Portland Rose Festival announces its virtual options
Published
The Portland Rose Festival was supposed to start May 22 this year. But its biggest event, the Grand Floral Parade, won’t be rolling down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard or any other street for now. It’s on hold for at least a couple of months.
The Portland Rose Festival has had to roll with the punches before in its 113-year history. It took a year off during World War II. And in 1980 Mount St. Helens’ eruption made masks part of festival attire. This year, because of COVID-19, public health concerns are much greater for anything that draws a crowd.
Both virtual competitions are meant to to hold us over, while we hope the ships can still come in for Fleet Week, and City Fair can still provide fun on the waterfront.
Curtis said they set the marching orders for the festival this year in mid-March, when social distancing became the rule.
“Our role is definitely going to be part of the healing process and and what can Rose Festival do to instill hope in our community, to continue our traditions but do them differently, and be ready to answer the call when we can,” he said.
The Portland Rose Festival is a nonprofit operation, and giving is way down right now. If you can answer the call to help them with a tax-deductible donation, they’d greatly appreciate it.
