Babe’s Sports Bar Is Ringing in the New Year as Chicago’s Must-Visit Home for Women’s Sports

Ready to reign in the New Year? Babe’s Sports Bar is calling, and it’s answering with volume, visibility, and victory laps for women’s sports.

Tucked into Logan Square at 3017 W. Armitage Ave., Babe’s is Chicago’s newest love letter to women athletes and the fans who show up for them. With eight TVs capable of running four women’s sports games at once, Babe’s is built for watch parties, sports-themed movie screenings, and all-year-long celebrations that don’t ask for permission.

After a successful crowdfunding campaign, nearly a year of renovations, and a deep dive into donated sports history, Babe’s officially opened its doors with a soft launch that felt anything but quiet. The bar is the brainchild of Nora McConnell-Johnson, a Humboldt Park native, lifelong athlete, and former rugby coach who turned zoning headaches, building permits, and community feedback into a fully realized space that finally gives women’s sports the room they deserve.

The interior pops with green and pink hues, glowing accent lights, red trim, and bathrooms so perfectly chaotic they’ve earned their own Instagram account. Disco balls hover overhead. Tables are sealed with vintage sports photos, pins, and varsity jacket letters. Donated trophies line the walls, including one from McConnell-Johnson’s own rugby coaching days. Everywhere you look, women are frozen mid-stride, mid-play, mid-history.

The old space was completely gutted to make room for a new bar counter, an improved patio, fresh wallpaper, a photo booth, and soon, bleachers. When installed, those bleachers will seat 12 people beside a vintage Illinois recreation center scoreboard, turning the bar into something that feels equal parts neighborhood hangout and rec-league shrine.

Babe’s was founded by college best friends and rugby co-captains Nora and Torra, a duo united by sport and the belief that women athletes deserve a dedicated home base. This isn’t a novelty bar or a pop-up moment. It’s a permanent fixture built on celebration, representation, and community.

Planning a visit? Babe’s is a short walk from the California Blue Line stop, near the Armitage and California bus routes, with free street parking on Armitage right out front. Check the Babe’s website for updates on watch parties, New Year’s Eve events, and upcoming programming.

This New Year, raise a glass where women’s sports are always on the big screen and never treated like the undercard.

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