The 17th Street High Heel Race in October 1997 – Photo: Randy Shulman/Metro Weekly
Here’s what’s happening at D.C.’s LGBTQ bars from Saturday, Oct. 17 through Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026 — including DJs, drag, happy hours, and the onset of the year’s Halloween parties.
Listings are provided by participating venues and are subject to change. Metro Weekly makes every effort to ensure accuracy but is not responsible for errors or schedule changes. Check with venues for the latest details.
A League of Her Own
Local DJs and dancing • 21+ • No Cover
Bunker
Bunker Presents: Ponyboy, 10pm-3:30am • Tech House with DJ Ponyboy • $6 drinks, 10-11pm • 21+ • $20 Cover starting at 11pm
Crush Dance Bar
Open 2pm-3am • DJs Alex Love & b_x_r_n_x_r_d, 10pm • $3 vodka, 10-11pm • 21+ • No Cover
Green Lantern
Happy Hour, 4-8pm: $3.50 rail drinks and domestic beer; discounts on premium drinks and draft beer • 21+ • No Cover
JR.’s Bar
Open 1pm-late • Super Queeros SKDC Whitman Walker Fundraiser, 3-5pm • Showtunes Replay, 5-9pm • Con Acento, Latinx Drag and Dance Party, hosted by Evry Pleasure, 9:30pm • 21+ • No Cover
Number Nine
Open 2pm • 2-for-1 Happy Hour: order the first drink before 7pm and receive the second before 8pm • Latin Happy Hour upstairs, hosted by Mari Con Carne with DJ Alvamp, 4-9pm • DJ Sean McClafferty 9pm-close • 21+ • No Cover
Pitchers
Food, video games and outdoor patios • DCFM, 2-6pm • Local DJs • 21+ • No Cover
Trade
Open 2pm • XL Happy Hour, 2-9pm: drinks served in XL cups for the regular price; beer $5.50 • CLASH drag show, hosted by Tatianna and Crimsyn with rotating performers, 11pm • SWEET SPOT in the Shark Tank • 21+ • No Cover
Trade
Open 2pm • XL Happy Hour, 2-9pm: drinks served in XL cups for the regular price; beer $5.50 • Official Stonewall Kickball Afterparty in the Shark Tank, 4-8pm • 21+ • No Cover
Green Lantern
Happy Hour, 4-8pm: $3.50 rail drinks and domestic beer; discounts on premium drinks and draft beer • Karaoke with Marcus, 9:30pm • 21+ • No Cover
JR.’s Bar
Open 2pm-late • Weekday Happy Hour, 4-8pm: $5 rail drinks • Musical Mondays Showtunes, 9pm-late • $4 draft beer and $4 Truly draft • 21+ • No Cover
Number Nine
Open 5pm • 2-for-1 Happy Hour: order the first drink before 7pm and receive the second before 8pm • 21+ • No Cover
Trade
Open 5pm • XL Happy Hour, 5-9pm: drinks served in XL cups for the regular price; beer $5.50 • 21+ • No Cover
Crush Dance Bar
Open 5pm-midnight • All-day Happy Hour: $6 well drinks; $9 Crushes, Tito’s, pitchers of beer and NUTRL • Trivia hosted by J Street Trivia, 7pm • 21+ • No Cover
Green Lantern
Happy Hour, 4-8pm: $3.50 rail drinks and domestic beer; discounts on premium drinks and draft beer • Latin Karaoke with Flavio, 9:30pm • 21+ • No Cover
JR.’s Bar
Open 4pm-late • Weekday Happy Hour, 4-8pm: $5 rail drinks • Flashback retro music with Jason Royce and free Goldilocks Trivia, 8pm-late • $9 specialty cocktails; $4 draft beer and draft Truly • 21+ • No Cover
Number Nine
Open 5pm • 2-for-1 Happy Hour: order the first drink before 7pm and receive the second before 8pm • 21+ • No Cover
Trade
Open 5pm • XL Happy Hour, 5-9pm: drinks served in XL cups for the regular price; beer $5.50 • TRANSBEAR in Trade Classic, 9pm • 21+ • No Cover
Crush Dance Bar
Open 5pm-midnight • Happy Hour until 8pm: $6 well drinks; $9 Crushes, Tito’s, pitchers of beer and NUTRL • Drag Bingo with Lena Lett and Tula • Music by DJ Jason Royce, 8pm • $6 well drinks, 10pm-midnight • 21+ • No Cover
Green Lantern
Happy Hour, 4-8pm: $3.50 rail drinks and domestic beer; discounts on premium drinks and draft beer • Karaoke with Jonathon, 9:30pm • 21+ • No Cover
JR.’s Bar
Open 4pm-late • Weekday Happy Hour, 4-8pm: $5 rail drinks • Survivor Season 51 watch party, 8pm • 21+ • No Cover
Number Nine
Open 5pm • 2-for-1 Happy Hour: order the first drink before 7pm and receive the second before 8pm • 21+ • No Cover
Pitchers
Half-price burger night • Televised sports • 21+ • No Cover
Trade
Open 5pm • XL Happy Hour, 5-9pm: drinks served in XL cups for the regular price; beer $5.50 • SISSY THAT WEDNESDAY CABARET SHOW in Trade Classic, 9pm • MX. TRADE Competition in Trade Classic, 10pm • 21+ • No Cover
A League of Her Own
LezzBingo with prizes and video games • Drag show afterward • 21+ • No Cover
Bunker
Murder on the Dance Floor: Washington Blade’s Best of DC After Party, 10pm-2:30am • Pop and Tech House with DJ Kzilla • $6 drinks, 10-11pm • 21+ • No Cover
Crush Dance Bar
Open 5pm-2am • Happy Hour until 8pm: $6 well drinks; $9 Crushes, Tito’s, pitchers of beer and NUTRL • Katseye After Party with DJ Majr, 10pm • Throwdown Thursday Drag Show hosted by Venetian, 10:30pm • $3 vodka, 10-11pm; $6 well drinks, 10pm-midnight • 21+ • No Cover
Green Lantern
Happy Hour, 4-8pm: $3.50 rail drinks and domestic beer; discounts on premium drinks and draft beer • Shirtless patrons drink free, 10-11pm • Free drink for patrons in underwear, midnight-12:30am • 21+ • No Cover
JR.’s Bar
Open 4pm-late • Weekday Happy Hour, 4-8pm: $5 rail drinks • 21+ • No Cover
Number Nine
Open 5pm • 2-for-1 Happy Hour: order the first drink before 7pm and receive the second before 8pm • 21+ • No Cover
Pitchers
Thirst Trap Thursday drag show with Cake Pop • Trivia with Crimsyn • Gaming, food, and outdoor patios • 21+ • No Cover
Trade
Open 5pm • XL Happy Hour, 5-9pm: drinks served in XL cups for the regular price; beer $5.50 • MONSTER MASH DEMENTED DISCO, 9pm in Trade Classic • 21+ • No Cover
A League of Her Own
Local DJs and dancing • 21+ • No Cover
Bunker
CLUBPOP, 10pm-3:30am • Pop and House with DJ Adamusic (Los Angeles) • $6 drinks, 10-11pm • 21+ • $15 Cover starting at 11pm
Crush Dance Bar
Open 5pm-3am • Happy Hour until 8pm: $6 well drinks; $9 Crushes, Tito’s, pitchers of beer and NUTRL • DJ Matt Bailer & Alex Love, 10pm • $3 vodka, 10-11pm • 21+ • No Cover
Green Lantern
Happy Hour, 4-8pm: $3.50 rail drinks and domestic beer; discounts on premium drinks and draft beer • 21+ • No Cover
JR.’s Bar
Open 4pm-late • Weekday Happy Hour, 4-8pm: $5 rail drinks • Vitamin C drag show, hosted by Citrine the Queen, 10pm • 21+ • No Cover
Number Nine
Open 4pm • 2-for-1 Happy Hour: order the first drink before 7pm and receive the second before 8pm • 21+ • No Cover
Pitchers
Five bars, video games, DJs and dancing • Food and outdoor patios • 21+ • No Cover
Trade
Open 5pm • XL Happy Hour, 5-9pm: drinks served in XL cups for the regular price; beer $5.50 • Free pizza and $8 pitchers of beer • The Jax & Evry Show, hosted by Evry Pleasure and Jaxknife Complex, 7pm • RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing, 8pm • WTF Friday with DJs WESSTHEDJ and Ed Bailey in the Shark Tank and rotating guest DJs in Trade Classic • 21+ • No Cover
A League of Her Own
Local DJs and dancing • 21+ • No Cover
Bunker
Brat from the Grave, 10pm-3:30am • Hyperpop with DJ Miscalculated • Special performance by Venetian • $6 drinks, 10-11pm • 21+ • $20 Cover starting at 11pm
Crush Dance Bar
Open 2pm-3am • DJs Alex Love & Sidekick, 10pm • $3 vodka, 10-11pm • 21+ • No Cover
Green Lantern
Happy Hour, 4-8pm: $3.50 rail drinks and domestic beer; discounts on premium drinks and draft beer • 21+ • No Cover
JR.’s Bar
Open 1pm-late • Howl-O-Ween Block Party, 1-7pm • Showtunes Replay, 5-9pm • Banshees Rock n Roll Drag Show, hosted by Jane Saw, 10pm • 21+ • No Cover
Number Nine
Open 2pm • 2-for-1 Happy Hour: order the first drink before 7pm and receive the second before 8pm • Latin Happy Hour upstairs, hosted by Mari Con Carne with DJ Alvamp, 4-9pm • VJs BacK2bACk 9pm • 21+ • No Cover
Pitchers
Five bars, video games and outdoor patios • Kitchen open late until 1:30am • Local DJs • 21+ • No Cover
Trade
Open 2pm • XL Happy Hour, 2-9pm: drinks served in XL cups for the regular price; beer $5.50 • CLASH drag show, hosted by Tatianna and Crimsyn with rotating performers, 11pm • CTRL DANCE PARTY in the Shark Tank • 21+ • No Cover
Leon's of Baltimore, a gay bar in Baltimore's Mount Vernon neighborhood, and its adjacent sister bar, Leon's Backroom, will reopen today, September 30, after abruptly closing earlier this year.
Known as Baltimore's oldest gay bar, Leon's has operated since the 1950s. It last opened its doors on July 15 for a special shift before temporarily closing following the death of longtime owner Ron Singer.
Before closing, the bars operated seven days a week, from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., and touted never charging a cover on their website. Leon's and Leon's Backroom -- with entrances on Park Avenue and Chase Street -- regularly hosted karaoke nights, drag shows, bingo nights, and viewing parties, and offered daily happy hour drink specials from 4 to 9 p.m.
HV Entertainment, the LGBTQ hospitality group behind several nationwide nightlife venues, has partnered with longtime D.C. bar operator Dave Perruzza to acquire a minority stake in Pitchers, the LGBTQ sports bar in Adams Morgan, and its adjoining lesbian bar, A League of Her Own.
The partnership brings both bars into the HV Entertainment family -- marking the company's entry into the D.C. market -- while keeping Perruzza involved through the transition. Under the deal, HV Entertainment acquires 49% of Pitchers and ALOHO, while Perruzza retains 51%. HV Entertainment has an option to buy his remaining stake.
"It's been harder to raise money, and I think that this is happening with a lot of the event-based walks across the country -- we've just seen different levels of participation," says Naseema Shafi, president and CEO of Whitman-Walker Health, which is seeking broader community support for its chief fundraiser, the Walk & 5K to End HIV.
The annual event, during which participants traverse a 5-kilometer course near Whitman-Walker's Southeast D.C. location, raises money for the health center's HIV research, testing and prevention services, and care for people living with HIV. Organizers hope to raise more than $400,000 this year but have collected only $86,000 so far, according to the event's website.
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