This month kicks off the much loved and very traditional Portland Rose Festival, which includes a myriad of activities and events for adults, families, and children. It’s also the month when the Portland community stands strong in support of our LGBTQ+ community.
Show Portland Pride This Month
This year, Portland Pride weekend aligns with Father’s Day weekend. As the event planners share, the smashup of Memorial Day, the Rose Festival, and the Jazz Festival, combined with the need for a weekend that can accommodate the 70,000+ attendees, “There is a really small window of opportunity for us to hold the Portland Pride Waterfront Festival and Parade…” To be honest, we love the idea of a whole different way to celebrate Father’s Day, that goes beyond the traditional backyard BBQ.
Pediatric Associates of the Northwest staunchly support our LGBTQ+ community. Our own Dr. Chaffin has a special interest in LGBTQ+ health and has trained Pediatric Associates of the Northwest providers and staff to create a welcoming environment for patients and families in the LGBTQ community. But our commitment to the community doesn’t stop there. Pediatric Associates of the Northwest is a designated “Safe Zone” for all sexual orientations, gender expressions, and gender identities.
Bring the Family to the Portland Pride and Waterfront Festival & Parade
The weekend of June 18th and 19th brings one of our office’s favorite events of the year: The Portland Pride and Waterfront Festival & Parade. Portland Pride includes a two-day festival at Waterfront Park and an epic, colorful and joyous parade winding through downtown Portland. With food, drinks, live music, and nonprofit information booths lining the Willamette River, the festival is a great place to gather, mingle and get more information about local LGBTQ+ groups.
Here are some of the events you won’t want to miss:
The Pride Parade
If you’ve never been to the Portland Pride parade before, you’re missing out on what we would call the best parade of the year. There is absolutely no better model for children to see adults expressing their truest identities – no hiding, no fear, no shame, and no people-pleasing – than at an LGBTQ+ Pride Parade.
This year’s parade takes place Sunday, June 19th, at 11:00 a.m. The parade steps off from NW Broadway and NW Couch St at 11:00 AM and ends at SW Naito Parkway at the Portland Pride Waterfront Festival.
Waterfront Festival
The Waterfront Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, June 18th & 19th, from noon to 6:00 p.m. The Portland Pride Waterfront Festival and Parade is the single, largest visibility opportunity for our region’s LGBTQ+ community organizations and businesses, where they can attract new supporters and clients, increase their volunteer base, and raise much-needed funds. Festival Exhibitors range from small high school GSAs to international corporations. And of course, there’s plenty of food and live entertainment.
Pride At the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI)
Join OMSI In celebrating our LGBTQ+ community! Pride at the Museum welcomes visitors of all ages for a night of Pride-inspired science demos, lectures, Drag performances, music, and complimentary admission to our featured exhibit, The World of da Vinci!
This event is kid/family friends and inclusive of any allies interested in attending. Masks are optional, and no negative COVID test or vaccine is required. Unvaccinated individuals or those at high-risk may consider wearing a mask to this event.
There are plenty of other events on the calendar this month, so make sure to check out their list of events and challenge yourself to attend something new. The team at Pediatric Associates of the Northwest hopes to see you there.
