Today we decided to head down to Portland's Waterfront to visit the fleet in for the Rose Festival. To our surprise and delight, we were also able to see the floral floats from the parade the day before.

The lines were LONGGGGG so neither of us got to tour any of the big naval vessels. But just looking at them was fun. As always, Lily got lots of points and stares and will be turning up in a scrapbook or two or three or.....

Portland Rose Festival :: from www.rosefestival.org
For one hundred years, the Portland Rose Festival has served families and individuals from Oregon and beyond with events and programs that spotlight the riches of our Pacific Northwest heritage and environment while offering colorful examples of many international cultures. Attended by more than two million people, the festival is annually one of the top three most highly decorated events by the International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA) and in 2007 was named Best Festival in the World. Among the festival's most popular events are the Grand Floral Parade, one of the nation's top two all-floral parades, and the WaMu Waterfront Village, which features the Best Children's Programming in the World, according to the IFEA.

On the heels of the successful Lewis & Clark Exhibition of 1905, Mayor Harry Lane decided the city should have a festival of roses. In those early years, horse-drawn floats, aquatic events, and fireworks highlighted the Festival. Following the 1907 event, a group of 10 businessmen formally organized the Portland Rose Festival as a nonprofit organization (now called the Portland Rose Festival Foundation) to plan and finance the annual event. In 2007, the Rose Festival featured a Century of Celebration in its most elaborate incarnation ever.