It hasn't been the best year for gay bars. Three -- Tickles, Gladius and Rumours & Innuendo -- have closed in the past eight months.

Even so, their loss hasn't prevented this year's Pride weekend from being one of the busiest yet.

Pride is traditionally a time for GLBT bars and clubs to show off their biggest events of the year. But being that Minneapolis was recently declared the "gayest city in America," it's no surprise that more bars than ever (and I'm talking bars of all stripes) are showing their love.

Dance parties, block parties, drinking, non-drinking, Latino or lesbian -- this guide has you covered for the next three days. Wanna dress your dog up in drag? We've got that, too.

PARTY IN THE CLUB:

"The Big Gay Pride Party": One of the club scene's best party-planners (The Boys Present) is bringing New York remix-DJ-to-the-stars Hector Fonseca to Epic. (10 p.m. Fri., 110 N. 5th St., Mpls., $20, 21 and older)

"Grown & Sexy": The all-star team of DJ Shannon Blowtorch, Nadine Dubois and Sweetpea join forces at Hell's Kitchen for an all-out dance party mixed with the city's best burlesque. (9 p.m. Sat., 80 S. 9th St., Mpls., $7, 21 and older)

"Gaywatch": The Twin Cities' sleekest gay bar, Jetset, celebrates its 10th year with a beach party. (9 p.m. Sat., 115 N. 1st St., Mpls., free, 21 and older)

"Latino Pride": The Saloon turns up the heat by moving its usual Tuesday night Fiesta Latino to Friday. (10 p.m. Fri., 830 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., 18 and older)

"Tropical Goth": This rebellious Nick & Eddie party features Twin Cities bands the Chord and the Fawn, Two Lions, Mother's Tongue and more. Clubbers should come in any form of rainbow-colored costume (7 p.m. Fri., 1612 Harmon Place, Mpls., $5, 18 and older). Also at Nick & Eddie is "rppt & rnkld: rendezvous" this Sunday. The post-parade party (which stands for "ripped and wrinkled") invites men of a certain age to take an audio trip through the history of disco, mixed with indie and electronica (3 p.m. Sun., no cover).

"Scorch FireBall XII": The tent will be up outside the Minneapolis Eagle/Bolt, but don't miss the Black & Blue Uniform Ball inside (9 p.m. Fri.) and Bear Bar Night (7 p.m. Sat.). (515 Washington Av. S., Mpls.)

"Foam Party": What more is there to say? Foam on the dance floor at the wet-and-wild Gay 90's. (9 p.m. Fri., 408 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $5-$10, 18-plus)

PARTY ON THE BLOCK:

Lush: The northeast bar's weekend block party is called "Rush" for good reason. It's packed with performances by "American Idol" cast-off Julissa Veloz (Fri.), DJs Rich B and Shiek (Sat.) and New York rapper Cazwell (Sun.), whose song "Ice Cream Truck" became a YouTube smash in 2010. (5 p.m. Fri.-Sun. 990 Central Av. NE., Mpls., $15-$20, 18-plus)

Loring Kitchen: This restaurant on the park hosts the Twin Cities Pride festival's official block party, with the bands Sick of Sarah and Wrecked Wheelhouse. (6 p.m. Fri., 1359 Willow St., Mpls.)

The Saloon: The downtown Minneapolis bar's long-running block party is headlined by girl group Exposé, who were huge 20 years ago with hits like "Seasons Change" and "I'll Never Get Over You Getting Over Me." (1 p.m. Sun., 830 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls., $20-$25, 18-plus)

Uptown Pride Block Party: The seventh annual "no-waste" event near Bryant-Lake Bowl is headlined by Maria Isa, with Venus DeMars, Dykes Do Drag, Foxy Tann and more. (6 p.m. Fri., Lake St. and Bryant Av. S., Mpls., free, all ages)

CONCERTS:

Debbie Gibson: Or "Deborah," as she's called nowadays. The '80s icon headlines the concert portion of the Pride Festival in Loring Park. And don't miss singer Kaci Battaglia, who's had two No. 1 singles on the dance charts ("Body Shots" and "Crazy Possessive"). (5:30 p.m. Sat.)

Twin Cities Gay Men's Chorus: This year's Ted Mann show, "Let's Hear It for the Boys: The Ultimate Boy Band Revue," celebrates hits from the Beatles to the Jonas Brothers. (8 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2128 S. 4th St., Mpls., $24-$51)

LADIES FIRST:

Booby Trap: The monthly queer women's night moves to Epic for Pride. The star of the show will be Kanye West's buddy, Kid Sister, a Chicago rapper famous for her single, "Pro Nails." (9 p.m. Sat., 100 N. 5th St., Mpls., $10, 21 and older)

Twilight: The club scene's longest-running lesbian dance night goes large for Pride, moving from the Kitty Cat Klub to the much bigger Karma in downtown Minneapolis. (9 p.m. Fri., 315 1st Av. N., Mpls., $10, 21 and older)

DRINK CHEAP:

Town House: Just for Pride, the St. Paul bar is moving its "Original Cheapie Night" to Friday ($1 domestic beers and rail drinks!). (8 p.m. Fri., 1415 W. University Av., St. Paul, $5 cover)

19 Bar: Strong and cheap is always the theme at Minneapolis' oldest gay bar. Check out the singles pool tournament 4 p.m. Sun. (Open noon-2 a.m. Sat.-Sun., 19 W. 15th St., Mpls.)

DON'T DRINK:

The Fruit Bowl: Pride weekend can be all about the partying, but that doesn't mean you have to drink. In its fourth year, this alcohol-free, all-ages event moves to Memory Lanes. Bowling, karaoke, a costume contest and more, all for a good cause (Rainbow Health Initiative). (6-10:30 p.m., 2520 26th Av. S., Mpls., $5)

BRUNCH IN STYLE: