The idea for the Rose Festival was presented to the public in a speech by Mayor Harry Lane at the end of the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in 1905. The first festival occurred in 1907.
The Grand Floral Parade is the centerpiece of the festival and the second largest all-floral parade in the United States. More than 500,000 spectators line the route, making it the largest spectator event in Oregon.
Since 1930 a queen has been selected from a court of high school seniors from each school in the area. The members of the court were originally called princesses, but that was changed to “ambassadors.” In January 2007, the members of the Rose Festival Court were renamed “princesses”. However, some schools did not heed the decision, while others compromised, such as Grant High School, naming its member of the court a “Princess Ambassador.” A college scholarship is awarded to a 14 member “royalty”.
During Fleet Week, boats from United States Navy, Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineers and the Royal Canadian Navy dock along the seawall of Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
The festival also hosts a Champ Car race at Portland International Raceway, dragonboat races, the Starlight Parade, a fireworks display, and carnival rides along the Portland waterfront, among other events.
An addition to the Rose Festival celebrations is Plunderathon, a pirate-themed roving festival that typically starts at Skidmore Fountain and is intended as a non-family-friendly way for locals to recover from the Rose Festival.
The Golden Rose Ski Classic is an annual ski race originating in 1936. It is the oldest known organized ski race in America, and is the only USSA-sanctioned summer race.
The Friday before the Grand Floral Parade has become traditionally the night that men propose to women in Pioneer Courthouse Square, also known as “Portland’s Living Room.” People gather to watch men get down on one knee and propose to their beloved.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_Rose_Festival
See also: Flowers Philippines, Flower Sydney, Flowers Brisbane
