The Rose Festival is a great way to celebrate with your family and have fun. The community joins together to enjoy the festivities, and there are many things to do. You can come here as a guest, but you can also volunteer if you’d like to be directly involved. So come check out all the fun just waiting to be discovered!

The Junior Parade – June 5 – 1PM-3PM

If you’re looking for fun with your kids, this is the spot to do it. The junior parade showcases children from all over Portland. They are dressed in costumes, and each float is so unique and colorful that it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen. In addition to the flats, you’ll see dance teams and school marching bands filling the entire area with music and color. It will take place on June 5th between one and three in the afternoon. 

You’ll also see camera crews because the local television station will be filming. Say cheese!

Fleet Week – June 5-9

So, if you’re not from a military family, you may not know what Fleet Week is. It’s when military persons visit a port and are welcomed with a celebration. Portland has been welcoming both military and non-military people since the early 1900s. The ceremony is a commitment by the Navy to make the event the best in the country. You’ll find that you can take a public tour on the 6th-9th of the ships from ten in the morning to four in the afternoon. 

If you choose to do this, you’ll need to make sure that you have your government-issued ID, and it needs to be nonexpired. You’ll also need closed-toe shoes, and unfortunately, you can not bring wheelchairs on board. This is a good experience because it teaches people about our service people and what they go through to maximize citizen awareness. 

Grand Floral Parade – June 8 – 10AM-12PM

The parade will occur on the 8th from ten in the morning to noon. It’s one of the festival’s biggest highlights and a truly beloved tradition. It’s been taking place for more than a century, and people come from around the world to see the local and international communities. It’s a great time to come together and have a wonderful time but also a great learning experience. Not only do you get to see dancers, drill teams, and vintage cars, but you can also see llamas!

This is something you won’t want to miss because, let’s face it, how many times are you going to get to see cute llamas walking around? One warning I would give is that they have clowns at this festival, so if your child is afraid, you should prepare them beforehand so they don’t get scared. 

The Queen’s Coronation – June 7 – 11AM

The Queen’s Coronation is a fan favorite and one of the most honored and beloved traditions. It takes place on June 7th, and during the ceremony, you’ll get to see who the next queen of Rosaria is. The queen will represent Portland for one year and make all of the public appearances. A variety of factors go into choosing a new queen, including school and volunteer involvement and what they do for the community. 

The queen is not the only person chosen to ‘rule.’ There is also a court of fifteen women chosen from the high schools. It’s a great thing to see and a wonderful way to highlight how we can help our community and each other.

The Dragon Boat Race – June 8-9 – 8AM-5PM

Now, this is another thing that you want to take advantage of. This is one of the most incredible things people have ever seen. The boats look like dragons, which is cool enough, but you get to race and compete with national and international teams. It’s a great way to make new friends, hang out with old ones, and challenge yourself to see if you can win. 

The best part? The races are being held on two different days (the 8th and the 9th) and all day (8-5)! 

Other Events You Won’t Want To Miss

I recommend checking out the Starlight Run, the Art Exhibit, The Spring Rose Show, and the CityFair performers. I’ve picked these because the art exhibit has such excellent techniques and colors that make you feel like you’re inside the works, and the Rose show has some of the most incredible flowers I’ve ever seen. However, there are plenty of other worthy events to check out! Be sure to take advantage of all!

Let’s Get Going!

With all of these significant events, you’ll want to get to the festival early and ensure you see everything. Over multiple days, you’ll make memories and see a great community that you can’t find in other areas. Be sure to take good shoes and sunscreen!