Gay Events in the Twin Cities This Weekend: Jul 9–12, 2026

51 LGBTQ+ events across the Twin Cities this weekend (Jul 9–12, 2026) — from drag brunches and dance floors to the marquee picks below. Here's the full agenda, updated weekly.

Browse every event on the the Twin Cities events page.

This Week in Gay the Twin Cities

• Madonna's in her Mother era: The Queen of Pop turned up at The Abbey in West Hollywood to premiere new music and scream "Let's go gays!" into the mic — proof that even after Pride Month, Mother is still feeding queer joy straight into the vein. Out

• Suzie Toot to Ron DeSantis — 'live your gay life': The Drag Race season 17 fan favorite clapped back at the Florida governor with the campiest kiss-off of the summer: "Give it up, girl." A reminder that our sharpest political commentary still arrives in sequins. The Advocate

• Lavender signs off after 30 years: Minnesota's own LGBTQ+ magazine — first published in 1995, when the state had almost no gay rights — is winding down after three decades of chronicling Twin Cities queer life. Founder Stephen Rocheford says the mission's been accomplished, but it's still the end of an era for our press. CBS Minnesota

• Turkey turns away the gay cruise: Atlantis Events' Scarlet Lady — Patti LuPone aboard and set to perform, nearly 2,000 gay men on board — was barred from docking at Kusadasi and Istanbul over "moral values." LuPone's reply was pure Patti: "I am furious, but I am sailing." The ship rerouted to Crete and Cairo instead. The Hollywood Reporter

• The Grindr rival built on fake dates: A WIRED investigation found that Goose — the buzzy invite-only app pitched as a friendlier alternative to Grindr — leaned on a network of AI-generated "Instagay" accounts to lure real gay men in. Google's own tool flagged most of the profile pics as AI. Read this before you make a profile. WIRED

• Yes, 'summer penis' is real (sort of): As the temperature climbs, so does a certain kind of optimism. We asked the experts whether summer heat actually gives you a bigger bulge — and the answer is more complicated, and more fun, than you'd think. Out

Thursday, Jul 9 — 9 Events

Out x Out Pick: Tasting Thursday at Silver Fern

Discover the joy of wine at Tasting Thursday. Join us every Thursday for a $5 tasting of three selected wines — the $5 fee can be applied to any BTG wine purchase. Knowledgeable staff guide you through the tasting notes, sharing insights into the unique characteristics of each…

Also on Thursday

• Red Door Outreach - Free HIV Testing — 5:00 PM at Queermunity

• Thursday Trivia — 6:00 PM at LUSH Lounge & Theater

• Drag Queen Charity Bingo — 7:00 PM at Roxy’s Cabaret

• Trivia at the Eagle — 7:30 PM at Eagle|MPLS

• DJ Larry Peace — 11:00 PM at The Saloon

Friday, Jul 10 — 11 Events

Out x Out Pick: Underwear Night at Eagle|MPLS

Eagle|MPLS runs its monthly Underwear Night on the 2nd Friday, going late from 10pm to 3am. Gear and skivvies highly encouraged - strip down and stay out at Minneapolis's leather-and-Levi's

Also on Friday

• Friday Friend Lab: Crafting & Game Night — 4:00 PM at Queermunity

• SPARK Patio Party w/ J.BBY — 5:00 PM at Eagle|MPLS

• Shine Talent Competition — 6:30 PM at LUSH Lounge & Theater

• Roxy's Cabaret Presents: Donna Summer and Friends — 7:00 PM at Roxy’s Cabaret

• Tank (Top) Night with DJ Shannon Blowtorch — 9:00 PM at LUSH Lounge & Theater

• Karaoke in the Lounge — 9:00 PM at Black Hart of Saint Paul

• Nudie Nubies Burlesque — 10:00 PM at Black Hart of Saint Paul

Saturday, Jul 11 — 15 Events

Out x Out Pick: Pride Encore Bar Crawl

The Minnesota Gay Flag Football League (@mngffl) throws a Pride Encore Bar Crawl to keep the celebration going after Pride Month, with all passport proceeds benefiting Gay Bowl XXVI. Grab a crawl passport and hop between four downtown Minneapolis spots - The Saloon, Roxy's…

Also on Saturday

• 2010s Drag Brunch — 10:00 AM at Union Rooftop

• A Country Brunch of Drag (18+) — 11:30 AM at LUSH Lounge & Theater

• Segundo Sabado — 12:30 PM at Queermunity

• Saturday Drag Bingo — 2:00 PM at LUSH Lounge & Theater

• Atons July L&L at St. Paul Tap — 5:00 PM at

• Decadence: A Pole Dance Cabaret — 6:30 PM at LUSH Lounge & Theater

• Mirage: Drag After Dark — 9:30 PM at LUSH Lounge & Theater

Sunday, Jul 12 — 16 Events

Out x Out Pick: Leather Church @ Umbra

Leather Church gathers at Umbra Arts — a welcoming Sunday-morning space for the leather and kink community to find fellowship, reflection, and connection outside the bar. All are

Also on Sunday

• Selena + Karol G Drag Brunch — 10:00 AM at CRAVE American Kitchen & Sushi Bar

• Yacht Rock on the patio w/ DJ NCK — 3:00 PM at Eagle|MPLS

• The Queer Clown Connection: Expressions and Emotions — 3:00 PM at Queermunity

• Show Tunes Sunday — 4:00 PM at Eagle|MPLS

• Cult Cinema Classics: Independence Day (1996) — 7:00 PM at Roxy’s Cabaret

Featured Read

July is Pride's second wave: beach weekends, Bear Week, leather street fairs, and late-summer Prides from San Diego to Portland. Whether you're chasing a circuit party or a slow weekend on the sand, here's the calendar of gay events worth planning your July travel around.

Read the full guide →