It’s Official: Val’s Lesbian Bar Has Found A Home In Philly

January 19, 2026 Margaret Hetherman

When Val’s opens its doors this spring, it will be the first lesbian bar in Philly in five years.

Featured Image: courtesy of Val’s Lesbian Bar

After two years of development, fundraising and a few location bumps along the way, it’s finally happening: Val’s Bar will open its doors this spring in Philly. Owners Julia Harris and Clover Gilfor broke the news on Instagram: “We’re so happy we finally get to deliver this news! It’s been an arduous road to this point, full of ups and downs and near-wins and hard letdowns,” the owners wrote.

“Queers, it’s been exhausting. But we wouldn’t change a thing because we’re SO HAPPY with where we’ve landed, and we know you’re going to love it too.”

Image: via Instagram

The bar will be moving into 605 S. Third St., two blocks from the queer-owned women’s sports bar Marsha’s in Queen Village. (There’s been some online debate as to whether a women’s sports bar counts as a lesbian bar, with no clear consensus). When a promising location fell through last summer, Harris and Gilfor took a break to regroup, prompting cheers of confidence on IG and even a standing offer by one fan to do graphics for the brick-and-mortar.

“Thank you to everyone who supported us in our early fundraising events — we raised a collective $15k from you all, which is almost fully covering our first month’s rent and security,” Val’s Bar shared on IG on Jan. 15. “The costs of starting a new bar are huge, and this is an important chunk. Val’s is opening because of you. We want to thank everyone who made it to one of our early events from the bottom of our hearts.”

Image: Clover Gilfor and Julia Harris (photo by Cat Gold, courtesy of Val’s Lesbian Bar)

Coupled both in love and business, Harris and Gilfor had hosted multiple events to raise money to get exactly to this moment. According to a PhillyVoice interview in 2024, Harris’ many service jobs included work at Elixr, and last noted, she was a Ph.D. student in American studies at Harvard, writing a dissertation about lesbian and trans history with a years-long dream of opening a new lesbian bar. Gilfor’s industry experience includes working at Triangle Tavern. After the two started a relationship and got more settled in Philly, the dream started taking shape with concrete steps getting underway in 2023.

Fundraisers included a February 2024 “Yours Truly” art market featuring 30 vendors, on-site tattooing, delicious hot and cold beverages and “a room full of hotties (you) all day.” A February 28th countdown to Leap Day “Love Affair” party followed a few weeks later with local DJ’s at Stir Lounge, a lesbian-owned gay bar in Rittenhouse Square. It sold-out.

Image: via Instagram

When the lights turn on at Val’s Lesbian Bar, it will be the first queer woman’s bar since the bi-level sports tavern Toasted Walnut, which formally closed in 2021 following a Pandemic shutdown. Sisters Nightclub, which drew a loyal community to its DJs and stages for 17 years, closed in 2013, and Hepburn’s closed in 1995; each, in their time, had served as the only lesbian nightclub in town.

The reception to the news from Val’s couldn’t be more enthusiastic: “Lezborhood!! Lezborhood!! Lezborhood!!” wrote one IG follower. “Should we change the District’s name??? We can’t wait for the grand opening!!” and “I haven’t cried this hard in a while! I’m so excited” wrote others.

Of course, nothing says “it’s really real” more than hearing that local lesbians plan to move the party from the dirt to the dancefloor:

“Will be bringing my softball team over to support!”