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Portland Rose Festival
The city's biggest festival features fireworks, parades and more.
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 2023
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.
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.
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.
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, has delighted crowds for over 115 years with all-floral floats, marching bands and equestrian units — in addition to vintage vehicles, colorful dancers, vintage vehicles, llamas and so much more.
Dating back to 1973, Portland locals have been showing off their ingenuity and creativity at the Royal Rosarians Milk Carton Boat Race. Racing human-powered boats made out of recycled milk cartons and jugs. The innovative mariners compete in different categories, including the esteemed Best in Show.
The Rose Festival Court is presented, and a new reigning queen is named during the Rose Festival Queen’s Coronation. The new queen is judged based on several factors, including school activities and civic involvement. She will represent Portland and the Rose Festival for one year at appearances both nationally and internationally and receives a scholarship.
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.
Portland Rose Festival Events
Join in on one of Portland's favorite annual festival with these upcoming events.
Rose Festival 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.
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. The 46th Annual Starlight Run will start at 6:30 p.m. The traditional costume contest will be held at 5:30 p.m. The route will follow…
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 the surrounding Northwest region) together in one whimsical pageant. The CareOregon Starlight Parade is one of…
Rose Festival 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
The Portland Rose Society Annual Spring Rose Show is 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 participate, and some 6,000 spectators…
Rose Festival Queen’s Coronation presented by Unitus Community Credit Union
Who will become the next Queen of Rosaria? One of Portland’s most time-honored traditions continues as the 2023 Rose Festival Court is presented, and the new reigning Queen is named during this special investiture ceremony. The Queen represents Portland and the Rose Festival for one year at appearances throughout the country and abroad. When choosing…
Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Races
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 Grand Floral Parade
A cherished highlight of the Portland Rose Festival, this popular procession is more than just a spectacular floral-filled parade — it’s a beloved annual tradition. For more than 115 years, Portland families, visitors and community groups have been making memories at the Grand Floral Parade. A colorful reflection of local, regional and international communities, the…
Rose Festival Royal Rosarians Milk Carton Boat Race
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 employing recycled milk cartons and jugs. Creatively constructed watercraft will compete in nine categories, with…
Oregon Brewers Festival (OBF) Tap Takeover
Two legendary Portland institutions are joining up this summer as the Portland Rose Festival and the Oregon Brewers Festival (OBF) collaborate for a tap takeover curated by OBF founder Art Larrance at CityFair June 2 – June 4. Following the announcement that the Brewers Festival would not be returning in 2023, the Rose Festival invited…
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