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Last weekend, Mayor Keith Wilson got his wish: He rode through downtown Portland in the Grand Floral Parade. (The Oregon Zoo’s baby elephant Tula-Tu was the parade’s grand marshal, but she didn’t actually attend, which was probably for the best.) Returning the parade to downtown was a Wilson campaign pledge. But other Portlanders have dreams of their own for the 118-year-old festival. Last week, WW reported on the Rose Fest’s dwindling financial resources and bleak outlook (“Grand Finale?” June 4). Readers responded with a flotilla of ideas for saving the annual celebration. Here’s what they had to say:
OregonGal80, via wweek.com: “As a lifelong Portlander, I adore the Rose Festival—I volunteer every year. Wish more people came out to the parades, they’re so wholesome and fun. People would rather be inside scrolling on their phones. I also had no idea people had such strong feelings about the locations. Long live the Rose Festival! (Except the fireworks—it is high time we do away with them, horrible for the environment.)”
Catherine Watts, via Facebook: “I’m a native Portlander and I hardly hear about the festival now that TV and print media are dead to me...one postcard in the mail with festival dates would get me to participate. I could hear the fireworks and actually thought they were the Reed College Renn Fayre fireworks…”
crash7800, via Reddit: “Having the Rose Festival almost entirely live downtown and on the waterfront isn’t how Portland is anymore.
“I don’t want to pay to go into a grimy old-school carnival if I can go to an open-air, vibey street fair instead.
“Give me the kickoff parade. Give me the Starlight. Give me something downtown. But ALSO take it across the river. And to Kenton. And St. Johns.
“Make Rose Queen a competition between neighborhoods.
“Portland is a city of neighborhoods, as reflected in our summerlong street festivals that span every neighborhood.”
katrus, via wweek.com: “I don’t think they should kick out bands from out of town, but all Portland Public Schools high school bands should have the option of being in the parade each year! They are the Portland high schools, and it’s Portland’s parade. They can alternate it each year between the Starlight and the Grand Floral if needed, but those schools should get automatic entry every year.”
Jacob Dean Patterson, via Facebook: “I’d much rather change the Arts Tax to the Rose Festival fund. Real Portlanders are willing to support it. It’s a good lesson for us these days, not everything is free. We need to support the things we love in every way, including financially. As a lifelong treasure hunter, I’d support a pay-to-play treasure hunt. Grand Floral Parade route space squares 10 feet by 10 feet for $10. C’mon, folks, this ain’t rocket science, it’s community engagement.”
suitopseudo, via Reddit: “Man, I miss the festivals. We used to have a fruit beer festival, brew fest, cider festival, organic beer festival, FEAST and probably some others that I am missing. Other than the Rose Festival, the slimmed-down jazz festival, and normal street fairs, there aren’t nearly as many summer festivals anymore. New ones don’t seem to be popping up either.”
urban-hipster, via Reddit: “I want them to bring back the Battle of the Bands! My family used to go every year. Bring in some kickass college and high school marching bands to perform at Providence Park and join the parades. Sell tickets. Make money?”
Peach_Nehilist, via Reddit: “As a former New Orleanian, the answer isn’t less parades, it’s more parades.”
BONILLA SHOULD FOLLOW HER OWN ADVICE
In a recent terse email to Portland City Councilor Dan Ryan from Angela Bonilla, president of the Portland Association of Teachers, Bonilla tried to imply a moral high ground when it comes to making amends [Dialogue, WW, June 4]. Bonilla was offended by Ryan’s position on police funding. She criticized Ryan for not hearing the voice of the people, especially people of color and city councilors of color. She wrote, “I share with my students and members that when I make a mistake or create harm publicly, my responsibility is to repair that harm publicly, as people learn about what is acceptable by which behaviors we interrupt and which we allow to continue. My hope for you, Councilor Ryan, is that if you chose to apologize for the rhetoric in this email to your colleagues, that you make that apology public.”
My initial reaction to Bonilla’s moral high ground was “That’s rich,” because as a lifelong Jewish Portlander, I myself, many of her Jewish students, staff, teachers, parents, and community members, are still waiting for her to publicly apologize for the anti-Israel, anti-Jewish curriculum teaching for Palestine that she allowed to be circulated. It’s time to make amends, President Bonilla. I offer you an “olive branch,” sincerely, and the opportunity to exercise your own advice and apologize. It’s never too late.
Sam Sachs
Founder, The No Hate Zone
Letters to the editor must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to:
P.O. Box 10770
Portland, OR 97296
Email: amesh@wweek.com