Baton Show Lounge
Drag club in Chicago
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Baton Show Lounge is a Chicago drag club founded in 1969. It is the venue for the Miss Continental pageant.
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Chicago
United States
The Baton Show Lounge float, Chicago Pride Parade 2013 | |
 Interactive map of Baton Show Lounge | |
| Address | 4713 N. Broadway Chicago United States |
|---|---|
| Location | Uptown Chicago |
| Coordinates | 41°58′4.39″N 87°39′31.47″W |
| Owner | Jim Flint, Christoph Chiavazza |
| Capacity | 195 |
| Type | LGBT |
| Event | Drag |
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| Construction | |
| Opened | 1969 |
| Years active | 1969-present |
| Website | |
| www | |
History
Baton Show Lounge was founded in 1969 in River North.[1][2][3] The first venue's address was 436 N. Clark St.[4] The name was inspired by Flint's time in the Navy as a drum major.[1] He would attract crowds by baton twirling and roller skating on the street.[1]
The early days of the lounge were marked by police raids.[5]
The venue moved to its present address at the Uptown Broadway Building in Uptown at the end of 2018 due to rent hikes.[4] The new venue provides a capacity of 195 seats with an additional disco and bar room.[4] Grand opening of the new location was on April 10, 2019.[4]
In 2025, HV Entertainment bought the lounge and announced plans to reopen the Chicago Eagle, a former gay bar catering to the leather LGBT community, previously located at 5015 N Clark St in Andersonville. HV Entertainment pledged to provide a dedicated space for the Baton Show Lounge within the bar.[6]
Miss Continental
Flint organized the first Miss Continental Pageant in 1980.[4] He started the competition as an inclusive pageant for all female impersonators, including those who have taken hormones or had surgical enhancements.[7][3]
Dance Divas benefit
Since 2008, Dance Divas is a group that has held a benefit show for Chicago Dancers United at Baton Show Lounge.[8] Proceeds help members of the arts community with health expenses.[8][9]
Notable performers
Notable guests
Popular media
The Queens, a documentary directed by Mark Saxenmeyer, premiered in 2020 and focused on the 2011 Miss Continental competition.[11][12][4]
The cast appeared on several shows, including: Phil Donahue, Maury Povich, Oprah, Sally Jesse Raphael, Jenny Jones, People are Talking, 190 North, and ABC 7 New Year's Eve Celebrations.[2]