Pride Parades and Events 2023: Portland Upgrades to 2 Months of Celebrations
The Portland Pride Parade has moved to July for 2023.
Pride celebrants rejoice: starting this summer, Portland gets two months' worth of Pride. June is still National Pride Month, but Portland’s Pride Parade is taking a hop, skip, and jump into July this year instead of its usual hectic Father’s Day timing (brunchers, rejoice!), which was also right on the heels of the Rose Festival and Juneteenth observances. Phew. The usual Waterfront Park takeover will now happen on the weekend of July 15 & 16, with the Dyke March happening on Saturday night and the main parade on Sunday. In addition to the special events below, check out our roundup of LGBTQ+ nightlife around town, or attend the regular Gay Skate at Oaks Amusement Park (first and third Mondays).
Astoria Pride
June 9–11 | Astoria
A quick getaway to Astoria is always a good time, but this week things are a little extra. Saturday brings a parade and block party, followed by a Pride brunch at Merry Time Bar on Sunday. Also catch a mural unveiling, drag bingo, and a Pride dance party at Xanadu Friday night, as well as shindigs benefiting the Lower Columbia Q Center at the Bowline Hotel and the Labor Temple.
The History of Black Drag in Portland
7 p.m. June 15 & 16 | McMenamins Kennedy School, $25
Poison Waters and Lawanda Jackson host this intersectional Pride and Juneteenth presentation. It's part of the Race Talks series; the panel discussion will look back on the role of drag and specifically of Black performers in the Portland entertainment scene since the 1960s.
Portland Gay Men's Chorus Disney Pride Concert
June 24 & 25 | Arlene Schnitzer concert Hall
Gay men! Singing! Disney! Need we say more? In this collaboration with the Oregon Symphony, the 120-plus voices of the PGMC present favorites from Disney films including The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Coco, Zootopia, and Wreck-It Ralph, as well as musical works associated with the Disney empire's theme parks. Fun fact: Portland Monthly, the Oregon Symphony, and the Gay Men's Chorus are all office neighbors.
Pride Beaverton
June 25 | Beaverton City Park
Festival organizers encourage the community to "support the Kings and Queens of the family, especially during this time of political uncertainty ... with your fandom, your political voices and your literal voices." A parade kicks off at 11 a.m., Sir Cupcake's Queer Circus happens at 1 p.m., and Abba cover band Arrival launches at 3:30 p.m.
Queer Wine Fest
4–7 p.m. June 25 | Remy Wines, Dayton, $95
Friends of Dorothy: A Queer Cabaret
7:30 p.m. June 28 | PATRICIA RESER CENTER FOR THE ARTS, $25
BinKyee Bellflower, Izhonny, Meesha Peru, Kourtni Capree, Kylee, the Rosetown Ramblers, and Queen Vanellope MacPherson Dupont join host Poison Waters for an evening with everything from square dancers to stilt walkers to burlesque entertainers.
Portland Pride Parade
July 16 | Downtown Portland
While the marquee local Pride event might feel a bit more sanitized than in decades past (see: corporate sponsorship), it's still a dang good time. Look for Dykes on Bikes to lead the way through downtown starting at 11 a.m. and end in a big party at Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
