Search 
Portland Rose Festival
The city's biggest festival features fireworks, parades and more.
Know Before You Go
The Portland Rose Festival has announced that many of the signature events, including CityFair, the Grand Floral Parade and the Starlight Parade, will return in 2022.
For more information on the event and how to participate, please visit the festival website.
Every year for more than a century, the City of Roses* has thrown itself a massive party in the form of the Portland Rose Festival. Declared the city’s official festival in 2010, the celebration includes more than 60 events, starting in late May and ending in mid-June. With the festival comes parades, carnival rides, art shows, dragon boat races, fun runs and more. (Best of all, everyone is invited!) For a full list of events and activities, check the festival’s website.
Know Before You Go
*Portland is known as the “City of Roses” because the weather is ideal for growing them. There are three fabulous rose gardens in Portland. The best-known is the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park. Whatever you do during Rose Festival, take time to smell the roses.
Portland Rose Festival Events in 2022
Portland Rose Festival festival kicks off with a spectacular opening night fireworks show on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. For a great view, grab a seat on the Ferris wheel at CityFair, a celebration spanning three weekends at downtown Portland’s Waterfront Park. CityFair features carnival rides, food and beer and live music, along with a headlining performer that’s a guaranteed party starter.
The popular evening Starlight Parade features illuminated floats and a section with syncopated drummers and roller derby teams (and is preceded by a 5 km [3.1 mile] race, filled with runners dressed in costumes).
The festival’s hallmark event, the Grand Floral Parade delights crowds with around 20 all-floral floats, 18 marching bands and 19 equestrian units — in addition to vintage vehicles, colorful dancers and more.
For a closer look at the impressive floats (which are meticulously decorated with natural materials like seeds and coconut flakes in addition to flowers), check out the Grand Floral Float Showcase (adjacent to the CityFair) for two days following the parade.
A stroll along the waterfront will yield a much different view as the Portland Rose Festival has acted as a U.S. Port of Call for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy for over 80 years. Known as Fleet Week gigantic naval ships line the shore, giving visitors an up-close view of our nation’s seafaring military vessels and a chance to meet sailors, take on-board tours and learn about the U.S. Navy firsthand.
Get to the fragrant source at the Portland Rose Society Annual Spring Rose Show the nation’s largest and longest-running rose show, which brings more than 4,000 blooms to Lloyd Center in Northeast Portland.
The Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Races bring the party to the Willamette River as 60 local, national and international teams compete in ornate boats provided by the Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association.
Upcoming Dates & Times
- May 27
- May 28
- May 29
- May 30
- June 3
- June 4
- June 5
- June 8
- June 9
- June 10
- June 11
- June 12
- June 26 More dates & times
Portland Rose Festival Events
Join in on one of Portland's favorite annual festival with these upcoming events.
Portland Rose Festival
Portland Rose Festival features multiple parades, waterfront carnival rides, concerts, dragon boat races, fireworks and plenty of roses.
CityFair
Considered the “hub” of the annual Portland Rose Festival, CityFair fills Waterfront Park with carnival rides, concerts, food and fireworks for multiple weekends during the festival.
Rose Festival Opening Night & Fireworks
Nothing says “Let’s get this party started!” quite like carnival rides, live music, food, drink and fireworks. The Portland Rose Festival’s return in 2022 will bring out the biggest, baddest fireworks in town. A full concert by fan-favorite Hit Machine will warm up the crowd and the fireworks begin just after dark, exact time TBA.
Rose Festival Art Show
The Oregon Society of Artists (OSA) is proud to host the Rose Festival Art Show, celebrating roses and the city. Various mediums will be on display by over 50 artists at the OSA gallery and online. This juried art show is open to everyone.
Rose Festival CareOregon Starlight Parade
For more than 40 years, Portland’s Starlight Parade has offered funky, eclectic fun for everyone. From traditional marching bands and flood-lit floats to glow-in-the-dark umbrellas and unique hand-built entries, you’ll see the best of Portland’s diverse community groups (and surrounding Northwest region) together in one whimsical pageant.
Starlight Run
Portland’s most popular fun run, the Starlight Run, is the wacky warm-up act for the Portland General Electric/SOLVE Starlight Parade is starting and finishing on Naito Parkway at Rose Festival CityFair. All runners will get a medal and enjoy free access to CityFair following the race! Other goodies for race registrants TBA.
Fleet Week
Since 1907, visiting ships have made their way to Portland’s waterfront. The City of Roses is known to be a favorite port of call for military (and non-military) visitors, as Portland’s citizens thank them and make them feel welcome. The Portland Rose Festival is extremely fortunate to be one of a few U.S. Ports of…
Rose Festival Fred Meyer Junior Parade
From the moment the lovable Fred Bear cuts the ribbon to kick off the Fred Meyer Junior Parade, fun reigns. Children come from all parts of the city to join in: dressing in costume, transforming wagons into floats, decorating their bikes with colorful flowers, or just parading with their pets (and parents!). Elementary and Middle…
Spring Rose Show
Each year, the Lloyd Center hosts the Portland Rose Society Annual Spring Rose Show, the largest and longest-running rose show in the nation. The exquisite beauty and fragrances of this yearly show emanate from more than 4,000 blooms. Entry is open to anyone, and all entrants are encouraged. Rose growers from across the Pacific Northwest…
Rose Festival Queen’s Coronation presented by Unitus Community Credit Union
The Rose Festival Queen is chosen from all of the Court members and is crowned at the Queen’s Coronation presented by Unitus Community Credit Union. The Queen represents Portland and the Rose Festival for one year at appearances throughout the country and abroad. When choosing a Queen, judges consider each Court member’s leadership and scholastic…
Grand Floral Float Showcase
Take a closer look at this year’s Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade floats at the Grand Floral Float Showcase on Southwest Naito Parkway, adjacent to CityFair. These unique floats are meticulously decorated with natural materials like seeds and coconut flakes in addition to live flowers.
Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Race
The Rose Festival is proud to host the Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Races, an event that has been bringing an exciting Chinese tradition to Portland for more than two decades, beginning in 1989. Held on the Willamette River near the Hawthorne Bridge, the races feature exciting four-team heats held every nine minutes. More than…
Rose Festival Spirit Mountain Casino Grand Floral Parade
A cherished highlight of the Portland Rose Festival, this popular procession is more than a spectacular floral-filled parade; it’s a beloved annual tradition. For more than 100 years, Portland families, visitors and community groups have been making memories at the Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade. A colorful reflection of local, regional and international communities, the…
Rose Festival Royal Rosarians Milk Carton Boat Race presented by Alpenrose
A classic Rose Festival event and family-friendly community tradition dating back to 1973, the Milk Carton Boat Race is a spectacle you won’t want to miss. Children and adults race and show off their handmade, human-powered boats that float only by means of recycled milk cartons and jugs. Creatively constructed watercraft will compete in nine…
Fabulous Flowers
Explore these urban oases in Portland.
Summer in Portland
Portland comes to life every summer with live music, festivals and family-friendly events.
Summer Events Round-Up
When the sun finally comes out, Portlanders celebrate their favorite things: music, beer, art and food.
Summer Free for All
Portland Parks & Recreation offers over 400 free events including free movie screenings, concerts and rock climbing.
Summer Concert Round-Up
Portlanders' pent-up desire for sun may explain our skill at making the most of summer's long days and warm nights with outdoor concerts.
Was this page helpful?