Free Beer Tomorrow

Join us for the long-awaited premiere of Free Beer Tomorrow, a joyful and heartfelt documentary that shines a light on one of Ohio’s most remarkable queer histories. The film follows the story of Petie Brown, a trumpeter and young lesbian who took a part-time bartending job at Jack’s A Go-Go in 1971. Her presence behind the bar helped set the stage for what would become one of the first lesbian bars in the US. Ten years later, Brown purchased the bar, renamed it Summit Station, and created what became Ohio’s longest-running lesbian-owned and -operated bar, a lively refuge and community hub for generations. 

Through warm, funny, and deeply personal interviews, the documentary brings Summit Station’s legacy to life. Brown, pioneering LGBTQ+ legal scholar Rhonda R. Rivera, and a spirited group of former patrons, including tap dancers, feminist activists, women’s football players, bartenders, and drag kings, share stories that highlight a space shaped by resilience, joy, and connection at a time when safe havens were rare. Free Beer Tomorrow celebrates both the lasting significance of the bar and the community who made it home. (77 mins., DCP)

Join us for a reception with a cash bar before both screenings from 5:30 to 7 PM and stay for a Q&A with the filmmakers after the screenings. 

Free Beer Tomorrow was created by first-time filmmakers Julia Applegate and LuSter Singleton, both longtime community members and former Summit Station patrons, and was completed with the support of a postproduction residency in the Wex's Film/Video Studio. 

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Free Beer Tomorrow, courtesy of the filmmakers.