EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. — The online vacation magazine, Vacationer, which considers itself to be friendly toward the LGBTQ+ community, recently compiled a list of 22 small to midsize cities around the United States that are worth spending your time, attention, and tourism dollars visiting.
Coming in at number seven spot on Vacationer Magazine’s list is Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
The publication said over 30% of the 2,000 residents that call Eureka Springs “home,” identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, earning it the nickname “The Gayest Small Town in America.”
Just a short two hour drive from Joplin, Missouri, this Victorian-era, hilly town is situated in the Ozark Mountains and offers a great alternative to a coastal holiday.
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Vacationer stated that Eureka Springs offers all the nightlife amenities you’d be accustomed to, with the addition of three “Diversity Weekends” (Pride celebrations) scheduled throughout the year.
Eureka Springs was the first city in Arkansas to issue a same-sex marriage license and has enacted a city ordinance designed to protect its LGBTQ+ citizens.
The vibrant and bustling historic downtown contains countless businesses that are gay-owned and operated.
Eureka Spring’s tourism department states that their city is not LGBTQ+ exclusive, but rather inclusive to everyone, offering visitors lodging, dining, many different kinds of art, festival and outdoor activities for all to enjoy.