Fleet Week, Grand Floral Parade on tap in Portland

2024 Rose Festival Queen will be chosen Friday

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Though the streets of downtown Portland were much quieter Sunday night than when the Starlight Parade rolled through on Saturday, the city will be jumping this week as the Rose Festival continues with Fleet Week and then the Grand Floral Parade.

Fleet Week

Ships from the US Navy, US Coast Guard, Royal Canadian Navy and other fleets begin arriving in Portland on Wednesday, the 116th year these big ships make their way to the Rose City’s waterfront.

Yes, there will be bridge lifts throughout the week, so drivers should be aware of the potential for delays. There will be more delays when the ships leave the city on June 10.

Grand Floral Parade

The Queen of the Rose Festival court will be crowned on Friday. The Queen and her court will have a prominent spot in another annual tradition, the Grand Floral Parade, at 10 a.m. Saturday.

The floats and marching bands begin their parade route at Memorial Coliseum, head down Broadway and travel along Weidler to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard before wrapping up at 16th and Multnomah near the Lloyd Center.

This year, the parade’s Grand Marshal is long-time Battle Ground band instructor Greg McKelvey.

That day, the Broadway Bridge will be closed from 7 a.m. to noon. This closure will stop all eastbound traffic as well as westbound traffic starting at North Larrabee Avenue.

Thousands of people will continue to fill the streets of Portland as the 2024 Rose Festival continues. The Rose Garden Contest Awards Ceremony is set for June 18, and the Milk Carton Boat Race on June 23 is the final official event of the festival.