By Elizabeth Beaney • Moncton • 2024-12-11
She might organize drag show dance parties for the people of Moncton, but Ari Roach certainly didn’t “drag” her feet when it came to establishing a new gay bar in the Greater Moncton Area. Aris (or “Ari’s”, as it was originally meant to be called) just opened their doors and their hearts to the local queer community in August of this year. Weekends there have been crammed full of both patrons and events! Dancing, drag royalty, trivia, bingo, karaoke, speed dating and even movie nights on a roll-down projector have been keeping the main floor of Aris busy, while renovations are planned for the upstairs. This 184 Alma Street heritage building is co-owned by 21-year-old Ari Roach and 39-year-old Gary McLaughlin. They met at Gary’s “Poprocks” event this past February and hit it off as new business partners. In an interview this November, Ari said she knew she wanted to own a gay bar ever since she was 17, when she witnessed a character on the drama series The L Word create their own LGBT nightclub / cafe. Meeting seasoned event-planner Gary was the rainbow icing atop the proverbial cake.
“It’s really good,” Ari said about her TV-inspiration, sitting at one of the four-seater tables in the main section of Aris. “There are some problematic bits to it; a bit of biphobia, transphobia, but there’s this one character who owns a gay bar / cafe, and I was like I want that, I wanna do that!” While the show that started airing twenty years ago may not be up to snuff anymore for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, the Aris Bar and Nightclub certainly is.
When I turned 19 I searched up gay bar Moncton and there was nothing.
Although her dreams of owning a gay bar started at 17, Ari’s knack for business was evident long before that. During our interview Ari shared a delightful anecdote about her childhood:
“I’ve always been the business type.” she said. “I’ve always had the traits of an entrepreneur. When I was twelve I recruited my younger brother to get an XBox. So I planned out how much money we could get and how we would get that money and then we bought an XBox!” Going from an idea to a goal to a reality without getting bogged down by superfluous steps seems to be the way that Ari has achieved so much so quickly. Speaking about reaching legal drinking age and wanting somewhere to go, Ari said “When I turned 19 I searched up gay bar Moncton and there was nothing. Pink Flamingos had closed in 2021 so I didn’t get to experience that (gay bar experience).” While some of us would travel somewhere else or settle for the regular Moncton nightclub scene, Ari and Gary chose to set up shop right here in Moncton to help prevent queer isolation, which some of us might know too well.
“I can’t speak on the experience of straight people,” Ari continued “but what I would assume is, when they go out, they feel safe in the way that everyone around them is like them.” Aris Bar and Nightclub aims to be “The same space for queer people.” It might not seem like a necessary locale for those outside the queer community, but for those of us who identify as such, dedicated queer spaces can be vital to help us survive and thrive in this sometimes daunting world. Though barely into her twenties, Ari already understands this.
“We get a lot of comments as well; people saying I wouldn’t be able to wear this out at a random bar, but I feel comfortable wearing it here. People dancing the way they wanna dance, and who they wanna dance with, and not being afraid of judgement.” That’s what’s important for Ari and Gary; a safe space for queer folk where we can engage with each other and take a load off our minds. It can be hard for us at heterosexually-inclined bars; whether it’s being gawked at for what we wear or how we present, feeling uncomfortable with using gendered bathrooms, or not feeling safe enough to dance with our partners, friends, and like-minded strangers. It’s a minefield that many of us bravely choose to navigate so we can have the same experiences and happiness as our hetero-sapien counterparts.
Ari knew that she wanted its red front door to stay open so queer community members have a safe place to be themselves.
In fact, it’s so paramount to Ari that Aris remains open in Moncton that she told this queer reporter, “I was trying to open the business with the least amount of loans as possible because that will tank a business. It was so important to have a queer space, that I wanted to make sure that it could stay open.” Even before the aged, yellow and red Victorian house was chosen to be the venue, Ari knew that she wanted its red front door to stay open so queer community members have a safe place to be themselves. Aris is a fantastic real-world application of post-secondary academia for Ari, who is currently studying both Commerce and Feminism and Gender Studies, part time at Mount Allison University in Sackville. Aris is filling the niche of both safety and fun for queers who want a night out, away from the stresses and dangers of hateful phobias.
Even another local bar owner, Joel Fowler, owner of Xeroz Arcade/Bar, helped make Aris a reality by letting Ari and Gary run fundraising events in the basement arcade. “It’s definitely the Maritime’s vibe” Ari said about Joel’s support, “Bars supporting bars wouldn’t happen in the big cities. In the big cities it’s more competition.” With the shared wisdom, experience and support of Gary and Joel, Ari and Aris are in good hands when it comes to business decisions and event choices. In addition to this, Ari’s girlfriend Sarah Rogers and Gary’s fiance Jon Butt help bartend a couple nights a week to help their partners realize their dreams for Aris. If you stop by the bar you’ll see another way that Fine Arts graduate Sarah has helped; by adding a massive art installation so far unnamed, but which could be called a rainbow wall. It’s a gradient of sanded-down wood blocks that jut out from a wall in the main room, and serves as both an optical illusion and a testament to pride for queer folks. It’s a must-see if you’re planning on stopping by, and in the future Ari hopes that Sarah will add some of her other works to the venue.
So why should you pop by Aris?
Extroverts will love checking Aris out on the weekends with their drag dance party nights and the fun custom cocktails like the “Campy Queen”, “Ectoplasm”, and the “Sapphic Spritz”! With building capacity reaching around 85 people, the main room is cozy enough that you won’t be stuck alone at a far away table, and missing the action is impossible in this snug space. Meeting someone new is as simple as complimenting a rocking outfit on the person next to you or asking a beautiful stranger to cut a rainbow rug on the dance floor!
This December Aris will be hosting a Christmas Drag night, as well as a New Year’s Eve party down the road.
More introverted types (like this reporter) might enjoy the less busy weekday nights. Queer movies are shown in-house like the 1999 cult classic But I’m A CheerLeader!, which was met with a full house upon showing, and non-alcoholic drinks like “Ari’s Soda” or “In the Bush”. You can even purchase snacks while you settle in for a good flick; there’s popcorn, candy, chocolate and chips available for Aris movie goers. Aris also carries small-business New Brunswick fare, with Rosie’s Home-Style soft pretzels (also found at the Bouctouche Farmers’ Market), available in four flavours with your choice of sauce! There’s also a sunroom and a side room for patrons who want a bit more quiet while they sip on drinks like the “Acadian Voyage” or a “Tireshack Blond”.
Be on the lookout, too, for upcoming events: later this month, Aris will be hosting a Christmas Drag night, as well as a New Year’s Eve party. Although January is a slow month for bars, February will see queer speed-dating at Aris just in time for Valentine’s Day. If you’re monogamous and without a partner, or polyamorous and want another one, Aris might just be the place to be during the month of love!
With the inclusivity and passion poured into this new gay bar for Moncton, this is one reporter who will definitely be checking out Aris as it grows into a lively and outstanding space for queer people across New Brunswick.
For more info on the bar or to check out upcoming events, check out their website at arisbarnightclub.com. Stay queer and stay supportive, Moncton!
Elizabeth Beaney was born in Thunder Bay and raised in Kakabeka Falls and Peterborough, Ontario. They graduated from Trent University with a Bachelor's Degree in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies in 2023. They currently live in beautiful Moncton, New Brunswick with their best friend Keith, cat Nimue, and snake Ekans. Their passion in life is taking in stories of various mediums; be it book or film or conversations with strangers.
