PORTLAND — The Portland Rose Festival is still planning a 2020 celebration, though the roses may be wilted by the time it arrives.
Organizers of Portland’s traditional spring festival said Friday that they are still trying to hold events in 2020, despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has shut down public gatherings big and small.
If it happens, the Rose Festival this year could be a scaled-down version that still includes marquee events like the Grand Floral Parade, which would be a tribute to front-line workers who have helped support the community during the pandemic, said Jeff Curtis, CEO of the Rose Festival Foundation.
“If the city gives us a green light for a modified festival later in the year, we’ll have that,” Curtis said. “I hope we can do it, I think it would be good for Portland.”
There are no firm dates right now, Curtis said, but the foundation is looking for a 10-day window sometime in September. Events could be pared down depending on public health needs or other restrictions that might be in place at that time.
Of course, there’s no guarantee that public gatherings will be allowed even by then, or that Portlanders would feel safe attending the various parades, races and downtown events. Curtis said public health would be the top priority at a 2020 festival, and if officials deem the events unsafe, they’ll simply put them off until 2021.
However, that would be a huge financial hit to the Rose Festival Foundation, which makes most of its money from sponsorships and the events themselves.
So far, the foundation has come out mostly unscathed by the economic collapse following the pandemic – only two seasonal employees have been placed on furlough. But if this year’s festival is canceled entirely, it will be a whole different situation.
“We’re in a good position for now, but the road map will be a challenge for us,” Curtis said.
Right now, they’re looking at both a modified festival in September and a full cancellation, making plans for either scenario.
A modified festival could include the Grand Floral Parade, Starlight Parade and the Starlight Run. It could also include a smaller CityFair at Waterfront Park, with local vendors and performers.
Fleet Week might even be on the table. Rich Jarvis, spokesman for the Rose Festival Foundation, said the U.S. Navy has voiced interest in postponing its annual stopover in downtown Portland to align with new Rose Festival dates.
The Rose Festival Court, however, is in question. Some of this year’s princesses are high school seniors who may be away at college come September. Jarvis said several options are under consideration, including not holding a coronation ceremony at all, though he said a Rose Festival Queen will be crowned regardless.
Other smaller events like the Dragon Boat Race, Rose Cup Races and Milk Carton Boat Races face uncertain futures, Jarvis said. Decisions about those will likely be made once the festival works out its 2020 plans.
“I think the key word for us is postponement,” Jarvis said.
In the meantime, the Rose Festival will host two quarantine-friendly parades this spring: the Porch Parade and the Grand Petite Parade.
Portlanders will be asked to decorate their front porches, windows or lawns for the Porch Parade on May 23 and May 30. Entrants will be judged by a roving panel of festival staff and volunteers. A virtual map of participating houses will also be released to the public allowing Portlanders to drive by themselves.
The Grand Petite Parade will be a “virtual parade” featuring “shoe box floats” that will stream on Facebook Live on June 6. Members of the community are invited to create their own mini floats using any materials on hand. Photos or videos of the floats will be featured in the livestream.
People can register to enter the Porch and Grand Petite parades starting Monday. Details will be available at rosefestival.org.
The new parades show some of the creativity and innovation that has been necessary as Rose Festival organizers have navigated the coronavirus pandemic.
Jarvis said it’s just the latest in a long line of challenges the Rose Festival has faced in its 113-year history. The Vanport Flood in 1948, the Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980 and the violent political protests in 2017 all threatened to derail the festival, he said. It has only been completely canceled twice: once during World War I, and again during the construction of Civic Stadium.
“Every single year it’s something new, and we just are accustomed to the fact that we’re going to face a new challenge,” Jarvis said.
Rose Festival organizers have been keeping hope alive as they plan for a potential September event, and they’re also trying to offer hope to the community in a more tangible way.
On Friday, the Rose Festival Foundation unveiled an update to its iconic neon sign at Waterfront Park, adding the word “hope” beneath the rose as a message to the community as it continues to struggle amid the pandemic.
Curtis said the foundation came up with the idea after the festival was postponed, as a way to continue offering support. The sign is not permanent but will remain up as long as Portland still needs it, he said.
Festival organizers’ biggest hope right now is that Portland will be able to safely gather for a big community celebration this year, just as it has almost every year for over a century.
“We just want to be a part of the healing process, that’s what we do,” Curtis said. “That will be a driving thematic part of this festival.”
