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 opened at 5 p.m., on Friday, May 25 with free admission. It’s the Rose Festival's largest attraction with carnival rides, a wide variety of food vendors, beer, musical entertainment, and even an exotic animals show.
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 26 - 28. Active military members can get in free with one guest June 1-3 and June 7-10. Regular admission for everyone else over the age of 7 is $5. More: CityFair info
Fireworks
Then, on CityFair's opening night, the waterfront lit up with a fireworks show billed as one of Oregon’s largest annual pyrotechnic displays.
The fireworks began 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 Tuesday, June 5th. 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 Monday, June 11. More: Fleet Week
Starlight Parade
The PGE/SOLVE 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 thousands of fans cuddle under blankets along the streets of Portland.
The parade is scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m., on Saturday, June 2nd.
YouTube stars Bruce and Esther Huffman will be the grand marshals. The frisky McMinnville couple earned national attention after a hilarious video of their struggle to learn how to use the video camera on their new computer became a viral sensation. 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 6 in the Hollywood District, just off NE Sandy and 52nd in Portland.
Will and Allie Rosenfeld will be the Grand Marshals to recognize their special support for the community. They have donated over $65,000 dollars to fund cancer research. More: Junior Parade info & map
Grand Floral Parade
The Spirit Mountain Casino 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 9.
Famous Oregon Zoo elephant "Packy" will be the Grand Marshal this year. He won't be able to physically lead the parade, but he'll leave his large footprint on the route, organizers said. Packy turned 50 this year at the Oregon Zoo.
Just before the parade begins, the Regence Grand Floral Walk will start at 9:30 a.m., at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum. It's billed as a fun fitness parade for all ages.
Then, starting at 10 a.m., the parade entries will wind their way down the 4.2-mile route. The parade will begin at the Memorial Coliseum and end 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 9.
The races were set to begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10, 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
The weather during this year's Rose Festival was expected to range from temperatures in the 60s and 70s with partly cloudy skies and some rain possible.
