For more than 30 years, the Eugene Pride Festival has attracted people throughout the Pacific Northwest, creating an inclusive space where Pride is not only celebrated but also seen as an opportunity to cast a line of community support. The event blossomed in 2021, when Eugene Pride was one of the few celebrations continuing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Brooks McLain, development director of HIV Alliance and president of Eugene Pride Board of Directors, says, “Our whole mission is promoting respect and diversity expression for LGBTQ arts and culture.” According to McLain, the event continues to grow every year with Eugene Pride attracting over 12,000 attendees and featuring 250 booths in 2024.
This year’s Pride celebration starts when people gather at 9 am Saturday, June 28, in Kesey Square for the Annual Pride Rally that begins at 9:30 am, featuring performers sharing spoken word, songs and activist voices.
After the performances, there will be the Annual Pride March kicking off at 10:30 am, spanning approximately 1.2 miles and concluding at the Lane Events Center, where the rest of the Pride festivities will take place from 11 am to 7 pm.
Parking at the event is $5, with proceeds benefiting HIV Alliance. It can be a far walk from the parking area to the venue, so the Eugene transportation department is offering $20 “gay bale rides” to take people to the festival entrance. Closer parking is available for individuals with mobility challenges or those displaying an ADA placard.
For cyclists, free bike valet services will be provided by Cascadia Mobility, and all PeaceHealth Rides can park for free in the geofenced area near the bike valet.
Following a hate group’s interruption of past Pride events, the Pride Day Equality Project made this year’s event ticketed on a sliding scale (ranging from $1 to $20), moved it to the indoor venue at the Fairgrounds and introduced a clear bag policy to enhance safety throughout the celebration.
Naphtali Renshaw, Pride interfaith and de-escalation coordinator says, “The national conversation has become more and more unsafe for queer and trans — trans people specifically.”
She says, “We expect that the group’s going to show up again, and so we’ve really been trying to build a robust team and utilize the new setting at the Fairgrounds to leverage that for the safety of our community.”
While the event is ticketed, organizers say that nobody will be turned away who wants to participate. The event will have both security personnel and trained de-escalation specialists on staff.
Upon entering, the food court is located outside, but unlike prior years, the majority of the fun will be held indoors. Throughout the festival, there are three stages — a DJ stage, a community stage and the main stage. The performances will feature a range of entertainment options, including drag, performance art, comedy and more.
McLain says, “We’re not kind of your typical party like you see in other cities. We’re very much a community-based organization. There’s a lot of resources for the community. There’s a lot of collaborations that happen out of this event.”
He adds, “Everyone is welcome, so you get the full spectrum of the LGBTQIA+ community, so you can kind of find your niche in the events.”
The festival will include different zones to create an inclusive experience. For instance, the sober circle is its own small part of Pride where people can connect with other sober individuals while having fun. Recovery organizations help organize the circle, and McLain says staff have received feedback that the sober circle has prevented relapse.
In addition, the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs organizes Veterans Village, where focus groups can provide support and relatability in having similar experiences serving or post-serving.
There will be an interfaith area where local churches can connect with individuals in an inclusive way that is accepting of LGBTQIA+ members and lifestyles. “The church has a long history of being instrumental in harm for queer folks, and it’s a good opportunity for them to step in and try to be participants in healing and protection,” Renshaw says.
Ticket proceeds go toward the William “Bill” Sullivan Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships for LGBTQIA+ individuals who are attending post-secondary education or trade school. “The more tickets we sell, the more funds we raise, the more we’re able to give to scholarships, so that’s really important for us,” McLain says. This year, eight individuals will be awarded $2,000. Throughout the event, Anomaly Hair Collective will offer gender-affirming haircuts, and Queer Eugene will host a clothing swap. There will also be a youth zone with a variety of fun activities and a pet zone for furry friends, so everyone has a place at Eugene Pride.
“The big thing is that we don’t have staff, and we’re all volunteers, and so we’re asking for folks to have patience,” McLain says. “In a reduced timeline, in a new space, it’s a lot of new logistics for us as planners, and so we would encourage the community to come with a happy festive attitude.”
Once the main event is over, Eugene Pride partners with Chub, a monthly dance party typically thrown at The Sparrow and Serpent Pub in Eugene’s Whiteaker Neighborhood, for a 21-plus afterparty, featuring a gay dance party on-site at the Fairgrounds until 10 pm.
Eugene Pride is June 28. The Pride Rally goes from 9:30 am to 10:30 am at Kesey Square, 10 East Broadway, and the Pride March begins at 10:30 am, ending at the Lane County Fairgrounds, 796 West 13th Avenue. The Eugene Pride Festival goes until 7 pm with a 21-plus afterparty on-site until 10 pm.