The Rogue Valley community is set to come together to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with plenty of performers to watch, vendors to check out and more at this year’s Medford Pride event. 

The event will have 115 vendors and food trucks with more than 20 performers throughout, and Medford Pride is planned and hosted by the LGBTQ+ Equity Workgroup of Southern Oregon’s Health Equity Coalition, otherwise known as SO Health-E. 

“There are some really incredible local performers all involved with Medford Pride,” said Payton Henderson, co-chair of the workgroup. “The band Blue Lighting will perform live for us, which is super-exciting, and we also have drag performers coming from Portland with connections to the Rogue Valley.”

Medford Pride is scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 28, at Rogue X, located at 901 Rossanley Drive in Medford. 

The event celebrates Pride Month and offers a space for local members of the LGBTQ+ community to express themselves freely among peers while also being able to enjoy a wide range of performances, activities, food and vendors. 

“This is our fourth annual Medford Pride, which we’re stoked about, and as usual it’s a free and family-friendly event and is open to anyone,” Henderson said, noting the new venue at Rogue X this year.

Emcees and performers for Medford Pride include Deb U. Taunt for the pre-show, and Lady Luci LaVicious and Venus LaVicious will co-emcee for the main stage show. 

There also will be an interactive art installation from local artist Tiffany Wyatt, encouraging visitors to add to a communal art piece. 

“Every attendee has the opportunity to create an art piece that will then be arranged into a communal art piece; everyone’s piece will be part of that larger art piece in the form of pixel art,” Henderson said. 

This year’s Medford Pride has a record number of performers as well as more than 100 vendors selling a wide range of goods and services, along with local support organizations offering information to the community. 

“Our vendors range from social support services to local artisans and nonprofits,” said Riki Rosenthal, co-chair of SO Health-E’s LGBTQ+ Equity Workgroup. “We’re super-excited to welcome returning vendors and a handful of new ones, as well.”

Organizers also made sure to focus on accessibility at Medford Pride for all attendees, ensuring the building is ADA-accessible as well as having American Sign Language and Spanish interpreters. 

“Disability access is a huge part of consideration with Pride, and disability rights are combined with Queer rights; it’s important that everyone feels celebrated,” Henderson said.  

For organizers, there were multiple reasons for moving the event to Rogue X.

Utilizing community feedback surveys from last year, the purpose for the switch to the new venue was due to eliminating weather-related obstacles, saving money on event costs as well as ensuring the safety of attendees, Henderson said. 

There will be private security at Medford Pride and people trained in deescalation to prevent any interruptions at the event. 

“We’ve had to take extra precautions, this year more than ever, to celebrate Pride,” Henderson said regarding the current political climate and celebrating LGBTQ+ rights. “It’s a message that the Queer community will not be erased and we’ll maintain that spirit of connection in the Rogue Valley, because visibility and joy are revolutionary at this time in the world and counterbalance the rhetoric and hate.” 

Organizers hope to hold future Medford Pride events at Rogue X if all goes accordingly. 

“If it works and we get great feedback, we’ll likely continue to hold it there,” Rosenthal said. 

There will also be a food drive at the event, with attendees encouraged to bring nonperishable goods and hygiene products. 

For more information on Medford Pride, visit sohealthe.org/post/all-about-medford-pride-2025.

Reach reporter James Sloan at james.sloan@rv-times.com.