Portland Parks and Recreation’s Summer Free for All Is Back

The season will bring a full slate of free movies, concerts and more.

Summer Free For All (Courtesy of Portland Parks and Rec)
By Bennett Campbell Ferguson

Portland Parks & Recreation is bringing back its Summer Free For All in 2023, featuring 50 events, (including multicultural festivals, free outdoor movies, concerts, and other special events across the city). The festivities will kick off with Free Lunch + Play on Wednesday, June 21, at 17 parks in the Portland Public School district.

“It’s just not summer in our city until the Portland Parks & Recreation Summer Free For All returns,” Culture & Livability Commissioner Dan Ryan stated in a press release. “I look forward to the series of festivals and performances each year, and this is one of the most exciting overall lineups yet.”

Once again, the Free Lunch + Play program will provide free lunches to youth while most schools are not in session. PP&R’s Free Lunch + Play is delivered in partnership with four area public school districts including Portland, Centennial, David Douglas, and Parkrose at 24 parks citywide (see online schedule for details).

PP&R is also bringing back the annual East Portland Summer Arts Festival, July 8-9 at Ventura Park. It will be headlined by PJ Morton, the multiple Grammy Award-winning keyboardist for Maroon 5 and an accomplished neo-soul, R&B, and funk songwriter, singer, and producer. The theme of this year’s festival is “Celebrating Black Excellence.”

Also returning is the Washington Park Summer Festival, which runs Aug. 11-13 and will feature NW Dance Project, Portland Cello Project (which is presenting “Purple Reign: The Music of Prince”) and Opera in the Park.

As for the movies in the parks, screenings will include Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Hidden Figures, Muppet Treasure Island, Super Mario Bros. and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

“Summer Free For All is community-focused, and it blends world-class entertainment with meeting real community needs,” Ryan said. “I’m thrilled we’re able to showcase these key public services again, thanks in part to the investment Portlanders made in the Parks Levy.”

A full schedule of events is available at portland.gov/parks/arts-culture/sffa.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.