Gay des moines
Bars and Nightlife
Gay Bars and Clubs
Blazing Saddle (416 East 5th Ave), If you’re looking for a amiable LGBTQ+ bar in Des Moines, then you’ve launch it! The Saddle is open 365 days a year featuring daily Content Hour, Trivia Night every Tuesday, and monthly nonprofit events for non-profits. Additionally, Latin “Nites” and various types of Drag Shows every Wednesday through Sunday. See the Blazing Saddle Calendar of Events.
Buddy's Corral (418 East 5th St) is a mixed, relaxed neighborhood bar with jukebox, karaoke, located next to Blazing Saddle.
The Garden Restaurant & Show Lounge (525 E Grand Ave) is an LGBT+ owned and operated business that is home to a host of amazing talent with an outstanding legacy. The Garden offers a extensive variety of entertainment and a full kitchen menu.
The Locust Tap (434 E Locust) embodies the designation "dive bar" nearly perfectly. Between the years of graffiti on the walls, original tile floor (amongst other things) dating support 60+ years, cheap drinks, and no-frills atmosphere, what you see is what you get. It attracts an incredibly wide variety of clientele. It's tru
Gay Des Moines Manual 2025
Des Moines is one of the fastest growing cities in the Midwest. There are plenty of trails around the city to explore. You'll discover plenty of bars, restaurants and the gay scene in the East Village.
Des Moines was initially established as a fort. The town is located right by the Des Moines River, and it's in the "Corn Belt."
Gay Bars in De Moines
The Blazing Saddle
The Blazing Saddle is the longest running lgbtq+ bar in De Moines. It's been hailed as the gay “Cheers”. “Never a Cover and Always a Double” is the bar's motto. Bob “Mongo” Eikleberry opened the Saddle in October of 1983. It's a key part of the Historic East Village in Des Moines.
Weekday: Mon-Fri: 2pm-1:30am
Weekend: Sat-Sun: 2pm-1:30am
Last updated on: 8 Aug 2023
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Last updated on: 8-Aug-2023
Gay Clubs in De Moines
The Garden Nightclub
The Garden Nightclub moved to a modern location in Des Moines East Village. The garden is a good place to mingle. It won three accolades in the 2021 Best of Des Moines awards:
-Best Local Nightclub
-Best Place to Host a Bachelorette Party
-Best Drag King: Jack Frost
The history of Iowa’s oldest lgbtq+ bar has been made into a documentary. Here's how to watch
On a typical Friday night at the Blazing Saddle in Des Moines’ East Village, tightly packed bodies crowd around the bar’s main stage, hands poking out from the throng to propose cash tips to performersdressed in performative. It’s the Saddle Gurls & Friends show, and once the artists grab their final bend (or more commonly, dip into their most impressive split), the spotlights trim and the harmony bumps. Bargoers shift the stage into a technicolor gyrate floor, strong drinks in hand, staying true to the bar's motto: "Always a double, never a cover."
The Blazing Saddle is Iowa's oldest operating queer bar. It just celebrated its 40th anniversary. Opened in 1983 by Bob “Mongo” Eikleberry, it’s been referred to as the “Gay Cheers” and has seen Iowa — and the nation — through decades of change for the LGBTQ population: from the start — and conclusion — of Don't Ask, Don't Relate, to the outbreak of the AIDs epidemic, to the legalization of male lover marriage and the more recent passing and signing of anti-LGBTQ laws in the state.
That history will soon be shared in the form of a six-episode execute
Gay Des Moines: See All that The Capital City has to Offer
Des Moines, sometimes known as “The Capital City”, is a midwestern city full of diverse and thriving communities, warm and friendly people, and plenty to see and do.
Digging into Des Moines History
Des Moines traces its modern-day history back to May of 1843, when Captain James Allen supervised construction of a fort at the place where the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers merge. The fort was initially constructed for the purpose of dealing with unrest caused by Native American populations who had been displaced from their land, but stopped being used for that purpose after the first few years. Eventually, settlers occupied the nearby fort and surrounding areas, and by 1851, Des Moines was officially incorporated as a city. While development was initially slow, after completion of a railroad line to the area, it rapidly picked up pace. The city’s progress has continued since that moment, and Des Moines is now Iowa’s largest city – a thriving hub of midwestern industry and culture, with a passionate and welcoming personality.
Some Fun Proof About Des Moines
- The city was originally called “Fort R