A rainbow phoenix risen from the ashes: The historic 19 Bar is back for Twin Cities Pride 

A portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II hangs on a back wall of the historic Bar in Minneapolis Loring Park neighborhood It s one of the signature items that survived a fire in March of last year that left the bar shuttered for months In the days following the fire longtime patrons of the dive bar at W th and Oak Grove St were relieved to learn the queen survived owner Craig Wilson joked She hangs in the bar as a marker of time Elizabeth II was crowned a year after the bar opened sixteen years before the June Stonewall riots a turning point for the gay rights movement in the U S and the reason Pride month is June It s major to remember history and how far things have come Wilson informed MinnPost while offering a tour of the reopened space the week before the Twin Cities Pride Festival opens in Loring Park from June to June Walking through the bar s patio he pointed to two Pride flags hung side-by-side one old ragged and straight-striped rainbow throughout the other an updated Pride flag crisp and new At the rebuilt Bar two Pride flags hang side by side one old ragged and straight-striped rainbow throughout the other an updated Pride flag crisp and new Credit Winter Keefer The new flag was bought when the bar reopened in February following a renovation that stripped the building down to the studs and before it was reborn as a rainbow phoenix for its patrons The fire that gutted the building started when a garbage truck hit a utility pole and an electrical transformer landed on the roof After being closed during last year s Twin Cities Pride the Bar is back in business for the celebration I m excited to be up and running to throw that love and endorsement back to the region that helped us get through that tough time of last year Wilson mentioned Instead of serving drinks at last year s Twin Cities Pride Bar staff and ownership were invited to carry the Pride flag in the Twin Cities Pride Parade This invite was one of a multitude of gestures of endorsement from the local gay bar s neighbors and customers Wilson noted Places like The Saloon Brass Rail Gay s Black Hart Palmers Bryant Lake Bowl The Bulldog and even the Twin Cities Softball League donated to help pay employees while Bar was closed for repair The show of unity was a testament to how the a large number of gay bars in the Twin Cities encouragement each other Wilson commented The bars are not in competition with one another he added Rather each business plays its own part in the Twin Cities bar scene ethos and supports each other s endeavors For example The is a basic bar People are very friendly here They chit chat with each other They meet new people Wilson announced Last year MinnPost s very own dive bar expert Cityscape columnist Bill Lindeke wrote about how the Bar stood steady in a expeditiously evolving neighborhood The Bar building began as a laundry operation a century ago before it became the Twin Cities first gay bar Now there are multiple gay bars and clubs in the area The cash-only Bar offers affordable drinks multiple dart boards three pool tables and a classic jukebox The leaves the job of putting on drag karaoke or dancing to the multiple other bars and venues across the neighborhood and Twin Cities This core identity hasn t changed since the repairs though patrons may notice slightly brighter lighting one of the pool tables has been moved to the other side of the bar to comply with city codes and there s a new carpet and refurbished bar and patio I feel like the spirit of the bar is there as it invariably has been despite particular changes to the physical aspect of it Wilson declared As for what s next for the Bar now that it s been given its second life Wilson noted he s still keeping things simple and honoring the legacy of former owner Gary Hallberg who had owned the bar since before passing the torch to Wilson earlier this year The sale was meant to happen right before the fire but was postponed as the Bar went through the lengthy repair and renovation One thing Wilson noted he can say of the Bar s future is This bar is not going anywhere Jerry Schwartz has been a regular and played in the pool league at the for over years He commented he remembers when Twin Cities Pride Pride took up only a small corner of Loring Park back when it started in Schwartz declared he knew the would reopen after the fire Gary wouldn t give up on the bar he disclosed of the previous owner When the bar certainly reopened It felt great Schwartz declared It s hard to put into words It was coming back home The post A rainbow phoenix risen from the ashes The historic Bar is back for Twin Cities Pride appeared first on MinnPost