Gay Guide to Eureka Springs
Marriage equality came to Arkansas in 2015, but Eureka Springs has been a queer haven in the Bible Belt far longer. This tiny Victorian resort town in the Ozark Mountains, with its steep streets and healing springs, is often called the gayest small town in America, and a large share of its residents identify as LGBTQ.
There is no gayborhood because the whole town is welcoming; more than fifty gay-owned businesses fill a downtown where nearly every bar, inn, and cafe prides itself on inclusivity, so much so that there are no exclusively gay venues. The arts scene, the historic hotels, and the winding mountain lanes give it a bohemian, live-and-let-live charm.
Eureka Springs draws queer travelers from across the region as a mountain escape unlike anything else in the mid-South.
Uniquely, the town holds Diversity Weekends three times a year, in spring, summer, and fall, each bringing drag, live music, and thousands of visitors to the Ozarks.