courtesy of the Tiny Minotaur
Despite the name, one can’t describe fantasy tavern the Tiny Minotaur as diminutive in any sense beyond physical. A private club nestled on Cesar Chavez, their limited outdoor space has been built out to include myriad setting details thanks to owner Dana Bauerle-McKnight’s thoughtful curation.
“The themed environment was all kind of my concept,” she tells me during a recent phone chat. “I made a map – RPG-style – of the layout of the space … based off the concept of the story behind the Tiny Minotaur itself.” See, the Minotaur has its own lore: A way station located on an interdimensional rift, travelers – those who hold a Minotaur membership or purchase a day pass – can come through from alternate worlds. They’ve held drag shows, D&D games, and night markets on the property, with an in-character acting staff adding extra magic.
But the tavern isn’t a one-orc show. (Bauerle-McKnight also works in-character as amnesiac orc mercenary Oakda Malkuth.) A point of pride for the Minotaur is the collective of artists behind the scenes. Bauerle-McKnight says over 40 artists have made their mark on the tavern, including contractors, carpenters, and even blacksmiths. Their labor along with a shared passion for fantasy are what have made the current space so engaging. But there’s still much more in store: After acquiring a certificate of occupancy, the Minotaur crew has set to work building out a new interior section to the space.
A project the size of the Minotaur’s upcoming indoors requires quite a lotta currency, none of which the Minotaur takes from bank loans or investors. Instead, Bauerle-McKnight says all this creativity runs on community donations. “It allows the Tiny Minotaur to be literally 100 percent free of the pressures of capitalism – except for just existing,” she says. While Minotaur membership fees, bar tabs, and day passes cover a lot of costs, the last monetary gap will be filled by the fundraising fantasy event of the millennium: the Unseelie Silver Gala, taking place this Saturday, Oct. 19.
The in-world lore for the gala tells of a bastard elf prince’s coronation as king after years of infighting have left the royal bloodline pretty much depleted. Played by drag king Travis Randy Travis, the soon-to-be king Oberon Silverius has invited all the fae gentry to party hearty and pledge allegiance to his court. Held at an undisclosed South Austin location – buy a ticket to find out – Bauerle-McKnight describes this particular faery fete’s opulence as diametric to the Minotaur’s “general ethos, which is very scoundrel, shenanigan-y, malarkey oriented.” Organized by fantasy jeweler the Crystalsmyth’s Michael Charles, the luxe festivities include delicious food from chef Amanda Turner, serenades from local bards, and plenty of dancing.
In reality, the Unseelie Gala’s ticket sales are helping to make Tiny Minotaur’s future less of a fantasy. Beyond the physical, Bauerle-McKnight envisions the Minotaur growing to better fit its purpose as “a space of respite rather than escapism.” Befitting such an aim are plans to build indoor seating areas for weary travelers and a free library dedicated to science fiction and fantasy. “It’s definitely the alternative to, like, you finish up your thousands of fantasy books,” she explains, “and then you have no space on your walls, but you don’t really feel comfortable tossing [them] into a Texas Thrift stand.”
“We really want to push the idea of potentially stepping out of the setting that has plagued us for so long,” Bauerle-McKnight says, referencing the non-fantastical horrors Texas visits on its most vulnerable, “but not necessarily to just flee from it, but to also relax, be someone else or be yourself in space where you’re not going to have adverse judgment.”
The Unseelie Silver Gala
Saturday 19, RSVP for location