Happy first official day of summer! Soak up the sun this weekend at cheap and cheerful events from the 19th Annual Latino Cultural Festival to Juneteenth Oregon and from Taste of Thailand to the Tigard Festival of Balloons. For more suggestions, check out our top event picks of the week.

FRIDAY

PERFORMANCE

Original Practice Shakespeare Festival
The Original Practice Shakespeare Festival brings its productions outdoors each summer, interpreting the Bard's work in the classic First Folio style (that means limited rehearsal, an onstage prompter, and a fast-paced, improvisational feel). "Shakespeare should feel a little dangerous," the fest's organizers explain, and nothing sounds more dangerous to me than hopping on stage in front of a crowd to perform a barely rehearsed Elizabethan play. Check out the calendar for dates and locations of plays performed in parks across the city, including tales of heartbreak, murder, ghosts, and political intrigue. LINDSAY COSTELLO
(Mt. Tabor Summit, Mount Tabor)

If you appreciate the Mercury's interesting and useful news & culture reporting, consider making a small monthly contribution to support our editorial team. Your donation is tax-deductible. 

Good Morning, Portland! The Mercury's Queer Guide is at the printers! Look for our girl on stands starting next Thursday, but we'll have a bunch of wonderful (and serious) stuff starting Wednesday! 

IN LOCAL NEWS: 

• Ugh, I hate this story. But we hear it often enough. An elected official wants to cut taxes on high income taxpayers because it would incentivize (sure 🙄) more high income taxpayers to move into the area? This time that politician is Gov. Tina Kotek and she's suggesting Multnomah County pause its Preschool for All tax collection or reduce the rate.

• In 2023, we reported Doug Fir Lounge's plans to rennovate the former Le Bistro Montage space in Portland's Central Eastside. Why is she not open yet? Turns out the project keeps running into "bureaucratic speed bumps due to spates of permitting conflicts, Public Works requests, and spiraling costs." That's fucking curious, considering that Live Nation is practically marching their venue into town on a red carpet of the previous City Council's tongues. For the Mercury, Ryan J. Prado has more.

• Portland's hot budget drop is actually... well they left it out and it has cooled off.

It’s official: After months of negotiations and debate, Portland has a budget.

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— Alex Zielinski (@alexzee.bsky.social) June 19, 2025 at 9:45 AM

• Mark that shit down as something that will probably show up in our Pop Quiz PDX soon. But how did you do on THIS WEEK's?

 

 

 

 

 

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Portland, it's almost time to raise your cups and brain-freeze responsibly—Summer of Slushies starts soon! For the entire month of July, more than 25 of your favorite bars, restaurants, and cafes across the city are serving up boozy, fruity, slushie creations for just $10 each!

From neon-hued nostalgia bombs (daiquiris! piña coladas!) to elevated frozen cocktails with local spirits and wild garnishes, there's a slushie for every kind of summer lover. We can’t wait to see what Portland’s creative drink-makers are serving up!

📍 Where? All over town!
💸 How much? Just $10 a pop.
🗓️ When? All month long, starting July 1.
📱 Pro tip: Check the official Summer of Slushies Map to sip your way through them all.

Whether you're cooling off on a patio, kicking off a night out, or just need a midday frozen pick-me-up, Summer of Slushies is your ticket to beating the heat in the tastiest way possible!

And make sure and tag yourself at #mercurysummerofslushies and let us know where you are and what you’re drinking!

Big, slushy kisses to our buddies at Travel Portland, Jim Beam, and Oregon Fruit for helping make Summer of Slushies happen!

Cheers, Portland—let’s slush it up! 

Check Out ALLL THE SLUSHIES HERE!

All art, at its best, gives us the ability to transport ourselves and see the world from a new vantage point. The trouble is that sometimes the views we have access to are limited by the privilege of only certain voices being shared. Enter the rare opportunity of Tears and Glitter and Mimetic Desire, two plays by award-winning playwright Mikki Gillette. Produced by Salt and Sage and directed by long-time collaborator Asae Dean, the shows graciously offer viewers a chance to step outside of themselves and into a raw portrayal of the trans community. 

We’ve rounded up all of this week’s ticket drops in one handy place. Noah Cyrus will hit the road after releasing her sophomore album, I Want My Loved Ones to Go With Me. Gold dust woman Stevie Nicks returns to Portland for the witching season this October. Plus, secure tickets for Disney's The Lion King next Monday. Read on for details.

ON SALE FRIDAY, JUNE 20

MUSIC

The 502s – Easy Street Tour
Crystal Ballroom (Sun Nov 16)

bar italia
Aladdin Theater (Mon Nov 10)

Corbin
Hawthorne Theatre (Thurs Nov 20)

Juneteenth (a portmanteau of "June" and "nineteenth") commemorates the 1865 emancipation of Black slaves in the United States. Today, the celebration often includes singing, street fairs, cookouts, and Miss Juneteenth contests. In 2022, Juneteenth became a state-recognized holiday in Oregon, thanks in part to the efforts of the late community organizer Clara Peoples. Also known as the “mother of Juneteenth,” Peoples founded the Juneteenth Oregon celebration over 50 years ago, in 1972. Read on for more ways to celebrate the holiday, from Don’t Shoot Portland’s Juneteenth Cookout to The 4th Annual History of Black Drag in Portland.

Juneteenth: A Celebration of Black & Queer Music
Juneteenth and Pride Month shake hands at this music-filled evening featuring two incredibly talented Black queer artists: DJ Curtis starred in Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Portland Center Stage, and Jasmine Johnson has performed with the Portland Opera and Oregon Symphony. Musica Mixta, an organization that features a variety of styles and promotes diverse groups of performers, hosts the joyful celebration, and Bar Botellón's rustic space and delicious menu of tapas and house-made sangria make for a great setting to enjoy the music. 
Bar Botellon, Kerns (Thurs June 19)

HOWDY THERE, SMARTY BUTT! It's time once again to put your brainy-brain to the test with this week's edition of POP QUIZ PDX—our weekly, local, sassy-ass trivia quiz. And in this edition, we're testing your knowledge on a variety of topics including the "No Kings" march, toxic 'n' insecure cops, and which sleepy animal should we designate as Oregon's OFFICIAL "state sleepy animal"? 😴

But first? Let's check in to see how you did on last week's quiz! Oh, you did very well indeed, and I completely agree with the majority choice for which of my prized possessions you should buy at auction when I die or am imprisoned (whichever comes first)!

READY TO START? Take this week's quiz below, take our previous pop quizzes here, and come back next week for a brand spankin' new quiz! (Having a tough time answering this quiz? It's probably because you aren't getting Mercury newsletters! HINT! HINT!) Now crank up that cerebellum, because it's time to get BRAINY!

Create your own user feedback survey

Despite a renaissance of new music venues sprouting up around Portland’s Central Eastside, the delayed relaunch of one of the city’s most beloved venues is on the tip of many local showgoers' tongues. The reopening efforts of the Doug Fir Lounge in the former Le Bistro Montage digs has encountered ongoing bureaucratic speed bumps due to spates of permitting conflicts, Public Works requests, and spiraling costs.

Unfortunately, the wait will continue, though there appears to be a clearing on the horizon.

Who's ready to have some fun? Well, the Mercury is here to help with FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland's best concerts and events—our way of saying thanks to our great readers and spread the word about some fantastic upcoming performances! (Psst... if you want to say thanks to the Mercury, please consider making a small monthly contribution to keep us alive and kickin'!) And oh boy, do we have some fun events coming at ya this week! CHECK IT OUT!

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Cornelia Murr on June 25 at Mississippi Studios!

British indie songwriter Cornelia Murr shares new tunes from her first LP in six years and most confident album yet, ‘Run To The Center!’ Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair!

Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, Wed June 25, 8 pm, $26.05, 21+

• Enter to WIN FREE TICKETS to see Wavves on June 27 at Mississippi Studios!

San Diego alt-rock act Wavves returns to Portland with their first new music since 2021 — listen LIVE as they share tunes from their forthcoming album, ‘Spun!’ Get your tickets now or enter to win a free pair!

Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, Fri June 27, 8 pm, $35.29, 21+

If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND!👋

First and foremost, happy Juneteenth! It's a perfect day to revisit (or read for the first time) "BlackOut: A Five-Year Retrospective on Portland’s Racial Justice Movement"—the co-production of the Mercury and Donovan Scribes, which exclusively features the voices of Black Portlanders reflecting on what has changed, and how much further we have to go following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in 2020, and the 100+ days of Portland protests that followed. This issue contains jaw-dropping truths, and for my money is one of the most powerful and important historical documents of what actually happened during those traumatic, painful, and occasionally joyful days in 2020. Check it out, and check out today's NEWS.

IN LOCAL NEWS:

• And the wildly immoral kidnapping of immigrants in Portland by ICE continues: According to eyewitness video taken in downtown Portland, a Colombian immigrant—identified as E-A-T-B in court papers—had just left immigration court yesterday where they were seeking asylum in America to escape life-threatening danger, when they were pulled over and snatched by masked, plain-clothed ICE agents. According to their lawyer, the asylum seeker has not committed any crimes, and was simply trying to follow the law when ICE agents "put him in handcuffs, walked him away and put him in the car and drove off,” according to witnesses. It's unclear where the person was taken, and the feds have thus far refused comment on the incident. If it's not clear yet, this is what fascism looks like.

A Colombian immigrant who had just appeared in federal immigration court Wednesday was pulled over while driving on a downtown Portland street and arrested by masked federal agents dressed in plain clothes, his immigration attorney told The Oregonian.

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— The Oregonian (@oregonian.com) June 18, 2025 at 7:35 PM

• Last night marked what was probably the biggest nighttime turnout of ICE protesters at the South Portland facility yet, according to our Taylor Griggs, who was on the scene and estimated that roughly 250 people were at the building demanding a stop to the type of stories you just read. And according to Portland Police—who swear up and down they are not aiding and abetting ICE—their officers arrested two protesters outside the facility, one for being in closed off area next to the ICE facility, and the other who allegedly pointed a laser at federal officers. (Am I crazy, or does directly helping ICE agents qualify as directly helping ICE agents?)

La Isla Electronica (L.I.E.) begins their self-titled EP by munching on some chips and declaring “Vale vamos,” (ok, let’s go), before every instrument in this Portland four piece enters at once on “No Digas Nunca” (Don’t Say Never). It’s as if your friends loaded a 24-pack into the basket on the back of your bike and are trying to see if they can fit any snacks too. You could be headed anywhere: a barbeque, a house show, a baby shower. Vocalist Susana Sainz lets us know, “No pasa nada.” Sure, we’re going to be late, but we're not worried in the slightest. The sun has set on a blistering summer day and a breeze settles in, refreshing us for an all downhill bike ride to the function. 

Behind Milwaukie High School, there is a football field that seats around 1500.

In addition to serving as a home for various Milwaukie High School athletic competitions, it's also the home of the Oregon Ravens, a women’s tackle football team that plays in the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC)—a 17-team, nationwide football league with both tackle and flag football divisions. Owing to the Portland metro’s unusually robust women sports viewership culture, the Ravens sell out their games most weeks, and were thus determined to be the ideal host for the league’s Western Conference playoffs. The Western Conference final, played on June 7, saw the Texas Elite Spartans, the winningest team in the history of the WNFC, face off against the San Diego Rebellion. 

The Spartans stomped the Rebellion right into the dirt for 48 straight minutes, and going home with a 36-0 win and a ticket to face the Washington Prodigy in San Francisco on the 21st. At one point, the Rebellion managed to get into the red zone, where they were slowly dissected and pushed back, yard by yard, penalty by penalty, until they were sitting thirty yards behind the end zone with no way of shortening the distance between themselves and the goal, paralyzed by the drastically superior front line of Texas. Meanwhile, Texas scored at will, blew up California like a balloon, and ran out the clock when it came time to head home. A blowout, vicious and unchecked. The Rebellion didn’t stand a chance.

To call the WNFC a professional league would not be strictly true, because its players do have to pay to play, don't have a college paycheck, and work other jobs to support their passion. But they have a streaming deal, will be playing their title game on ESPN2, and they already possess a lot of the trappings of a proper pro league, from professional logos to a raft of sponsorship deals. They are working at a razor’s edge to make this happen: the event staff, right down to the chain gang, were Oregon Ravens players, volunteering their time to make the title game happen. I asked the people working the chains what they would have done if the Ravens had made the title game: they weren’t sure, and seemed a little relieved that they didn’t have to find out.

The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND. Or is it? Personally, I'm a bit stressed out by, uh, everything, and you probably are too. The good news—there's a chance of rain today. The chances will increase over the weekend, which may be bad for your summer solstice party plans but it's good for the plants and our future air quality. Move the party inside, and keep on trucking. 

[Content warning: Embedded video and photos in this post contain images of injury and blood.]

[UPDATE June 18 12:30 pm: We added further clarification that the projectile did not appear to be live ammunition.]

"I doubt I was there more than even five minutes before I got shot,"  Vincent Hawkins says, recalling June 14. 

The local ER nurse had just finished a shift when he arrived at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in South Portland, where a chaotic exchange between federal law enforcement and protesters was unfolding.

Hawkins, 55, was shot and nearly blinded by a “less lethal” projectile that federal officers fired into the crowd.

The injury was captured on bystander video and by the Portland Mercury, which published photos and videos of Hawkins’ injuries that day while reporting on the “No Kings” rally.