Flower Festivals in Oregon

Mar. 20 marks the first day of spring which brings different weather and different activities available in Oregon. Flower Festivals have become a popular activity for people. Starting Mar. 24, the first of five festivals will be held across Oregon where people attend for activities, food, flowers, and things to do outside of the house.
Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival:
Mar. 24 marks the beginning of the wooden shoe tulip festival and is also the first flower festival of the spring season. The event runs through April 30 and celebrates the new spring in the northwest by showing 40 acres of tulips and scenery.
“We are a Tulip Fest and the vibrant colors stand out more than many of the other flower festivals,” Barb Iverson, a worker from the event, said. “It is also one of the first in the spring so people are ready to get outdoors. Great selfie opportunities are everywhere out here. The cow train ride is a great experience with friends as well. There are also weekend activities with music most weekends, paint classes, 5k & 10k runs and more.”
It is an event directed towards families and is pet friendly. It takes place 30 minutes away from Salem in Woodburn Oregon. Individual admission is $5 which offers the display of the tulip fields and other opportunities, including hot air balloon tethers on weekends weather permitting. The event also holds a yearly photo contest, with prizes for winning participants. This event offers scenery and features Woodburn’s flowers.
Keizer Iris Festival:
The Iris Festival in Keizer will also be taking place beginning on May 18 through May 21, offering multiple outside events for locals to enjoy. Their annual festival offers artwork, music, food, and a carnival. They also offer a parade on River Road in Keizer, and this year’s theme will be “Early Riser” following a colorful and lively parade. They are a pet friendly event and this year they will also be offering pet events.
110th Rhododendron Festival:
For a little farther travel, Florence, Oregon will be hosting their 110th festival featuring hundreds of rhododendrons near the coast. They hold the second oldest flower festival in Oregon and get a large amount of visitors every year. Their festival will be held May 19-21 and is an all day event. They are presenting a family oriented parade and a carnival with rides. “There is something for everyone. The parade will showcase many floats, decorated with real rhododendrons. Also school bands, horses, dancers, and candy thrown for all,” Bettina Hannigan, a worker from the event, said. They will also be putting on a car show; The Show and Shine, a 5k run, a street vendor fair, and are announced to also have a few surprises this year.
Portland Rose Festival:
Portland is celebrating their Rose festival, which has also continued for over 100 years, and will follow the theme of “Brilliant” this year. Their festival will begin May 26 and end June 11.
“There are other Rose Festivals in the world, but ours is 110 years old and was influenced by the first World’s Fair to be produced in the Northwest; the Lewis and Clark Exposition celebrating 100 years of their discovery of the Oregon country. The growth of Portland has mirrored the growth of the Festival with the first grand floral parade literally decorated by roses and flowers from private homes in the city,” Rich Jarvis, a worker for the event said. “The Rose Festival is a three week event and features a Fleet Week, a 15 student court, a classic dragon boat race and three world class parades.”
Their event offers also a half marathon and their CityFair which is filled with fireworks, music, and dancing on their opening night of the festival. Week two of the festival CityFair offers music, an exotic animal event, arts and crafts, and a showing of artifacts. During the final week of the festival, CityFair will show ships from the US Coast Guard, US Navy, and the showing of the Grand Floral Parade as the closing event to the festival which will run Saturday June 10.
“I have to say that we think all our events are fun for teenagers, but I am not one and would have to ask a teenager that question. We are programming more concerts to appeal to younger groups,” Jarvis said. “We have the fun carnivals and fun foods that go with that at CityFair. We have some 50 events or more that happen starting in April and going into July, so I would like to think in there somewhere would be fun things for teenagers. There are a lot of things to check out and find out if they are fun.”
Oregon Lavender Daze Festival:
This year will be the 12th festival celebrating lavender in Hood River on July 8 and 9. The event goes from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. offering live music, children’s activities, craft classes, and U-pick lavender plants throughout the festival. Although this is a newer festival, it is listed as an Oregon Tourist Attraction and is also named on the National Geographic’s Central Cascade’s Geotourism Map. The event is not pet friendly and discourages pets due to the warm weather.