Just in time for Pride Month, a new LGBTQ+ bar opened in Del Ray on Tuesday night.
The Pride on the Avenue pop-up is the only bar catering to Alexandria’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning community.
The ribbon cutting was attended by gay public officials, including State Sen. Adam Ebbin (39th), former City Council Member and current Metro Board Chair Paul Smedberg, Clerk of the Circuit Court Greg Parks, Del Ray Business Association Board Member Daniel Roth, and City Council Member Kirk McPike.
The interior of the pop-up is festooned with pride flags, symbols and colors, and includes a pride wall with photos of famous gay celebrities.
Every three-to-four months, Bill Blackburn and his business partner “Mango” Mike Anderson of the Homegrown Restaurant Group (HRG) and their staff gut the space for a new pop-up concept. During the winter and spring they had a ski lodge concept, Aspen on the Avenue.
HRG is planning on donating $500 a week to Equality NOVA, a local nonprofit dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ community.
“I anticipate that Del Ray will rally behind us with this concept,” Blackburn said. “We want everyone to be welcome in all of our restaurants, and this is a way for us to showcase that.”
Pride on the Avenue will likely stay put until October, when the pop-up will be transformed into its Halloween concept Nightmare on the Avenue. After Thanksgiving, the bar will once again be turned into the Christmas-themed Joy on the Avenue.
