Hundreds of people came out Thursday to celebrate the grand opening of the Darcelle XV Plaza in downtown Portland.

The plaza is dedicated to legendary drag performer Walter Cole, also known as Darcelle XV, who died in 2023 from natural causes. He was 92. Cole performed as Darcelle for half a century and founded the longest running drag show in the world, the Darcelle XV Showplace.

An LGBTQ+ icon who defied stigma and empowered his community, Cole spent much of his life advocating for those who fell outside of society’s “normalcy.”

Poison Waters, a longtime friend and co-star of Cole, continues to host the show to this day. Waters was at Thursday’s event celebrating the new plaza.

“Darcelle represented the entire city, the entire region,” Waters said. “To have a gathering space for all of Portland and Multnomah County to come and celebrate all the celebrations that are important in their lives. That means everything to us.”

The new plaza, located at 800 SW Harvey Milk St., and the longtime-running drag show remain as reminders of Cole’s legendary career. The grand opening featured live drag performances, food, drinks and a musical performance by the Oregon Symphony.

It was hosted by Downtown Portland Clean & Safe and Visit Downtown Portland. In a public-private partnership with Portland Parks and Recreation, the new space, formally O’Bryant Square, was renamed and renovated after years of being shut down due to structural issues with the parking garage beneath it.

Portland Parks releases first glimpse of downtown’s new Darcelle XV Plaza

Senior Director of Downtown Programs at the Portland Metro Chamber Sydney Mead said they’re working with Central City Concern, a program that hires people with barriers to employment, to help upkeep the plaza.

According to Mead, similar upgrades to Director Park led to an instant change in that area. Cleanliness was improved and events at the park brought people together to listen to music and dance.

“I do think that [the plaza] is going to have a huge impact on the neighborhood and the whole downtown area,” Mead said.

She added the plaza will act as an urban center similar to those in Europe or New York, meant to host a range of activities, live music and events.

“It’ll [also] be open for people to have lunch in here and hang out and just enjoy the vibe,” she said.

The grand opening of the Darcelle XV Plaza also kicked off Portland’s “Summer of Love.” The plaza will host several free outdoor concerts, Shakespeare readings and even a mass wedding celebration in July.

The events are set to run from July through August.

News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/26/darcelle-plaza-grand-opening/