A park fit for a queen opens in downtown Portland

"We can get together" echoes through the evening at Darcelle XV Plaza

Former Empress and King, of the Imperial Sovereign Rose Court of Oregon, arrive at Darcelle Park Thursday evening. The park is the world’s first named after a drag queen, and Darcelle became Darcelle XV after being crowned the 15th Empress of the court.

The world’s first park named for a drag queen, Darcelle XV Plaza, opened Thursday evening under a canopy of show tunes and sequins. As it does on a proper June evening in Portland, it rained. But the sequins flashed brighter, and the makeup didn’t run.

Portland Chamber President Andrew Hoan introduced a “verklempt” Portland city councilman, Dan Ryan, who recalled when nearby streets were called Vasoline Alley, and dance clubs stayed open until 4 a.m. Ryan championed Darcelle XV Plaza from its early days.

Poison Waters ran the show, recalling the life of Walter Cole, aka Darcelle. With a well timed lift of an eyebrow: “We’ll have movies, a dog run, Shakespeare in the Park—he knew a thing or two about cross dressing.”

“This isn’t just for LGBTQ plus, this park is for everyone. There was never a table big enough for Darcelle to welcome everyone.”