Portland Rose Festival Foundation Benefit Draws 289 Guests

Portland, OR. The theme for the Portland Rose Festival’s annual fall fundraising event was “Cocktails & Roses.” The October 11th benefit raised $189,000 and was held at Montgomery Park’s center court before it closes for renovation under new ownership. Capital One Café’s Jhus Custodio, Sierra Harris, Antonio Montoya, Rick Blossom and Alex Hall enjoyed specialty cocktails during the Silent Auction. (Photo credit to Rich Jarvis and Mari Bunnage.)

From Portland Rose Festival Foundation:

The Portland Rose Festival Foundation organizes all of the events that are anticipated every year come springtime in Portland. The Rose Festival has many events that portray the diverse interests and communities in Portland. Some of The Rose Festival Foundation’s values include community leadership, volunteerism, patriotism, and environmentalism. Every year, girls from all different high schools in Portland can apply to be apart of the Rose Festival Court. The judges elect a lucky girl to be queen, and she is then crowned at the Queen’s Coronation in the spring. Events and programs like these encourage young girls to expand their leadership skills, reach their goals, and excel in both their school and community. Famous events such as the Grand Floral Parade, Starlight Parade, and the Junior Parade are just some of the events that bring the people of Portland together each year.

Here’s a video about the Rose Festival Court:

 

Part of Portland’s popular culture for more than a century, the Rose Festival has its roots in tradition while its programming is both contemporary and nostalgic. Foresighted city leaders started the festival during the first decade of the 20th Century in order to put Portland on the map and brand it the ‘summer capital of the world.’ Little did they know that more than a hundred summers later the Rose Festival would be world-famous for its amazing, award-winning events, as well as serving as a community leader for celebrating values like volunteerism, patriotism and environmentalism. In 2010, the Rose Festival was finally acknowledged as Portland’s Official Festival by proclamation of the Council. With dozens of events spotlighting the diverse interests and culture of the community, the Rose Festival makes a positive impact on hundreds of thousands of lives annually, bringing smiles to the faces of both locals and guests. Peruse this website to learn more about the festival’s three popular parades, its three-weekend urban fair packed with great entertainment, good food and fantastic features, and about the iconic Court made up of local high school women making goodwill visits all around the state. The Rose Festival makes Portland a better place to live and visit.