By LGBTQ SD County News Staff
The second annual Hillcrest Honors awards celebration was held Monday, Feb. 5, at Uptown Tavern, with hundreds of community members braving the rain to attend the party that some are calling “the talk of the town.”
Co-founded by Benny Cartwright and Rick Cervantes, the Hillcrest Honors were created to uplift the people, organizations, businesses and events that make Hillcrest such a unique neighborhood.
In late 2022, Cervantes and Cartwright decided to select community members to spotlight on the popular @HillcrestSanDiego Instagram account, created by Cervantes. After receiving a good response to that, the pair decided to have a celebration to honor the various standouts they highlighted in categories like Fabulous Bartender, Fabulous Nightlife Event, Heart of Hillcrest, Hillcrest Icon, Fabulous Business, and more, using the name “Fabulous” in honor of the Hillcrest Business Association’s moniker for the neighborhood, “Fabulous Hillcrest.”
The first (2023) Hillcrest Honors, also held in February and at Uptown Tavern, was a success and many participants spoke about what a nice time it was celebrating with the community. After receiving such positive feedback, Cartwright and Cervantes decided to make this an annual tradition, and the second year’s event was so popular and well attended that they have already decided to move to a larger venue for next year and beyond.
The evening included remarks by Councilmember Stephen Whitburn, along with Honorary Mayor of Hillcrest Nicole Murray Ramirez. During Murray Ramirez’s presentation, he also announced the first ever “Honorary Hillcrest Government,” which includes a city council, sheriff, first lady, city manager, and more. Of course, all of these were for fun, but will bring together some of Hillcrest’s most active citizens to discuss community issues and how to make the neighborhood a better place.
Among Nicole’s list of new “honorary government members” are: Honorary Deputy Mayors Benny Cartwright and Moe Girton; Honorary City Council President Ryan Bedrosian; several Honorary City Councilmembers, including Eddie Reynoso, Rick Cervantes and Morgan M. Hurley; Honorary First Lady Paris Quion; Honorary Sheriff Brian Jining; and Honorary City Manager Benjamin Nicholls. Murray Ramirez presented each with a framed official certificate.
Following Murray Ramirez’s presentation, the Hillcrest Honors show began. The evening included stand out drag performances by host Kickxy Vixen Styles, Silas Vixen, Keex Rose, and Disco Dollie, and the presentation of the awards.
Nearly 140 community members, organizations, businesses, and events were honored across 29 categories – the full list can be viewed at hillcresthonors.com. All honorees not only received a special certificate from the Hillcrest Honors, but also commendations or recognitions from numerous elected officials, including congress members Scott Peters and Sara Jacobs, State Assemblymember Chris Ward, County Assessor Jordan Z. Marks, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, and City Councilmember Stephen Whitburn.
A team of 30 volunteers assisted Cartwright and Cervantes in producing the event in the days leading up to as well as the day of, with major support from the staff and management of Uptown Tavern. A special party was held last week at Number One Fifth Avenue to thank the volunteers for their role in making the event happen.
Cartwright and Cervantes are currently in the process of securing a larger venue in Hillcrest for next year’s event, tentatively scheduled for Monday, Feb. 3, 2025.
New for next year will be the creation of an “Academy” – a group of past honorees and volunteers who will vote for the next set of honorees. The Hillcrest Honors does not operate on a popular voting system.
A nomination period will open in November 2024, giving community members the opportunity to share about potential honorees. Following the nomination period, the “Academy” will be presented with the options for the year and make their selections. Honorees will be announced on the @HillcrestSanDiego Instagram page throughout December 2024.
Photo galleries from the second annual Hillcrest Honors event can be seen at hillcresthonors.com.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and hope you will also consider supporting our independent news organization. LGBTQ San Diego County News is one of California’s last LGBTQ print newspapers. But we are in danger of going out of print. During times of crisis, celebration, and mourning, crucial information about our community comes from local reporters and writers. LGBTQ San Diego County News needs your help and support in order to continue printing.
Please consider supporting LGBTQ+ San Diego County News. We are one of just five California based LGBTQ+ newspapers that are still in print. Donate. Subscribe. And if you have a business that’s able to, advertise with us. Your support is critical to sustaining the dedicated journalists serving our communities.
Our local LGBTQ+ newspaper helps keep us safer. We keep an eye on city hall, on corruption, and shady business practices. Together we can ensure our local news is covered for years to come.
-Eddie Reynoso, Publisher
