Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse Salazar.
Hi Jesse, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
KT Events has been part of Houston’s kink, fetish, and performance scene for over 12 years. We originally started as Kinky Tuesdays at Numbers, just a weekly hangout where people could connect, relax, and explore in a fun, open, and safe environment. It was a place for newcomers to meet the community, learn, and if they felt comfortable try something for themselves.
A few years in, things began to evolve. My former partner was taking aerial classes at a local studio, and I was heavily involved in the flow arts community and supported by a growing circle of vendors. That’s when we started dreaming bigger, mixing kink, aerial, performance art, costumes, and a little bit of Cirque du Soleil flair.
That idea eventually became Kinky Circus
We started hosting monthly themed events that blended kink, circus arts, handmade décor, and expressive costuming. Themes like Follow the White Rabbit, Freakshow, Movie Mattinee and Pride turned into full-on nights where the community could show off, explore, and enjoy performers of all levels.
Before COVID, we had actually become one of the most successful mid-week events in the city, so much so that local newspapers highlighted us for keeping Houston’s nightlife alive and thriving.
After COVID, the landscape changed. Our big Kinky Circus events still drew amazing crowds, but weekly nights slowed down, especially as more groups began offering similar experiences. It felt like the right time to evolve and rebrand.
With a new venue came another shift, leaning more into burlesque and building something fresh with our current group, KT Events with Three of Swords Burlesque. And now, we’re preparing to refresh everything again with a mix of unique, sexy, gothic, witchy, alternative, and burlesque vibes.
Through all the changes, our core has stayed the same:
Community first. Creativity always. And just the right amount of beautiful chaos.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Despite leaving Numbers after 10 years both the weekly event and my longtime bouncer job—we’ve stayed positive and kept moving forward. Some lessons along the way were hard, and others remain highlights of this journey. But growth has always been our goal not just within the kink community, but also as artists and performers.
Over the past two years, we’ve grown by staying engaged and saying “yes” to opportunities that bring people together. We’ve done it all: shows at local bars, classes at the old Erotic Cabaret (now Haus of Electric Love in the Heights), and even shibari in a metal music video for Oceans of Slumber’s Where God Created to Speak. We’ve been invited to Rice University for a Kink Basics class during Valentine’s Weekend, ran a full weekend dungeon at the adult anime convention TsumiCon, and the House of Blues for a kink event at the Foundation Room. Now, we’re expanding to collaborate with Kinky Circus and KT Events in San Antonio and Austin.
And the best part? We’re just getting started.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’ve always been an artist, a desire nurtured by my mom from a young age. I started with drawing and experimenting with creative projects, and as my journey in kink evolved years later after hanging out at the club, so did my artistic pursuits. I began exploring leatherwork, macramé, shibari, jewelry-making, furniture design, and upholstery skills that later became invaluable for creating costumes, stage props, and set designs for Kinky Circus.
Performing has also been a part of my life for a long time. I danced for three years in high school and even performed a few times at The Miller Outdoor Theatre with my dance group from Scarborough High.
For me, art and performance are deeply intertwined. Every event I create starts with the thought: What kind of show would I want to see? That drive is what fuels KT Events, Kinky Circus, and Three of Swords Burlesque. Through these projects, I aim to engage not only the kink and fetish communities but also my local community, creating experiences that are inclusive, creative, and unforgettable.
One of my proudest moments has been when people would attend Kinky Circus or KT Events and compliment the experience—completely unaware that we were the ones who created and put everything together. Knowing that our work could surprise and delight people in that way has always been incredibly rewarding.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love that Houston can be a melting pot of so many cultures and subcultures. During my 15 years working at Numbers, I witnessed this constantly.
I think the hardest thing about Houston is how isolated people can be when it comes to events and communities. People often get too comfortable and hesitate to venture out and explore more. Nowadays, everything seems to rely on reviews or someone else’s experience before people feel willing to try it themselves.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kteventshtx?igsh=cmhtN3Q5YmEycWZ0
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1ADMPKRg9o/
- Other: https://allmylinks.com/kteventshtx
Image Credits
All pictures are from MariaB Pics on Instagram and given permission to be used or published.
