Festivals and Parades to Attend in Portland, Oregon
Following is a small sampling of festivals that native residents and visitors may enjoy year after year. Portland just loves to entertain its people and guests, and you will be entertained if you attend these festivals.
For those of you who enjoy a good mug of ale with that frothy head on top, then you should plan to attend the Spring Beer & Wine Festival held on April 14th & 15th at the Oregon Convention Center.
This year will herald the 12th anniversary of this festival and will have 140 exhibitors on hand to hold court. From bratwurst to bread pudding, chefs in the food court will ensure that you have a delicious choice of the finest foods to go with the wonderful and varied selection of beer and wine.
You will also be able to chat with vintners, brewers, and distillers to discuss the particular beverages that they specialize in. Where else will you get the opportunity to sample such a wide variety of wines and beer in one place?
After you indulge your appetite and quench your thirst, you can browse the arts and crafts vendors at the festival. Who knows, you may find something for that favorite aunt who is so difficult to buy for.
There will also be music galore to entertain as you eat, drink, wander, and socialize. Plan to spend the entire day at the festival and you won’t be disappointed!
For fun in May, you should attend the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta on May 4th to 7th at the Waterfront Park in Portland.
There you will be able to enjoy a wonderful display of music from Mexico with local and regional bands to listen and dance to. You will also enjoy the colorful array of handcrafted artwork and clothing, vividly displaying the heritage and culture of Mexico.
Whether you attend alone, with family or friends, you will have a wonderful experience. Anyone and everyone will enjoy this delightful festival.
Let’s move on to one of the largest events in Portland Oregon. The Portland Rose Festival has been entertaining for ninety-nine years and has the 2nd largest all-floral parade in America as part of its entertainment.
The Festival opens on June 1st and continues to delight until June 17th. There are so many events that comprise this festival; you won’t want to miss any of them!
Let’s start with the Waterfront Village set up at Waterfront Park, where you will find something for everyone. The kids will love the thrill of the carnival rides and exotic animal exhibit.
For those interested in folk items, handcrafted art objects, and old time photos, you will find plenty there to hold your interest and help you spend your money. Don’t miss the Concert in the Park on June 9th at 7pm, with music to set you swaying and singing.
There is also an interesting Around the World Cultural Plaza that will delight visitors, as well as a Big Top Tent for little and big kids alike. Sometime in the midst of all this fun, your stomachs will start grumbling, and the four food courtyards will take care of that hunger and thirst.
Parades hold a fascination for kids and adults alike. The brilliant floats, the majestic horses prancing proudly down the street, the marching bands, cyclists, and animals are all a part of the splendor of a parade.
Visitors will be treated to not one, not two, but three parades during the Rose Festival. The first parade to put on your agenda is the Starlight Parade, held on June 3rd at 8pm. This is the largest illuminated parade in the Northwest, and has almost 100 entries that include marching bands and brilliantly lighted floats.
The second parade is the Junior Parade held on June 7th at 1pm. You will delight in seeing kids of all ages strut their stuff in this parade. They will entertain you with bands playing music, kids walking their pets, dancing, and cycling.
Rejoice in the joy of children having fun and entertaining; they do a fantastic job!
The Grand Floral Parade is the largest, and is held on June 10th. You will find unique floats dressed in a colorful variety of flowers, marching bands providing auditory delight, and horses prancing with riders decked out in bright costume.
This is the 2nd largest all floral parade in America and certainly one you don’t want to miss!
For those of you who need your fix of racing events, you will want to plan on attending the Rose Cup Races at the Portland International Raceway on June 9th, the Dragon Boat Races on the Willamette River on June 10th & 11th, and the Champ Car Grand Prix on June 16th to 18th.
After attending the Rose Festival events for the first time, you will find yourself coming back year after year!
The Waterfront Blues Festival, held June 30th to July 4th, is a very popular event in Portland, with people driving from surrounding communities to attend. This is the second largest blues festival in the United States and features top blues acts, such as Ivan Neville & Dumpstaphunk, The Bluerunners, and Little Feat.
The festival is held at Waterfront Park, where you will be able to snuggle down on a soft blanket and tap your toes, bob your head, or sway to the music as it takes hold of your soul. There will be four stages with over one hundred entertainers wowing you with their voices and instruments.
We all know that music feeds the soul, but when the rest of you hungers for a bite to eat, visit the food vendors for tasty morsels and thirst quenching drinks to enjoy while you listen to the sounds.
The final night, July 4th, is made complete with a dazzling fireworks display for all to see. You will definitely enjoy the music, food, and visual displays at this festival!
Another festival that is centered around great ale and delicious food is the Oregon Brewer’s Festival, held on July 26th to 30th. This festival has provided enjoyment to ale lovers from all over the country since 1988.
Considered the finest craft beer festival in the United States, you will be able to enjoy tasting beer from seventy two of the leading breweries from the entire nation.
There will be industry exhibits, vendors, and a Brewfest General Store for you to browse through, restaurants providing delectable morsels for you to enjoy, and live entertainment to boogie to.
Restaurants represented at this year’s festival are Madison’s Grill, Rogue Ales Public House, Pico de Gallo, as well as many more.
Past breweries that attended were Boulevard Brewing from Kansas City, Bison Brewing from Berkeley, Lucky Labrador Brew Pub Portland, just to name a few.
You don’t want to miss this festival, so order tickets early to ensure your attendance.
Run, walk, huff, puff, the Portland Marathon will be holding their 35th annual marathon on October 1st. Here’s an event that will get your blood pumping!
This marathon is considered one of the top 10-15 marathons in the nation. They have received many accolades from various athletic magazines across the country. It is also certified for Boston Marathon qualification.
There are several benefits of this marathon, one being that the course stays open for 8 hours, enabling those that don’t run the entire even to finish. Other benefits are that it’s very walker friendly, and there are no wheelchair obstacles, except perhaps industrial railroad crossings. There are only twenty one turns in the course, which helps make it a bit easier than other courses.
The average temperature in Portland in October is 55 degrees, which provides a very comfortable environment for running. The participants and the spectators will also have entertainment and music to enjoy, set up at various places along the course.
Don’t miss attending the Sports & Fitness Expo at the Portland Hilton on September 29th & 30th, chow down on those carbs, and then hit the road running!
Brrr, it’s almost Christmas and many holiday celebrations and displays are available for you to marvel at. One such display is the Bi-Mart Winter Wonderland, open Thanksgiving til New Years Day, at the Portland International Raceway.
This display of lighted Christmas scenes provides forty animated scenes, twenty five arches over the roadway, as well as delightful stationary displays. You will delight in seeing reindeer taking flight over your car, as well as the Twelve Days of Christmas display.
This wonderland has delighted children and adults since 1993, and becomes more popular year after year. It is the largest drive-through light show in the Northwest and provides a wonderful way to view holiday displays without leaving the warmth and comfort of your vehicle.
Tell you what, stop by your favorite coffee house, get hot chocolate to go for everyone, and then cruise through the Winter Wonderland. The entire family will be delighted and feel like kids again!
Another holiday fun event is the Christmas Ship Parade, held on the Willamette and Columbia Rivers for the past 52 years. The ships cruise the rivers from December 7th to the 20th, and are visible from a variety of restaurants and parking spots along the river.
The parade started with one boat in 1954, and has grown to fifty plus boats, although not all boats cruise every night. You will marvel at the creativity of the boat owners, and also have fun waving at them as they pass by you.
Either book reservations at a restaurant along the river, or grab a thermos of hot chocolate, the bag of Christmas cookies, and find a good parking spot to view them cruise past. And remember, stay on Santa’s GOOD list this year!
Take a look at this website to help you decide what Portland festivals to attend: http://www.travelportland.com/
