Detroit's women's sports bar, Bar IX, launches crowdfunding campaign -- How to get involved
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Detroit's first women's sports bar is working to find a permanent home, and they're looking for help to make it happen.
Bar IX has been hosting pop-up women's sports watch parties with a goal of having their own building eventually. On June 30, the bar is popping up at Detroit Shipping Co. for its crowdfunding kickoff party.
Bar IX crowdfunding kick-off
Tuesday, June 30 from 6-10 p.m. at Detroit Shipping Co.
Things to do: Women's sports trivia, music from a DJ, and the WNBA Commissioners Cup on TV
'Standing room only': Fans pack pop-ups as Bar IX, Detroit's first women's sports bar, eyes permanent home
Bar IX is currently partnering with Detroit bars and restaurants to host pop-up women's sports watch parties. Eventually, the goal is to open a brick-and-mortar location and become Detroit's first women's sports bar.
The backstory:
Bars showing women's sports have been popping up around the country, but Detroit didn't have one early last year when Alissa Graff began planning one. As she was working out that plan, it was announced that the WNBA was coming back to Detroit. Now, the city has both professional women's basketball and professional women's hockey teams coming.
Since that initial planning phase, Bar IX has popped up at multiple bars around the city, with the TVs showing everything from rugby, to soccer, to basketball, and more. Last week, Bar IX welcomed the PWHL to Detroit with a watch party for the draft, which was held downtown.
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When speaking to FOX 2 last fall, Graff said that multiple Bar IX events have been standing room only, indicating the appetite for a place to watch women's sports in Detroit.
In addition to a place to watch these sports, a community of fans has also started to form.
"We're really trying to encourage building the grassroots support," Graff said, adding that the goal is to create a community centered around women's sports from the ground up.
What you can do:
Bar IX's crowdfunding campaign offers tiers, allowing contributors to help and get something in return, including shirts, stickers, VIP access to the opening party, and more.
Ahead of the official launch, $25,100 of the $125,000 goal has been raised.
Click here to learn more and donate.