Blow Pony

"Blow Pony" is a popular queer event based in Portland, Oregon.

Blow Pony
An event getting started in October 2016
Location(s)Portland, Oregon; Denver
CountryUnited States
Attendance800–2,000
Organized byAirick Redwolf
Websiteblowpony.com

"Blow Pony Denver" was held in 2015.[1]

Description

"Blow Pony" is a queer event organized by nightlife promoter Airick Redwolf, who saw LGBT establishments targeting either men or women and wanted to create an event series inclusive to the entire community.[2] Redwolf said of the event's origin and purpose:

Blow Pony was created as a place for people of all walks of life to gather in a respectful place, and to feel safer to express themselves, but also to showcase queer talent and queer artists. It's also a social, a dance, a good time. I moved to Portland from London, and the queer spots there are pretty much what you get with Blow Pony: low tolerance of bullshit and assholism, and a high tolerance of people expressing themselves and being themselves, respectfully. I enjoyed that. People were having fun and enjoying themselves and doing drugs and getting drunk, or not doing drugs or getting drunk—being sexual, enjoying music, whatever they felt that element was to bring them out of their box.[3]

The recurring LGBTQ-based event is among Portland's most popular, drawing 800 people regularly, and sometimes as many as 2,000 people.[3]

History
Exterior of Bossanova Ballroom for a "Blow Pony" event in October 2016

"Blow Pony" was established c. 2007 and originally held at the "old" Eagle gay bar on West Burnside Street.[3][4] The event series was popular from the start, but had to relocate to the gay bar Casey's when the Eagle closed. Casey's hosted "Blow Pony" for less than a year due to conflicts with neighboring tenants and attacks on patrons.[3] Bruce LaBruce was a guest disc jockey in 2008.[5] From 2009 to 2016, the event was hosted at Euphoria Nightclub, a venue on Southeast 3rd Avenue with two levels: Rotture and Branx.[3] The event hosted its eighth anniversary celebration in March 2015.[6]

In June 2016, Euphoria changed ownership, and the new owner and his promotion company opted to target a single demographic and play only electronic dance music. The venue stopped hosting "Blow Pony" and its counterpart event "Bearracuda" immediately, despite event organizers having contractual agreements through November. "Blow Pony" started being held at Bossanova Ballroom, which also hosts the lesbian dance party "Inferno", on July 16, 2016.[3][7]

Reception

The event, along with "Bearracuda" which is billed as "the largest bear party in the world", have been called mainstays of Portland's queer community.[3]

References
  1. Davies, Bree (2015-06-19). "Blow Pony's Radical Queer Pride Party Arrives at the Compound Saturday". Westword. Voice Media Group. Archived from the original on 2016-08-22. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  2. "20 Best Lesbian Bars in Portland, Oregon". Discover Walks Blog. 2023-01-23. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
  3. Brown, Doug (July 13, 2016). "Kicked to the Curb". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  4. Beaudoin, Stephen Marc (August 5, 2009). "Longtime Gay Bar Calls It Quits. Sort Of". Portland Mercury. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  5. Alley Hector (2008-09-29). "Portland Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 12 in review | OregonLive.com". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2016-09-21. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  6. "This Weekend's Kind of Intense (3/27-29) + Blow Pony Celebrates 8 Years! - Your #ProudQueer News Source CA+OR+WA". PQ Monthly. Archived from the original on 2016-06-29. Retrieved 2016-09-15.
  7. June, Sophia (July 5, 2016). "Blow Pony Will Continue at a New Venue". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on August 7, 2016. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
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