Meow Wolf's Dallas Pride Guide 2023

Here is our (far from definitive) list of festive celebrations, lively eateries & community staples, and Pride events that would make every celebrant proud to attend in Dallas.

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Pride-A-Palooza

Started by the local drag diva Bleach and Disco, Texas DJ Blake Ward, this three-year-old party is back for 2023 in a bigger and better venue at the Sons of Hermann Hall. Offering everything from “chill vibes to hard-hitting beats” plus a myriad of drag performers, this year’s theme of “Pride-a-palooza” promises three rooms of (almost) non-stop celebrations—an experience that Bleach likens to “a sensory overload” inspired by the one-size- fits-all line-up of Lollapalooza. 

The starry list of performers includes drag artistes Biblegirl, Bleach, Blackberri, Diamonte, and Jo Sappho, among others, while DJs include local favorites like Ward, Christy Ray, and p1nkstar.

The soul-infused hip-hop band Cure for Paranoia and the transgender rapper Barbie Bank Rose will also perform. DJ Ward and Bleach will also keep the good vibes coming on Sunday with a post-Pride pool party at the Dallas Dive-In.

Hours of operation: 8 AM – 2 PM, Saturday, June 3.

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Dallas Pride Celebration and Parade

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Initially branded the Texas Freedom Parade in 1983, the Dallas Pride Celebration was a staple in Cedar Springs for years before relocating to Fair Park to accommodate its growing crowd (15k strong!) and people with disabilities.

This year’s theme is “Turn Up the Love,” complete with a performance by local singer Allison Ponthier on Saturday, June 3. This family-friendly celebration (which costs $10 for adults, $5 for teens, and is free for kids 12 years old and under) also features a myriad of musical and dance performances on outdoor and indoor community stages, 200 vendors, a Family Pride Zone, and a safe Teen Pride space for youth ages 13 to 19. On Sunday, the event continues with a totally free Dallas Pride Alan Ross Freedom Parade.

Hours of operation: 11 AM – 9 PM, Saturday, June 3 and 2 – 4:30 PM, Sunday, June 4.

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Dallas Museum of Art Kiki Ball

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If you like your Pride party with a side of sweet, sweet air conditioning, the Dallas Museum of Art’s free Kiki Ball fits the bill. Held June 16th in conjunction with the Dallas Arts District’s Pride Block Party, the event has become an annual tradition in partnership with the United Black Ellument (a HIV prevention program for young Black gay and bisexual men). The Ball packs the DMA’s Hamon Atrium with vogueing and runway experts from the ballroom scene. If nothing else inspires you to live, work, and pose, this event will.

Hours of operation: 9:30 PM – 11 PM, Friday, June 16.

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Cedar Springs‍

Also known as “The Gayborhood,” “The Crossroads,” and “The Strip,” the corner of Cedar Springs and Throckmorton features bars, restaurants, and shops. The former site of the Dallas Pride, this unmissable neighborhood has five beloved, longstanding bars under the umbrella of Caven Enterprises, a company that owns many of the properties in the area. Named after characters in the classic TV show “Dallas”, J.R.’s Bar and Grill and Sue Ellen’s are neighborhood watering holes. The laser-light-filled Station 4 draws disco-happy patrons from 18+, and the Rose Room is the best place in town to see Dallas drag performers do their thing, Meanwhile, Throckmorton Mining Company hits a younger 21 and up crowd with EDM and Latin Night. 

Even though the parade has moved on, you can be sure that the party people will still flock here after the Fair Park celebration winds down. The strip hosts a pride event produced by Pride in Dallas on September 17, 2023.

Also notable: The Round-Up Saloon, a gay nightclub located just around the corner from Sue Ellen’s.

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Barbara's Pavilion‍

This funky little Oak Cliff dive bar is a fun alternative to the Cedar Springs strip. Offering everything from pajama parties to burlesque, Barbara’s Pavilion serves up those pride vibes all year ‘round, with a jukebox, pool table, and open mic nights. Around for nearly four decades, this member’s only club is SO inclusive; all you need to join is a valid ID!

The eager karaoke performers that show up every Thursday, Sunday, and second Saturday of the month really make the place. Possessing serious (Broadway chorus level) pipes, this crowd doesn’t come to play, so it’s worth practicing in your bathroom mirror before getting up on the stage.

Hours of operation: 4 PM – 2 AM, Monday to Saturday, 2 PM – 2 AM Sunday.

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Hamburger Mary's‍

Billed as an “open-air bar and grill for open-minded people,” Hamburger Mary’s first came on the scene in San Francisco in 1972. Now a chain serving the gay community, the franchise is making a splash in Dallas on June 1st—just in time for Pride weekend.

The Cedar Springs outpost will join Mary’s thirteen other locations with a burger-heavy menu of comfort food faves. The entertainment line-up is fab, too, with “HamBingo Mary’s,” “Mary-Oke Karaoke” and trivia nights. Local drag legend Danny Lee Cabrera aka “Liquor Mini,” will coordinate the nightly drag shows, so you’ll always get some glamour served up with that side of fries.

Thursday, June 1, will feature Dragula Season three guest Saint Leyla Edwards, while Friday, June 2, has RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Ra’Jah O’Hara among other performers at 8 PM. Opening weekend has drag brunches at 11 AM and 2 PM, both Saturday and Sunday.

Hours of operation: 5 PM – 2 AM, Wednesday to Friday, 10 AM – 2pm, Saturday. 10 AM – midnight Sunday.

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Locura Small Bites

A couple for over 16 years, Laura Carrizales and Mel Arizpe started a culinary business together in 2020 to elevate the humble Mexican street snack elotes. Using corn as a vessel, Locura Small Bites offers a gourmet twist on traditional flavors, including Lemon Pepper, Za’atar, Truffle, and Strawberry Thai Chili. Locura also offers catering, but you can do take-out or on-site dining to sample indulgent treats like Pozole Frito Pie, and Mi Mexi Bahn Mi served out of an unassuming building off Samuel Boulevard. The site will become a fully-fledged food park in July, a prospect that delights the duo, as they’ll finally be able to show off some brunch delights like their Concha French Toast.

Hours of operation: 4 PM – 9 AM, Thursday to Sunday.

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Martini Consignment

The chicest clothing store in town just happens to be a consignment shop. Owned by former film and television costumer, Ken Weber and his longtime partner Greg Kelly, Martini Consignment opened in 2007 as a purely vintage purveyor before segueing into luxury resale in 2019. But this is no mere “gently used” boutique—their starry clientele includes Barbra Streisand, Jeremy Scott, Hamish Bowles, Jean-Paul Gaultier, and Annie Lennox, who have all scored treasures in-store or online. Shoppers searching for the perfect look to wear to their next society soiree come back again and again for women’s and menswear from the likes of Chanel, Comme des Garçons, Alexander McQueen, and Bob Mackie (to name but a few). Kelly is also a big booster in the gay community, having been on the board of trustees for the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS (DIFFA) for years.

Hours of operation: 10 AM – 6 PM, Monday to Saturday. Noon – 5 PM, Sunday.