Out & Proud in the 508
Your Queer Guide to Summer in Central Mass
{ Cynthia Carter }
IF YOU SPEND HALF THE YEAR dreaming about summer, then Worcester is the place to be. There are ballgames and botanical gardens, drag karaoke and dance parties and more places to eat and drink than you would ever guess from the outside looking in. Central Mass does not always get the credit it deserves for its queer scene. Boston gets the headlines. Provincetown gets the postcards. We get described as the place you drive through on your way to somewhere else. But anyone who has spent a Friday night on Green Street already knows the truth. Worcester can’t be beat, and the rest of Central Mass is not far behind.
Now that the weather is finally on our side, minus any ridiculous heat waves, it’s time to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. The New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill in Boylston, always offers a relaxing visit with gardens, trails, and conservatories. My pro tip is to sneak over to the Belvedere Overlook for a gorgeous view of the Wachusett Reservoir. NEBG offers All summer extended hours on Wednesdays and Thursdays all summer long. Grab a light dinner and drinks of Wednesday’s with their special pop up menus, or vibe with live music on Thursdays. Check out what’s coming up on their calendar and plan the perfect night that’s just right for you. If you want to make a real day of it, book a yoga class, a botanical mixology class, or one of the many art workshops on offer.
The Jean McDonough Arts Center, fondly known as the JMAC, is always buzzing with activity between the Brickbox Theater and Worcester Popup. The JMAC is a space for community arts and culture programming, and offers monthly events like their Silent Book Club. Check out The Power of the Practice, hosted by Prism of Brilliance, grand opening on August 5, for an immersive gathering that will wrap community and creativity together in a way that has to be experienced rather than described. There’s a second session midway through the exhibit on August 19th at 6pm, and both nights include a Joyful SvaHa yoga flow woven through the sound and movement of the room.
The newly opened Creative Hub in Worcester keeps a full calendar all season, and offers a space where community members can feel safe and supported while they make art and get to know each other. Grab a project you’ve been working on and drop into a Work-in-Progress Wednesday to create with friends and Ponte Community Arts teaching artists. You can also bring your current art project to the Queer Worcester Art Club’s weekly Queer Artist/Maker nights every Thursday.
You don’t have to be a massive baseball fan to enjoy a night out at Polar Park for a WooSox game. Thursdays are “Deuces Wild” all summer with $2 dogs, $2 water and $2 beer. Grab a couple tickets for the berm, see which restaurant is at the Taste of Worcester and watch the game while you socialize with friends. Make sure to mark your calendar for Pride at the Park on September 18, it’s always a fun time.
Summer in Worcester wouldn’t be complete without its restaurant and bar scene. The Woo Bar and Grill serves up American pub food with a Brazilian twist and always delivers. Where else can you find calabresa pizza with Brazilian smoked sausage or Picanha, a grilled steak with fried yuca? You can catch me lounging with a craft cocktail at their outside oasis, it’s a perfect summer night.
Aside from being New England’s first modern lesbian bar, the Femme Bar has the well deserved title as Worcester’s best lesbian bar. There is no question that this is the place to be for fun vibes, good food and fabulous cocktails. The menu is built for sharing, with plenty of good food to pass around the table and apple pie egg rolls waiting for you at the end. The drink list is packed with personality and excellent options, l love Girl of My Dreams and Sex with My Ex. Grab a Femme Fishbowl and share with the table, or check out the extensive mocktail menu if you’re sitting this round out.
If you’ve had dinner and are looking to keep the party going, there is nowhere better than MB Lounge, Worcester’s oldest continuously operated gay bar and lounge. It is proudly LGBT owned, and everyone is welcome through its doors. The MB has theme nights throughout the week, such as Latin night on Thursdays, dance parties all weekend, and karaoke that will have you singing well past your bedtime. Grab your friends and hit the Sunday Tea Dance on July 26, it’s guaranteed to be a blast.
Electric Haze also has weekly shows and events, including Malodies Karaoke hosted by Mal E. Fishn’t every Thursday. Mal E. Fishn’t is Worcester’s only and longest running drag karaoke host, and has elevated the karaoke game to a new level. Ralphs Rock Diner hosts Harley’s Funhouse, an open stage drag and burlesque show once a month. Make a plan to get there on July 16 when the show will be outside, and be sure to check back on their date for August.
If you’re the planner of your friend group, there are plenty of places to help you find queer owned businesses to support throughout Central Mass. The LGBT Chamber of Commerce is the place to start and it’s built to connect you to the businesses and organizations that make up the community’s economic backbone. Love Your Labels, an LGBTQ+ led nonprofit has amazing events like Tuesday Open Studio in The Creative Community Room, a fully equipped makerspace, where you can literally create your own wardrobe. They also have a bi-monthly Dungeons and Dragons RPG Club and don’t miss the first ever Community BBQueer on July 15 at the Rockland Trust Plaza.
Not sure why anyone needs to leave the 508 area code, but if travel is calling your name, take a look at Purple Roofs. Started back in 1999 by husbands Mark and Scott, it has grown into a global directory of LGBTQ+ friendly places to stay, travel agents, and tour operators spanning the United States and reaching all the way to Australia, Europe, South America and more. It is a fantastic resource for planning a curated trip that you’ll remember forever.
The beauty of Central Mass is that there is always something going on, and so many LGBTQ+ led organizations, businesses and events that make this an inclusive place for everyone. Whether is Prism of Brilliance’s immersive art event with a yoga class, or a night out with friends at Electric Haze for drag karaoke, you’re guaranteed a fun time. So this summer, do not just read about it. Go sit in the garden. Order the fishbowl. Sing the karaoke song you have been too shy to pick. Central Mass has been ready for its close up for a long time. It just needed someone to say so.