Gay in des moines
Bars and Nightlife
Gay Bars and Clubs
Blazing Saddle (416 East 5th Ave), If you’re looking for a friendly LGBTQ+ block in Des Moines, then you’ve establish it! The Saddle is open 365 days a year featuring daily Joyful Hour, Trivia Nighttime every Tuesday, and monthly charity 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 block with jukebox, karaoke, located next to Blazing Saddle.
The Garden Restaurant & Reveal Lounge (525 E Grand Ave) is an LGBT+ owned and operated business that is place to a host of amazing talent with an remarkable legacy. The Garden offers a broad variety of amusement and a entire kitchen menu.
The Locust Tap (434 E Locust) embodies the term "dive bar" nearly perfectly. Between the years of graffiti on the walls, original tile floor (amongst other things) dating support 60+ years, economical drinks, and no-frills atmosphere, what you see is what you get. It attracts an incredibly wide variety of clientele. It's tru
The history of Iowa’s oldest male lover 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 present cash tips to performersdressed in performative. It’s the Saddle Gurls & Friends show, and once the artists get their final stoop (or more commonly, dip into their most impressive split), the spotlights slice and the melody bumps. Bargoers change the stage into a technicolor move 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 homosexual 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 launch — and terminate — of Don't Ask, Don't Inform, to the outbreak of the AIDs epidemic, to the legalization of same-sex attracted 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 perform
Explore LGBTQ+ Events and Activities
Annual Events
Des Moines Pride Festival
The 46th annual PrideFest will be held June 6 – 8, 2025 in the Historic East Village in Des Moines, Iowa. In previous years, The Des Moines Pride festival welcomed more than 40,000 attendees. To see our Pridefest itineraries, click here.
Pride March Des Moines
This annual event goes from the Nomade in the Sculpture Park to the Capital building, via Locust Highway. It demonstrates that Celebration is a celebration of people coming together in love and friendship. This year’s walk will be on June 1 starting at 6 p.m.
CCP Celebration Parade
The highlight of PrideFest is on Sunday, June 8 beginning at Noon. This parade starts at the Iowa Articulate Capital and travels down Grand Avenue into the Historic East Village, packed of floats and flags and people all celebrating Pride in Greater Des Moines.
Year-Round Activities
Pride for the LGBTQ+ community goes beyond one month in June. Capital City Pride produces authentic events and activities throughout the year for people to feel sound and welcome under the four pillars of Pride: Com
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 maturation was initially slow, after completion of a railroad line to the area, it rapidly picked up pace. The city’s expansion has continued since that age, and Des Moines is now Iowa’s largest city – a thriving hub of midwestern industry and culture, with a heated and welcoming personality.
Some Fun Evidence About Des Moines
- The city was originally called “Fort R