NC's first women's sports bar will soon find a home on the South Slope. LGBTQ+ venue and self-proclaimed lesbian bar, Q-Hall, will open a brick-and-mortar spot in the former Boomer's Cigar Bar on Coxe Avenue.

After years of organizing women's sports watch parties and queer community events across Asheville, JJ Pope saw firsthand the demand for a permanent home. "People are always just saying, 'We really need this,'" she said. "Not just in terms of a place to watch women's sports, but also just the LGBTQ+, women-focused, lesbian community." Q-Hall fills the gap left by Club Hairspray, Asheville's last dedicated lesbian bar, which closed around 2011.

Q-Hall joins a small but growing group of lesbian bars nationwide. After decades of decline, an estimated 36 dedicated lesbian bars remain in the US, making it a rare addition to a rebounding scene.

The opening comes as women's sports viewership continues to grow at a "meteoric pace," with the WNBA and NWSL leading the charge — and Q-Hall will be here to screen it all. "You don't have to come in and ask for that to be turned on. That's what's on," she said.

As the bar comes alive, Pope is asking for people to donate sports memorabilia so the walls tell the story of WNC's women athletes. She hopes Q-Hall gives people, especially young girls, a place where they feel represented and inspired by the stories surrounding them.

Beyond the game, the space will be a social hub with non-sports programming like trivia and karaoke in the courtyard and on the deck. Pope is aiming for a late summer or early fall opening. Follow along with the journey on Instagram.