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  • Pride in Tucson Runs Through the Kitchens

    Pride in Tucson Runs Through the Kitchens

    Pride in Tucson doesn’t look like Pride in bigger cities. There’s no corporate float parade down Congress Street in June. Instead, there’s a month of drag brunches, bar crawls, night markets, and small-town parades. Restaurants and bars in Tucson and Southern Arizona Pride host them. They hold this community together, the other eleven months too.

    That’s not an accident. It’s how it started here.

    Pride Began from Violence in Tucson

    Tucson’s Pride didn’t begin because of New York’s uprising. It began outside Stonewall Tavern in June 1976 in murder as 21-year-old Richard Heakin, a tourist from Nebraska, was a victim of a hate crime by four teenagers. The name “Stonewall” is a coincidence. This Stonewall had nothing to do with the 1969 riots in Greenwich Village. Unfortunately, the killers were tried as juveniles and got probation.

    Tucson, as a community, responded fast. By 1977, organizers had pushed the Tucson City Council to pass one of the first anti-discrimination ordinances in the country to protect gay and lesbian residents. That June, the Tucson Gay Coalition held the Gay Pride and Richard Heakin Memorial Picnic at Himmel Park. About 50 people came, and it marked Arizona’s first Pride event. Phoenix wouldn’t hold one for more than a decade.

    And to be truthful, that ordinance didn’t come from nowhere. Tucson sits in the homeland of the Tohono O’odham and the Pascua Yaqui. The first peoples resided in this basin for more than 4000 years, making room for those who lived outside the gender binary long before any government could vote on it. The two-Spirit has long been an Indigenous identity that predates colonization. Indeed, the Tohono O’odham Two-Spirit community is still here, hosting its own Pride gatherings on the Nation. So when the city acted in 1977, it wasn’t inventing acceptance but rather honoring the character of the land on which it was built.

    For almost fifty years, Tucson’s queer history could be found in places where people shared food, so it stood to reason that, from that picnic, a festival would emerge that lasted nearly five decades. In 1982, marchers walked from Tucson to Phoenix to turn Pride into a civil rights march against discrimination across the state.

    Unfortunately, this year is different. Tucson Pride, the organization, dissolved in early 2026 after 49 years. However, new groups are forming to carry into the future. Today, Pride has returned to restaurants, bars, and patios where it was in 1977. It’s the simple act of gathering together.

    Tucson has been an Arizona trailblazer for nearly half a century. It was among the first cities in the nation to ban anti-gay discrimination, and it consistently earns a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index. The city provides explicit protections in housing, employment, and public accommodations. Phoenix and Tempe hold perfect 100s, too, on the strength of inclusive employment policies, non-discrimination ordinances, and LGBTQ+ liaisons.

    Those are pockets, though, not the whole state. Advocacy is still necessary. The State of Arizona does not protect LGBTQ people across the board. Unfortunately, a bill that would create one keeps dying in the legislature, specifically over faith-based exemptions and transgender rights. Thus, belonging is still contested; the answer a restaurant gives at its own door matters. None of these places requires a membership card.

    Chela’s Latin Cuisine

    Disco Divas Drag Brunch, Sunday, June 28, noon. 256 E. Congress St. $20 to $25.

    The Divas Illusion Show marks two years of brunches at Chela’s. The Latin restaurant on Congress has quietly become one of downtown’s most reliable stages for drag. Two years isn’t a one-off Pride gesture. It’s a standing commitment, renewed monthly, in the middle of the city’s busiest dining corridor. Come for the performances. Stay for the food. It holds its own without the show.

    HighWire

    Drag Brunch at The Grand, Saturday, June 21, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 33 S. Sixth Ave. $60.

    HighWire built its name on molecular mixology. Its annual Pride drag brunch returns with a buffet, HighWire Craft Spirits cocktails, and performances from Mya McKenzie, Chris Mort, Onika Grande, and Ezmerelda Felix. This one sells out. Buy tickets early.

    Tito & Pep

    4122 E. Speedway Blvd. Dinner nightly, brunch Saturday and Sunday.

    Chef and owner John Martinez built Tito & Pep into one of the city’s best-known tables (NY Times, Arizona Highways), with Southwest cooking and a cocktail program to match. It’s an inclusive, Latinx-owned dining space that runs a gender-neutral restroom and is listed as a transgender safe space. A restaurant doesn’t put that on the record by accident. It does it because it decided, on purpose, who gets to feel at home at the table. Go for the food, but linger because of how it treats you.

    The Royal Room

    450 N. Sixth Ave. Open 7 days a week, happy hour 4 to 7 p.m.

    Sitting at the corner of Sixth and Sixth, on the border of the Fourth Avenue district, guests will discover craft beer, a rotating cocktail list, Sunday trivia nights, and, from the patio, El Taco Royale’s outdoor street tacos. Pride flags decorate the space, while a go-with-the-flow group occupies the seats, as good neighborhood bars always do. It’s the kind of local hangout where everyone is welcome, no matter the color or gender. Grab a table after work, before a show at Rogue Theater, or hang out sipping something refreshing while reading an analog book. They all work.

    The Official Pride Bar Crawl

    Saturday, June 20, starting at 4 p.m. Multiple downtown venues.

    A multi-stop crawl through downtown bars. Drink and food specials at participating venues, drag shows along the route, and an after-party. Twenty percent of proceeds go to the Tucson LGBT Chamber of Commerce. Your bar tab supports queer-owned businesses across the region. Tickets at crawlwith.us/tucson/pride.

    Tucson Hop Shop

    3230 N. Dodge Blvd.

    The beer garden in the Dodge Flower district opened in June with its Summer Queer Bazaar, a night market with more than 30 vendors, a DJ, food, and aerialists. That event has passed. The welcome hasn’t. Hop Shop runs one of the most come-as-you-are patios in the city, with rotating food trucks most nights. Bring the dog. Order a local hazy. This is the low-key option.

    IBT’s

    616 N. Fourth Ave.

    IBT’s (”It’s ‘bout Time) stand the test of time as being  a long-running Tucson gay bar of record for more than 40 years. Drag shows, karaoke, and a patio built for summer nights. It anchors the north end of the avenue the way a courthouse anchors a town square. Every Pride event in this city traces back to this room.

    Venture-N

    1239 N. Sixth Ave.

    Tucson’s leather bar is also one of the city’s friendliest. It’s a straightforward (lol) bar with pool tables, a patio with a fire pit, strong drinks, and a regular event calendar of theme nights. The crowd skews older. The welcome extends to everyone who walks in. That combination is rarer than it should be.

    Sky Bar

    536 N. Fourth Ave.

    A solar-powered cafe serving coffee and breakfast calzones by day; at night, it turns into an astronomy bar with telescopes so that you can have a signature Lunar Lemonade or a Cosmic Mule while gaping at Saturn and the moon.  Occasional events that focus on the LGBTQIA crowd, but it’s more about the inclusivity.

    Bisbee Pride

    Friday through Sunday, June 19 to 21. Old Bisbee.

    Bisbee Pride turns the whole mining town into a festival every Father’s Day weekend. The restaurants and bars of Old Bisbee are the infrastructure that makes it run. The parade steps off Saturday morning at the Cochise County Courthouse and winds down Tombstone Canyon and Main Street, past the cafés and saloons that feed and water the crowd all weekend. There’s a pool party. There’s a doggy drag show. There’s history. Bisbee was the first municipality in Arizona to pass a civil union ordinance, before marriage equality became federal law. A town of fewer than 5,000 got there before the state did. Book a room now or plan to drive back, because Bisbee gets busy!

    One More Thing

    There’s no official festival this fall. Not yet. The organization that started with a picnic in Himmel Park is gone, and the groups forming to replace it are still finding their feet. So, this year, Pride in Tucson is what it was in 1977. People showing up for each other at tables, on patios, in bars. Honestly, forty-nine years later, that still works.

    Eat well. Make sure to tip your queens, kings and everyone in between.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When is Bisbee Pride 2026?

    Bisbee Pride happens June 19 to 21, 2026, over Father’s Day weekend. The parade steps off Saturday morning at the Cochise County Courthouse in Old Bisbee. Restaurants and bars across town host events all weekend.

    Where are the best Pride events in Tucson in June?

    This year — 2026 — Tucson’s Pride is in its restaurants and bars. Chela’s Latin Cuisine and HighWire host drag brunches. The downtown Pride Bar Crawl runs June 20. Tito & Pep, Tucson Hop Shop, IBTs and The Royal Room welcome the community year-round.

    Does Tucson have a Pride festival?

    Unfortunately. Tucson’s longtime Pride organization dissolved in early 2026 after 49 years due to financial issues. Successor groups are forming.

    When did Tucson Pride start?

    Tucson held its first Pride event on June 26, 1977, a sweet picnic at Himmel Park. Organizers began planning after the 1976 murder of Richard Heakin outside a local bar. That same year, the city passed one of the first anti-discrimination ordinances in the country, protecting gay and lesbian residents. It was Arizona’s first Pride, more than a decade before Phoenix’s.

    Is Tucson LGBTQ friendly?

    Tucson earns a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index. The city protects against discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations. The State of Arizona has no statewide law covering public accommodations.

    ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Brian Garrido is a Tucson-based food and culture writer and editor of i8tonite

  • How Restaurants Are Powering Downtown Tucson Right Now

    How Restaurants Are Powering Downtown Tucson Right Now

    Downtown Tucson restaurants are helping shape how the city feels in the 21st century, from walkable lunches along Congress Street to late dinners on Fourth Avenue. As Tucson continues to grow as a destination for everything from culture to art to a food paradise, downtown is driving foot traffic, evening and day experiences, and an overall energy found in much larger areas. The best way to understand it is to walk it.

    I get to know a place by walking through and imagining what it would be like to live there. Sometimes, as I did in Paris or San Miguel de Allende, I’ve rented homes to get a feel for the locale. To shop in the markets and make my dinner, or to head to the laundry mat to wash my clothes. Other times, I’m content to have passed through. Once, after a meal in Kuala Lumpur’s Jalan Alor night market, I stumbled onto a drag club tucked in an alley, closed for the night but marked by a sign with photos of queens in full regalia. It was one of those treasured discoveries that stays with you, even if you only see it from the outside. (Malaysia is known for terrible LGBTQ+ rights, which is why it was surprising to find any type of gay club.)

    It reminds me that Downtown Tucson doesn’t show itself all at once, either. Some people think of it as only a health and wellness destination or hiking trails. Others think of it as a the only the best Mexican Food, but it’s so layered with culture and all sorts of dining experiences.

    Candlelit Penca, with its tall windows and industrial vibe, leans into central Mexican flavors with house-made tortillas, roasted meats, mezcal, chile relleno and slow-braised carnitas. It’s that place with sidewalk dining that feels like a neighborhood. It has that fashionable vibe that reminds me of the East Village or the Gold Coast in Chicago, creative food and a realness that displays what Southern Arizona can offer.

    Tacos at Penca.
    Tacos at Penca.

    At The Monica, with its large indoor and outdoor spaces that draw a different kind of crowd and keep the entire day moving. Sitting right in the middle of the world, that is Tucson, it begins pulling customers in for breakfast and keeps them for lunch. Perfect for a wine spritzer and a salad or burger. Over the course of its day, it takes the city from morning meetings to downtown cocktails, showing how the area rolls.

    The Monica.
    The Monica on Congress.

    URSA is after something else: Chef\ owner Aaron Lopez explores his Sonoran Desert childhood, raising expectations of how people see Tucson as a food city. It draws in diners who want more of an experience, traveling with their taste buds, if you will. This is one of the few places in the world where eaters get to eat a pickled cholla bud or an entire dessert made of cactus. Its uniqueness lies in the kind of influence that doesn’t stay inside four walls or even within Arizona. Lopez and Ursa are changing the conversation about Tucson and what it can become.

    A course at Ursa with natural plant-based skewers.
    A course at Ursa with natural plant-based skewers.

    Right next door, Los Milics Restaurant and Tasting Room create a wine-country experience in an urban setting. Guests get window seats to the comings and goings of the sidewalk, which adds to the urban story. Carefully selected charcuterie, polenta tots with a savory strawberry jam and goat cheese, and house made focaccia to make the Arizona wines sippable on a warm afternoon.

    Charcuterie board at Los Milics.
    Charcuterie board at Los Milics with housemade focaccia

    And then there’s Café à la C’Art, tucked inside the old 1865 Stevens House on the grounds of the Tucson Museum of Art. Come earlier in the day for a slow lunch, chatting with a friend and gossiping about the kids. It’s a casual mix of American bistro dishes, like a steak salad or their version of a croque Monsieur with thickly sliced bread, chunky ham and creamy bechamel. On weekends, the rooms and patio lean into parents with their kids and a louder meal experience, but it never loses that art-filled dining one expects from tier-one cities.

    American bistro fare at Cafe a la Carte
    Jessica Gonzalez mural, "Mask of Many Stories" Tucson Museum of Art
    Jessica Gonzalez mural, “Mask of Many Stories” Tucson Museum of Art

    A short 15-minute walk to the Barrio Viejo, The Coronet, feels different. It’s a melding of Los Milics and à la C’Art, an inventive space with imaginative compositions. Crunchy lettuces dressed in goat blue cheese, Barrio Bread and whipped butter, firm tofu dusted with turmeric and coconut. We sat in the courtyard where cou. Nick said it feels like Beverly Hills. My friends said Santa Barbara. I thought a bit like San Miguel de Allende.

    What stands out isn’t just what these places do on their own, but how they carry the rest of their days and weeks. Some are for breakfast meetings, others for the evening and carousing, while others are meant for contemplation and chats. Together, they create a remarkable experience that only Tucson can offer.

    My Gluten Free Strawberry Shortcake Cake

    When it’s strawberry season, I think of my grandmother picking strawberries at her South Carolina farm. It’s familiar and all about the fruit, cream, and a cake that will hold it like a trophy stand.

    Strawberry shortcake, Grandma Anna-style
    Strawberry shortcake, Grandma Anna-style

    Essentially, this is the recipe I remember her making. It was a layered cake with berries and whipped cream in the middle and on top. using. The first time, I made this GF version, it came out a little too dry, which was fine, but not something I wanted to repeat. So, this one leans into a moist crumb, with oil and kefir to keep but sturdy enough to hold together as the fruit juices soak in. If you don’t have kefir, yogurt or buttermilk, any of them will also work. While this is gluten-free, feel free to make yours with wheat flour. No judgment, but we are GF focused in our house.  

    Ingredients

    Strawberries (You can also use different berries: Blue, raspberries)

    • 1 pound strawberries, sliced
    • 1/4 cup sugar
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • pinch of salt

    Cake

    • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free 1:1 flour
    • 1/2 cup almond flour
    • 3/4 cup sugar
    • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/2 teaspoon salt
    • 2 eggs
    • 1/2 cup neutral oil
    • 3/4 cup kefir (or buttermilk)
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla

    Whipped cream

    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla

    Instructions

    Cut the strawberries into bite-sized, uniform pieces. Toss them into a bowl with the sugar, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Let them sit until they relinquish their juices.

    Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch cake pan. Whisk the dry ingredients together in one bowl. In another, whisk the eggs, oil, kefir, and vanilla until smooth. Combine the two, mixing just until they come together. If you overmix, you lose some of that moistness, and it will become slightly dense.

    Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25 to 28 minutes. A few extra minutes can tip it from just right to overdone, so pull it as soon as you feel the center is set.

    Let the cake cool completely before cutting. Whip the cream until soft peaks form, not stiff peaks. Assemble however you like—slice the cake in half or serve it in thick pieces. Spoon the strawberries and their juices over the top, add the cream, and it will drizzle into a succulent puddle. It should be soft, strawberry-soaked, with a light crumb to hold it all together.

  • 6 Yummy Gluten-Free Bakeries in Indianapolis

    6 Yummy Gluten-Free Bakeries in Indianapolis

    Various gluten-free pastries at the Amp Farmers Market by Lydia Bootz Armstong
    Various gluten-free pastries at the Amp Farmers Market by Lydia Bootz Armstong

    Exploring Non-Vegan, Gluten Free Bakeries in Indianapolis

    People make much of eating gluten-free, calling it a lifestyle choice or making those who adhere to the diet change as if it isn’t a necessity. If you feel better, no matter how deep the condition goes, eating wheat-free can feel like a relief from getting rid of what ails you. Everyone — hopefully — can eat almond, tapioca, rice, potato, corn, sorghum or buckwheat flour, but not everyone can eat wheat. 

    For us – my partner, who has celiac, and I — we adhere to a GF diet because there is no choice.  Eating alternative flour is the only way to go. However, we still want and crave butter and sugar, whether brown or the bad-for-you white. As such, I’m always looking for baked sweets that deliver with richness and decadence. The great thing about cooking with other types of flour is they add another layer of taste and deliciousness to an otherwise standard chocolate chip cookie or apple fritter. 

    I took it upon myself to showcase gluten-free bakeries in Indianapolis and those that create good old pastries made with alternative flour and lots of butter and sugar. I selected these specific bakers because they have a storefront, except for one. 

    These Indianapolis-based gluten-free bakeries prove that living without gluten doesn’t mean sacrificing anything. In truth, those who don’t know the difference could never tell if it was from wheat or cassava, and that’s a good thing. From the inclusivity of No Label at The Table to the luxurious The Cake Bake Shop, these bakers prove that gluten-free allows everyone to eat cake. 

    Aspasia Bakery

    Pretty Cellophaned Wrapped Gluten Free cookies and scones at Aspacia Bakery in Zionsville
    Baked goods at Zionsville-based Aspacia Bakery

    Located on the border of Zionsville in a newly developed strip mall resides Aspasia Bakery, which opened in 2022. It’s a treasure trove for those seeking gluten-free baked goods made with butter and sugar and those seeking dairy and nut-free goods. Named after an ancient female Greek philosopher, owners Eva and Jeff Tomlinson built a charming restaurant that features breakfast through light supper items. For freshly made dinner rolls, brownies, or a scone, alt flour Aspacia offers a full array of goods. Like the Green Mermaid, it also has a drive-through for coffee and lattes. Special orders and shipping are available, too. 

    • Address: 5645 N Post Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46216
    • Phone: (317) 663-4538
    • Website: Aspasia Bakery

    No Label at The Table

    Bakery case inside No Label at The Table
    Various pastries and goods at No Label at The Table, Carmel

    Plopped in the Carmel Arts District, No Label at The Table marries a gluten-free mission with a staff of individuals on the autism spectrum. That’s right; this bakery, created by Shelly Henley, which announced its opening in 2017, was for her son Jacob, who is on the autism spectrum. It began as an opportunity for him to become a chef and have a purpose. Still, it’s all about the delicious goods made in this no-frills space. Customers will find roasted garlic boules, doughnuts, cornbread sausage stuffing, hash brown casseroles and desserts, such as take-and-bake pies, cookies and cupcakes.  Be aware that it’s dairy-free, too—lots of sugar, but no butter. 

    Native Bread

    Native Bread sign
    Native Bread in Castleton

    Since 2016, Native Bread has specialized in small-batch baking, creating loaves and pastries with impeccable texture and taste. From classic sourdough to focaccia and olive – and, importantly, burger buns (Do you know the difficulty in finding great GF buns?) – each product loaf is crafted using carefully selected ingredients. Made in the carry out on kitchen, the aroma of freshly baked bread hits individuals divinely. 

    • Address: 9546 Allisonville Road, Suite 106
    • Phone: (317) 537 – 2707
    • Website: Native Bread

    1823 Bakehouse

    Bite-Sized Hoosier Sugar Pie
    Bite-Sized Hoosier Sugar Pie at 1823 Bakehouse

    Head south to Franklin for 1823 Bakehouse, where everything on the menu is 100% gluten-free. Known for seasonal goods, the bakery makes everything from scratch using butter and sugar unless noted otherwise.  Mornings can begin with their buttery biscuit egg sandwich or banana bread. We were finally able to eat a Hoosier sugar cream bite. Instead of a pie, it’s about a two-chomp sweet experience. They even have biscuits and gravy, chicken pot pie and a French Toast bake pan to-go.  While they serve coffee, 1823 Bakehouse has a large selection of loose-leaf teas. 

    • Address: 9 W Washington St, Franklin, IN 46131
    • Phone: (317) 739-6024
    • Website: 1823 Bakehouse

    The Cake Bake Shop

    Gluten Free Chocolate Popcorn Cake at The Cake Bake Shop in Broad Ripple
    Gluten Free Chocolate Popcorn Cake at The Cake Bake Shop in Broad Ripple

    Gwendolyn Rodgers’s The Cake Bake Shop is a Disney-fied bakery. Pink frills and swans, latticework and curlicues create a childlike atmosphere. While not exclusively gluten-free, the bakery offers plenty of options for those avoiding gluten. When we first moved to the area, I ordered a carrot cake for Nick’s birthday. It was an expensive endeavor, but the confection was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful presentations we’ve ever had—and delicious creamed butter and sugar. 

    Their gluten-free chocolate cake is decadent, while their jewel-toned French macarons and brownies are perfect for any occasion. 

    • Address: 6515 Carrollton Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46220
    • Phone: (317) 257-2253
    • Website: The Cake Bake Shop

    Gluten-Free Creations

    Pecan Tartlets.
    Gluten-Free Creations Pecan Tartlets

    Lydia Bootz Armstrong of Gluten Free Creations has made my birthday cakes for the last four years. Even though she doesn’t have a shop, she makes everything with butter and sugar unless noted. In LA, where we are from, there are only a few vegan and gluten-free bakeries. It was either or. That may have changed five years later, but we wanted, in our new residence, cookies that would have made our grandmas proud. We wanted our treats to be flavorful and fat but made with alternative flour. Lydia, a home baker, does that with aplomb. Cinnamon rolls topped with sweet icing, freshly baked croissants and an array of cupcakes are just the beginning. Whether you’re ordering a custom cake for a special occasion or grabbing a treat to-go, Gluten Free Creations combines comfort and quality in every item they offer.