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Starlight Parade

CareOregon Starlight Parade

Date: June 03, 2023

Time: 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM

DETAILS

Location(s):

Portland, OR

Tune in to FOX 12 Oregon at 8:30 p.m. to watch the live telecast!

Parade Route Map

Parking Suggestions

TRAFFIC TIPS: All lanes of SW Naito Parkway will be closed from SW Jefferson St. to SW Davis St. starting at 1:00-1:30pm until the Starlight Parade concludes.
All streets on the Starlight Parade route (see map below) will close starting at 4:00-4:30pm until the Starlight Parade concludes.
The Morrison Bridge westbound (driving toward downtown) will be closed Saturday, June 3 starting at 4:00-4:30 p.m. until the Starlight Parade concludes. Access to the Morrison Bridge from the I-5 Southbound ramp will remain open.

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A Twinkling, Summer Night Downtown

The CareOregon Starlight Parade is the one of the Rose Festival's most popular events offering electrified funky fun for everyone. From traditional marching bands and flood-lit floats, to glow-in-the-dark umbrellas and unique hand-built entries, you’ll see representation from Portland’s diverse community groups (and the surrounding Pacific Northwest region), creating a vibe like no other on Portland's downtown streets. Events like the Starlight Parade are essential to a vibrant and healthy community.

The Starlight Parade continues a longtime festival tradition from the early 1900s, when illuminated floats built on electric trolley cars made their way through the city on trolley tracks. Today, participants light up the night with approximately 100 illuminated entries drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators to downtown Portland. Don’t miss the fun of one of the Rose Festival’s best and brightest traditions!

2023 Grand Marshal: Poison Waters

Poison Waters - headliner and hostess at Darcelle XV Showplace since the early 1990’s - is the 2023 CareOregon Starlight Parade Grand Marshal. Waters, AKA Kevin Cook, one of Portland’s most popular and well known drag performers, has been a community activist since 1988, and reacted to the invitation by saying, “moving to Portland as a child in 1979 when money was all but nonexistent, and trying to figure out who I would become, was super scary. The Portland Rose Festival brought me such joy! Being in marching band allowed me to participate in the Fred Meyer Junior Parade, the Starlight Parade and the Grand Floral Parade, and I have such fond memories of being a part of something so fabulous! Thank you for choosing me to be this year’s Grand Marshal for the CareOregon Starlight Parade! I CAN’T WAIT!”

Ways to Watch

From the Street

Get in on the in-person illuminated action for free with a city street spot! The Starlight Parade travels through downtown Portland and ends at Lincoln High School. View the Route Map below and find your favorite spot!
PRO TIP: VIsit CityFair, then step out to Naito Parkway to watch the parade, right where it starts!

From Your Couch

A special thank to our partners and friends at KPTV FOX 12 Oregon for broadcasting the Starlight Parade live - the telecast begins at 8:30 p.m.

The 2023 Starlight Parade Features Themed Sections:

All Are Welcome presented by TriMet ~ Features the National Association of Letter Carriers (Branch 82), Grand Marshal Poison Waters, the Rose Festival Court, the Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association, the Christmas Ships, and a broad array of entries we're welcoming from around the region.

Fun For All ~ Features Ceasar the No Drama Llama, the Mysti Krewe of Nimbus, Alaska Airlines and their famous drill team, the Astoria Regatta, and the popular Pacific Northwest DeLorean Club.

All Around the World ~ Showcases the diversity of our city, and what makes Portland and the Pacific Northwest unique, featuring Nritya Mandala (Nepal Community), Portland Kalai Kuzhu, the Sikh Community float, Portland Taiko, Oregon Falun Dafa Association, Flossin' Media, the Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers and more!

PARKING SUGGESTIONS

We highly encourage arrival by TriMet! If you are planning to drive downtown, here are a few suggested locations for parking nearby different parts of the Starlight Parade route:

-Smart Park - SW 1st & Jefferson, SW 3rd & Morrison, SW 4th & Yamhill (arrive early - 4th Ave closes by 4:30pm through the duration of the parade), SW 10th & Yamhill
-World Trade Center Parking Garage - 56 SW Taylor St (arrive very early - Naito Parkway will be closed by 1:30pm through the duration of the parade)
-ABM Parking Services - 121 SW 4th Ave. (arrive early, 4th Ave closes by 4:30pm through the duration of the parade), and US Bankcorp Tower Parking (111 SW 5th Ave)
121 SW 4th Ave parking structure has enhanced safety features, with rollup gates that open for vehicles only, and a ticket barcode reader to access the elevator lobby
ALL SUGGESTED PARKING LOTS & FACLILITIES ARE OWNED AND OPERATED INDEPENDENTLY FROM THE PORTLAND ROSE FESTIVAL FOUNDATION.

Parade Route Map