High temperatures didn’t dampen spirits at Portland’s July Pride (at least not too much)
Portland likes to do things a little differently. Case in point, Portland’s weekendlong LGBTQ+ Pride celebration, which took place in July this year, instead of during Pride Month (June).
The rationale behind the date change was clear. The weekend Portland traditionally held Pride events overlapped with Juneteenth and Father’s Day. But there would be a possibly welcome side effect: July is a lot warmer than June.
On the weekend of the event in mid-July, that weather possibility became a fact, when the temperatures reached into the high 90s on Saturday and into the high 80s on Sunday.
So, how did it go? While attendees and organizers agree the high temperatures weren’t ideal, most agree the weekend went well.
“The date change was well-received both before and during the event,” said Debra Porta, executive director of Pride Northwest.
“Yes, it was definitely warm and that will be an adjustment for sure,” she added.
For some attendees, the temperatures were overwhelming.
Ceaira Jones, 21, of Vancouver, has been attending Portland Pride since at least 2017, she said. Jones said she understood why the date was changed but was still a little disappointed that Portland Pride was no longer during the official Pride month.
The main problem for Jones though, was the heat.
“It was so hot and I don’t do good with the heat,” Jones said. “Even though I was so hydrated, I ended up throwing up.”
Jones said she imagined that people who saw her at Pride thought she was “a hot mess, probably drunk.”
“But no,” she said, “it was just so hot. I underestimated the power of the sun that day.”
Luckily, Jones said, there were plenty of helpful people and tents with fans.
Katie England, also 21, of Portland, was with Jones at the festival. It was England’s first time at Portland Pride.
“It was a lot of fun actually,” England said, noting that there were a lot more people and businesses with booths than she’d expected.
England also struggled some with the heat.
“Oh my gosh. It was really hot and very, very sweaty,” she said. “We had to stand in line for smoothies for about 45 minutes. It was so hot, it was insane.”
Even with the high temperatures, England said she’ll likely be back.
“I will probably go again,” she said. “But I’ll probably make sure to bring my Hydro Flask with ice water, and sunscreen.”
Jones and England were just some of the many people who attended the two-day festival and multiple parades.
All indications show “that we had record participation and attendance,” Porta said.
“As I said prior to the event, we are outgrowing the Waterfront, both in size and in what we want to integrate into the festival,” Porta added. “This year only demonstrated that even more than before, and we are already looking ahead at next year’s event.”
What that could mean is still up in the air. There are still conversations Pride Northwest needs to have with the city and event management.
“We will remain in July,” Porta said, “and just need to identify which weekend.”
The Portland Bureau of Transportation also considered Pride in July a success.
“From PBOT’s perspective, the date change for Pride was positive on many levels,” said bureau spokesperson Hannah Schafer.
Those included no date conflicts and the fact that the festival wasn’t immediately following the Rose Festival, “providing some much-appreciated breathing room between two major city events,” Schafer said.
And, she added, “it activated downtown and Portland’s beautiful waterfront at a time where previously there were no major events.”
Schafer pointed out another positive to Pride in July, saying, “One additional benefit is that it essentially extends all the great Pride festivities in Portland beyond the month of June.”
Jones also counted that as a good thing, which means that Pride lasts longer and isn’t confined to one month.
“Overall,” Jones added, “it was still fun and successful.”
But, she added, “I feel like maybe there could have been another weekend we could have chosen.”