Portland Festival Symphony

Venues

Cathedral Park

Address: N Edison St & Pittsburg Ave Map

Features: Includes boat dock, boat ramp, disabled access restroom, dog off-leash area, paths – paved, picnic tables, stage, and WiFi.

Historical: The site which now bears the name Cathedral Park is steeped in history. It is believed to be one of the 14 Lewis and Clark landing sites in the Vancouver-Portland area: William Clark and eight men camped there on April 2, 1806. This spot had been a fishing and camping site for many area Indian tribes. In 1847, the founder of St. Johns, James John, settled on the site and operated a ferry to Linnton across the Willamette River. In 1931, the St. Johns Bridge was built on the site with 400-ft towers and a main span of 1,207 feet. It is the only steel suspension bridge in Portland and is designated as an official historical landmark.

Laurelhurst Park

Address: SE 39th Ave & Stark St Map

Features: Includes basketball court – outdoor, disabled access play area, disabled access restroom, dog off-leash area, historical site, horseshoe pit, paths – paved, paths – unpaved, picnic site – reservable, picnic tables, playground, soccer field, stage – outdoor, statue or public art, tennis court – outdoor, volleyball court, and wading pool or water play feature.

Historical: In 1909, the land that is now Laurelhurst Park was purchased from the estate of William S. Ladd, who developed Ladd's Addition and twice was mayor of Portland. Ladd named his 486-acre parcel Hazel Fern Farm, after the name of one of the streets in the area. Here Ladd developed one of the most prestigious stock farms in the West. Laurelhurst Park is a perfect example of the City Beautiful Movement in landscaping. In 1919, the park was named the most beautiful park on the west coast by the Pacific Coast Parks Association. Thanks to the efforts of the Portland Historical Landmarks Commission, in February 2001 Laurelhurst Park was named to the National Register of Historic Places, the first city park ever listed on the national register. For years, the Rose Festival Queen's Coronation took place in the Laurelhurst Park pond on floating boats and decorated rafts

Peninsula Park

Address: 700 N Rosa Parks Way Map

Features: Includes basketball court – outdoor, disabled access: park restroom, disabled access: picnic area, fountain, paths – paved, picnic site – reservable, picnic tables, playground, public garden, rose garden, soccer field, softball field, stage – outdoor, statue or public art, tennis court – outdoor, wading pool or water play feature and wedding site – reservable.

Historical: Peninsula Park is a good example of a formally designed neighborhood park, typical of the early 1900s. It includes the city's first public rose garden and first community center, an historically designated bandstand, and Portland's second oldest playground. The park was purchased by the city in 1909 for the sum of $60,000 with funds raised in a 1908 bond measure. Originally owned by local businesswoman Liverpool Liz, it had been the site for a roadhouse and racetrack for quarter-mile horse racing. An autopark and campground were also included in the original parcel. Planned by renowned Oregon architects Ellis Lawrence and Ormond R. Bean, the park was a result of Portland's 1912 'City Beautiful' movement. Completed in 1913, much remains of the original features, including the lantern-style streetlights, the stone pillars, vast brickwork, and the nearly 100-year-old fountain in the center of the rose garden. -Portland Parks and Recreation

Washington Park

Address: Head of SW Park Place Map

Features: Includes disabled access: park play area, disabled access: park restroom, fountain, gift shop, historical site, paths – paved, paths – unpaved, picnic site – reservable, picnic tables, playground, soccer field, stage – outdoor, statue or public art, tennis court – outdoor, trails – hiking, visitor attraction, vista point and wedding site – reservable.

Historical: Washington Park is one of the oldest, best-loved, and well-used parks in Portland. The city purchased the original 40.78 acres in 1871 from Amos N. King for the then high price of $32,624. Many people questioned the purchase given that the population of Portland at the time was only 8,000 and the site was thick with brush and timber, and cougar roamed the hills. The site was inaccessible until years later when logging and the installation of a cable car made the park accessible. Early in the 1900s, sentiment began to change and Portland's forefathers were heralded for their long-range vision. -Portland Parks and Recreation

U.S. Grant Park

Address: NE 33rd Ave & US Grant Pl Map

Features: Includes baseball field, basketball court – outdoor, disabled access: park play area, disabled access: park restroom, dog off-leash area, football field, fountain, paths – paved, paths – unpaved, picnic site – reservable, picnic tables, playground, soccer field, softball field, statue or public art, tennis court – outdoor, track – athletic and wading pool or water play feature. -Portland Parks and Recreation

Foothills Park

Address: 199 Foothills Drive, Lake Oswego. Located along the Willamette River and is flanked by Roehr Park. map

Features: Views of the river from a covered platform; a ring of basalt columns engraved with the poetry of William Stafford (the Stafford Stones); a timber and stone picnic pavilion with a stone fireplace; pathways, a reflecting pond, and a grass amphitheater.