Best gay bars in san antonio
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Play some pool, hang with friends, and have your choice from their top-notch bar selection.
Sparks Club via GayCities
Sparks Club
8011 Webbles Dr, San Antonio, TX 78218
A gem of a bar not on the main Gay Strip, this Uptown spot has daily drink specials and themed nights for everyone with leather, kinks, and cowboys, oh my.
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From parades, concerts, delicious food, and block parties, the Battle of Flowers and Fiesta Flambeau parades are among the biggest events held during the festivities.
When: April
Bud Light Pride River Parade and Celebration
Kicking off San Antonio Pride Week in 2022, Visit San Antonio put on the city’s first Pride parade and festival on the famous River Walk.
Held to promote the city’s inclusion and support of the LGBTQ+ community, the all-day celebration kicked off at the La Villita’s outdoor performance theatre with live on-stage entertainment from DJs, dancers, and the city’s best drag queens.
You can see remnants of the brewery throughout the establishment, which also has a bar, club room, restaurant, an outdoor pool, and a gorgeous two-story library filled with 3,700 books.
The Pearl is part of the north end of the Museum Reach district of the River Walk. Feel the generations of 210 queer love at OG spots like Bonham Exchange and Pegasus, or meet new queer space friends at places like Ay Que Chula.
There’s a little something for everyone!
Get to know some of the local businesses in San Antonio's newest district–the Pride Cultural Heritage District!
Bonham Exchange
Bonham Exchange
411 Bonham, San Antonio, TX 78205
A historic building turned dance club, the Bonham is home to 25K sq ft of DJs, drag shows, and plenty of dancing on 3 levels plus a huge patio.
When it gets busy, a second bar opens in the backroom.
As an international LGBTQ+ film festival, it has brought awareness to the greater San Antonio region by showcasing film pieces created for, by, or about the LGBTQ+ community.
When: October (dates are subject to change annually)
Fiesta San Antonio
The city’s signature event since 1891, Fiesta started as a single parade event to honor the memory of the Battle of the Alamo.
In the warmer months, sip on a couple icy drinks out on their patio and enjoy the good life.
Heat Nightclub Official
Heat
1500 N Main Ave, San Antonio, TX 78212
Themed nights, daily drink specials, VIP service, and more at one of San Antonio's top nightclubs! It’s now an 11-day celebration that also commemorates San Antonio’s diverse cultures and heritage with over 100 events.
The oldest LGBTQ+ nightclub, it’s one of San Antonio’s hot spots for the community and its allies.
An 18 and up club, you’ll find all kinds of revelers here among the 10-bar-complex. Check out these Alamo City Queer Bars & Clubs!
Across the city, the queer community has historically utilized bars and event spaces as life-saving sanctuaries for self-expression.
Sparks Club
Sparky’s Pub
Businesses
Sir Rat Leather
Sir Rat Leather & Gear is right on the Strip on Main, with additional locations in Austin and Dallas. Drag queen performances emerged all over the US because of prohibition, and this surge was known as the “pansy craze.” The UTSA Libraries also noted that while the “craze” only lasted into the early 1940s for most cities, San Antonio remained captivated with drag queens and the performance scene survived — even after the war.
The following decade saw drag queens added to the iconic event lineup — more about that later.
There’s a main bar, karaoke area, an outdoor patio (where they hold drag shows), and a music video room.
Address: 1402 N Main Avenue
Knockout
The gym sports bar trend hit San Antonio a few years ago, and Knockout opened in 2016 in The Strip’s main area.
Knockout
Let’s Be Honest
Let’s Be Honest hosts drag shows throughout the week, events held by community organizations and shows major sporting events.
Hit us up!
Did we miss your fave queer spot?Let us know!
Though many of San Antonio’s gay bars are on the Main Strip, now a designated Pride Cultural Heritage District, the city’s vibrant queer community has options far behind the confines of its rainbow crosswalks.
And we’re not just limiting it to bars, either.
Home to two drag brunch shows every Sunday, drag burlesque, and male revue performances, Paramour is also the base of Kristi Waters, named the Best Drag Queen in San Antonio by San Antonio Current in 2020.
Address: 102 9th Street, Floor 4
Pegasus
Open seven days a week year-round from 2:00 PM to 2:00 AM, Pegasus is the oldest LGBTQ+ bar in The Strip.
Within the multiple spaces, you’ll expect DJs spinning hits, remixes, and dance classics, and a laid-back patio in the backyard with food and games. There’s a Pride night at the zoo, LGBTQ+ sports events, and other celebrations that lead up to the Pride “Bigger Than” Texas Parade and Festival.
The all-day festival takes place in Crockett Park, just south of The Strip, and a high-heel race is held just before the nighttime parade kicks off at 9:00 PM.
The parade then marches down a mile route along Main Ave, and there’s a block party hosted by The Strip with drag performances and music until 4:00 AM.
When: June
Check out Matador’s LGBTQ+ travel guides to North America
Planning your next night out?
Sparky’s hosts a trivia night on Tuesdays, and there’s also a wine bar and cafe here for light snacks.
Address: 1416 N Main Avenue
Heat Nightclub
The Strip’s main LGBTQ+ nightclub for the past 21 years, Heat is open Friday to Sunday to everyone 18 and up. Follow their events on Facebook and Instagram.
Picks Bar
Purgatory
SA Country Saloon
SA Country Saloon, located in Beacon Hill, is a neighborhood favorite.
SA Country posts their events on Facebook.