TH PORTLAND ROSE FESTIVAL ASSOCIATION

The Portland Rose Festival, a 97-year-old tradition, hosts an estimated two million people each year. Some travel thousands of miles just to experience this month-long civic celebration. This sharing of community pride provides fun and entertainment for spectators of all ages, and it generates more than $80 million for the region’s economy and local businesses.

In the 1800s, residents discovered that Portland’s climate was perfectly suited to growing beautiful roses. Civic leader E.W. Rowe was the first to champion the idea of a Rose Festival. On the heels of the successful Lewis & Clark Exhibition of 1905, Portland Mayor Harry Lane expressed that the city should have a festival of roses. In these early years, the Rose Festival was highlighted by horse-drawn floats in the floral parade, aquatic events in the nearby harbor and fireworks at night. Following the 1907 festival, a group of 10 businessmen formally organized the Portland Rose Festival into a non-profit civic enterprise to plan and finance the annual event. Since then, the Rose Festival has blossomed into an extravaganza that features more than 60 events and attracts more than two million people. Only one grand marshal rode a horse in the Grand Floral Parade - Lorne Green.

The Rose Festival is made possible by the efforts of thousands of volunteers, including a 100-member board of directors. The Portland Rose Festival Association is a non-profit civic organization composed of professional businesses and individuals whose mission is to promote Portland and the entire state culturally, socially and economically by presenting this annual celebration of our community.