The Top Five Places to Dance During Pride Week

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BlowPony. IMAGE: Anni DeSomer.

1. Cake

Killingsworth Dynasty, 832 N Killingsworth St., killingsworthdynasty.com.

On top of the retro and contemporary hip-hop spun by resident DJ and organizer Automaton, queer-inclusive dance night Cake regularly books some of the city's best hip-hop artists. Cake's Pride party will include a performance by on-the-rise local rapper KayelaJ, whose performances are amped on any given night. 9 pm Friday, June 14.

2. Blow Pony’s Queer Mutiny Fest

Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside St., bossanovaballroom.com.

All year-round, Blow Pony is one of Portland's wildest, most welcoming queer-centric dance parties. Every month includes performances by top-notch drag artists, Blow Pony go-go dancers and founder DJ Airick Redwolf spinning a raucous blend of dance punk. Its Pride parties are the stuff of legend and will definitely sell out, so get your tickets early. 9 pm Saturday, June 15.

Related: Eleven Years and Multiple Venue Changes Later, Blow Pony Remains Portland's Wildest LGBTQ Dance Party.

3. Judy on Duty

Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy Blvd., tonicloungeportland.com

Though Judy on Duty brands itself as a hip-hop throwback party, it books a wide range of DJs who frequently branch out into vibe-y soundscapes. Judy on Duty makes an effort to include people from across the queer spectrum. Everyone from the DJs to the poster artists to the people running the door are members of the LGBTQ community. That's truly what makes Judy on Duty special—it's about creating a space for the queer community and giving back to it as well. 8 pm Saturday, June 15.

4. Slay

Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison St., holocene.org.

After the ongoing success of Cake, DJ Automaton recently founded another dance night. Slay usually features a similar mix of booty-bouncing hip-hop, and makes an extra effort to welcome an intersectional crowd. Plus, it's hosted at Holocene, whose two dance floors and high ceilings make it feel like an intimate warehouse party. There will almost certainly be a line around the block for Slay's Pride edition, but if you can get in, it will be worth it. 9 pm Saturday, June 15.

5. They Them Her

Church, 2600 NE Sandy Blvd., facebook.com/theythemher.

They Them Her is hosting two parties this weekend. The new-ish dance night's homebase is the perpetually packed, gothic-kitsch Church, so at peak hours, the Saturday night edition will undoubtedly accumulate a line. But if you don't want to spend all of Pride weekend waiting to get into bars, or just want a jump start on the revelry, They Them Her's afternoon start time offers an opportunity to get in before the crowd. Plus, there's another show on Sunday, and the lineup for both days is an eclectic group of DJs whose mixes range from throbbing electronica to ambient hip-hop. 3 pm Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16.

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