The Portland Rose Festival

The annual Rose Festival Parade is held in downtown Portland during early June, a time of transition from spring into summer.

June in Portland means roses: from rose gardens in residential neighborhoods to the large public gardens to the Rose Festival. The festival is over 74 years old and an unrestrained nod to early times. A queen is chosen from a court of princesses selected from the city's high schools. Adult males - Royal Rosarians - in off-white suits and straw hats escort the young women. Capping it all is the Grand Floral Parade.

The Grand Floral Parade is the second largest all-floral parade in North America and the single-largest spectator event in Oregon. More than 500,000 spectators line the 4.3 mile parade route which begins inside the Memorial Coliseum and continues through Downtown Portland. Bands are judged near the intersection of NE Martin Luther King Boulevard and NE Multnomah Street.

The Grand Floral Parade is syndicated to more than 30 million television households in major markets across the country. KGW Northwest NewsChannel 8 in Portland airs the parade live and rebroadcasts the show later that evening. The parade also airs on Northwest Cable News as a live regional broadcast.

Oregon's largest single-day spectator event, the parade boasts the country's largest permanent marching band, beautifully decorated equestrian units, and culturally rich performances in grand style. Captivating generations since 1907, this internationally distinguished parade has been recognized by the International Festival & Events Association and USA Today as one of the top five parades in the nation.

Grand Marshal:

Every year the Rose Festival president designates an individual or individuals as Grand Marshal of the Grand Floral Parade. Former honorees include filmmaker Will Vinton, Senator Mark O. Hatfield, retired Oregon Symphony conductor James dePriest, golfer Peter Jacobsen and the Portland Police department.

Champ Car racing got its start right here in Portland during the third annual Rose Festival. Sebastien Bourdais, two-time defending champion of the Champ Car World Series, will serve as Grand Marshal of today’s parade. A quote from the 1909 event program describes the race: "Forty of the fastest cars in America to contest, driven by some of the most noted drivers in the world." Bourdais zoomed into the Champ Car scene as rookie of the year in 2003 and followed with unprecedented series wins in both 2004 and 2005, posting nine consecutive top five finishes in 2005. He starting racing in a Go-Kart at age 10 in one of the world's most well-known racing venues, Le Mans, France. He has since grown into one of the top race car drivers in the world.