Celebrate Pride Month in St. Louis with these restaurants, bars and more

Wave your flags high – it’s Pride Month! Here’s a selection of area businesses that are doing their part to support the LQBTQIA+ community in St. Louis and beyond.

Pride Month Celebration Fundraiser at Platypus
Kick off Pride Month right at the Grove’s premier cocktail bar. The evening will feature a comedy showcase hosted by Maxi Glamour, DJ sets by DJ Umami + Rico Steez and a raffle for services and products from local businesses like The Gramophone, Electric Mayhem Tattoo, Black Rabbit Vintage, Olive + Oak and more. Proceeds from the festivities go toward funding a “Trans Joy Is My Love Language” mural in the Grove, as well as supporting the LGBTQ advocacy group Promo.
Thursday, June 1 – 6 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., 4501 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.359.2293, drinkplatypus.com

90’s Drag Brunch/Pride Kickoff Party at Art Bar
Travel back to the heady days of the 1990s at Art Bar, the rooftop bar at Angad Arts Hotel, and celebrate and support the St. Louis LBTQIA community.  A ticket to the party ($45) grants access to 12 drag performances, a DJ spinning ’90s faves, a brunch buffet with plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free fare, a complimentary mimosa or mocktail and giveaways and interactive fun throughout the event. A portion of the proceeds benefit Metro Trans Umbrella Group. Guests must be over 21 to partake in the revelry.
Sunday, June 4 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 3550 Samuel Shepard Drive, St. Louis, eventbrite.com

Pride Book Bazaar Pop-Up 
Blueprint Coffee is partnering with Left Bank Books on a pop-up book bazaar series this summer, and it's kicking off on Sunday, June 11. There will be Pride selections available that showcase Left Bank’s Queer Joy June reading challenge. The Summer Book Bazaar series will be held at High Low Coffee Bar, Blueprint’s literary arts cafe.
Sunday, June 11 – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 3301 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314.266.8808, blueprintcoffee.com/locations 

Made With Pride Market 
City Foundry STL is hosting the second annual Made with Pride pop-up market in partnership with Tower Grove Pride to celebrate the lead-up to Pride Weekend. The market will take place from Wednesday, June 21, through Thursday, June 22, from 3 to 8 p.m., Friday, June 23, from 3 to 9 p.m., and Saturday, June 24, from noon to 6 p.m. and will feature approximately 70 LGBTQIA+ small business vendors, including artists, retailers, nonprofits and more.
3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, cityfoundrystl.com 

Pride Love Sundae at Eckert's
Eckert's Farm is celebrating Pride Month with the return of the Pride Love Sundae at the farm’s new Mr. E’s Cider Donut & Custard Shop, on sale through the end of June. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the sweet treat, which features rainbow cake, vanilla custard, whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles, will go to support PFLAG, the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, their families and allies.
951 S. Green Mount Road, Belleville, 618.233.0513, eckerts.com

Hi-Pointe Drag Brunch
Join the queens from Haus of Nebula and enjoy burgers, brunch favorites and boozy breakfast cocktails at Hi-Pointe Drive-In's drag brunch. The $35 ticket includes an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, a mimosa and, of course, a fabulous drag performance.
Saturday, June 17 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1033 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, 314.349.2720, hipointedrivein.com 

Unicorn Taco at Mission Taco Joint
Jason Tilford, co-owner of Mission Taco Joint, has partnered with Sophie Mendelson, co-owner and founder of Sugarwitch, and St. Louis pastry chef Tai Davis, to create Mission's first-ever dessert taco. The Unicorn Taco features a waffle cone dipped in pink-colored Callebaut white chocolate and filled with Fruity Pebbles cereal milk-flavored ice cream before being dipped in white chocolate again and covered in Fruity Pebbles cereal. The Unicorn Taco is available all month at all Mission Taco Joint locations in the St. Louis and Kansas City areas. A portion of proceeds from each taco sold benefits the Metro Trans Umbrella Group in St. Louis and Transformations in Kansas City.
multiple locations, missiontacojoint.com

Moto Museum Insta Giveaway 
Beginning Thursday, June 1, and running through the end of the month, The Smith, the event space located inside the Moto Museum, is hosting a Pride Month giveaway on its Instagram account (@thesmith.stl). Nominate your favorite LGBTQ+ couples by tagging them in a comment on the post, and they could win a wedding-related event at the venue. The winning couple can choose between a rehearsal dinner or a wedding welcome party at The Smith for up to 50 people catered by Culinary Canvas, including a beer and wine bar and the choice of buffet-style catering, a grazing table or passed appetizers. The winning couple will be announced on Monday, July 3.
The Smith, 3408 Locust St., St. Louis, 314.446.1805, themotomuseum.com

Promo Promotions
Several area businesses are celebrating Pride Month by offering specials in support of Promo, the statewide LGBTQ advocacy and lobbying nonprofit:   

Bijoux Handcrafted Chocolates is releasing two special boxes of chocolates called the Pride Collection. The boxes feature either eight or 12 chocolates and contain flavors such as salted caramel, cheesecake and baklava. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Promo to assist with their legislative efforts at the Missouri State Capitol. The boxes are available through June at both of Bijoux’s retail locations and online.

Vegetarian pizza shop Pizza Head is hosting a one-day fundraiser for Promo on Monday, June 5, with its “Y’all” pepperoni pizza. The specialty pie features pepperonis in a “Y’all” design to represent Promo’s unofficial slogan of “Y’all Means All.” Fifty percent of every pizza sold will go to Promo. Orders can be placed online for pick-up or delivery at pizzahead.com or in-person at Pizza Head’s brick-and-mortar at 3196 South Grand Blvd.

On Monday, June 5, Small Batch Whiskey & Fare, located at 3001 Locust St., is partnering with Lifted Spirits Distillery from Kansas City for a Pride Happy Hour from 5 to 7 p.m. Guests can nosh on a variety of complimentary appetizers while sipping five Pride-themed cocktails using Lifted Spirits. There will also be a sampling of Lifted Spirits’ boozy wares and limited-edition of its Brilliant Vodka Pride Label bottles for sale. A portion of all happy hour cocktail sales during the event will go to support Promo, and $1 of every bottle of the Brilliant Vodka bottles will be donated to the Kansas City Center for Inclusion.

The Fountain on Locust at 3037 Locust St. is hosting a month-long fundraiser, beginning on Thursday, June 1. The popular Midtown ice cream shop is offering two boozy ice cream drinks, the Born This Way (curacao, vanilla vodka, Champagne, vanilla ice cream and strawberry ice cream) and A Lil’ Fruity ( vanilla ice cream, banana liqueur, coconut liqueur and pineapple juice), and an ice cream sundae called LesBeHonest ( strawberry and vanilla ice cream, orange sherbet, strawberry and marshmallow sauces and whipped cream), proceeds from which will benefit Promo. The specials are available for dine-in or carryout.

Hi-Pointe Drive-In is offering a specialty giveback pride milkshake featuring Ronnie’s vanilla ice cream, fresh blackberries, whipped cream, and rainbow sprinkles. A portion of the proceeds from every shake sold will go to Promo. The shakes will be available for purchase at all Hi-Pointe Drive-In locations from June 1 through June 30 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (hipointedrivein.com) 

In addition, Wellspent Brewing Co. and PLNK STL will be accepting donations to support Promo at their locations all month.