PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) —The annual Portland Pride Waterfront Festival and Parade is typically held in June for Pride Month, but officials announced that the 2023 event has been pushed back.
According to a release from Pride Northwest, event organizers have considered moving the festival and parade for years — in part because it often conflicts with other cultural events held in June such as Juneteenth, the Delta Park Pow Wow and more.
The release also said that Portland is bustling with events during the spring and summer. This makes it more difficult to schedule alternative dates at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park which is typically booked throughout the warmer months, and the Rose City has few other venues that are suited for the large crowds brought on by the festival and parade.
“We have often been placed in a position of being seen as ‘competing’ with other community celebrations and, although we work on the backend to build relationships and support diverse identities within the LGBTQIA2S+ community, at the end of the day, none of us really have the opportunity to support each other’s celebrations in truly meaningful ways, or proactively build toward an environment that empowers LGBTQIA2S+ people to express themselves without the perception that they are being asked to choose between the various parts of themselves,” Pride NW Executive Director Debra Porta said.
The 2023 Portland Pride Waterfront Festival and Parade are now slated for Saturday, July 15 to Sunday, July 16. The parade is scheduled for Sunday.
Further details on 2023’s festivities, including volunteer opportunities and registration for festival exhibitors, are available on the Portland Pride website.
“We look forward to continuing to build and strengthen relationships and to creating environments in which LGBTQIA2S+ people can celebrate the fullness of their identities,” Pride NW Board President Robert Turvey said.