Coffee House 26 in Welches is hosting their Second Annual Pride Event on Sunday, June 11th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “Come celebrate LOVE at Coffee House 26,” reads their rainbow-colored Pride Party sign. Join in on the fun with a live music DJ, book readings and poetry readings by LGBTQ+ authors, vendor booths, drink specials and raffle prizes. Giving voice to our LGBTQ+ neighbors and recognizing their contributions as well as some of their distinct challenges, Coffee House 26 owner Amber Ford is excited to host this community charity event.

50% of all Coffee House 26 proceeds collected the day of the event will go to the Trevor Project – a nationwide organization for LGBTQ+ youth which focuses on suicide prevention and aiding those who have been estranged from family. Local businesses will donate gift cards and gift baskets to be raffled off at the event with 100% of those proceeds going to the Trevor Project.

Weather permitting, the event will take place both indoors and outdoors by utilizing the coffee shop’s store-front awning as well as their sidewalk area. Indoors, an upstairs space will provide additional room for vendors to set up their booths and attendees to mingle. “Last year it rained like crazy, but we’re hoping for the best!” Amber expresses optimistically.

Vendors manning mini booths will sell their merchandise – most of it LGBTQ+ related. Moon Mountain Provisions, an ally to LGBTQ+ youth and adults, will offer their hydrosol sprays, teas and infused oils “made with a little magic on Wy’East,” they say. Wander Free and Queer, two queer women, Allie and Danella, “who are passionate about creating products that bring visibility to the LGBTQ+ community,” will feature their crocheted rainbow pouches, keychains, vinyl stickers, t-shirts and more. Wy’East Creations, another vendor for the event, “does a bunch of really cool topography maps,” Amber notes with enthusiasm.
Coffee House 26, so named by Amber Ford when she bought it in 2019, has always been a coffee shop, though locals may recall other names and different iterations. During the COVID shut-down period, Amber took the opportunity to transition the coffee house into a book café. Offering specialty lattes, mochas and unique-to-the-area handcrafted pour-over coffee drinks, Coffee House 26 also sells new and used books. Selections include fiction, nonfiction, young adult lit, children’s, health and wellness and a section on Pacific Northwest-related material.

“One of the most unique features we have is that we serve coffee, quick breakfast sandwiches and pastries, but also have a wide variety of books for sale,” Amber points out. A cup of Proud Mary coffee and a quick breakfast bagel with bacon, ham or sausage, egg and cheese will get you off to a good start. And who can resist a tried-and-true bagel with cream cheese, especially if it’s smoked salmon-infused cream cheese. Deli sandwiches with turkey or ham on bread or bagel are also available, or treat yourself to a muffin, muffin top, toffee bar or granola bar.

Book clubs are big at Coffee House 26. Adults meet up to vote on a book (which Amber will provide at a discount) then meet again about a month later to socialize and discuss their choice. “The Kids Book Club is really unique,” says Amber. “Every time they read a book, they get a punch on their card. After reading 5 books they get a free hot chocolate and 50% off a book purchase.” Currently, Coffee House 26 is featuring some books that have been “banned” in certain school districts across the country.

Throughout the year, holiday celebrations and local events “almost always” involve book readings and light music. Sometimes Sara Lee – the Uke-Aholic at Large will perform at events. Many other community-based events and drives are hosted by Coffee House 26 such as their summer water drive for Warm Springs to help with the reservation’s water crisis. During COVID, the coffee house also helped Warm Springs with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and personal hygiene products.

Throughout June, Coffee House 26 will continue with the Pride theme by featuring LGBTQ+ authors. In addition to merchandise offered during the event, the shop carries a variety of gifts year-round such as greeting cards, prints by local artists, mugs, hats, shirts and all-natural apothecary items. Proud Mary, the Portland Roaster who provides the coffee for Coffee House 26, is often featured in tasting events designed to showcase the different Proud Mary roasts.

Coffee House 26 is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. (check for extended summer hours) and Friday, Saturday, Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Located at 67211 E. Hwy. 26 in Welches. Call (503)622-4074 or visit their website coffeehouse26.com.