From the very beginning, the Portland Rose Festival has celebrated our community's children. Portland's very first Rose Festival in 1907 included a children's parade of 2000 boys and girls representing 23 schools! In 1936, the Junior Parade became an official Rose Festival event. Since that time, the parade has become a beloved tradition for many Portland families.
Bands, school groups, scout troops, children's organizations, youth clubs, dance teams and families join in the parade. For many years, the parade featured members of the Junior Court. Today, children dress in costume, build colorful floats towed on wagons, or ride on bikes decorated with flowers, crepe paper, streamers and balloons—some of them future court members themselves!
Portland Cable Access: 2008 Junior Parade
Available via Portland Community Media
(check your listings for more information)
- Sunday, June 8, 7:00 p.m.
- Tueday, June 10, 3:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, June 11, 12:00 noon
- Saturday, June 14, 4:00 p.m.
- Sunday, June 15, 12:00 noon
Watch the parade on Comcast On Demand -- check under Local Programs, PCMCommunityMedia.
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.
Kids, be sure to watch for Tillie the Cow (the Tillamook Cheese mascot) in the parade -- along with many other friendly characters, like the Geico Gecko!
Official Auto Dealership of the Rose Festival Parades
Parker Johnstone's Wilsonville Honda is the official auto dealership of the Junior Parade and is proud to provide all the parade vehicles for the Junior Parade. Visit Parker Johnstone's Wilsonville Honda and enjoy their family friendly atmosphere and many unique amenities, including a safe children's playroom. All the vehicles used in the Rose Festival centennial parades will be available to purchase at the end of June. If you are currently in the market for a vehicle, this can be a very special way to own a piece of Rose Festival history! To learn more please visit WilsonvilleHonda.Com.
