‘One of the most beautiful gay bars in the world’ celebrates amid rising intolerance
An east end bar is celebrating 10 years in fabulous fashion this weekend, with its owner saying it was “super important” for the queer community to have a fun, safe space. Did you make the gallery?
It was recently called “one of the most beautiful gay bars in the world” by none other than drag superstar Trixie Mattel, and this Saturday, Marys Poppin is celebrating 10 unforgettable years in a night of nights.
Owner Stephen Craddock set out to create his “dream queer venue” when opening Marys in 2016, saying it was “super important” to make a safe place for the LGBTQI+ community.
Marys Poppin is now the only queer venue in Adelaide following the closure of My Lover Cindi in 2024 and of Mars Bar in 2017.
“We keep Marys a space where people can forget about their everyday lives,” Stephen, who had been touring drag queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race around Australia since 2010, says.
“We look at every step as customers come in and make sure they feel comfortable and respected.”
Throughout the years, Marys has seen some big names come through its Synagogue Place doors, including drag queens Trixie Mattel, Jinkx Monsoon, Alaska, Courtney Act and Erika Jayne, alongside its 11 regular performers.
Drag queen Kane Enable describes the magic of opening night at Marys 10 years ago.
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“There was something really special in the air on that first opening night because it was something fresh, it wasn’t something anyone had experienced,” Kane Enable, who made her drag debut at Marys about eight years ago, tells CityMag over a coffee at Hey Jupiter in the east end.
“Kane is my real name, by birth. I’m not religious in any sense, but I felt Enable was a good essence for a drag queen because we get away with murder when it comes to a night out. It’s just my name and wanting to be a bit cheeky.”
In a full circle moment, Kane Enable will grace Marys stage alongside “honorary Marys divas” for a “huge night” this weekend.
“The night is just going to be a melting pot of love and queer joy, to be honest,” says Kane Enable, who typically takes at least three hours to transform from “bearded boy to beautiful drag queen”.
Kane Enable says Marys is a place where queer folk can learn to be comfortable being themselves.
“It’s nice to teach, especially people just starting to come out, that there is a space where they don’t have to feel uncomfortable trying to have a good night out – that’s why Marys is there, ready for them,” she says.
Marys is also the kind of place where you can log out of Grindr for a night and meet someone in IRL.
“There, every Friday, Saturday, you have the opportunity to meet the love of your life,” Kane says.
Asked about her most memorable moment at Marys, Kane Enable jokes that she does not “remember much”.
“Something I always say is, every weekend is a new memory, and it’s hard to pinpoint one, because I’ve had such big moments. I feel like every weekend we come back like, ‘That was one of the best nights ever’. But then, the next weekend tops it,” she says.
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“I always say, if you’re not having fun in drag, ‘What’s the point?’”
Stephen says hearing Trixie Mattel call Marys “one of the most beautiful gay bars in the world” has been a standout moment.
“I was like, ‘Wow’, and I don’t think she’s wrong, like, we’re so proud of it, but just to hear it from someone else is kind of amazing,” he says.
Asked his recipe for success, Stephen says he lives and breathes the venue.
“I love it so much. In the early days, it was about what I wanted as a gay man in my dream night spot, but now, it’s about listening to the next gen who are coming through,” he says.
From humble beginnings, with a single space upstairs, Marys has since expanded throughout the entire former synagogue.
There are now plans to renovate the upstairs space, while a sophisticated cocktail bar, Bottoms Up, launched downstairs in August last year.
“The idea is to make every single room completely different in sound and look and feel, so it’s a bit of a labyrinth, maze sort of feel you’re getting inside the venue,” Stephen says.
Stephen hopes Marys will be around for the next 30, 40 or even 50 years, saying he has already noticed how patrons’ music, fashion and drink tastes have changed since it opened.
He also plans to continue bringing “Marys out of Marys” with events like Poppin Out and a potential winery experience called Poppin Corks.
“The goal is to be here and be a bit of a staple in SA, and for so many people to have enjoyed it and for it to be a big part of youth, although we get a lot of young right through till 50, 60, 70 come through and have their best time,” he says.
Marys Poppin is celebrating its 10th anniversary this Saturday night at 5 Synagogue Place, Adelaide.
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