[Find the Mercury's Queer Guide in print—available in more than 500 spots citywide!—eds.]

Pride is in July again this year, but the queer fun lasts all summer long (and beyond). That’s why our roundup of summer queer events gives you plenty of dance parties, drag shows, and more, as we count down to Pride Weekend.

BLOCK PARTY

Scandals Patio Parties

Scandals, which we will soon have to qualify with “downtown," has embraced the eternal queer summer vibe, planning three weekend block parties: one in June for Pride month, one in July for Portland Pride, and one at the end of August to close out the season. Celebrate 18 years of Scandals’ street fairs—always epic, they shut off SW Harvey Milk to car traffic
and fill the whole street with daytime revelers.

Scandals, 1125 SW Harvey Milk, June 14-16, July 19-21, Aug 30-Sept 1, 21+

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DANCE/DRAG

[Unfortunately this event was cancelled Thursday night. The visiting headliner A'Keria C. Davenport's will still be performing for Portland fans—she's hitting the stage of Blow Pony on Saturday at the Den (116 SE Yamhill). Another Saturday dance rec—you can't go wrong with UwUtopia's Gemini party at Back2Earth. -eds ]

Black to Drag

DJs Mawmie and Dissolve pump the beats for a Juneteenth celebration honoring Black drag artists. Local queens Kimber Shade and Coco Jem Holiday host headliner (and RuPaul’s Drag Race alumna) A’Keria Chanel Davenport, with support from Mona Chrome, Wonderful, Viper, Oliver Clothesoff, Lala Benet, Cody James, and Cruz Daniels. BIPOC are eligible for a $10 discount with the code BLACKLIVESMATTER.

The Get Down. 615 SE Alder, Sat June 15, 8 pm, $25-$45, 21+

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DANCE PARTY

LumberTea

The boys and bears of Lumbertwink kick this summer off with a Father’s Day tea dance on Jackie’s picturesque rooftop patio. The Southeast Sandy sports bar will be packed with sweaty, hairy guys in various states of flannel moving to tunes spun by DJs Orso and Sappho. Maybe your dad’s cool enough to chill with bears, or maybe you and your daddy issues want to hug it out with burly men. It’s all good.

Jackie’s, 930 SE Sandy, Sun June 16, 3 pm, $12-$40, 21+

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THEATER

Risk/Reward Festival’s 2nd Annual Drag Workshop

Learn the finer points of drag performance from Portland artists! Comedy queen Svetlana Trantastic instructs the Saturday workshop; theatrical collaborators Pansy Agenda (Sonnei Verbana and Alex Hartman) oversee Sunday.

PICA, 15 NE Hancock, June 22-23, 4 pm, $5-$100, tickets through Risk/Reward, Sat is 18+; Sun is all ages

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DRAG

Melange

Destiney Smokez and Dahlia Kash’s monthly variety show, Melange, guarantees stage space for Black drag artists and other performers of color in a city where revues still tend to skew white. The variety show format allows talented queers to show off what they’ve got.

Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton, Sun June 23, 6 pm, $15, tickets available at the Clinton Street Theater box office, all ages

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FILM

D.E.B.S. (2004)

Anthony Hudson’s “Thank God It’s Queer” film series for the Hollywood Theatre showcases movies that belong in the queer classics canon. Sometimes they’re summer blockbusters, but we really love it when they’re slept-on but beloved classics like D.E.B.S. Lauded as a “perfect lesbian spy film” by my editor, D.E.B.S. follows four teenage girls (Meagan Good, Jill Ritchie, Devon Aoki, and Sara Foster) recruited into a secret organization (Discipline, Energy, Beauty, Strength). One of the DEBS falls for her fugitive prey (Jordana Brewster), and the lipgloss tension twists through the roof.

Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, Thurs June 27, 7 pm, $12, tickets through Hollywood Theatre, all ages

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DRAG

Darcelle XV Showplace

Don’t be embarrassed if you’ve lived in Portland for years and never made it down to Darcelle’s. There’s no time like the present to visit the record-holding historic venue. Darcelle’s spirit lives on in the house cast, all seasoned queens with years of experience and polished stage presence. Each brings something a little different, making no two shows exactly alike.

Darcelle XV Showplace, 203 NW 3rd, Fri June 28, 8 pm, $28, tickets available through darcellexv.com or 503-222-5338, 21+

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BINGO

Peachy Springs

Everyone’s favorite vintage glam drag host Peachy Springs invites you to another night of verbally abusive and bingo. (You’re welcome.) If you miss this one, fear not. Peachy holds bingo court often and with verve. Still, how could we write an event calendar without Peachy or her sweet, signature braying laugh?

Mayfly Taproom, 8350 N Fenwick, Sat June 29, 6 pm, $5/card, 21+

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DRAG

Obitchuary

Luna Tik Hex and Chakra Stone’s morbidly fun monthly drag show always features a rotating cast of creepy and spooky artists whose numbers skew gothic, metal, and overall bizarre.

Crush, 1400 SE Morrison, Sat July 6, $5-$10, tickets available at Crush’s box office, 21+

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DANCE

Dyke Nite

Event producer Ann Pyne’s twice-monthly drag and dance party opens the floor up for sapphics and their lovers and friends. DJs Stas THEE Boss, Troubled Youth, and Casual Aztec keep the floor hot all night long.

Back2Earth, 3536 NE MLK, Sat July 20, 9 pm, $5, 21+

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MUSIC

Karma Rivera

It’s been a hot minute since we’ve heard from queer rapper Karma Rivera. To make up for it, Rivera is hosting a Pride Weekend concert to promote her new single, “Been Awhile.” We love the way Rivera can immediately crank a party to 11 with her energy, and for this bill she’s brought along Bay Area performer TECA and Seattle DJs La Mala Noche and Cumbianeraaam as backup.

Lollipop Shoppe, 736 SE Grand, Sat July 20, 8 pm, $15-$20, tickets available through Lollipop Shoppe, 21+

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DANCE/DRAG

Dollapalooza

Katya’s two night, multi-site drag rave promises scores of performers from across the PNW and at least three (undisclosed at the time we went to press) Drag Race alum. We’re talkin’ full shows, mini shows, pop-up numbers—how else can Portland’s favorite horsegirl and event producer plan to keep the energy up? The fun starts with brunch at Barrel Room on Saturday before the party moves to a secret location and then maybe another secret location(?). It was ALSO a little TBD when we went to press, but you can at least plan your outfit. Saturday is “big gay rodeo;” Sunday is “neon futures.”

Barrel Room, 120 NW Couch, Secret Location TBA, July 20-21, 8 pm, $20 - $150, 21+

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DANCE/DRAG

Latin Flavor

At Kaina Martinez’s Latin LGBTQ+ Pride dance party you’ll hear cumbia, salsa, reggaeton, merengue, bandas, and bachata bumping across the walls of a transformed Barrel Room. That alone is a reason to go, but if we told you Puerto Rican queen Dixie Bee was opening for Colombian pop star Karol G—I think you understand now why this is on our Pride Picks list.

Barrel Room, 120 NW Couch, Sun July 21, 8 pm, $16-$50, tickets through latingaypride.com, 21+