In 1996, the annual drag festival Wigstock held in Tompkins Square Park in New York City's East Village, was cancelled, most likely due to opposition by Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and his administration. On September 1, 1996, in the aftermath of the Wigstock cancellation, a spontaneous meet-up of New York's drag communities and supporters sprung up in Tompkins Square. The gathering was dubbed Dragapalooza.