🏳️‍🌈 Pride Weekend in Portland

Gigi Gabor’s been prepping her lashes since May. Deering Oaks just got its second mow. Someone’s dad in the West End finally learned what a harness is.

Every June, Pride rolls into Portland like it owns the place, and honestly, it kind of does. It’s loud, it’s messy, it’s beautiful. You’ll sweat through something sparkly, hug a stranger in Deering Oaks, and wake up with a sunburn and glitter in places you didn’t know glitter could reach. That’s the whole point. Pride isn’t background noise here. It’s the beat of the weekend.

These are the can’t-miss events happening in Portland for Pride.

• Thu 19 Jun · 7 PM — Prismatic Ball @ Mechanics’ Hall (Sold Out)
  Dress shiny, move like you mean it. Ballroom culture meets historic woodwork under a stained-glass ceiling. $45.
  

• Sat 21 Jun · 8 PM — Portland Pride 2025 @ Aura
  Gigi Gabor and Cherry Lemonade steer the ship, with Rosé and Kerri Colby dropping drag-royalty fire. DJ Skooch keeps it moving all night. 18+, $30–35.
  

• Sat 21 Jun · 1:30 PM — Pride Parade → Deering Oaks
  The loudest, slowest-moving block party in town. Free, all ages, with a beer garden waiting in the park.
  

• Sat 21 Jun · 4 PM — Official Pride Bar Crawl (Kickoff @ Fore Play)
  One wristband, nine bars, infinite poor decisions. Hydrate or surrender.
  

• Sat 21 Jun · 7 PM — Big Gay Dance Party @ State Theatre
  Roxxxy Andrews sets it off. Bring a sweat towel and your “last song of the night” voice. $25 advance.
  

• Sun 22 Jun · 3 PM — STRUT Tea Dance @ Peaks Island
  Detox on deck. The sea breeze, the DJ, the crowd—all just right. Ferry beers hit different. $30+.

Lose track of time, forget which party you’re heading to, and find yourself at the bar with someone who reminds you why we show up for this every year.

☕ The Best $2 Coffee in Portland

Here’s something not everyone realizes. Another Round, the board game bar on Congress, knocks 50% off their drip coffee before 10 a.m.

There’s a sign, but most people miss it. The place gets boxed in as a games-and-cocktails hangout. But the coffee? It’s as good as anything else they do. Maybe better.

Right now they’re brewing Eclipse, a dark roast from Onyx Coffee Lab in Arkansas. Smooth, rich, no bitterness. Some mornings you’ll catch New School instead, a lighter roast with beans from Ethiopia and Colombia that somehow tastes like peach tea.

Espresso drinks are also 25% off before 10 a.m!

It’s a quiet deal. Easy to miss. Better than it needs to be.

In a city where a breakfast sandwich can set you back $14, a good large coffee for two bucks and change feels like a small act of kindness.

It won’t stay a secret forever. But it still feels like one.

🎭 For Sale: The State Theatre Building

The lights are still on. Shows are still booked. But the building that houses one of Portland’s most iconic stages? It's up for sale.

The State Theatre building at 609–615 Congress Street just hit the market. Over 90,000 square feet of old bones, tucked between the Richardsonian Romanesque façade of the old Baxter Library and an alley that always smells like hot fryer oil and cigarette smoke. Offices, apartments, storefronts, and one hell of a legacy.

Ownership changes. Buildings get flipped. But this one? It holds something. Let’s hope whoever buys it knows the difference between property and place.

🐾 Adoptable Buddies of the Week! 🐾

🐕 Sunny – 1 year old, 34 lbs, soft cream coat.
Quiet, cautious, and still learning to trust. Needs a calm home, a secure yard, and someone with patience. Might thrive with a gentle dog buddy.

🐈 Cornbread – 1.5 years old, white and brown.
Reserved but curious. A Tiny Tiger working on his confidence. Best for a mellow home without kids, and someone who understands the slow blink life.

🐈 Yodel – 5 years old, buff beauty.
Shy guy with an old soul. Prefers quiet corners and low expectations. Another Tiny Tiger looking for someone steady, kind, and cat-wise.

🐕 Interested? Check them out here

🎟️ Want more event tips every week? Follow The Portland Logbook on Instagram for daily updates!

June 17th - Tuesday

Best Worst Trivia Night @ Another Round | 6:30pm | Free

Free Summer Concerts @ Payson Park | 6:20 pm | Free

Dvořák’s New World Symphony @ Merrill Auditorium, | 7 PM | 🎟️$103

Open Dance Class w/ Little House @ Casco Bay Movers | 10:30am | 🎟️$15

June 18th - Wednesday

Deering Oaks Farmers Market- Half Vender, Wednesday’s @ Deering Oaks Park | 7am | Free

Film: Foragers @ Space | 7pm | 🎟️ $10

Music: Shred Is Dead @ PHOME | 8pm | 🎟️ $17

June 19th - Thursday

Thursday Knit Night @ Rising Tide Brewing | 5:30pm | Free

Music: Rakim @ Oxbow | 7:30pm | 🎟️ $53

Mt. Joy @ Thomp Point | 7:30pm | 🎟️ $55

Drag Show SLAYYY @ Novel | 7pm | 🎟️ $12

June 20th - Friday

Free Art Museum Friday @ The Portland Museum of Art | 4pm | Free

Cabin Fever Comedy Show @ Halo at the Point | 8pm | 🎟️ $33

Devils Nite Out Production: I, the Conqueror @ Geno’s Rock Club | 8:30pm | 🎟️ $15

Summer Sunsets Live! @ Thomp Point | 4pm | Free

Summer Solstice Celebration @ Gooey Gump | 4pm | 🎟️ $10

Portland Drawing Group @ Novel | 7pm | 🎟️ $ Donation Based

Steamy Nights @ The Hill Arts | 7pm | 🎟️ $30

Reverend Horton Heat @ Aura, | 9 PM | 🎟️ $40

June 21st - Saturday

Deering Oaks Farmers Market @ Deering Oaks Park | 7am | Free

East Bayside Trail Fest @ 38 Diamond St. | 9am | 🎟️ $15

Pride Portland! Parade & Festival @ Deering Oaks Park | 1:30pm | Free

Portland Pride 2025 Drag Show @ Aura | 8pm | 🎟️ $40

Yoga in the Outfield @ Portland Sea Dogs | 9am | Free

June 22nd - Sunday

East Bayside Trail Fest @ 38 Diamond St. | 7am | 🎟️ $15

Wild Edibles Walking Tour @ Western Prom, Valley St. | 10am | 🎟️ $30

STRUT Tea Dance @ Peaks Island, |11 Am |🎟️ $33

Suntory Spirits Event @ The Regency | 2pm | 🎟️ $40

The Wurst Week @ All over Portland | June 22nd-28th | Free

June 23rd - Monday

Art: The Creating Hour @ Novel | 7pm | 🎟️ $18

Craft Night @ Freedom’s Edge Cider | 5pm | Free

Game Night @ Another Round Cafe | 5:30pm | Free

Sound Meditation @ Good Medicine Collective | 6pm | 🎟️ $45

The Wurst Week @ All over Portland | June 22nd-28th | Free

Until next week,
— Jake Newman