happy hour

San Francisco’s hottest Black-owned gay bar just reopened… in Minneapolis

By

The Eagle Creek Saloon, San Francisco’s first Black-owned gay bar, closed its doors in 1993.

The bar was owned and operated by Rodney Barnette, a Vietnam vet and former Black Panther member who created it to give queer people of color a place to hang out, find refuge, and connect.

Related:

Remembering the trailblazer who helped kick house music into the mainstream

Darryl Pandy was the voice behind the house classic “Love Can’t Turn Around”.

Now, 31 years later, the bar’s back open for business… approximately 1,975 miles away from its original location on Market Street and with a new owner: Barnette’s daughter, Sadie.

Sadie, a visual artist who was five years old when her dad bought the space in 1990, has recreated a traveling version of The New Eagle Creek Saloon that’s currently on display at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis through May 19.

Per the museum’s website:

The original bar (1990–1993) offered a haven for a multiracial queer community marginalized by racist profiling in other social spaces throughout the city. With this project, Barnette honors Black queer joy and her own family history by reanimating her father’s bar and its legacy as a space of community connection and engagement. Bathed in neon light and glitter, The New Eagle Creek Saloon is an open, inviting, and living space for learning, resistance, and pleasure.

But it’s not just an art installation. Museum visitors over the age of 21 are encouraged to hang out under the neon lights, have a drink, grab a bite to eat, and even dance.

The glittering recreation includes happy hours with beverages, DJs, readings, performances, presentations and more. It’s truly immersive. And truly inclusive. Everyone is welcome. 🥂

Sadie has been traveling with the installation for a few years now, with stops in San Francisco in 2019, New York in 2022, and Washington, D.C. in 2023.

Rodney, now in his 70s, has often tagged along with his daughter, telling Vulture in 2022, “At the New Eagle Creek, Black gays know they can come here and never have to deal with the hassles they have traditionally faced at other gay establishments.”

The fact that it has now made its way to Minneapolis is particularly powerful as the city approaches four years since the murder of George Floyd, which sparked international protests against police brutality, especially towards Black people.

Related:

Another historic NYC gay bar, the site of a 1960s queer protest, officially deemed a historic landmark

After being kept open through the pandemic by community contributions, this iconic NYC bar is officially a landmark.

Rodney was just in the Twin Cities celebrating the bar’s latest “re-opening” at the Walker earlier this month.

“This is my artwork, you are all also now a part of my artwork,” his daughter told the crowd during the installation’s opening night reception, adding that it’s not an exact recreation of her dad’s bar (“We didn’t have a ton of documentation”) but it certainly captures the saloon’s spirit.

Sadie describes her version of the Eagle Creek Saloon as “my dream of a bar.” And we’ve gotta say, it certainly looks like a dream of a bar. Check out some of the pics…

The New Eagle Creek Saloon is open for business at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis now through May 19. Check out the website for more info and to see the complete calendar of events.

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Once Monthly Annually

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated