RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond City Council approved an ordinance Monday night to rename a street in honor of Vicky Hester, the late owner of Babes of Carytown, who died in September 2025.
Babes of Carytown sits at the corner of West Cary Street and South Auburn Avenue. The council voted to designate South Auburn Avenue in Hester's honor.
Hester died at age 71 after a battle with cancer.
After her death, James Millner with Virginia Pride remembered Hester for the community she built, noting that her legacy would live on.
"For decades, as owner of Babes, Vicky opened her doors and her heart to support and uplift the LGBTQ community she loved so dearly," Millner said. "She understood that queer spaces are sacred—not just as places to socialize, but as centers of community."
Babes of Carytown is one of the nation's oldest lesbian bars.
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