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The Rose Festival’s Grand Floral Parade will move to downtown Portland in 2025 after three years of being an exclusively east side affair. The two-mile route will be the same one the Starlight Parade has followed for the past few years.
Jeremy Emerson, Portland Rose Festival Foundation President, made the announcement at a Feb. 25 press conference held at Travel Portland’s Portland Visitor Center in downtown’s West End. Mayor Keith Wilson and representatives from Prosper Portland and Alaska Airlines were also in attendance.
“This really is a monumental moment for the festival and for Portland and for the hundreds of thousands of spectators who make this parade exactly what it is,” Emerson said. “After careful planning, thoughtful discussions and strong support from our city and community partners, we knew this was the right move at the right time.”
Once upon a time, the Grand Floral Parade spanned both sides of the river each June. That’s not realistic anymore for the resources the Portland Rose Festival has, Emerson said, noting that the parade requires coordination with the Portland Bureau of Transportation and the Portland Police Bureau to safely cordon off the route. Following the same path as the Starlight Parade was an easy choice for the organization because it’s a vetted route.
The parade will start near CityFair on Southwest Naito Parkway and pass the Salmon Street Springs, Pioneer Place and Pioneer Courthouse Square before traveling up Southwest Taylor Street and disbanding near Providence Park.
Festival organizers noted that several events will still be held east of the river, including the Spring Rose Show, the Royal Rosarian Knighting Ceremony and the Queen’s Coronation. The Grand Floral parade drew 225,000 attendees last year and brought in over $8.2 million to the city last year, according to Prosper Portland—numbers that would give a welcome boost to Portland’s downtown core.
Bringing the Grand Floral parade back downtown fulfills one of Wilson’s campaign promises, he said.
“It’s really a proud moment for me to be before you today and welcome the Rose Festival back to downtown where it should be,” he said. “For the last few years, the parade has taken a different route on the east side. But as we look to the future, it’s time to bring this grand celebration back to the heart of our city, to bring us all back to the city.”
The Grand Floral Parade will be held Saturday, June 7.