beach Central, 2102 Seawall Blvd., this year’s revue will be held on Friday, May 14, Saturday, May 15. The annual revue showcases vintage-inspired fun, headlined by the Bathing Beauties contest, next to Galveston’s historic shoreline. Saturday’s events occur from noon to 7 p.m., and admission is $20 for a reserved pod for two or $40 for a reserved pod of four. Pods are available on a first-come, first-served basis and give access to the classic car show, food and vintage vendors, concessions, and more located throughout Beach Central. A limited number of standing-room-only tickets will be available the day of and in advance. Tickets and more information are available at www.beachrevue.com.

“Beach Revue is a fun way to welcome the summer and celebrate a historical event from a century ago. This one-of-a-kind event brings a colorful story to life along Galveston’s famous seawall,” explains Dwayne Jones, Galveston Historical Foundation’s Executive Director. “Join us this year in real-time to see these great beauties take a nod to the bathing beauty revues of the 1920s.”

Dubbed the “Pageant of Pulchritude” by C.E. Barfield, Galveston’s Bathing Beauties Contest began in the summer of 1920 and marked the kick-off for tourist season each year. By 1928, the event, which had morphed into the “bathing girl revue,” had become so popular, the Island’s population was said to have tripled during the event weekend. These Island pageants were the beginning of what we know today as the Miss Universe Pageant. The famed Galveston Bathing Beauties pageants ended in 1932 due in part to the Great Depression and were resurrected in 2009. The event’s location is footsteps away from its original location in the early 1920s.

Always a crowd favorite, the weekend’s main event is the Bathing Beauties Contest. Retro swimwear is chic, and vintage is king as contestants from across the country catwalk while modeling vintage and vintage-inspired swimwear and accessories that echo the “good ole days” of Galveston’s summertime history. Classic pinup styles, the likes that Esther Williams, Marilyn Monroe, and Bettie Page made famous, heat up the beaches as 30 contestants vie for cash prizes and top honors.

2021 HIGHLIGHTS

Revue Prevue Party at Beach Central
It’s a specially crafted night of great music, food and drink, and the first public introductions of the 2021 Bathing Beauties! Held at Beach Central, this special evening experience kicks off at 6:30 p.m. and is hosted by Dandy Wellington. Vintage attire is encouraged, as one lucky attendee will go home with a coveted Beach Revue winner’s sash for “Best Vintage Dressed.” Tickets are $30 per person, include admission to Saturday’s Beach Revue, and are available at www.beachrevue.com.

Bands & Bombshells Concerts
The 13th Annual Galveston Island Beach Revue isn’t just great competitors and vintage cars. It’s also a stage for vintage and vintage-inspired music. Among the musical acts returning for this year’s event is headliner, and longtime Beach Revue performer, Dandy Wellington.

Inspired by the Big Band Era of Jazz, Dandy Wellington, and his Band have taken the sounds of the 1930s and 40s and created a world of well-dressed music. With a passion for obscure songs steeped in the Jazz tradition, Dandy Wellington has assembled a catalog of music that invokes an atmosphere of class. From the golden age of cinema to the bounce of New Orleans, each song is hand-selected and played to perfection by a band cut from the cloth of elegance. This year marks the sixth year of Dandy’s participation at the Galveston Island Beach Revue. Learn more at www.dandywellington.com. 

Classic Auto Group Hot Rod & Classic Car Show
Hot rods, rat rods, vintage trailers, and more line up to take part in the Galveston Island Beach Hot Rod + Classic Car show on Saturday from 12 to 5 p.m. Car and trailer owners can register for $20 in advance and $25 the day of at www.beachrevue.com. Registration is limited to cars from 1975 or older.

Food & Vintage Vendors
Beach Revue 2021 expands this year with food trucks, novelty options, and the return of our vintage vendor area. Featuring can’t-miss vintage and vintage-inspired items, this specially curated vendor market will be available for shopping from noon – 7 p.m. (or until the end of the Bathing Beauties Contest) on Saturday, May 15.

About Galveston Historical Foundation
GHF was formed as the Galveston Historical Society in 1871 and merged with a new organization formed in 1954 as a non-profit entity devoted to historic preservation and history in Galveston County. Over the last sixty years, GHF has expanded its mission to encompass community redevelopment, historic preservation advocacy, maritime preservation, coastal resiliency, and stewardship of historic properties. GHF embraces a broader vision of history and architecture that encompasses advancements in environmental and natural sciences and their intersection with historic buildings and coastal life and conceives of history as an engaging story of individual lives and experiences on Galveston Island from the 19th century to the present day.

For more information on the Thirteenth Annual Galveston Island Beach Revue presented by TGRE, please contact Will Wright, Chief Creative Officer, at 409-765-3424, [email protected] or visit www.beachrevue.com.