This Sunday is Independence Day in the U.S.A., so be sure to get out of the house and watch some fireworks!  There are 3 places you can go in Portland to see some great displays!

Waterfront Park – Fireworks begin at 10:05 p.m.

At Waterfront Park on the Willamette River, you can enjoy both the Waterfront Blues Festival and a Fourth of July fireworks display!   You do not have to pay to find a place on the grass next to the river and enjoy the fireworks.  If you want to the fireworks burst above the Portland skyline, then watch from the east side of the river from the East Bank Esplanade!

Oaks Park - Fireworks begin at 9:55 p.m. 

This is a park on the east side of the Willamette River, a few miles south of downtown Portland.  Picnic spaces are available (first come, first served), and there will be live music on the Comcast Stage throughout the day. Admission is $4 for age 16 and older, $2.50 for 15 and younger.

PGE Park – Fireworks begin at 7:05 p.m.

The Portland Beavers baseball team plays against the Las Vegas 51s (Admission $8-$15). After the game, you can watch a fireworks display.  You can watch from the bleachers, or from 18th Avenue  for FREE!

 Happy Birthday, America!

For two weeks now, our students have beening enjoying fireworks, live music, parades, and carnival rides at the 101st Portland Rose Festival.  A number of PELA students were also able to tour the U.S. Navy ships docked at Portland Waterfront Park, where they got to explore the innerworkings of modern battleships.

Tomorrow, Saturday June 12th, beginning at 10:00 a.m. is the climax of the Rose Festival, the Grand Floral Parade!  Click here for a map of the parade route. 

Next week, we will welcome students from many countries, including Brazil, Turkey, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia!

A highlight of the 3-week long Portland Rose Festival is this Saturday, June 5th, is the Starlight Run, a fun-filled 5-km run through the streets of downtown Portland. More than 4,000 runners a year dress up in costumes and compete in a Costume Contest, then begin the race!

The Costume Contest is at 7:00 p.m. in front of Lincoln High School (SW 16th & Salmon). The Race begins at 7:45 p.m. Click here for a map of the route.

Also on Saturday, after the Starlight Run, you can enjoy the Starlight Parade! The parade begins at 8:30 p.m. at East Burnside and 8th Avenue, you can watch traditional marching bands and floats celebrate the Rose Festival with a parade that draws in some 250,000 Oregonians to downtown Portland. 

Click here for a map of the route.

If you’re looking for a unique activity this week in Portland, you need to go to the Rose Festival and experience Fleet Week! Between June 2-6, huge ships from the United States Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and the Canadian Maritime Forces arrive from around the world for a 4-day visit to Portland. Portlanders can take tours of the ships, seeing a little bit of how a huge naval ship operates.

Fleet week began in 1907, when the USS Charleston was the first ship to visit the Portland Rose Festival.

During Fleet Week, you can tour naval ships between 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Admission is FREE!

This is a great time for new students coming to Portland. This week we are welcoming new students Columbia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Japan, Peru, Korea, Venezuela, Mexico, Taiwan, and Peru!