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'I would hate to see it go' | Party to raise money for struggling Downtown Austin venue

Gabriela's Group is hosting their monthly Latin gay party, Papi Siii at Cheer Up Charlies. Money from the ticket sales is going towards the venue.

AUSTIN, Texas —

An Austin business that's been struggling to keep up with the growth of the city will get a boost from a popular LGBTQ event Saturday night.

Recently, the owners of Cheer Up Charlies posted on social media that their future is uncertain and they need support.

Gabriela's Group is hosting their monthly Latin gay party, Papi Siii at Cheer Up Charlies. Money from the ticket sales is going toward the venue.

"More than we could have asked for. We were just, you know, happy that they wanted to have their party here," Cheer Up Charlies co-owner Maggie Lea said.

Cheer Up Charlies is a mix of an LGBTQ nightclub and a music venue. It also has a history of being an open space for everyone.

"I love that everyone can come in here and grow and change, the same way that I come in here every night and grow and change," Lea said. "In the early '90s, it was also a queer-owned, lesbian-owned bar. That's actually something I think about a lot. We try to pay tribute to the folks who have come before us."

However, Lea said the venue hasn't been getting as much foot traffic as it's used to, so it's been a tough year.

"Sometimes, our weekends look really crowded and packed, but we're actually struggling during the weekdays," Lea said.

Lea said they've also been hit with inflation, tax payments – and Mother Nature. 

"Last year's inflation and the weather," Lea said. "It was really, really hot in Austin. So I think it was just a mixture of all those things ... I don't know. I think people want to come out."

Lea said Gabriela's Group owner Gabriela Bucio was one of the first people who reached out to help when they made the post about things being uncertain.

"I really commend her for that. She ... doesn't back away or shy away from speaking up for the LGBTQ community. It's very touching," Lea said. "We're very appreciative and very grateful for that."

Bucio owns multiple venues nearby and said it was important to help her neighbors at Cheer Up Charlie’s and beyond.

"I've been here in Austin for over 25 years now, and this is one of the places that I really enjoy coming to, and I would hate to see it go," Bucio said. "I feel like if we're if they're busy, we're all busy as a whole. So it's really cool or really important that we're, you know, busier and that we all bring people to this side of town." 

The party starts at 9 p.m. If you're interested in going, you can find more information about tickets here.

Boomtown is KVUE's series covering the explosive growth in Central Texas. For more Boomtown stories, head to KVUE.com/Boomtown.

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