Portland Spoke – The Official Blog of Travel Portland

Latrice Royale

This year’s annual pride celebration, Pride Northwest (June 15-16), is getting an extra injection of fun, courtesy of local event organizer Samuel Thomas. The founder of the Portland Queer Music Festival, who’s in the process of creating a new LGBTQ club and music venue in downtown Portland, took time to plan a Big Gay Dance Party (June 16) aboard the Portland Spirit cruise ship.

The drag and dance party will pair Latrice Royale (fan favorite and Miss Congeniality from Season 4 of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”) with performers and DJs from two of Portland’s most popular parties and should be a great follow-up to the big parade on Sunday.

Portland Pride Parade (photo by Marty Davis)

Known far and wide as a gay-friendly destination, the Rose City is open and accepting. And in June, it gets friendlier than ever, when the Portland Pride Festival & Parade makes a name for itself — and LGBT community members — all over town.

Before the big party, BearTown (June 7-10), an annual weekend of dances, parties and other activities, warms up the crowds. This year’s event is headquartered at the Jupiter Hotel, with a myriad of events at community establishments across town. And this year, organizers have added distillery tours and trips to the Columbia River Gorge to the usual mix of DJ nights and dinners, sure to delight cubs and grizzlies alike.

The following weekend, June 15-17, the celebrating will get into full swing as the Portland Pride Festival takes over Waterfront Park. With booths and musical acts lining the river, the park is a great place to gather, mingle and get more information about local LGBT groups. And around town, other events help spread the word too. Friday night’s Pulse! Dance Party and Gaylabration, Saturday’s Pride Parade and Portland Gay Men Chorus’ Pride Concert, Saturday night’s raging Inferno 2012 party, and Sunday’s Pet Showcase turn Portland into a showplace of gay pride.