Say it loud; say it proud: Portland’s Pride parade is in July! Since the hot idea dropped in 2023, Portland Pride celebrations have come to feel like two months of intensifying queerness that eventually explodes into the biggest annual parade in the whole state and a weekend of events and performances in Waterfront Park—all of which is organized by LGBTQ2SIA+ community-focused nonprofit Pride Northwest.
You know this; I know this, but did you know who’s headlining the festival year? Because the storied org just announced three major entertainers at the top of its Portland Pride blowout—to be held in Tom McCall Waterfront Park on July 18-19.
Drag artists Tenderoni, DeJa Skye, and Lushious Massacr are all entertainers with national appeal, but Debra Porta, Pride Northwest’s executive director explains that each also embodies this year’s “Made with Pride” theme, “not just because of their identity but because of their desire to elevate the entire community.”
And while Tenderoni and Skye have previously performed in Portland, Massacr will bloom on the Rose City stage for the first time.
Tenderoni (who goes by Janelle Felix out of drag) is a drag king best known for winning the 2021 Drag Queen of the Year, a pageant thrown by RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Alaska Thunderfuck. Since then, the Chicago-based artist has judged Revery’s King of Drag, the first reality series about a drag king competition. Keeping with the spirit of the “BOOK DRAG KINGS” movement, Tenderoni’s set will elevate local drag king performers, so you can add them to your favs—and BOOK THEM.
You will remember DeJa Skye (Willie Redman) from both the 14th season of Drag Race and the 10th season of All Stars. Or you just saw that clip of her memorable impersonation of rapper Lil Jon during the Snatch Game, a Drag Race celebrity impersonation challenge. To win a bit while performing in drag as a man was considered risky, but Skye’s skewering of a straight male celebrity—complete with the producer’s animated “okay!”—changed some judges’ hearts and minds that day. Oh, one more place you may have seen her: last year’s Waterfront festival. She comes through somewhat regularly, but this year will showcase her newly-polished DJ skills.
Lushious Massacr (Martin De Luna Jr.) earned fame for her makeup work on drag queens Valentina and Shangela in their respective appearances on Drag Race México and the HBO reality TV series about Drag Race,ˆ We’re Here, the latter of which won Massacr an Emmy award. Still, she might be even better known for her YouTube series Dragvestigations where Massacr—dressed in her persona-within-a-persona Mimi—visits business like TJ Maxx, Saks Fifth Avenue, and AutoZone to review products. In a recent episode, Massacr took Jinkx Monsoon to dragvestigate a CVS in Los Angeles, and the whole episode was peppered with Massacr’s addictive vocal stim soundbites like “CREATURE,” “TERROR,” and “DON’T DO IT, LITTLE GIRL.”
A Mexican American drag queen, originally from Brownsville, Texas, Massacr’s performance at Portland Pride will highlight local Latiné drag troupe Noche Kaliente. It’s a worthy pick that still feels symbolic, as some Oregon Latin Pride celebrations cancelled their events last summer due to the ramped-up presence and aggression of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
With the announcement of its waterfront festival’s headliners, Pride Northwest did the respectable thing and also dropped a ticket link.
Admission to the fest is free, though there’s a suggested day pass donation of $10. Pride Northwest is hoping supporters will snap up the slightly higher tier donation tickets for access to “fast pass” admission lines or VIP seating with “prime views of the main stages” and “meet-and-greet opportunities.”
Portland Pride Waterfront Festival will be held inTom McCall Waterfront Park, 98 SW Naito, Sat July 18 11 am-8 pm; Sun July 19 11 am-6 pm, tickets and info at portlandpride.org.