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 celebrated the city’s excellence with the Portland Rose Festival. Declared Portland’s official festival in 2010, the celebration includes more than 60 events, including parades, carnival rides, art shows, fun runs and more, starting in late May and ending in mid-June. The festival’s website has a full list of events and activities.
Portland is known as the City of Roses because the weather is ideal for growing roses, and it has several public gardens to prove it. Whatever you do during the Rose Festival, take time to smell the roses.
Portland Rose Festival Events in 2024
Portland Rose 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, live music, and a headlining performer who’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 the Starlight Run, a 5 km [3.1 mile] race filled with runners dressed in costumes.
During the Rose Festival, a stroll along the waterfront will yield a different view, as 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 during Fleet Week.
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.
Summer Blooms
Enjoy rose gardens around the Rose City.
15 students selected from Portland-metro schools comprise the Rose Festival Court, and a new reigning queen is named during the Rose Festival Queen’s Coronation. The Rose Court Queen is judged on several factors, including school activities and civic involvement, and represents Portland and the Rose Festival for a full year at national and international appearances and receives a scholarship.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Portland Rose Festival Events
Join in on one of Portland's favorite annual festival with these upcoming events.
Summer in Portland
Portland comes to life every summer with live music, festivals and family-friendly events.
Summer in Portland
In the summertime, Portland pulls out all the stops, with festivals celebrating craft beer, music, contemporary art and the city’s culinary scene.
Summer Concert Round-Up
Portland brings the heat with a packed outdoor concert schedule that makes the most of summer’s long days and warm nights.
Summer Free for All
Portland Parks & Recreation offers over 400 free events including free movie screenings, concerts and rock climbing.
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