We’d planned to stop into Dawson City for the Sourtoe Cocktail without realizing just how much more there was to see and do there. One thing that we found out about along the way was Diamond Tooth Gerties Gambling Hall.
It’s a fantastic little spot with slot machines, a few tables and three can-can shows a night. There’s a bar and food available to order as well. And best of all? It’s a non-profit that supports local services and charities!
Stephen had to work that evening, so he left around 10 pm but I burnt the midnight-oi…sun and stayed out until 1am – closing Gerties down! I saw all three shows, ate, drank, and gambled, so here’s my full round-up of the evening and what you can expect.
Can-Can Shows At Diamond Tooth Gerties
There are three distinctly different can-can shows on offer throughout the night at Diamond Tooth Gerties. You don’t get tickets for the show, you pay $20 (at the time of writing in June 2024) per person for a pass for the whole summer, then food, drinks and gambling are extra. Seating is first come, first served at the tables in front of the show or you can see and hear it as you gamble around the edges of the hall.
The first can-can show is at 8:30pm and hearkens back to the original shows from saloons and dance halls of the 1800s.
They have an audience participation section that was really fun where they ask a few members of the audience to come up and learn the can-can! I was all in! Here’s me on the stage learning the can-can with one of the dancers.
The second can-can show at Diamond Tooth Gerties is at 10 pm and is more cabaret style. It was still very tame compared to what you might expect from the description on the website. But it was a lot of fun with beautiful music, fun sparkly costumes and wonderful vocals.
The third show is at midnight. I really loved this one as they moved through the decades and provided the audience with a lot of fun songs to sing along to. By then many in the audience, myself included, had had a lot of fun at the tables and bar and so it was almost like a giant group karaoke sing-along.
Each show had its own merits and was worth sticking around for if you’re looking for a night of fun music and reasonably-priced entertainment in town. Here’s a two minute video giving a taste of what it’s like:
Food At Diamond Tooth Gerties
We found out about Diamond Tooth Gerties while we were eating out in Whitehorse on our first night there. We saw an ad for The Grumpy Schnitzel, which led us to find out about Gerties and the rest is history. While drinks were cash-only, the food counter takes credit cards. There were a few things on offer; Stephen had the two breaded schnitzel dinner and I had a slice of pizza and a side of spaetzle.
We grabbed a table and enjoyed our dinner just before the first of the can-can shows.
Drinks At Diamond Tooth Gerties
Knowing he had to work, Stephen only had a beer or two. Knowing I didn’t have to work or drive (since Dawson City is so small), I had more than one or two! I switched from red wine at the beginning of the evening to cocktails around 10:30pm. I fell in love with the Kate’s Kiss while the my new friend, Karen (and her husband Peter, another beer drinker) enjoyed the Flora Dora with me as we shared a table from 10pm onwards.
Gambling At Diamond Tooth Gerties
The small town vibes in Diamond Tooth Gerties make the gambling feel fun and intimate, while the staff also do an excellent job of taking their jobs as seriously as any Vegas casino. It felt fun, relaxed and safe which I really appreciated, especially as the night went on and everyone imbibed more and more.
Saying Blackjack is my game makes it sound like I’m good at it. To be clear, I am not, but I love to play it. Stephen gave each of us a little fun money to burn and off we went; he prefers the penny slots and I prefer the tables. I loved the low buy-in amounts for different tables allowing for even more fun since we’re on a strict(ish) budget. Well, the budget is strict but our ability to stay within it is… less so.
I tried a few games I’ve never tried before too. I probably had the most fun at the Blackjack and Money Wheel tables and watching the final can-can show since those are great songs for singing along to, but just being in the atmosphere with the food, drinks, dancers and gambling made it a really fun night out.
I would highly recommend stopping in for the night at Diamond Tooth Gerties if you’re in Dawson City. We arrived around 7:30pm and I stayed until closing at 1am. As always, keep yourself safe, but having the sun still up helped me feel comfortable as I walked back the two blocks to our hotel. It’s a can’t miss night of fun that also helps the community. It’s a win-win – even you don’t win-win at the tables – for everyone!
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