Portland’s Secret Roller Disco Is Its Best Skate and Dance Party

Love Letters is Portland Monthly’s quarterly series from nonfiction comics creator and editor Shay Mirk celebrating the parties and places that shape our city.

This city often hibernates during its colder months, leaning into its naturally introverted nature to knit, read, and stir a stew in the great indoors. But when the sun finally shines, many see-and-be-seen social spaces center outdoor play, be it a Pedalpalooza ride or a splash in the Willamette. Another such shindig: the Secret Roller Disco, a bumping, wheel-clad pop-up dance party where Portlanders don their grooviest duds and strap on their skates for a spin. You can catch the next one Thursday, July 24, at Convention Center Plaza. And if you don’t own your own wheels, no worries; folks will have plenty to rent onsite. —Brooke Jackson-Glidden