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Darcelle XV Plaza, a new park on the corner of SW Harvey Milk and Park downtown named for the city’s drag godmother, opens with a ribbon-cutting ceremony packed with Portland celebrities Thursday, June 18.
Darcelle XV, who died in 2023, was known offstage as Walter Cole. A monumental figure and mentor in Portland’s LGBTQ+ community, she opened Darcelle XV Showplace in 1967, five years before gay sex was decriminalized under Oregon law. And she kept at it. In 2016, when Darcelle was 82, Guinness World Records named her the “world’s oldest drag queen.”
The park’s dedication party opens with performances by DJ Aspen and the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus at 11 am. Beloved local queen and mentee of Darcelle Poison Waters is the day’s emcee, and Mayor Keith Wilson, city councilors and friends of Darcelle’s family are expected to speak at the event.
“Darcelle XV Plaza celebrates the legacy of a beloved LGBTQ+ cultural icon while reflecting Portland’s commitment to investing in vibrant public spaces,” Priya Dhanapal, Deputy City Administrator for Public Works, said in a press release.
“This is what the gay agenda looks like,” city councilor Eric Zimmerman, who is himself gay, said in the release. “Representation. Visibility. Pride. Streets named after gay people. Parks honoring drag queens. LGBTQ+ history reflected across the city we call home.”
Once open, Darcelle XV Plaza will house a dog park, a stage, flexible programming space and a walk of fame for significant members of the LGBTQ+ community. The plaza, formerly known as O’Bryant Square, was closed in 2018 due to structural concerns with the parking garage beneath it and remained vacant until 2023, when City Council unanimously voted to renovate the site and rename it for Darcelle.
Downtown Portland Clean & Safe, which currently runs programming for Director Park, will cover programming for Darcelle XV Plaza as well, including drag story time hosted by a local queen Sundays at 11 am and Summer Sounds, a concert series showcasing local artists Wednesdays from 11 am to 1:30 pm.
Following the ribbon cutting, the plaza will close for a week before officially opening to the public the following Thursday, June 25, with another party hosted by Poison Waters. Dubbed Spectacular-Spectacular, the second party runs 5 to 10 pm and sounds wonderfully like a city-sponsored drag show. Expect a lineup of yet to be announced performers connected to Darcelle’s legacy and a glam station with professional makeup artists ready to give you Darcelle’s signature look.
