PORTLAND -- The Portland Rose Festival’s colorful parades, carnival rides, and crowd-pleasing entertainment are known worldwide.
Among the festival's most popular draws are the Grand Floral Parade, one of the nation's biggest all-floral parades, the Starlight Parade and the CityFair.
CityFair
The CityFair will open at 5 p.m., on Friday, May 27 with free admission. It’s the Rose Festival's largest attraction with carnival rides, a wide variety of food vendors, musical entertainment, and even a barbecue championship.
Admission is $5 for people ages 7 and over and entry is free for kids under the age of 6. In addition, veterans, reservists and active military members, along with their legal dependents may get in free with a valid military ID from May 27 - 30 and June 9 - 12. Regular admission for everyone else is $5. More: CityFair info.
Fireworks
Then, on CityFair's opening night, the waterfront will light up with a fireworks show billed as one of Oregon’s largest annual pyrotechnic displays.
The fireworks are set to begin at 10 p.m. and spectators can expect some special features including explosions choreographed to music from the Curtis Salgado Band.
Spectators can watch from Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park or they can line the river along the Eastbank Esplanade. More: Fireworks show info.
Fleet Week
As the festival celebration continues, the Fleet Week ships will begin arriving in Portland on Wednesday, June 8th. Many of the ships will be open for public tours daily, usually between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Admission will be free, on a first-come basis. The last of the ships will depart Portland on June 12. More: Fleet Week tour info.
Starlight Parade
The Starlight Parade is one of the most unique events of the Rose Festival where floats are lit up in the dark of the night and fans cuddle under blankets along the streets of Portland.
The parade is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m., on Saturday, June 4th and Darcelle, aka Walter Cole, will be the Grand Marshal. Fans who want to stay home can still watch the parade live, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., on KGW-TV. More: Starlight parade info. & map
Junior Parade
The Fred Meyer Junior Parade is also a fan favorite, but for a much different reason. It’s a chance for local children to put on their favorite costumes and march down the streets of Northeast Portland while family members feverishly snap photos like the paparazzi.
The parade is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., on Wednesday, June 8 in the Hollywood District, just off NE Sandy and 52nd in Portland.
This year's Grand Marshal is Scooby Doo, faithful companion to problem-solving Shaggy and the Mystery Machine gang. More: Junior Parade info. & map
Grand Floral Parade
The Grand Floral Parade is recognized around the world as one of the most spectacular floral exhibits of the year. Known as the crown jewel of the Rose Festival, the Grand Floral Parade is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., on Saturday, June 11.
It will also be televised live on KGW TV and Northwest Cable News. The Grand Marshal won't be one person, but rather, players representing the University of Oregon football team, along with cheerleaders and The Duck.
The parade entries will wind their way down the 4.2-mile, route, starting at the Memorial Coliseum and ending in downtown Portland as cheers ring out from spectators lining the streets. The Queen of Rosaria will get crowned just before the start of the Grand Floral Parade and then she will be presented to the public on the Rose Court float. More: Grand Floral parade info. & map
Dragon Boat Races
Along with attracting tourists from across the globe, the Rose Festival also serves as an important link to Portland’s sister city, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Portland celebrates this cultural connection with the colorful Dragon Boat Races modeled after the popular competition in the international port city. This year, the Dragon Boat Races were scheduled for the weekend of June 12.
The races were set to begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12, 2010; ending at approximately 4 p.m. each day.
Spectators can watch from the grass at the south end of Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park while racers paddle toward the finish line in the Willamette River. Tents will also be set up with event souvenirs for sale; like T-shirts and hats, along with food vendors.
More: Dragon boat race & spectator info.
Weather Forecast
Weather for the opening weekend of the Rose Festival was expected to be a bit cloudy and rainy at first with highs in the low-60s.
