Jack's A Go-Go/Summit Station Historical Marker Dedication

The day has finally arrived for the unveiling and dedication of the historical marker and we are excited to welcome you to a full day celebration.

The backstory: 

In 1970, Petie Brown, a trumpeter and young lesbian, got a part-time bartending job at Jack's A Go-Go to support her aspiring singing career. Word spread fast that a lesbian was behind the bar, and soon Jack's began attracting lesbian women in scores. Petie left the bar along the way, but the word was out, and Cleta Logan, a bar owner and central figure in the history of the bar, welcomed the lesbian patrons. When the bar came up for sale 10 years later, Petie rounded up every penny she had and bought it. In 1980 she renamed it Summit Station, cemented it as a safe space for lesbians and friends, and thus was born Ohio's longest-running lesbian owned and operated bar. As Petie tells it, it was one of the first three lesbian bars in the United States.

Fifty two years after the evolution of the bar from a go-go bar to a haven for lesbians, a small group of former patrons banded together to pay tribute to that sacred space. In partnership with the Ohio History Connection a historical marker will be placed permanently in front of the space that held Jack's A Go-Go/Summit Station. The space is currently occupied by The Summit Music Hall and the owners of the current bar will host new and old Summit Station patrons for the events of the day.

The celebration:

Join us for reunion performances by Singular Sensation, the Puppet Queers and H.I.S. Kings.  Emcee Mary B. will host line dancing and live music performances by Cindy O'Brien, Made of the Mist, Donna Mogavero and more.  DJiamUNECC will close out the evening.  In partnership with the OSU Mobile Design Lab, there will be opportunities throughout the day to record stories about the bar for the Reclaiming Our History project. Register for interviews here. Food trucks and popsicles will be available to keep your tastebuds happy. Daytime events are family friendly. We can't wait to celebrate with you.

The line up for the full day is below. We expect a big turn out, so please be patient when it comes to getting inside Summit Music Hall/our beloved Jack's/Summit Station. If you remember, the bar holds about 200 people max. Your ticket/registration does not guarantee entrance (we can't exceed max capacity for Fire Code reasons).

Also, we will have limited bleacher seating for people who have mobility challenges. Please bring camp chairs if you want to be sure to have a seat. Also, The Summit is now a live music venue, there are no booths, and very few seats. If you want to see the evening shows and sit, bring your own chair.

Line-up:

JUNE 10th Schedule
OUTSIDE SUMMIT STATION 1:00-2:30pm
1:00pm LuSter & Jules come to the stage welcome, etc.
1:15pm LuSter Emcee Dedication Ceremony
1:20pm Wahru's Drummers & friends
1:30pm Blessing by Rev. Marla Flewelleyn
1:35pm Spoken Word by Angel Good
1:45pm Dedication Ceremony
2:10pm Unveil Marker
AFTERNOON 2:30-5pm Emcees: Mary B. & Olivia
2:30pm Eden Singleton
3:15pm Made of the Mist
4:15pm Line Dancing
INSIDE SHOW 5:15-12:00am: Emcees: Mary B & Olivia
5:15pm The Puppet Queers
6:00pm Donna Mogavero
7:00pm Alexis Antes
8:00pm Cindy Wolfe O’Brien
8:45pm Singular Sensation
9:30pm Dalyrical
10:00pm The AwwAWW! Suki!! SUKI!!! host LUSTIVIOUS Dela V
AFTERSHOW until close
DJ iamUNECC w/ Guest KELO

This event is a co-production of Fast Friday Productions, Sturdy Girl Productions, Friends of Summit Station, Lesbians Benefitting the Arts, and Girlz Rhythm and Rock Camp.  And, thanks to a grant from the College of Arts and Sciences at The Ohio State University, and generous donations from 105 donors to the Go-Fund Campaign, tickets are FREE. Additional support is provided in part by Columbus City Council.