Club Hippo celebrates 40 years

‘This is unheard of,’ Hippo owner Chuck Bowers said of his club’s 40th anniversary. ‘It’s because of the people in the community. I hope and pray it continues.’ (Blade photo by Steve Charing)

Music was pulsating throughout the night as Maryland’s largest gay bar, Club Hippo, celebrated its 40th anniversary on July 7.  The popular club is situated on the corner of Eager and Charles streets in the heart of Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood.

The staying power of the club over its 40-year tenure is not lost on owner Chuck Bowers.

“This is unheard of,” he said in his nostalgia-filled office. “It’s because of the people in the community. I hope and pray it continues.”

Farrell Maddox, who works at the Hippo as a DJ agreed. “It’s amazing that a club can maintain its presence in the community for this length of time. It’s a tribute to Chuck because he keeps reinventing things.”  Bowers has owned the bar since 1978.

In celebration of the community’s support, there were drink specials and giveaways. There was no cover the entire night.

Club Hippo, which hosts a number of pageants and other large events, has a spacious dance floor in one section of the club, a saloon with two pool tables and a video-karaoke bar.