Sun Tavern Historical Marker Unveiling

Join the Mildred Berryman Institute for Queer Utah History and community partners for the unveiling and dedication of a new historical marker commemorating the Sun Tavern and its important place in Utah’s LGBTQ+ history.

Opened by Joe Redburn in 1973, the Sun Tavern quickly became more than a neighborhood bar. It served as an important gathering place and de facto community center for Salt Lake City’s Gay community, providing a space where people could meet, build friendships, organize, and find community at a time when openly LGBTQ+ spaces were limited. Redburn also helped organize Utah’s first public Gay and Lesbian event in 1974, laying important groundwork for the Pride celebrations and LGBTQ+ activism that followed.

This free, all-ages, ally friendly dedication will bring together members of Utah’s LGBTQ+ community, historians, advocates, and others to recognize the people and places that shaped this history. The event will include the unveiling of the historical marker and reflections on the Sun Tavern, Joe Redburn, and the community that made the space meaningful.

Meet at approximately 41 S 400 W, the northwest corner of the Recursion building.