Celebrate Pride in Eugene with march, festival in the park

Miranda Cyr, Eugene Register-Guard
Updated ·3 min read
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A marcher waves a Pride flag while walking to Eugene’s 2022 Pride in the Park event.
A marcher waves a Pride flag while walking to Eugene’s 2022 Pride in the Park event.

Eugene will recognize and uplift LGBTQ+ identities Saturday with its annual Pride Rally and March, followed by a Pride in the Park celebration.

While many LGBTQ+ events are celebrated during Pride Month in June, Eugene's August Pride Festival has been a tradition since the early 1990s. June is a busy month for Eugene, with lots of long-standing events and high school and University of Oregon graduations. Plus, rain is less likely during August.

The rally and march begin at 9 a.m. at Kesey Square, 10 E. Broadway.

The march is approximately 1.3 miles long through the city streets and sidewalks. No motorized vehicles are allowed as it is designated as a march and not a parade.

The parade organizers were granted a permit and worked with the Eugene Police Department to establish a route. Motorists should expect congestion and some road closures along the route, listed below.

  • The march begins from Kesey Square, moving east on Broadway Street.

  • Then south on Oak Street to Fifth Avenue.

  • Then east on Fifth Avenue to High Street.

  • Then north on High Street to the pedestrian access bridge towards Alton Baker Park.

  • Then sidewalk and path to Alton Baker.

During the march, Eugene Police Traffic Safety Unit, Mobile Response Team and Community Service Unit staff, crews from City of Eugene Public Works, and volunteers will be on hand to direct traffic and assist participants and ensure a safe and enjoyable day for everyone.

EugPRIDE recommends attendees gather at the rally, then make their way to the celebration at Alton Baker Park in whatever way they can for those with mobility concerns, as some parts of the route may not be accessible.

EugPRIDE's Pride in the Park celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Alton Baker Park, 100 Day Island Road.

Throughout the park, there will be live entertainment, food and drinks, community partners, local vendors, and family activities.

The festival will have two stages: the Main Stage and the Community Stage.

The main stage, hosted by Daphne Storm and Diva Simone, events and performances include:

  • Club Neveau

  • Soromundi Lesbian Chorus

  • Elite Dance Company

  • Tinta Turner

  • Femme Dagger, Cloud Outloud and Tender Desert Rat

  • Early Drag Show

  • Eugene Gay Men’s Chorus

  • BIPOC Drag with Karess Ann Slaughter

  • Comedy Hour with Jen Jay and Friends

  • William “Bill” Sullivan Scholarship Presentation

  • Joy Regime

  • Glamazons

  • Club Neveau

  • Slutashia

Community stage events and performances include:

  • DJ Fallon Love

  • Jadesong

  • Lea Jones

  • Sketchy the Clown

  • Lisa Forkish

  • Poetry with Jalen Thompsen

  • Fanny Rugburn’s Magic Queendom

  • Hannah Sofia

  • Verdant

  • Amiia Nectar

  • Maya Vagner

  • Just Dance with Kasondra

Admission to the festival is free, but Eugene Pride is asking for donations toward its youth scholarship fund. The William "Bill" Sullivan Scholarship Fund provides tuition money to local queer students pursuing post-secondary education. EugPRIDE aims to raise $10k annually for the fund.

The WOW Hall, 291 W. Eighth Ave., will host the EugPRIDE Afterparty at 8 p.m. with DJing and a drag show. Admission is $12 at the door or $10 in advance.

For more details about EugPRIDE, visit eugenepride.org/.

Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Celebrate Pride in Eugene with march, festival in the park