Gay Bars & Clubs
LGBTQ+ Friendly
The Velvet Hippo
Google
(398) 4.6
Been here? Rate it in 3 clicks
92
/ 100
GayOut Score
G4.6
Address
119 W Orange St, 3rd Floor, Durham, NC 27701
📞
Phone
+1 919-294-4447
🌐
Website
www.velvethippodurham.com
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About this place The Velvet Hippo
The Velvet Hippo is a third-floor bar and lounge at 119 W Orange St in downtown Durham. It calls itself "a neighborhood bar for everybody", and Discover Durham lists it among the city's LGBTQIA-owned businesses (August 2026). The calendar has regular queer nights: drag bingo, a Sunday Recovery Tea Dance and Saturday DJ dance parties. In March 2026 it hosted the Crape Myrtle Festival drag brunch, which raises money for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes.
Google lists it open from 4pm on weekdays and from noon at weekends, until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays. It scores 4.6 from about 400 reviews. The crowd is mixed; event nights are the queerest.
Upcoming events at The Velvet Hippo
Sun, Nov 15
Recurring
Recovery Tea Dance: PRIDE Kickoff Edition! With Gay Agenda & Father Disco
4:00 PM
Wed, Nov 18
Recurring
Velvet Rewind R&B Wednesdays with Jorden The
6:00 PM
Thu, Nov 19
Recurring
Drag Bingo
7:00 PM
Thu, Nov 19
Recurring
Music Trivia Bingo PRIDE Edition
8:00 PM
Fri, Nov 20
Recurring
Femme Friday DJ Dance Party!
4:30 PM
Opening Hours
Closed
Monday
16:00-00:00
Tuesday
16:00-00:00
Wednesday
16:00-00:00
Thursday
16:00-00:00
Friday
16:00-02:00
Saturday
12:00-02:00
Sunday
12:00-00:00
Features
Food served
Mixed LGBTQ+
Drag scene
Dance
DJ sets
Cocktail bar
Drag Bingo
Late night (after midnight)
Weekends only
Gay-friendly (straight venue)
Insider Tips
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Last updated on 14 November 2026