5th Annual Medford Pride This Saturday, June 27

Contact: medfordpride@sohealthe.org

5th Annual Medford Pride is Saturday, June 27th

Location: Rogue X, 901 Rossanley Drive, MedfordDate and Time: Saturday, June 27, 2026 | 12:00 PM–6:00 PM

Medford, Oregon – On Saturday, June 27, the Rogue Valley community will come together to celebrate the 5th annual Medford Pride. This free, family-friendly event is open to all and will take place from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Rogue X in Medford. Attendees can look forward to food trucks, live stage performances, free interactive activities, and booths from local organizations, artists, and businesses.

The goal of Medford Pride 2026 is to uplift the diversity of the Rogue Valley queer community and to recognize and celebrate the people, businesses, and community and faith groups who stand alongside us. In the face of rising national threats to LGBTQ+ safety and belonging, events like this offer a powerful counterbalance of joy, visibility, and community.

Research from the Trevor Project's 2024 National Survey of nearly 19,000 LGBTQ+ young people found that those living in rural areas were nearly twice as likely to lack community support (34% vs. 67%) as their urban peers — and more likely to experience bullying, anxiety, depression, and thoughts of suicide. Events like Medford Pride exist precisely to counter that isolation.

That reality is what motivates the volunteers who make Medford Pride happen year after year. “It feels like a privilege to bring an event like this to the Rogue Valley," says Medford Pride Planning Co-Chair Payton Henderson. "Our community deserves a space where we are celebrated and uplifted. We hope Medford Pride proves that queer folks will keep showing up and showing out, no matter what the rest of the world throws at us.”

For Planning Co-Chair Taylor Thomas, the event is about something deeper than celebration. “We owe it to our queer and trans elders to continue practicing community care and showing up as our authentic selves. Pride is a chance to see who is in your corner when you feel alone — and to know who you can turn to when things get hard. We have a beautiful community that shows up in meaningful ways, and this is our chance to highlight that work and let people feel queer joy together.”

###

Medford Pride is organized by the LGBTQ+ Equity Workgroup, a community-led, cross-sector workgroup hosted by SO Health-E, the Southern Oregon Health Equity Coalition. The group works to promote unity, inclusion, awareness, and a sense of belonging for Queer individuals, families, and allies across Southern Oregon.