Put Your Money Where Your Pride Is: LGBTQ+ Owned and Allied Spaces to Support During Pride Weekend
Dreamhaus
Virginia Pridefest is back in Richmond, bringing thousands of LGBTQ+ people and allies together for a day of music, entertainment, vendors, food, and community. This Pride weekend, venture beyond Midtown Green and support some of the LGBTQ+-owned and allied businesses that help make Richmond such a welcoming destination year-round. From queer-owned shops and restaurants to nightlife and creative spaces, here are 10 places worth adding to your Pridefest weekend itinerary.
Dinner Party
Website: www.dinnerpartyrva.com
Location: 3402 W. Cary St., Richmond, VA
This LGBTQ-owned Carytown wine and provisions shop is the perfect place to pick up a bottle, snacks, or something special for your next gathering. With a thoughtfully curated selection of wine, pantry goods, and entertaining essentials, Dinner Party makes it easy to turn a night in into a celebration.
Passion Project Art Collective
Website: www.passionprojectrva.com
Location: 1039 W. Grace St., Richmond, VA
Part art collective, part gift shop, and part community gathering space, Passion Project is a great stop for discovering work from Richmond artists and makers. Browse the shop, pick up a locally made souvenir, and take home something that captures the River City's spirit.
Godfrey's
Website: www.godfreysrichmond.com
Location: 308 E. Grace St., Richmond, VA
A Richmond LGBTQ+ institution, Godfrey's is known for high-energy drag entertainment, dancing, and its legendary weekend drag brunch. Whether you stop in for brunch or keep the Pride celebration going after dark, it's a quintessential Richmond queer nightlife experience.
Révéler
Website: www.revelerexperiences.com
Location: 3108 W. Cary St., Richmond, VA
For something a little more unexpected, head to Révéler, an intimate Carytown venue combining live music, cocktails, and immersive experiences. The eclectic space feels part listening room, part cabinet of curiosities, making it an especially fun choice for a Pride weekend night out.
DreamHaus
Website: www.dreamerfxstudios.com
Location: 110 N. 18th St., Richmond, VA
Located in Shockoe, DreamHaus brings together cabaret, live entertainment, food, and drinks in an intimate supper-club-style setting. Check the calendar for performances and events, then settle in for a night that feels decidedly more memorable than your average night out.
Babe's of Carytown
Website: www.babescarytown.com
Location: 3166 W. Cary St., Richmond, VA
A longtime fixture of Richmond's LGBTQ+ nightlife, Babe's of Carytown is a place where queer history and present-day community meet. Stop in for karaoke, dancing, drag, or simply a drink at one of Richmond's most recognizable LGBTQ+ bars.
Mongrel
Website: www.mongrelrva.com
Location: 2924 W. Cary St., Richmond, VA
For more than 30 years, LGBTQ+-owned Mongrel has been a Carytown destination for irreverent cards, clever gifts, and delightfully unexpected finds. It's an easy Pride weekend stop for picking up a Richmond souvenir, a funny card, or a gift for someone back home.
L'Opossum
Website: www.lopossum.com
Location: 626 China St., Richmond, VA
If Pride weekend calls for a memorable dinner, L'Opossum delivers with inventive French-inspired cuisine, playful presentation, and a distinctly Richmond personality. The LGBTQ+-owned restaurant has long been a favorite for celebrations and special occasions, making it a natural choice when you're ready to trade festival fare for a fancy night out.
Crescent Collective
Website: www.crescentcollectiverva.com
Location: 1800 Decatur St., Richmond, VA
Crescent Collective is a queer-owned event and community space in Richmond's Blackwell neighborhood designed to bring people together through creative, social, wellness, and community programming. Check its calendar while you're in town to see what's happening during your visit, or simply keep it on your list for a future Richmond trip.
Diversity Thrift
Website: www.diversitythrift.org
Location: 1407 Sherwood Ave., Richmond, VA
Run by Diversity Richmond, Diversity Thrift is a longtime LGBTQ+ community institution where your shopping dollars help support the organization's broader work in the community. Dig through clothing, furniture, home goods, and other secondhand finds, and you might just leave with a Pride weekend treasure you didn't know you were looking for.
Pridefest may be one big day, but Richmond's LGBTQ+ community is here all year. So while you're celebrating at the festival, make a point of exploring beyond the festival grounds.
Grab brunch. Buy something local. Catch a show. Have a drink. Discover somewhere new in Richmond.