Union colors will once again be part of the Portland Rose Festival. This year the Portland Rose Festival Foundation is combining the Grand Floral and Starlight Parades. Both will take place Saturday, June 6, and they’ll follow the same parade route in downtown Portland. The Grand Floral portion will start at 6:30 p.m., featuring floral floats, marching bands, equestrian units, and community groups. Then as darkness falls, the Starlight portion will get going at 8:30 p.m., showcasing illuminated floats and lighting effects.
Members of the Portland Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 43, will be prominent participants. Portland Fire Fighters Pipes and Drums will close out the Grand Floral portion, performing with bagpipes along with an old Mack fire truck and accompanied by marchers in Class A dress uniforms. Firefighter union members will then start off the Starlight Parade, wearing red union t-shirts and fire helmets while performing the ladder jump. That’s a crowd-pleasing stunt in which a firefighter scales a ladder that’s held vertical by ropes pulled by fire fighters, and then jumps 20 feet to land in a fire safety net held by other firefighters.
Also taking part this year is IBEW Local 48, with a Rosie the Riveter entry. Dressed as Rosie the Riveter with matching shirts and red bandanas, 50 to 100 members will perform a simple drill team routine. Participants are gathering at the union hall May 15 and 29 to rehearse.
