The Sac Queens Agenda Sep 3

Sunday is Rainbow Festival. Lavender Heights shuts down at 20th and K from 11 in the morning until 10 at night, 40+ years deep, and this year it answers to Retro Rainbow: the Original Mary Jane Girls, Klymaxx, DJ Kevin Aviance, a Prince tribute, and the Sacramento Gay Men's Chorus.

Last week we asked when your night actually ends and 29 of you answered. The winner, by a landslide, was home and horizontal by 10 PM with 17 votes. Six said it depends entirely on who is texting, four picked last call or nothing, and two of you admitted to an afters. Nobody, not one person, selected I have not been out since 2023, which we are reading as either very impressive or a coordinated lie.

Which sets Sunday up nicely. The festival ends at 10, so the 59% of you who are horizontal by then can do the whole thing and still make bedtime.

Last thought for the week.

You always remember your first day of high school.

First kiss.

First concert.

This week is special first of sorts for Thomas and I.

It’s the first time we have a local sponsor for the featured slot in the “This Week in Sac Queens” section. A huge thank you to our inaugural newsletter sponsor, Amanda and David from Redfin. Swing by and spin their wine wheel this weekend at Rainbow Fest!

September 3 – 9.

Coming Out Group
Thu, Sep 3, 6 to 7 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), 18+
Weekly, drop in, no sign-up. There is no schedule for this and no prize for finishing early. Read more

TransMasc & Non-Binary Support Group
Thu, Sep 3, 6 to 7:30 PM, Gender Health Center (3823 V St), 18+
First and third Thursdays, free, no registration. The other door opens on the second and fourth. Read more

Parents Support Group
Thu, Sep 3, 6:15 to 7:30 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free
Brand new, starting this Thursday, for parents and caregivers who would like to get it right. Forward this one to your mother. Read more

Eclectic? Trash? Book Club
Thu, Sep 3, 6:30 to 8 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
First and third Thursdays at the archive, and the name is doing all the work of setting expectations. Read more

Drag Bingo with Apple Adams
Thu, Sep 3, 7 PM, cards from 6:45, Tipsy Putt (630 K St #120)
Five dollars buys a card good for every round. Apple Adams calls numbers while a mini golf course pretends not to be there. Read more

Drag Queen Bingo: Sacramento SPCA
Thu, Sep 3, doors 6 PM, games 7 to 9 PM, Mango's (1930 K St), $20 cash only
DoMe Moore runs eight games and the night's take goes to the Sacramento SPCA. Cash only, so the ATM is part of the plan. Read more

Around the World in 80 Days
Thu, Sep 3 through Sun, Sep 13, showtimes vary, B Street Theatre at The Sofia (2700 Capitol Ave), $39 adult and $35 student, senior and military
Not a queer show, just a good one, and it closes on the 13th. Dark Mondays and Tuesdays, so the window is narrower than it looks. Read more

Faces Thursday: Song & Dance
Thu, Sep 3, 9 PM to 1:30 AM, Faces (2000 K St)
A mic on one side, a floor on the other, and four and a half hours to be bad at both. Read more

Thirsty Thursday: Beyoncé Bash
Thu, Sep 3, shows 11 PM and midnight, Badlands (2003 K St), free
C-Yah Envy hosts a birthday tribute with Hera Wynn, Rose Rowzay, Unieke Moore and Mahlae Balenciaga. Five queens, one discography, and $3 wells until midnight. Read more

SGME Happy Hour
Fri, Sep 4, 4:30 to 6:30 PM, Roscoe's (2007 K St)
First Fridays with Sacramento Gay Men's Events, no RSVP and separate checks. Considerably lower stakes than anything that starts at ten. Read more

Friday Happy Hour with Caloy
Fri, Sep 4, 4 to 8 PM, Faces (2000 K St), 21+
Four hours of DJ Caloy before Rainbow Fest weekend properly starts. Treat it as a warmup or treat it as the whole plan. Read more

Fridays Are a Drag
Fri, Sep 4, 8 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), free
Hosts rotate weekly and the lineup posts late. The only guarantee is that somebody will be working. Read more

Rainbowfest Kick Off Party
Fri, Sep 4, 10 PM., Badlands (2003 K St), 21+
Badlands opens Rainbowfest weekend with its annual kickoff, DJ Ryan on the decks and go-gos working the room. The traditional way to start a festival weekend badly, and the right one. Read more

So You Wanna Be A Bentley
Fri, Sep 4, 8 to 10 PM, Roscoe's upstairs (2007 K St), ticketed
Bijou Bentley casts a drag daughter in front of a paying audience, which is an enormous amount of pressure to put on a first impression. Read more

Paleta by Lokera
Fri, Sep 4, 9 PM to 1:30 AM, Faces (2000 K St), 21+
The Lokera crew brings perreo back to Faces for the night. Four and a half hours, and the patio does not sit still. Read more

Say YAS! A Drag Discussion Salon & Kiki
Fri, Sep 4, 10 to 11:30 PM, STAB! Comedy Theater (1710 Broadway), $10
Suzette Veneti, Katana Rei and Manni Peddi talk shop about drag in front of everyone. Ninety minutes of the conversation you usually only get backstage. Read more

Sacramento FrontRunners & FrontWalkers
Sat, Sep 5, 9 AM, Guy West Bridge (945 University Ave)
The Saturday loop off the bridge. Walkers count fully and nobody is holding a stopwatch. Read more

Chalk It Up
Sat, Sep 5 through Mon, Sep 7, 10 AM to 6 PM daily, Fremont Park (1515 Q St), free
Not a queer event, just a Midtown institution in its thirty-sixth year: artists on their knees in the park all weekend with live music alongside. Read more

Self-Defense Series
Sat, Sep 5, 1 to 3 PM, Gender Health Center (3823 V St), free
First Saturdays with Kira Lee, no registration and no prerequisites. Two hours of practical, which is two hours more than most of us have. Read more

Bootlab & Cigar Social
Sat, Sep 5, 2 to 4 PM, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), 21+
First Saturdays, boots and cigars, in broad afternoon daylight. A gentler way into leather culture than anything starting at nine. Read more

LGBTQ+ Games Day
Sat, Sep 5, 3 to 5 PM, Tri-County Diversity (201 D St Ste L, Marysville), free, 18+
Board games, card games and consoles, forty minutes north. Bring your own if you have strong opinions about it. Read more

Electroluxx Block Party
Sat, Sep 5, 3 PM to 2 AM, The Midway (900 Marin St, San Francisco), ticketed, 21+
Road trip: Purple Disco Machine, a RuPaul DJ set and DJ Holographic across eleven hours, with the after party indoors until two. Read more

Paris Is Burning: Watch Party and Q&A
Sat, Sep 5, doors 6 PM, film 6:30 PM, The Guild Theater (2828 35th St), $14, all ages
An official Rainbow Festival event, with Father G and Mother Angie of the House of Xtravaganza answering questions afterward. The people, not the footnotes. Read more

BLUFSF CUERO: Birthday Edition
Sat, Sep 5, 9 PM, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), 21+
A leather and gear night doubling as a birthday fundraiser for the Trevor Project and the Two Spirit & Native LGBTQ+ Center for Equity. Bootblack on duty, BLUF dress encouraged and not enforced. Read more

Sacramento FrontRunners Sunday Long Run
Sun, Sep 6, 8 AM, La Costa Café (701 19th St)
The Sunday route moves every week and this one starts in Midtown rather than out in Fair Oaks. Check the schedule before you drive somewhere else. Read more

Roscoe's Drag Brunch
Sun, Sep 6, seatings at 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM, Roscoe's upstairs (2007 K St)
Eighteen dollars adds bottomless mimosas to an entree and the two hour limit is enforced. Two seatings, so pick according to your Saturday. Read more

Sacramento Rainbow Festival
Sun, Sep 6, 11 AM to 10 PM, Lavender Heights (20th and K), $15 advance
40+ years deep and themed Retro Rainbow, with the Original Mary Jane Girls, Klymaxx, DJ Kevin Aviance and a Prince tribute across eleven hours. Ticketed this year, so handle that before Sunday rather than at the gate. Read more

Rainbow Fest Fun at Teneral Cellars
Sun, Sep 6, 11 AM–10 PM, Teneral Cellars (1050 20th St at K), festival ticket required, 21+
Teneral runs a full day inside the Rainbow Festival footprint with the entertainment zone activated, so drinks travel with you. DJ Grlboi 11:30 AM–2:30 PM, Retro Groove on the festival main stage 2–3 PM, DJ David Andersen 4–7 PM. Grab-and-go drink specials all day including frozé, chilled sangria, white wine spritzers and N/A options, plus Redfin's prize wheel 12–3 PM. Queer-owned and women-owned. Read more

Rainbow Fest Sunday Tea Dance: Dolly Parton Tribute
Sun, Sep 6, 12 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), 21+
Badlands keeps Rainbow Fest going with a daytime tea dance built entirely around Dolly, hosted by Paul Curtis "Disco Daddy" with Collin and Paul, music from DJ Cliffy. Starts at noon, which is the correct hour to begin a Dolly tribute and an aggressive one to begin anything else. Read more

Queer Crafternoon
Sun, Sep 6, 1 to 3 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
First and third Sundays, materials provided, no skill required. The quiet counterprogramming to the block party outside. Read more

Badlands Sunday Showcase
Sun, Sep 6, 8 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), free
Same slot every Sunday, rotating host, fresh cast. On Rainbow Fest night it will be whoever still has the legs. Read more

Pillow Princess: Butches & Bikinis
Sun, Sep 6, 8 PM to 1:30 AM, Roscoe's upstairs (2007 K St), ticketed, 21+
The sapphic takeover returns for Rainbow Fest with a live set from Laziel, DJ Grl Boi, and pop-up burlesque and drag. Five and a half hours, so there is no need to rush the arrival. Read more

Kennedy Davenport
Sun, Sep 6, meet and greet 8 PM, show 9 PM, Faces (2000 K St), ticketed, 21+
An All Stars icon closing out Rainbow Fest day, hosted by Sasha Devaroe. A very long and very good Sunday. Read more

Labor Day Weekend Black Light Party
Sun, Sep 6, 9 PM, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), 21+
Wear something that reacts, or wear white and find out the hard way. The Bolt never charges a cover, which makes this a cheap experiment. Read more

Sacramento FrontRunners Monday Run/Walk
Mon, Sep 7, 6:30 PM, Sacramento Running Company (2673 21st St)
Three miles around Curtis Park at whatever pace you arrived with. Labor Day is not marked as an exception on their calendar, so it is on unless they say otherwise. Read more

Monday Drag Showcase
Mon, Sep 7, 9 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), free
No cover, a rotating host, and a bill built for performers still finding the room. Thirty percent off drinks does not hurt either. Read more

Faces Monday Service
Mon, Sep 7, 9 PM to 1:30 AM, Faces (2000 K St)
The holiday version of a standing Monday night. Nobody has work tomorrow, which historically changes the room. Read more

Second Tuesday Crafternoons
Tue, Sep 8, 5 to 7 PM, A Seat at the Table Books (9257 Laguna Springs Dr #130, Elk Grove), free
Second Tuesdays at the queer bookstore, RSVP requested, supplies already out. Craft badly among friends. Read more

Men's Group
Tue, Sep 8, 6 to 7:30 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), 18+
Weekly, drop in, no sign-up. Tuesday, whatever an older page on their site still insists. Read more

Youth Group
Tue, Sep 8, 6 to 7:30 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), ages 18 to 24
Weekly, free, and specifically for the 18 to 24 bracket. Pass it along to whoever needs it more than you do. Read more

SIN Sacramento
Tue, Sep 8, 6 to 7:30 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), 18+
Second Tuesdays. Strength in Numbers is the Center's social program for people living with HIV, and it is a room rather than an appointment. Read more

Young Adults Social
Tue, Sep 8, 6 PM, Tri-County Diversity (201 D St Ste L, Marysville), free, ages 18 to 29
A social hour for younger queer folks up in Yuba-Sutter, where the options are thinner and the room matters more. Read more

Faces Karaoke Tuesday
Tue, Sep 8, 9 PM to 1:30 AM, Faces (2000 K St)
Karaoke has its own permanent night and four and a half hours to fill. The queue moves, eventually. Read more

Karaoke Night
Tue, Sep 8, 9:30 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), free
Free entry and two dollars off cocktails, half a block from the other karaoke night. Sacramento decided one Tuesday microphone was not enough. Read more

Sunset Sips
Wed, Sep 9, 4 to 7 PM, participating downtown bars and restaurants, 21+
Not a queer event, but downtown's summer happy hour is still running drinks at $5, $7 and $9 across the district. The season ends eventually. Read more

LGBT Grief Group
Wed, Sep 9, 6 to 7 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), 18+
Second and fourth Wednesdays, free. Grief never makes it onto anyone's social calendar, which is exactly why the hour exists. Read more

Piano Bar & Karaoke
Wed, Sep 9, piano 6 to 9 PM, karaoke 9 PM to close, Roscoe's downstairs (2007 K St)
Three hours of live piano, then the microphone opens and the standards get what they deserve. Wednesday, and we will keep saying it. Read more

Sacramento FrontRunners Wednesday Run/Walk
Wed, Sep 9, 6:30 PM, McKinley Park (601 Alhambra Blvd)
Back at McKinley and confirmed there. The social hour swap is a fourth Wednesday thing, so it leaves this one alone. Read more

Bi+Pan Sacramento
Wed, Sep 9, 7 to 8:30 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
Second Wednesdays at the archive, and the first time it has ever run in these pages. We verified it in July and then lost it. Read more

Safe Word: Comedy
Wed, Sep 9, 7 to 10 PM, Radclyffe's (1330 H St #110), ticketed, 21+
Velvet Collar's queer comedy night, three hours long and unusually midweek for this room. Tickets go online rather than at the door. Read more

The Trivia Show
Wed, Sep 9, 8 PM, The Depot (2001 K St)
Josh hosts, teams cap at six, top three take prizes. Recruit the friend who is unbearable about exactly one category. Read more

ROMEO: Western Night
Wed, Sep 9, 9 PM to 1:30 AM, Faces (2000 K St)
Faces goes country for the night, a genre that has always been queerer than it admits. Boots are not required but they are correct. Read more

¡Besos!
Wed, Sep 9, 10 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), free
Latin drag, bilingual, free entry and three-dollar wells for the first hour. Ten o'clock, which we will repeat until it lands. Read more

TransFemme & Non-Binary Support Group
Thu, Sep 10, 6 to 7:30 PM, Gender Health Center (3823 V St), 18+
Second and fourth Thursdays, free, no registration. The TransMasc room ran this week, and this is the other door. Read more

Romantasy Trivia for Queer Women+
Thu, Sep 10, 6:30 to 8 PM, A Seat at the Table Books (9257 Laguna Springs Dr #130, Elk Grove), $5, 18+
Mira hosts a trivia night on dragons, courts and slow burns. Come having done the reading, or come to watch people who did. Read more

Ace/Aro Group
Thu, Sep 10, 7 to 8:30 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
Second Thursdays at the archive. Come find the people who never make you explain the basics. Read more

Liquid Therapy Cocktails
Fri, Sep 11, 5:30–7 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), 21+
Outword and Fred Palmer host a ninety-minute cocktail hour at Badlands — early enough to be a first stop, short enough that it can't become the whole night unless you decide otherwise. A mixer rather than a show, so come for the room. Read more

Come From Away
Fri, Sep 11 through Sun, Sep 20, showtimes vary, UC Davis Health Pavilion (1419 H St), ticketed
The 9/11 musical about a Newfoundland town that took in 7,000 strangers, making its Music Circus debut. Bring somebody who claims they do not cry at theater. Read more

Gaymer Night
Fri, Sep 11, 9 PM to midnight, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), free, 21+
Second Fridays, three hours of controllers in a leather bar, a combination that should not work and does. Read more

Queer Pool & Pizza Party
Sat, Sep 12, 2 to 5 PM, 41 Cadillac Dr, free
Delta Lambda Phi hosts three hours of pool and pizza with no alcohol and street parking only. Low stakes and low cost, which is the point. Read more

Girls, Gays, & Theys
Fri, Sep 11, doors 8:45 PM, show 9 to 10 PM, Sacramento Comedy Spot (1050 20th St, Ste 130), $15
Sketch, improv and stand-up from women and queer comics across Sacramento and the Bay. One hour, which is the correct length for a variety show. Read more

Illusions: The Drag Queen Show
Fri, Sep 11 and Sat, Sep 12, 7 PM, Illusions (910 2nd St, Old Sacramento), ticketed, 21+
Two more nights of celebrity impersonation over dinner in Old Sac, now that their actual calendar has turned up. Read more

Broadway Rave: A Musical Theater Dance Party
Fri, Sep 11, doors 9 PM, show 9:30 PM, Harlow's (2708 J St), ticketed, 21+
A dance party built entirely on show tunes, with costumes encouraged and surprise guests promised. Sing along to the hits, dress as your favorite character, and stop pretending you don't know every word to the Wicked score. Listed ticket prices include all online fees. Read more

DOCO Makers Market
Sat, Sep 12, 11 AM–4 PM, Downtown Commons west plaza (Sacramento), free, all ages
Not a queer event, but supporting small makers over Amazon is a moral position: local artisans selling jewelry, candles, art, bath and body, flowers and plants across the west plaza, with DJ Valleyghoul on the decks while you browse. Quarterly, so the next one after this is December. Read more

Clue: A Classic Whodunit Murder Mystery Dinner
Sat, Sep 12, doors 6 PM, Delta King (1000 Front St, Old Sacramento), $75
Not a queer event, but the Delta King is a paddle steamer permanently docked in Old Sac, which is camp enough to qualify: a three-course dinner wrapped around an interactive Clue-themed murder mystery. Tables seat 10 to 12 and each one is a team with a suspect planted at it, so you'll be solving the case with strangers whether you planned to or not. Dress code is business casual or dress the theme. Allow extra time for Old Sac parking. Reserve at 916-444-5464. Read more

OUT! at the Movies: Hair
Sat, Sep 12, doors 6 PM, film 6:15 PM, Tri-County Diversity (201 D St Ste L, Marysville), free, 18+
The monthly queer film night takes on the 1979 musical, snack bar included. Free, forty minutes north, and exactly as camp as you are hoping. Read more

The Velvet Room: Drag Cabaret & Dinner
Sat, Sep 12, seating 6:30 PM, Roscoe's upstairs (2007 K St), ticketed
Second Saturdays, dinner included, in the room where the brunch happens. Dinner theater with better lighting. Read more

Sunday Drag Brunch
Sun, Sep 13, seatings 10:30 AM & 1:30 PM, Roscoe's (2007 K St), ticketed,
Taryn Thru-U hosts upstairs with Mae Heffiman, Uneke Chanel and Hellen Heels. Two seatings, and $18 bottomless mimosas with an entrée, capped at two hours — a limit that exists for a reason and that someone will still test. Read more

LLACE Game Day
Sun, Sep 13, 12 to 2 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
Second Sundays, two hours of games at the archive. Bring the competitive streak you keep claiming you do not have. Read more

Makeup & Mimosas
Sun, Sep 13, 12 PM, Punch Line Sacramento (2100 Arden Way), ticketed, 13+ with a parent
Second Sundays with Apple Adams and Suzette Veneti. Officially all-ages-adjacent, which is either a selling point or a warning depending on your company. Read more

River City Bowlers Season Opener
Sun, Sep 13, 5:15 PM, Country Club Lanes (2600 Watt Ave)
The LGBT bowling league opens its 2026 to 2027 season, which is a nine-month commitment in rented shoes. Read more

Rainbow Chamber Networking Mixer
Tue, Sep 15, 6 to 7:30 PM, Change Craft (1414 K St Ste 150), free for members and $10 otherwise
The venue rotates monthly and September lands downtown. Light bites, beer and wine, and ninety minutes to leave with three business cards. Read more

Music Bingo Night
Tue, Sep 15, 6:30–8:30 PM, Teneral Cellars (1050 20th St), free to play, 21+
Bingo where you mark songs instead of numbers, hosted by DJ Shannon of Big Girl Big Sound. Free to play with prizes, running first and third Tuesdays. Queer-owned and women-owned wine lounge, so the money stays in good hands. Read more

California Immigrant Health Series
Wed, Sep 16, 4:30 to 6 PM, 2031 K St, free
The California LGBTQ Health & Human Services Network on what queer immigrants can actually access right now. Ninety minutes of the practical kind of information. Read more

Haus of Hormones: ConneQT with QTs
Wed, Sep 16, 6 to 9 PM, Gender Health Center (3823 V St), free
First and third Wednesdays, no agenda and no intake form. Three hours with people who do not need the backstory. Read more

Heated Rivalry Book Club with Mira
Wed, Sep 16, 6:30 to 8:30 PM, A Seat at the Table Books (9257 Laguna Springs Dr #130, Elk Grove), $10
An after-hours book club on the hockey romance, with a themed drink and the sequel already on the table. We called this a trivia night last week and we were wrong. Read more

Club 55
Thu, Sep 17, 4 to 5:30 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free
Third Thursdays for queer folks over 55. The generation that made the rest of this possible, still showing up. Read more

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Thu, Sep 17 through Sun, Sep 20, showtimes vary, Golden 1 Center (500 David J Stern Walk), ticketed, all ages
Not a queer show, but the ringmaster's coat argues otherwise: animal-free, acrobat-heavy, and full of men in very small outfits doing impossible things in midair. Read more

Baddies Only
Fri, Sep 18, 10 PM, Badlands (2003 K St), 21+
The content-creator party returns with Nick Fitt, Clark Davis and Spiderweb Roses. Go-go dancers, a DJ, and a room that knows exactly what it signed up for. Read more

Russian River Pride: Parade & Festival
Sat, Sep 19, parade 12 PM, festival to follow, Guerneville, free, all ages
Road trip: the parade steps off at noon through downtown Guerneville with the festival running after — live entertainment, local vendors, food. Free and all ages. Guerneville has been a queer refuge since long before Pride was a parade route, and the river-town version runs looser than the city ones. About two and a half hours west, so plan on staying over. Read more

Pup Mosh
Sat, Sep 19, 2 to 6 PM, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), free, 21+
The monthly pup social runs in the afternoon rather than late, which makes it a gentler first visit than a night event. Read more

Free HIV & STI testing at The Bolt
Sat, Sep 19, 3–8 PM, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), free
Golden Rule Services brings its mobile testing lab to The Bolt for a five-hour session. Free HIV and STI testing, plus information on PrEP and PEP. If the date doesn't work, GRS tests year-round at its facility at 7171 Bowling Dr, Suite 210 — always free. Call 916-427-4653. Read more

Fluff with Manni Peddi
Sat, Sep 19, seating 6:30 PM, show 7 to 9 PM, Roscoe's upstairs (2007 K St), ticketed
Third Saturdays, the counterpart to The Velvet Room. Same room, different host, entirely different energy. Read more

ROAR
Sat, Sep 19, 8:30 PM, Radclyffe's (1330 H St, enter on 14th), $10 or $7 in fursuit, 21+
Third Saturdays, and the discount for arriving in fursuit is the most honest pricing structure in Sacramento. Read more

Campout at The Bolt
Sat, Sep 19, party 9 PM, campout at close, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), [cover?], 21+
Tents in the backyard, s'mores, music, and a party that doesn't end at last call — it just moves outside and goes horizontal. Pitch early if you want a spot, because the good ground goes first. Read more

Sapphic-on-Sapphic: Mystique Sensual
Sun, Sep 20, 5 PM, Borne Arts Collective (887 57th St), ticketed
A sapphic burlesque and variety production in an East Sac arts space. Sunday evening, which is a bold and correct scheduling choice. Read more

Queer Magic Monday
Mon, Sep 21, 7 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
Tarot and oracle cards, no experience required, third Mondays. Monthly rather than weekly, which we had wrong until this week. Read more

Kori King: The Black Barbie Tour
Tue, Sep 22, 7:30 PM, Punch Line Sacramento (2100 Arden Way), ticketed
The Drag Race star brings the Black Barbie Tour through on a Tuesday, which is its own kind of statement. Read more

Queer Writers Salon
Wed, Sep 23, 6 to 8 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
Two hours at the archive with people who will actually read the thing. Bring pages or bring nothing. Read more

Latine Queer Group
Thu, Sep 24, 7 to 8:30 PM, Lavender Library (1414 21st St), free
Fourth Thursdays at the archive, free, and reliably on the calendar even in the months we misplace it. Read more

Fleetwood Macramé: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac
Fri, Sep 25, 7 PM, Goldfield Trading Post (238 Vernon St, Roseville), ticketed, all ages
Road trip: a Bay Area Fleetwood Mac tribute band with a name that earned its own listing, playing the hits with audience singalong actively encouraged. Not a queer show, but "Dreams" at full volume in a room of people who all know the words is its own kind of gay. Twenty minutes up 80, all ages. Read more

Sabor Y Cultura Night Market
Fri, Sep 25, 5 to 8 PM, Sacramento LGBT Community Center (2031 K St), free
A night market run out of the Center's youth program. Vendors, food and a Friday evening that costs nothing. Read more

#STFU! Drag Lip-Sync & Stand-Up
Sat, Sep 26, 9 PM, STAB! Comedy Theater (1710 Broadway), $11
lolgbt+ puts lip-sync and stand-up on the same bill, which is a genuinely hard tonal needle to thread. Eleven dollars to watch them try. Read more

Bear Claw
Sat, Sep 26, 9 PM, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), free, 21+
The monthly bear night, billed for otters, cubs, bears and anyone hoping to leave with one. No cover, as ever. Read more

The 15 Association Folsom Play Party
Sat, Sep 26, 6 PM, Paradox (1310 Mission St, San Francisco), ticket required, 21+
Road trip: the 15 Association — the oldest BDSM club for gay men and adjacent on the West Coast — runs its Folsom weekend play party. Advance tickets only and organizers expect a sellout, so buy early. First-timers can't simply buy in: you request an invite through the club's site, which is standard practice for a play space and worth starting well ahead of the date. Read more

Crystal Methyd
Sun, Sep 27, $20 meet and greet 8 PM, show 9 PM, Faces (2000 K St), 21+
The All Stars 11 winner, hosted by Sasha Devaroe, with a month of lead time to assemble an outfit worth the trip. Read more

Hotties & Hops
Sun, Oct 25, 3 to 6 PM, At Ease Brewing (1825 I St), $10 suggested donation
A queer craft social for women, trans and nonbinary folks in Midtown, with supplies to borrow and all-gender restrooms. The low-effort end of the social calendar, deliberately. Read more

Pride in the Park
Sat, Oct 3, 11 AM to 4 PM, Sam Brannan Park (806 Gray Ave, Yuba City), free, all ages
Year five for Tri County Diversity, free and worth the drive north. Small-town Pride does something the big ones cannot. Read more

Electric Feels
Fri, Oct 9, 8:30 PM, Ace of Spades (1417 R St), ticketed
Indie and electronic all night, which in practice means Daft Punk into MGMT into Charli XCX. Read more

Farmers Market at Teneral Cellars
Sat, Oct 10, 10 AM–1 PM, Teneral Cellars (1050 20th St)
Redfin has a table at the farmers market with their Wine Wheel. Spin for a chance to win Teneral wine, bottomless mimosas or Pride swag, and Amanda and David will be there to answer questions about Redfin's money-saving programs for homebuyers and sellers. Read more

Coming Out Day Festival
Sat, Oct 10, 11 AM to 4 PM, Township 9 Park (611 Riverine Way), free
Local LGBTQ+ performers, vendors and resource tables covering safe sex, harm reduction and gender-affirming care. Built as much around the tables as the stage. Read more

Drink & Draw
Sat, Oct 10, 3–6 PM, The Bolt (2560 Boxwood St), $10 suggested donation, 21+
Lady Bones hosts a life drawing session with live models, supplies included and all skill levels welcome — so the fact that you haven't drawn anything since high school is not the obstacle you think it is. Proceeds go to a local charity. Read more

Blazin' Saddles with Diplo, Dustin Lynch and Wuki
Fri, Oct 16, 4 to 11 PM, Hornet Heartbeat (3001 Ramona Ave), ticketed
Sac State homecoming weekend, with country and dance colliding entirely on purpose. Read more

Sacramento Leather Invasion: Bar Crawl
Sat, Oct 17, from 7 PM, starting at The Mercantile Saloon (1928 L St)
Four bars in one night benefiting the Trevor Project: the Merc at 7, Badlands at 8, The Depot at 9, The Bolt at 10. Harness optional, the cause is not. Read more

Boas & Bow Ties Gala
Thu, Oct 22, 6 to 9 PM, venue to be announced
The Rainbow Chamber's scholarship gala, black tie with a twist, registration open before the room has a name. Read more

Nevermore Gorelesque: Cabaret Macabre
Fri, Oct 23, 8:30 PM, Historic Colonial Theatre (3522 Stockton Blvd), ticketed, 21+
Burlesque, drag and horror on one bill hosted by Mr. Rob Roberts, with a VIP meet and greet available. Read more

The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Sat, Oct 24, show 9 PM, Historic Colonial Theatre (3522 Stockton Blvd), $23.50 general
Amber's Sweets brings the shadowcast out for the first of two nights this October. Corsets encouraged, shame actively discouraged. Read more

Q-Prom: Camp Heebie Jeebies
Sun, Oct 25, 6 PM, Ace of Spades (1417 R St), free, ages 13 to 20
A queer prom for teenagers who did not get one, or did not get a good one. Free, which removes the last excuse. Read more

Orville Peck: Man Turned Mule Tour
Wed, Oct 28, doors 7 PM, show 8 PM, Channel 24 (1800 24th St), ticketed
Peck has spent a career arguing country music was always queer enough to hold him, and the live show is where that stops being theoretical. Read more

Rocky Horror Halloween
Sat, Oct 31, show 9 PM, Historic Colonial Theatre (3522 Stockton Blvd), $25 general
The second Amber's Sweets shadowcast, on the night it was built for. Two dates, two tickets, no apologies. Read more

Sacramento Gay Men's Chorus: Holiday Hits with a Splash of Sass
Sat, Dec 5, 2 PM and 7 PM, Sacramento Memorial Auditorium (1515 J St), ticketed
Big harmonies, familiar carols, and enough sass to stop the evening turning sincere on you. Read more

A Drag Queen Christmas
Wed, Dec 9, doors 6:30 PM, show 7:30 PM, Channel 24 (1800 24th St), ticketed
The touring Drag Race holiday show, on sale now. Book it and then forget about it until December. Read more

Sacramento Ballet: The Nutcracker
Tue, Dec 22, 2 PM, SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center (1301 L St), ticketed
Sacramento Ballet's annual Nutcracker, matinee performance. Tickets went on sale in August. Advance parking can be booked through City of Sacramento Parking, which is worth doing for a downtown matinee in December. Read more

Dreams Come True: A Tribute to GLEE
Sacramento Lavender Chorus, ongoing fundraiser
The chorus is $416 into a $3,000 goal to license the scores for its winter GLEE tribute. Sheet music does not pay for itself. Read more

It helps keep this newsletter going, and half of every dollar goes straight into an end-of-year holiday party you're all invited to. Apply to become our Sugar Daddy 😘

Three things before we go:

See you next Thursday.

— Thomas & Tom