-Marilyn Clint, PRFF Associate Director

Last Wednesday was a big day at City Hall for the Portland Rose Festival! The Council voted to make us the 'Official Festival of the City of Portland,' for the first time in our 103-year-history!

Sure, most people think we've been the official festival forever. Even former Mayor Vera Katz was surprised when I told her it was finally happening. So why did it take so long? My theory is that the festival leaders were as independent in the beginning as they are today, and there was no driving reason to seek City sanctioning a century ago. The festival's status went without saying. There weren't as many great events in Portland as there are today. The Rose Festival somehow sustained itself in those early days, despite some rocky financial times. And eventually it became an 'institution,' something you figure will always be around.


The Rose Festival arrives at City Hall!
Last year when so many events around the country were going away due to the horrible economic downturn, it was clear the Rose Festival needed to take some important steps down a 'road to sustainability.' And we did. One of those steps was to get even closer to the City of Portland.

The idea for the resolution came from Commissioners Leonard and Fritz, and both Commisioner Fish and Mayor Adams had co-signed the resolution before the actual vote on Wednesday.

Despite (or maybe in light of) sobering international events, it seemed fitting to have our friends and supporters packed into the Council Chambers to honor a festival that has served an important role in seeing us through the best of times and the worst of times. Testimony by people like Mike Donahue of KOIN-TV, former Governor Victor Atiyeh and Dick Clark, Director of the St. Vincent Foundation, spoke eloquently of how the Rose Festival served as a rallying point during wars, recessions, the Great Depression and after cataclysmic events like September 11, the Vanport flood in 1948 and the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens. 1943 wartime princess, Phyllis Huwa (affectionately known as 'Phooty') reminded the Council of the way the Rose Festival Court helped keep the home fires burning when America went to war after Pearl Harbor.


Governor Vic Atiyeh and Jeff Curtis address the Council
When I first arrived at City Hall Wednesday morning, the teddy bear float was waiting expectantly next to the Fourth Avenue entrance, festooned with colorful balloons and holding a huge banner with the Rose Festival logo announcing us as "Portland's Official Festival." Members of the Amtrak Cascades Character Clown Corps were already showing up in the courtyard.


Mayor Sam Adams greets the Character Clown Corps
Before I knew it, the courtyard filled up with Rose Festival directors, friends and supporters, Rosarians, princesses and clowns. Our popular living history characters, 1907 Mayor Harry Lane and Rose Society founder Georgiana Pittock, arrived. I ran upstairs to the Council Chambers to hear the Conchords Chorale warming up their voices to sing 'Everything's Comin' Up Roses.' Within minutes members of the world famous One More Time Around Again Marching Band entered City Hall and started booming out their trademark song, 'Louie Louie.'

When our Executive Director Jeff Curtis talked about us being "stewards" of this festival that began so long ago, I was reminded of all the folks who came before us, dedicated volunteers and visionary leaders, festival staff and supporters both corporate and individual. It was a humbling moment, one that reminded me how lucky I am to work for such a positive organization.

When Mayor Adams struck the gavel and made the resolution 'official,' a resounding cheer filled the Council Chamber, one I think we'd be safe to say was unprecedented.

The Rose Festival had finally arrived, both literally and figuratively, at City Hall! And it only took 103 memorable years.


A proud day for the Portland Rose Festival Foundation