Gay Sacramento

California’s capital city is flat and sprawling, with a Midwestern/art deco downtown vibe. The climate here is temperate, but there are four distinct seasons. Spring and Fall are balmy, breezy, and mild. Winters tend to be cool, wet, and windy. Summers are typically dry and hot. You’ll love the artsy, electric downtown vibe. Tree-lined, two-lane streets are flanked by Victorian homes and art-deco lofts, speckled with stately government buildings, and enhanced by lush parks, fountains, and sculptures. Gay-friendly shops restaurants, and hotels abound.

There is a highly active gay community throughout Sacramento, so don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to the Lavender District. For example, there’s a clothing-optional gay beach at the American River…just be ready for cold water!

Sacramento Gay Scene

Although less well-known than San Francisco or L.A. the GLBT population is very united here and the city is sophisticated, diverse, and gay-friendly. Lavender Heights in Midtown, between E and N Streets and 20th and 29th Streets, is the gay area of Sacramento. This is where you’ll find most of the GLBT clubs and bars as well as the gay-owned restaurants, shops, and hotels. Here you’ll also find the Lavender Library Archive and Cultural Exchange and the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center.

There are many annual gay festivals and events year-round in Sactown. The Sacramento Gay Pride Festival and Parade is in late June. Major fundraising events include the Sacramento Valley AIDS Run/Walk and the Rainbow Festival and Street Faire, a 3-day GLBT extravaganza complete with cabaret shows and concerts. Both of these take place in September. if your trip brings you here in early October, treat yourself to the legendary Sacramento International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Gay-Friendly Dining

Biba

Biba (the restaurant) makes its own pasta—including a fresh stuffed pasta that changes daily—offers a pasta course (primi piatti) and an entree course (secondi) and places the salad course last on its menu, as you would find in Italy.

Ella Dining Room and Bar

This amazing restaurant definitely has a fancy vibe, with its gin and (house-made) tonics and other fresh cocktails, its seafood bar, its dressed-up Saturday-night buzz: an uptown girl, one might say, living in Sacramento’s rather grungy downtown world.

Hawks

Delicious place to grab a bite to eat and relax with friends!!

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