Where to Celebrate Pride this June in Salem

Gather and celebrate pride this June. Here’s a look at some of the activities happening around Salem.

Salem Main Street Association and Capital Pride present Salem Downtown Pride Bloc Party, a celebration of diversity and inclusion on Saturday, June 17 on State Street between Liberty and Commercial streets.

The celebration kicks off with a commemorative March in honor of the 45th anniversary of the first Pride march in Salem. It starts at 10 a.m. at the Oregon State Capitol.

Take part in a 60-minute, all-levels, all-ages yoga class led by Mikki Trowbridge of Resonance Yoga Collective. Bring your own yoga mat, and possibly a towel for below your mat since the practice will be in the street. Colorful, rainbow yoga attire is encouraged. There is a suggested donation of $5 to $10 per yogi for practice. 100% of donations will be contributed to Rainbow Youth Oregon.

Official festivities kick off at 12 p.m. followed by a variety of entertainment including

12:30 p.m. Drag with Lylac & Friends
1:15 p.m. Live music with Flying Nimbus
1:45 p.m. Open Drag Stage (Sign Ups open soon)
2:30 p.m. Audience Participation
3:00 p.m. DJ Dance Party
3:30 p.m. ISCW Drag
4:15 p.m. Live music with Hannah Wood
5 p.m. Drag with Lylac & Friends
6:00 p.m. DJ Dance Party to close out the event

Following the main festivities, there will be a few different 21 and older after party options including Stand-up Comedy, 6:30 p.m. at Taproot; Vendors, 6:30 p.m. at Archive and a Pride Dance Party starting at 9 p.m. at The Best Goose. Follow Downtown Salem Pride for updates.

Salem Cinema is hosting a month of LGBTQIA+ films. Here’s what you can see on the big screen —

June 11-15: Joyland “With stunning, achingly bittersweet honesty, JOYLAND tackles gender and sexual fluidity in a repressed patriarchal society.”
June 16: Mama Bears “Although they may have grown up as fundamentalist, evangelical Christians, mama bears are willing to risk losing friends, family, and faith communities to keep their offspring safe–even if it challenges their belief systems and rips their worlds apart. “
June 16: L’Immensita “Rome, 1970s: a world which straddles new neighborhoods being created, TV variety shows still in black & white, societal advances and family models that now seem outdated.”
June 18 & 19: Kinky Boots: The Musical “With songs by Grammy® and Tony® winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper, direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Hairspray) and book by Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles), this ‘dazzling, fabulously sassy and uplifting’ (Time Out) award-winning musical celebrates a joyous story of Brit grit to high-heeled hit as it takes you from the factory floor of Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan!”
June 23: Blue Jean “England, 1988. Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government is about to pass a law stigmatizing gays and lesbians, forcing Jean, a gym teacher, to live a double life.”
June 30: Every Body “A revelatory investigation of the lives of intersex people. The film tells the stories of three individuals who have moved from childhoods marked by shame, secrecy, and non-consensual surgeries to thriving adulthoods after each decided to set aside medical advice to keep their bodies a secret and instead came out as their authentic selves.”

Click here for tickets.

Salem Public Library offers a few ways to celebrate Pride this month —

Take in a night of frivolity and entertainment at Drag Queen Bingo for adults (age 18 and older) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 16, in Anderson Rooms A&B a the Salem Public Library. While popular in the 1950s and 1960s, playing bingo eventually fell out of fashion. Enter drag queen bingo! A synergy between bingo and drag queen culture has given this classic game the jolt it needed to regain its spark. Poly Poptart will be the fabulous Master of Ceremonies for the evening so come ready for fun. Enter on the plaza level instead of the main floor entrance. Although free, seating is limited to first 60.

Enjoy Singing With Pride by Confluence Willamette Valley LGBT Chorus 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 24, in Loucks Auditorium at Salem Public Library. The performance will feature inspirational songs from women, BIPOC and LGBT composers from the Confluence Willamette Valley LGBT Chorus.

You can also find book displays and book lists, including a cloudLibrary Pride Month booklist here and curated Pride Month streaming videos on Kanopy here.

Take part in Pride Yoga 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, June 15, at CreativiTee & rofe designs, 110 Commercial St NE. The one-hour flow class is led by Catherine Albertini. Cost is $42 and includes class, a special limited-release tank top, drinks, snacks and private shopping. Space is limited. Click here to register.

At Infinity Room, you can celebrate with a laugh, plus brunch —

Out at Night: An Evening of LGBTQIA+ Comedy — Join host Temple the Bard (D.B. Cooper Comedy Festival) for an evening of hilarious LGBTQIA+ comedians from all over the PNW, 7:30 p.m. Friday June 9 at Infinity Room, 210 Liberty St SE. Cost $15 in advance; $20 at the door for this 18 and older show. Click here for tickets.

Makeup & Mimosas is a drag queen brunch hosted by RiRi Calienté featuring amazing drag talents. Bloody Mary, mimosa and brunch specials are available at this 16 and older event. Catch the show 1 p.m. Saturday, June 10 & 24, at Infinity Room, 210 Liberty St SE. Click here for June 10 tickets and here for June 24 tickets. Masks are not required but are appreciated throughout the venue when not actively eating or drinking, even if you are seated at a table.

Andy Iwancio — Take in a night of comedy with the Seattle trans gal phenom as featured on Bumbershoot and SF Sketchfest, fresh off recording her new album “Hard Trans,” 9:30 p.m. June 16 at Infinity Room, 210 Liberty St SE. Cost: $15 in advance; $20 at the door. Age 18 and older. Click here for tickets.

More ways to support Pride —

Archive Coffee & Bar, 102 Liberty St NE #120, is donating $2 to Downtown Salem Pride for every Meadowdrop signature cocktail purchased between June 11 and 17.

The Book Bin, 450 Court St NE, will be donating 20% of sales to Downtown Pride on June 11. The shop will also have a booth at the event on June 17.

At Infinity Room, 10% of admission sales during June will be donated to Rainbow Youth, whose mission is to create safe and welcoming spaces for LGBTQIA+ youth in Marion & Polk counties

Resonance Yoga, 129 Commercial St NE, is donating 50 cents to Rainbow Youth Oregon each time you attend class (in-person or livestream) during June.

Save the Date —

Salem Capital Pride’s annual Pride in the Park, our celebration is happening 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. August 26 at the Gerry Frank Rotary Amphitheater in Riverfront Park, where there will be an art show; booths with local vendors, non-profits, and activities across the meadow. Watch for info at salemcapitalpride.org/pride2023/