Barbette’s Legacy Foundation

10/08/2026

☎️ RING RING! IT’S SHOWTIME, MIS AMORES! 🎪💋

🎟️ TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE! The circus is coming to Austin! Our fabulous ringmaster, Cynthia Lee Fontaine, has a special announcement: tickets are officially on sale for the 5th Annual Barbette Bash: Cirque du Barbette! 🎭🌈

Join us for a spectacular evening featuring 10 performances, a night full of art, entertainment and celebration honoring Barbette, the legendary Texas icon who took the world by storm nearly a century ago.

📅 Saturday, December 12, 2026
📍 The Rosette | Austin, TX
⏰ 7–8:30 PM | Doors open at 6:30 PM

🎟️ TICKETS START AT JUST $25!

🌟 Go VIP! Enjoy exclusive seating in the first two rows, a special pre-show meet-and-greet with Cynthia Lee Fontaine, a professional photo with our ringmaster and a signed commemorative event poster!

Every ticket supports the Barbette’s Legacy scholarship program, helping the next generation of artists and performers pursue their dreams.

🎪 Don’t miss this one-night-only celebration of Texas history, artistry and spectacular entertainment!

🎟️ GET YOUR TICKETS NOW:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/barbette-bash-cirque-du-barbette

10/06/2026

✨🎬 Barbette + Fontaine is headed to Dallas!

We’re proud to share that the award-winning documentary with icon Cynthia Lee Fontaine will be the featured guest opening film for the Big Texas Little Film Tour stop at the The Round-Up Saloon this Sunday. The film celebrates Barbette’s extraordinary journey from Round Rock to Paris and beyond, and the legacy she continues to inspire today.

Director and Dallas native John-Carlos Estrada will also join the filmmaker Q&A following the screening.

📅 Sunday, October 11
📍 Round-Up Saloon, Dallas
🎬 Short film program begins at 3 PM

Tickets + details: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/big-texas-little-film-tour-the-round-up-saloon-tickets-2002597550181

09/18/2026

📖✨ I finished the book! After four years of research, travel, interviews, and writing, I’ve officially turned in the manuscript for Searching for Barbette to University of Texas Press.

This journey has taken me from Central Texas to New York City and on three research trips to Paris, following the remarkable life of Vander Clyde Broadway, better known to the world as Barbette, one of the most celebrated performers of the early 20th century.

What started as a local news story grew into a documentary and ultimately a book. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who trusted me with their stories, opened archives, shared research, and helped bring Barbette’s story back to life.

There’s still work ahead before it reaches bookshelves, but this is a milestone I’m very happy to celebrate.

Searching for Barbette is on track for publication in 2027. 📚✨

08/29/2026

BARBETTE AT THE STATE FAIR OF TEXAS! 🎡💙

How fun is this?! Our Barbette’s Legacy Foundation logo made it all the way to the State Fair of Texas and took home a FIRST PLACE blue ribbon! 🥇

Our friend Tiffany Blankenship created this beautiful counted cross-stitch using our foundation logo, originally designed by our talented friend Lisa.

Thank you, Tiffany, for celebrating Barbette and his Texas legacy through your art. Congratulations on the well-deserved first place! We love seeing Barbette represented at one of Texas’ biggest traditions. 💙



We Love Barbette Cynthia Lee Fontaine State Fair of Texas

08/29/2026

We recently gathered for our Barbette Scholar Pool Party to celebrate this year’s scholarship recipients and officially hand scholarship checks to Sio Fitzgerald and Christian Fendt! Our returning scholar, Gabriella Heath, was already back on campus, but we were so glad their parents could join us and represent them.

A special thank you to Chris, Barbette’s great-niece, and her wife, Gina, for opening their home and hosting our scholars, their families, and members of the Barbette’s Legacy community. It was especially meaningful to have our scholars spend time with Barbette’s family and learn more about the legacy behind their scholarships.

And thank you to everyone who donated this year. Your support makes these scholarships possible and helps us continue Barbette’s legacy by supporting the next generation of artists.

Next up: Barbette Bash: Cirque du Barbette on Saturday, December 12 at The Rosette in Austin! Ticket sales begin next month, and we’ll have more details to share soon. 🎪✨

📸: Zachary Dyck

07/26/2026

What a fun afternoon. ☀️🏊💕

Today we welcomed our 2026 Barbette Scholars, their families, Barbette’s family, and friends of the foundation for our annual Scholar Dinner & Pool Party.

It’s one of our favorite traditions because it’s not just about presenting scholarships… it’s about bringing people together. Our scholars had the chance to get to know one another, hear stories about Barbette, flip through rare books and photos from his career, and spend the afternoon with the community helping preserve his legacy.

A huge thank you to Chris and Gina for once again opening your beautiful home and making everyone feel so welcome.

We can’t wait to share our group photo from today’s scholarship presentation. In the meantime, here are a few candid moments from a wonderful afternoon. ❤️

And save the date! Join us on Saturday, December 12, for Barbette Bash: Cirque du Barbette, our annual fundraiser celebrating Barbette’s incredible legacy and supporting the next generation of Texas artists. Ticket information will be announced soon. 🎪✨

07/08/2026

💕✨

06/29/2026

Thank you for the spotlight K*T Austin! We’ll see you at the Barbette Bash: Cirque du Barbette on Saturday, December 12th at the Rosette in Austin. Details coming soon. ✨💕

Barbette was a world-famous drag performer and aerial circus artist in the 1920s. She was the toast of Paris, friends with fashion icon Coco Chanel and French poet Jean Cocteau’s lover. But she was virtually unknown in Texas.

On June 4, more than 50 years after her death, she received recognition from the state: a plaque placed by her grave in Round Rock. https://www.kut.org/life-arts/2026-06-29/barbette-historical-marker-round-rock-tx-drag-aerial-artist-vander-clyde-broadway

06/27/2026

What an incredible honor to see Barbette’s story continue to reach new audiences.

A few weeks ago, the Williamson Museum invited Barbette’s Legacy Foundation President John-Carlos Estrada to share the four-year journey of researching and rediscovering Round Rock native Barbette during its Salon speaker series. Thank you to Linda Dwyer and the Williamson County Sun for this wonderful feature on that evening.

It’s especially meaningful because this journey began with a visit to a Williamson Museum exhibit. Since then, Barbette’s legacy has grown into an award-winning documentary, a forthcoming biography with University of Texas Press, a Texas Historical Marker, the Barbette’s Legacy Foundation, and scholarships supporting the next generation of Central Texas artists.

This story continues to remind us that history is never truly lost—it simply waits for someone to rediscover it.

Thank you to everyone who has helped preserve and celebrate Barbette’s remarkable legacy. Together, we’re ensuring this extraordinary Texas story will inspire generations to come. 💕

The Williamson Museum ✨ Williamson County, Texas - Government ✨ The Williamson County Sun

06/20/2026

Thank you, Round Rock Pride, for your partnership and support! 💕✨

We were honored to announce our 2026 Barbette Scholars and celebrate three incredible young artists carrying forward the spirit of creativity, courage, and authenticity that Barbette embodied.

Congratulations to Christian Fendt, Sio Fitzgerald, and returning scholar Gabriella Heath. We’re proud to support your artistic journeys and can’t wait to see what comes next.