EPILOGUE

As the pessimists have repeatedly said, “It always rains during the Rose Festival.” When considering that the Rose Festival, from an initial three-day affair, has expanded to more than a five-week affair, that statement is generally correct. But June weather in the Pacific Northwest is fickle, and to go three weeks in late May, June, and July without rain is extremely unusual.

In many cases, dating back to the first Rose Festival, low clouds in the morning give way to sunshine in the afternoon at the Grand Floral Parade. This has been the case at least 20 times. Again, sometimes the low clouds do not fully dissipate, and the afternoon is left with partly sunny skies. This has happened at least 16 times. At least on 30 occasions, the weather has been sunny or mostly sunny during the Grand Floral Parade. There have been at least 10 occasions where rain has fallen just before the parade, but no rain fell during the parade. On only 11 occasions, however, has rain fallen throughout most of the parade. And on only five occasions did that moisture equal or exceed one-quarter of an inch. On at least six occasions, rain began falling after the parade was over. Remember, in several years there was no Grand Floral Parade, and in early years, there may have been three or four parades.

Then, there are always those who say, “Oh, it always gets sunny after the Rose Festival.” During more than 40 years, rain followed the Rose Festival. For at least 15 Rose Festivals, the high temperature recorded was 90 degrees or higher, and it reached 98 degrees during the festival in 1941 as it did in 2003.

Yes, there have been some cool, cloudy parades when the thermometer barely reached into the mid-60s. On five occasions, the high temperature for the day of the parade did not reach into the 60s. But in 1909, the high temperature was 90 degrees for that afternoon as it was in 1963. In 2003, it was a sizzling 91 degrees in the afternoon of the Grand Floral Parade.

In 1912, the Electric Parade was canceled twice. The Children’s Parade was canceled in 1923 and there have been several occasions when Coronation events held outside were canceled due to rain as well as balloon races and a few other activities. Taking a 10-day period from the opening of the Festival Fun Center on Friday to the following Sunday, on more than 40 occasions did less than one-tenth of an inch of rain fall during that period. There have been, however, many years when over one inch of rain fell during early June.

Photographs show in the book that paradegoers in Portland do not mind the rain. They cover themselves with plastic and umbrellas. As was mentioned, perhaps the Rose Festival officials worry more about the weather than the viewers. It definitely does not always rain on Portland’s Rose Festival.