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The lovable Fred Bear will make a special appearance as he cuts the ribbon that commences Portland's Party for the kids, the Fred Meyer Junior Parade! Joining Fred will be other popular mascots, including the GEICO Gecko, Benny the OSU Beaver and the Rose Festival Clown Prince. Fred Bear and all his friends will be seen on live local television during the two-hour Fox 12 broadcast.
New to the Junior Parade are several special sections, each celebrating a unique facet of the Portland community. Be active. Play safe. Stay healthy presented by Randall Children's Hospital shows off how fun it is to be active. Love animals? Come with your pet or wear your favorite animal costume and celebrate World Environment Day with the Procession of the Species. Or bring your bike, unicycle, or stilts and join Kids on the Go! presented by Yellowbook.
No party would be complete without music! During the 2013 Junior Parade, 32 bands from the greater Portland/Vancouver metro area will fill the Hollywood District with song. Community groups, dance teams and baton twirlers add even more color and fun to the parade.
There are so many ways to join the Fred Meyer Junior Parade! Children dress in costume, transform wagons into beautiful floats, decorate their bikes with colorful flowers, or walk with their pets (and parents too!). However they choose to come, kids from across the community gather in the Hollywood District for their turn in the spotlight on live local television.
From the very beginning, the Portland Rose Festival has celebrated our community's children. The first Rose Festival in 1907 included a children's parade of 2000 boys and girls representing 23 schools! An official Rose Festival event since 1936, the Junior Parade is the nation's oldest and largest children's parade.
Here's how you can be a part of the oldest and largest children's parade in the nation:
- Be in the parade! Children middle school age and younger (and their chaperones!) are welcome to march in the parade. For parade rules and information, visit Join the Parade.
- Cheer the parade! Find a spot on the sidewalk and enjoy. The parade begins at 1:00 p.m. in the Hollywood District of NE Portland, along Sandy BLVD. Parking can be difficult, so plan ahead or take public transit.
