R&R Bar is fun, friendly, and “not cliquey,” according to Illgen. “We do complimentary breakfast burritos before the parade, so that’s always a big thing, and people get a couple of cocktails in ‘em before the festivities start.”
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“We open the Sunday of Pride Week at 7:30 a.m.,” explained Rich Illgen, owner of the bar. While unassuming and small, R&R Bar proudly serves the LGBTQ community and is going to be participating in Pride again this year. Nestled snugly on Colfax, R&R Bar was a cozy and becoming hole-in-the-wall before dive bars and the grimy charm of Colfax were hip. With its mythical two-step lessons early in the evening, go-go boys, cheap sloshy beer, and an entire room for its frequent drag shows, this staple of the Denver gay scene has something for everyone.ĭenver’s oldest gay bar, R&R Bar is a Denver staple. Just a few blocks down on Colfax sits one of Denver’s most popular dance bars, Charlie’s. People flock to the bar to dance and get down or just to drink and relax, and many in the LGBTQ community have made it their regular hangout. The bar boasts nightly specials and drink deals, as well as two dance floors for the weekends and a large patio section. We have a very special float this year, so we are looking forward to the parade on June 18.” “We also give them away and have the biggest pink flamingo around on our float. “X Bar is well known for the pink flamingos during pride, and they are everywhere,” explained Cindy Alix, general manager at X Bar. Known for its inclusivity towards both the queer and straight communities, X Bar has been around for seven years and has been an important staple of Denver for just as long. In what he calls classic gay style, King told him, “I own the name Charlie’s in Colorado, but you can change your name to whatever you want.”Īnd the legacy of Charlie’s, a fine hybrid of drag queens and stag fiends, where you can line-dance beneath the sparkle of an illustrious disco-boot, is still country strong.X Bar is a staple for Denver LGBTQ folks. One of the last stipulations of their divorce, per the real Charlie, was the name of the bar would have to be changed. “When we broke up, Charlie didn’t know I’d bought the name,” King remembers. It just worked out that his boyfriend happened to have that name, too. King had noticed a lot of popular country songs had featured the name during that era, and it seemed friendly. The name was supposed to be the High Plains, since the original location was so close to Aurora, all his friends referred to it as being “out on the plains somewhere.”Ĭharlie’s wasn’t chosen as the official name until about a week before opening. Like how he named the bar for his then-boyfriend.
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King says get a few shots of tequila in him, and he’ll talk for hours about his bar. “Denver’s always been good to me,” King explains, “but once I got to Phoenix, I couldn’t quite get the motivation to go back to Denver.” King, who’s lived in Phoenix since that location opened, decided to set up the corporate office there.īut King didn’t move away from Denver because he didn’t like it, he moved away because he’s a warm-weather person. By 1988, CHUN reversed its stance and welcomed the gay bar a little closer west on Colfax and Emerson.Ĭharlie’s expanded to its Phoenix location in 1984, and locations in Chicago and more recently Las Vegas have been incorporated since. (CHUN) was not ready to accept Charlie’s. They had tried to purchase the Golden Ox in 1985, but at that time, Capitol Hill United Neighborhood Inc. “We’d always been trying to move downtown,” King recalls. It stayed until 1989, when he was able to secure a spot closer to downtown. King opened up at a first location in Denver in 1981 on East Colfax between Trenton and Tamarac streets. Founder John King, who’s currently based out of their Phoenix location, will be around throughout the week to commemorate three-and-a-half decades of his establishment. Kai Lee’s Kiki will also feature house queens like Alyssa Love, Mile High Pinky Pie, Venus Sexton and newcomer Khloe Katz along with other performers the queens invite to share the floor.īrendan Sullivan, general manager of Charlie’s Denver, said patrons should expect entertainment, specials, and quality service throughout the weekend. Armstrong will also be featured that evening along with Phoenix’s drag diva Pussy Le Hoot. Sunday night, as usual, will feature Kai Lee’s Kiki at 9:30pm, hosted weekly by Kai Lee Mykels.
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Both nights will feature free drinks from 6–7pm with the headliners appearing right after in the parking lot. Herndon will be performing on Friday and Armstrong on Saturday. Their anniversary weekend, which kicks off Friday, June 3, plans to bring in headliners like out country singer Ty Herndon and comedian/singer Amy Armstrong. Charlie’s Denver is celebrating 35 years this June, and the quaint Colfax cowboy bar still prides itself on a down-home atmosphere with a touch of neon.