Eureka Springs: So gay, they have three Pride celebrations

Eureka Springs, located in the Ozarks of Northwestern Arkansas, is the first city in Arkansas to officially endorse same-sex marriage and the first and only city in the state with a Domestic Partnership Registry. It is also the number one vacation destination in the Mid-South for out and proud LGBT travelers.

The antithesis of the redneck stereotype, the micro mecca has been a beyond-gay-friendly getaway for decades - long before out was in. How gay? So gay that one Gay Pride weekend won't do. So, spring, summer and fall, Eureka Springs celebrates a trifecta of Diversity Weekends that attract thousands of gay and lesbian gaycationers. The next Diversity Weekend is April 4-6. Others are planned for August 1-3, and October 31-November 2.

A microcosm of San Francisco, the mountain resort town has a disproportionately large gay population, dozens of gay-owned and gay-friendly B&Bs, hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, art galleries, shops, turn-of-the-century Victorian homes and vintage trolleys plying steep and narrow village streets.

Every evening during the upcoming Spring weekend, there will be live music and dancing at several of the local bars and restaurants. Other events planned include:

On Friday, April 4, the City Hall invites guests to register their domestic partnerships. Eureka Springs is the first and only city in the state to officially and publicly recognize same-sex relationships via its Domestic Partnership Registry. Registration is open to non-residents as well as residents. City officials issue DPR Certificates (very tasteful and suitable for framing, of course) during regular business hours Monday through Friday at City Hall, for a fee of $35.

On Saturday, April 5, there will be the traditional ‘Public Display of Affection’ at Basin Spring Park, 11:30 to noon. This is a G-rated, family-friendly love fest and photo-op under the rainbow stripes. Organizers are offering free bling to the first 200 participants.

Eureka Springs has a queer affinity not only for LGBT visitors but also for all manner of colorful characters, misfits, eccentrics and rugged individualists. Which is why, in addition to boatloads of gay vacationers, the three seasonal Diversity Weekends are among the most popular for hip heteros, too.

But make no mistake about it: Diversity Weekends are gay weekends. They are created expressly for gay and lesbian visitors and hosted by the town's gay and gay-friendly businesses and a small army of tireless volunteers.

Year after year without fail, these Spring, Summer and Fall celebrations pack the hotels, restaurants and nightspots by offering a wide variety of entertainment, amusement and diversion: Live music (from Newgrass to mellow jazz), DJ re-mix dance-til-you-drop parties, glam drag shows, pool parties, concerts, costume contests and special events.

To build stamina for these non-stop party weekends, organizers “highly recommend” mid-day disco naps.

The Gayly – March 30, 2014 @ 10:55am