=2012 Information Coming Soon!=
Come Join our Carnival of Roses!
The 2011 edition of the Grand Floral Parade offers a contemporary take on a vintage theme, 'Carnival of Roses,' reminding spectators that the first Rose Festivals were Mardi Gras-style celebrations. Highlights include a lineup of 16 colorful, floral-covered floats, including new entries from the Oregon National Guard and the Portland Art Museum presented by Bank of America, featuring the first completely floral-covered car in decades. 18 marching bands and several dancing groups ensure the line of march will be alive with music. In fact, the carnival cavalcade will be led by a New Orleans-style brass marching band: Patrick Lamb and the Mississippi Horns.
The Rose Festival's new mascot, the Clown Prince, appears early in the first segment. Also featured is this year's grand marshal, the Oregon Ducks Football Team, as well as the every-popular One More Time Around Again Marching Band presented by Standard TV and Appliance.
Click HERE to learn about the 2011 contest!
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The parade features four special sections:
Loco-Motion presented by Union Pacific ~ All aboard the section celebrating all sorts of transportation, led by Union Pacific's mini-train. Built in UP's Omaha locomotive and rail car repair shop in 1956, this popular goodwill ambassador makes 50 appearances throughout the year. Riding aboard the mini-train are students from Tucker-Maxon Oral School (for children with hearing loss). Raising money for nonprofits around the state is the Double Decker PDX bus, carrying 20+ auction winners who have paid up to $900 for their two seats aboard the bus. In keeping with the section theme, the Rose City Gliders are back with their segway drill team. Alaska Airlines and the vintage Wells Fargo Stagecoach represent opposite ends of the transportation spectrum.
Spirit of Service ~ A celebration of the Rose Festival's flag-waving focus, this section features favorites like the Royal Rosarians, known around the world for their community service, as well as new float sponsor, the Oregon National Guard. Watch for the Salvation Army, Portland Fire & Rescue, the Transportation Security Administration and the Navy Band Northwest.
Healthy Planet Expo presented by Oregon State University ~ A celebration of sustainability, this section features the first-ever electric float, designed and built by the Astoria Regatta. Celebrating their centennial in 2011, Astoria's float will appear in both the Starlight and Grand Floral parades, requiring an overnight transformation from lights and petal paper to the all-natural materials required for the floral parade. Also featured are floats from Portland General Electric and The Oregonian -- which celebrates human energy with its second bicycle-powered float.
Carousel of Cultures presented by The Boeing Company ~ The float from Regence BlueCross BlueShield of OR celebrates a 'Carnival of Friendship' with a float presenting Portland's nine sister cities, followed by a huge marching group representing the nine cultures celebrated by those sister city relationships. The Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association highlights the long-running partnership between Rose Festival and the organization that produces the annual Dragon Boat Race. Our neighbors to the north are represented by the amazing Calgary Stampede Showband and Show Riders, stopping in Portland before they appear in the 2012 Pasadena Rose Parade. The Vietnamese Community of Oregon returns with a float entirely designed and built by community volunteers and the Northwest Chinese Alliance appears for the first time with a myriad of performance groups in colorful costumes.
Grand Marshal
Recognizing the unprecedented pride, spirit and enthusiasm that the Oregon Ducks Football Team has brought to Oregon and the Northwest region, Rose Festival President Sue Bunday tapped the team as this year's Grand Marshal. Along with player representatives, the University of Oregon will be represented by President Lariviere and Senior Vice President and Provost James Bean riding in a vintage auto, as well as cheerleaders and, of course, The Duck.
Visit the Clydesdales while they're here in Portland! Click HERE to see their schedule.
Reserved seating is available at the Memorial Coliseum and includes admission to the Queen's Coronation presented by Pacific Power, from 8:30 a.m.- 9:15 a.m. Reserved seats are also available in premium chairs and bleachers along the television area outside the Coliseum. Parade guests inside the Memorial Coliseum are treated to natural light as the curtains are dropped to allow the view of the outside world to come inside!
After this year's parade, the floats will be displayed adjacent to the Waterfront Village on SW Naito Parkway. There will be no charge for viewing the floats, which will be open from 3:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. on Saturday and from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday.
See the Lineup of the 2011 Grand Floral Parade:
Note: The following document is in PDF format.
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2011 Lineup [PDF]
(As of June 3, 2011.)
