By: Jared Gudnason

August 31, 2025

The front of the V.F.W. stands opposite Muddy Waters, which is a former restaurant and not the storied Delta Blues musician. The namesake of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 246 died in action during World War I. He was Army veteran Lieutenant James Ballentine of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The northeast exterior wall features a painting of a winded, waving American flag. As present, the painting feels arguably misplaced. The southwest exterior wall is adorned with murals, including a giant ant that would not be out of place in the Disney cult classic Tron.

The venue is located on Lyndale Avenue. As you walk to the front door, personal identification is digitized to ensure patrons are of legal age to consume alcohol. After passing through the door, if no performance is occurring in the room behind the American-flagged wall, turn left to reach the first of three interior bars. The second bar is found to the right, through a 15-foot hallway, and is where the night’s game of Bingo is about to begin.

The emcee, wearing heavy makeup, is dressed in classic Midwestern drag queen attire. She mentions her Indiana origins later in the evening. Drinks and unhealthy bar fare are ordered, and the night’s events begin approximately 15 minutes after the advertised time.

“Want to see the wedding playlist?” my friend and former Metro State library co-worker asks about an hour and a half into Bingo.

“Yeah.”

Some classic bangers emanate from his phone. Madonna is one of them. Bingo, as far as our luck is concerned, could be going better. The Bingo cards themselves are five-by-five inches and made of cardboard. Miniature transparent red slides cover the numbers that have already been called.

One of our party members, also employed by Metro State as a reference librarian, wins the first round. The prize is a pom-pommed Minnesota Vikings winter beanie.

The V.F.W. kitchen is operated by El Jefe. We order nachos, potato skins with cheese, bacon, and sour cream, along with some fried pickles. We are seated against the very back interior wall, five of us altogether. To our left sits a married couple. The gentleman is clearly a veteran, around 60 years old, and his similarly aged wife sits beside him.

One thing to note: the emcee’s language is not suitable for a G- or PG-rated audience. Innuendos, suggestive tones, and cheeky commentary flow freely throughout the gameplay. Various beverages are consumed by our group. The linguistic flair may not be something all crowds are accustomed to.

Behind the Bingo roll cage, the emcee operates manually. It’s a utilitarian touch. Donations from the evening’s players are welcome to help provide school supplies for Twin Cities public schools for the upcoming academic year.

All this to say, community feels far more valuable during drag queen Bingo night at a veterans’ public house.

The elder couple hails from Yuma, Arizona. Then the gentleman cracks a joke, arguing that the city name is slang for “Yuma-therf***er!”