PRESS RELEASE | Hairpins Launches Monthly Queer Community Series at the Momentary, Marking Expansion of New Statewide Nonprofit

BENTONVILLE, Ark. February 12, 2026 — Hairpins, the queer-led events platform known for building lesbian- and queer-centered community spaces across Arkansas and the Midwest, today announced a new monthly partnership with the Momentary in Bentonville. As part of the venue’s ongoing weekly RØDE House Happy Hour series, Hairpins will have community meetups on the second Wednesday of each month during these RØDE House Happy Hours, creating a recurring gathering for queer women and gender-diverse community members.

The series marks a significant milestone for Hairpins and coincides with the public launch of its nonprofit arm, Dropping Hairpins Project, which formally began operations earlier this year.

Hairpins Happy Hours will serve as a consistent, accessible gathering space for lesbians, queer, and gender-diverse individuals—communities that remain critically underserved by permanent social and cultural infrastructure, particularly outside major metropolitan areas.

“The Momentary is excited to welcome Hairpins into our spaces and to support their work in building meaningful community connections. We’re proud to host community meetups in partnership with local groups as part of our mission to make the Momentary Northwest Arkansas’s “living room,” a place where people feel invited to gather, connect, and belong,” said Sam Champasouk, adult programs museum educator.

Dropping Hairpins Project was created to address the long-term absence of non-commercial, community-centered spaces for queer women and gender-diverse people. While LGBTQ+ visibility has grown nationally, spaces designed specifically for these communities—especially in the South and Midwest—have continued to disappear. The U.S. had more than 200 lesbian bars in the 1980s; today, fewer than 40 remain.

The nonprofit’s work focuses on building durable alternatives to nightlife-only models by investing in leadership development, public programming, and mutual support—ensuring access for people who may not feel safe, welcome, or able to participate in traditional bar-based spaces.

“A lot of queer spaces are temporary or limited to nightlife,” said Viktoria Capek, co-founder and executive director of Dropping Hairpins Project. “Partnering with the Momentary gives us the chance to build a steady space people can count on, inside a place that already brings the community together.”

In addition to Hairpins Happy Hours, Dropping Hairpins Project is launching several new nonprofit initiatives, including PIN-POINT, a queer leadership and professional development network designed to connect, support, and elevate all members of LGBTQ+ community. The organization’s primary focus is Arkansas, with St. Louis serving as a satellite region as programming expands.

As Dropping Hairpins Project enters this next phase, the organization is actively seeking funding partners, sponsors, and donors aligned with its mission to build long-term queer community infrastructure. Support will directly fund programming, fair pay for queer collaborators, leadership development initiatives, and access-focused events across the region. “This work isn’t about throwing trendy or one-off events,” Capek said. “It’s about making sure queer people—especially queer women and gender-diverse people—have consistent places to gather, grow, and lead. We’re building something meant to last.”

The first Hairpins Happy Hours at the Momentary will take place 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. on March 11, 2026, with monthly events continuing every second Wednesday year-round. For more information, visit www.droppinghairpins.com.

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About Hairpins

Hairpins is a queer-led events platform creating spaces for lesbians, queer, and gender-diverse communities through pop-up nightlife, social gatherings, and cultural programming across Arkansas and the Midwest.

About Dropping Hairpins Project

Dropping Hairpins Project is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit arm of Hairpins, dedicated to building space, community, and visibility for lesbians, queer, and gender-diverse individuals through public programming, education, leadership development, and mutual support.

For more information, contact:

Viktoria Capek | (770) 557-6196

viktoria@droppinghairpins.com