Starting off with a brilliant bang

sing in the Portland metro area, the Rose Festival is going to continue “business as usual” this year, organizers say. The theme this year is “Brilliant.” As for me, I’ve never attended the Rose Festival, so last Friday, May 26, was my first time to take in the fireworks at Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

I am extremely excited to attend the Starlight Parade (Saturday, June 3) and the Grand Floral Parade (June 10).

As for the dates and times of events going on, CityFair will continue through June 11, and both today (June 2) and on June 9, entry to CityFair is free from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. You’re welcome for the tip!

Fleet Week will also be in peak the weekend of June 9-10, when ships from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and Royal Canadian Navy will be along the waterfront seawall. And the brilliant “all-floral float creations” from the Grand Floral Parade will line Naito Parkway on Saturday afternoon and Sunday for close-up viewing, following the big event, organizers say.

The RoZone will feature live performances from various artists. Seether will play tonight, and Sir Mix-A-Lot will perform on Saturday. For more information, visit www.rosefestival.org/music/rozone-concert-series.

On Saturday-Sunday (June 3-4) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., there will be a Sogetsu Ikebana exhibition which features Japanese floral fine art that combines the use roses and other local plant materials, held at the Japanese Garden Cultural Crossing Event Facility.

The Starlight Parade will start on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. The usual route for the Starlight and Grand Floral parades will be altered this year, to open up transit routes blocked in past years. Make sure to double-check the routes prior to attending. You can find specifics for the Starlight Parade at www.rosefestival.org/parades/starlight-parade/event-info and for the Grand Floral Parade www.rosefestival.org/parades/grand-floral-parade/event-info.

The Rose Festival queen this year is Centennial High School’s Grace Ramstad, an 18-year-old senior who “plans to pursue a higher education in policy/business and computer science with a goal of eventually working in the non-profit or public sector, focusing on education and educational policy making,” organizers say.

To view her formal coronation, you must purchase INDOOR tickets for the 2017 Grand Floral Parade. The coronation takes place at 9:15 a.m., inside the Veterans Memorial Coliseum, directly prior to the parade.

I hope you look forward to the festivities if you plan to attend. If not, enjoy your last week of the term and good luck with your finals!

Advocate Staff