Arcana Bar & Lounge

Arcana is a queer- and woman-owned cocktail bar in Old North Durham and, as a member of the Lesbian Bar Project, one of the only lesbian bars left in North Carolina. The dim, tarot-themed room is run by an all-queer team pouring a thoughtful list of craft cocktails. Beyond drinks it hosts community fixtures such as Queer Prom, tarot readings and themed nights, and it marked its tenth anniversary in the mid-2020s. It is a laid-back, welcoming spot rather than a dance club, which makes it a natural first stop on a night out in Durham's dispersed queer scene.