2012 Events coming soon!
RiverFest 2011 Events
Scroll down to see detailed event descriptions, or click on the event below for more information.
Friday, August 19th, 2011
- Mornings through evenings daily
- Enjoy experiencing the Willamette and Columbia on jet boats or from the comfort of cruise vessels offering fresh Northwest cuisine and entertainment. For cruise schedules visit www.portlandspirit.com
- Ross Island Tour – 2.5 to 3 hours (no experience required)
- Offered daily, 10am and 2pm, reservation are required
- First-time kayakers and experienced paddlers alike will enjoy a unique perspective of Portland on this guided tour circumnavigating Ross Island on the Willamette River. We’ll paddle past an impressive blue heron rookery and possibly see bald eagles and osprey as we glide by Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. There is an unparalleled view of Portland’s skyline on our way back to the dock.
- Special RiverFest price: $34 per guest (25% off regular $45 price)
- 6600 SW Macadam Ave. www.portlandkayak.com
Phone: 503-459-4050
- When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday
- Time: 10am – 4pm
- Cost: $10 for 2 hour rental (special for RiverFest - 1/2 price)
- First come. First Served. No reservations required.
- To participate, stop by the sign-in table beginning at 10am, located in the gravel lot above the SE Portland Boathouse dock, next to the East Side Esplanade. (The Portland Boathouse is located at 1515 SE Water Ave., just north of OMSI).
- Get connected to your river! Paddlers will be able to experience the river while paddling a kayak, canoe or Stand Up Paddle Board.
- Featuring showing of Ultimate Wave Tahiti
- View the awesome power of the mighy waves at the giant screen experience of OMSI’s OMNIMAX Theater.
- Mention RiverFest at the ticket counter and receive $2 off of admission
- Go to link below for showtimes
- Link: http://www.omsi.edu/visit/omnimax@Wave
RIVERFEST CONCERT IN THE PARK AT SOUTH WATERFRONT
- Concert featuring Water Tower Bucket Boys. Loosely based in the traditions of bluegrass, punk rock, blues, cajun, folk and country.
- Free Admission
- Location: Elizabeth Caruthers Park – South Waterfront
- Concert starts at 6:00pm
Saturday, August 20th, 2011
- Start time: 9am
- Located at East Bank Esplanade, near OMSI meeting location tbd
- Cost: Free, registration required
- Register at: www.solv.org
Join the celebration and take action to clean up the Willamette River as part of this year’s RiverFest. Volunteers will work along the East Bank Esplanade, cleaning up debris and trash from along the river. Bags and gloves provided. Registration required at www.solv.org.
Quintin Baure / SOLV 503-844-9571 xt 321
- Time: 9am – 11:30am
- Location: Portland Boathouse, 1515 SE Water Avenue
- Cost: Free
- Restrictions: Students grade 8 – 12 in fall 2011
- Registration: No pre-registration necessary
- Questions: Contact Lynn Walton rcrowing @comcast.net
Join Rose City Rowing Club for a free rowing class on the Willamette River in downtown Portland! The class includes an introduction to rowing on an indoor rowing machine and then rowing in our 16-seat training barge. The “barge” is a wide-bottom, aluminum boat that is stable enough for our coach to walk down the middle and give individual attention to each rower. We will row in the downtown area, viewing the Portland skyine from the Willamette River.
Rose City Rowing Club
Portland’s Youth Rowing Team
http://www.rosecityrowing.org
PORTLAND SPIRIT’S RIVERFEST SIGHTSEEING EXCURSION CRUISE
- Boards at 9:30am
- Cruise is from10:00am to 12:00pm
- Cost: $28 per person for Adults, $18.00 per person for children
- Bistro style menu available for purchase on board $8.00 per person
- no-host beverages and full service no-host bar available on board
- Featuring captain’s narration at points of interest along the cruise route
- Book Now!
- Mornings through evenings daily
- Enjoy experiencing the Willamette and Columbia on jet boats or from the comfort of cruise vessels offering fresh Northwest cuisine and entertainment. For cruise schedules visit www.portlandspirit.com
- Time: 9am - 11:30am
- Cost: Free
- Restrictions: Students grade 8 - 12
Join us for a free rowing class for any student grade 8-12! General information will be provided, then participants will be taken on the river for a row.
The class will meet in the Portland Boathouse, 1515 SE Water Avenue. Participants should arrive by 9:00am.
- Ross Island Tour – 2.5 to 3 hours (no experience required)
- Offered daily, 10am and 2pm, reservation are required
- First-time kayakers and experienced paddlers alike will enjoy a unique perspective of Portland on this guided tour circumnavigating Ross Island on the Willamette River. We’ll paddle past an impressive blue heron rookery and possibly see bald eagles and osprey as we glide by Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. There is an unparalleled view of Portland’s skyline on our way back to the dock.
- Special RiverFest price: $34 per guest (25% off regular $45 price)
- 6600 SW Macadam Ave. www.portlandkayak.com
Phone: 503-459-4050
- When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday
- Time: 10am – 4pm
- Cost: $10 for 2 hour rental (special for RiverFest - 1/2 price)
- First come. First Served. No reservations required.
- To participate, stop by the sign-in table beginning at 10am, located in the gravel lot above the SE Portland Boathouse dock, next to the East Side Esplanade. (The Portland Boathouse is located at 1515 SE Water Ave., just north of OMSI).
- Get connected to your river! Paddlers will be able to experience the river while paddling a kayak, canoe or Stand Up Paddle Board.
- Tour start time and duration: 11am – 1:30pm
- Ticket cost: $32.00 – 20% off for RiverFest
- pre-registration is required
- To Register:
- call 503-360-6815
- or
- e-mail info@portlandbicycletours.com
- Location: Tours depart from 345 NW Everett St. in downtown Portland
BOHEMIAN STORYTELLING TOURS presents:
Happy Birthday Hawthorne!
- Tour start time and duration: 2-4pm
- Location: The tour begins and ends in the same place: on the Eastbank Esplanade, just north of the Hawthorne Bridge, next to the fire station.
- Cost: $15/person
- No restrictions... suitable for: all ages
- Registration: Required
**To register, visit our online reservations kiosk: https://bst.wufoo.com/forms/bohemian-storytelling-tours/
Bohemian Storytelling Tours weave together theater, storytelling, and bits of audience interaction, accompanied throughout by a live musical soundtrack. On our Happy Birthday Hawthorne tour, we celebrate the oldest standing large scale vertical lift bridge in the world; and we contemplate the river of time, traveling downstream into the past, and upstream, toward the future.
www.bohemianstorytellingtours.com
- Featuring showing of Ultimate Wave Tahiti
- View the awesome power of the mighy waves at the giant screen experience of OMSI’s OMNIMAX Theater.
- Mention RiverFest at the ticket counter and receive $2 off of admission
- Go to link below for showtimes
- Link: http://www.omsi.edu/visit/omnimax@Wave
Sunday, August 21st 2011
PORTLAND TRIATHLON, PRESENTED BY ATHLETES LOUNGE
- Start time: 7:30am
- Location: Waterfront Park
- Fees and Registration: See Website
- Register online www.portlandtri.com
The only major triathlon ever held in downtown Portland, Oregon welcomes you to the fifth annual City of Portland Triathlon. Swim beneath the iconic bridges, ride amongst the steel and concrete giants, run through parks and paths teeming with urban life.
THE RIVER FAIR – At the Heart of RiverFest
- Time: 9am – 3pm
- Location: Waterfront Park
- Cost: Free
Get Willamette-ized in a spirit of family-friendly fun and learning! Kick off your exploration of riverfront paths and trails, bridges, wildlife viewing and history at the River Fair.
Come join us at 9am to cheer on the Triathlon participants and then enjoy these River Fair activities.
At the Fair from 9am – 3pm:
- Safety vest fitting for kids by the Daughters of Neptune
- Meet Cinnamon Bear!
- Facepainting
- Balloon Art
Fair Events at Special Times:
Noon - Captain Taffy
Captain Taffy
will appear on stage, featuring Sailor training including sailor terminology and knot tying skills
Noon – Fireboat display on the Willamette River
An impressive display of plumes of red, white and blue water
12:30pm – Ceremonial blessing by the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
Representatives from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde will give a Tribal welcome at the event. The welcome will be in Chinuk Wawa the Tribe’s language and will be followed by a blessing song. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon includes 27 Tribes and Bands from western Oregon, southwestern Washington and northern California that were relocated to the Grand Ronde Reservation between 1855-1875.
1:00pm - Eartha the Ecological Clown
“The Magic of Planet Earth,” teaches awareness of our home planet, appreciation for all of the life here and the importance of saving what we have for generations to come. A magic show featuring three live animals, puppets, amazing facts, jokes & stories, children of ALL ages learn about endangered species, insects, water, recycling and the magic that is around us every day.
2:00pm - “What Do You Know About H2O?” by Mad Science
A water conservation show that focuses on how much water is used to produce everyday goods and just how little drinkable and usable water there is on the planet. And special for RiverFest: Loving the Port of Portland – all about river highways and getting goods to market!
- Mornings through evenings daily
- Enjoy experiencing the Willamette and Columbia on jet boats or from the comfort of cruise vessels offering fresh Northwest cuisine and entertainment. For cruise schedules visit www.portlandspirit.com
- Ross Island Tour – 2.5 to 3 hours (no experience required)
- Offered daily, 10am and 2pm, reservation are required
- First-time kayakers and experienced paddlers alike will enjoy a unique perspective of Portland on this guided tour circumnavigating Ross Island on the Willamette River. We’ll paddle past an impressive blue heron rookery and possibly see bald eagles and osprey as we glide by Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. There is an unparalleled view of Portland’s skyline on our way back to the dock.
- Special RiverFest price: $34 per guest (25% off regular $45 price)
- 6600 SW Macadam Ave. www.portlandkayak.com
Phone: 503-459-4050
- When: Friday, Saturday & Sunday
- Time: 10am – 4pm
- Cost: $10 for 2 hour rental (special for RiverFest - 1/2 price)
- First come. First Served. No reservations required.
- To participate, stop by the sign-in table beginning at 10am, located in the gravel lot above the SE Portland Boathouse dock, next to the East Side Esplanade. (The Portland Boathouse is located at 1515 SE Water Ave., just north of OMSI).
- Get connected to your river! Paddlers will be able to experience the river while paddling a kayak, canoe or Stand Up Paddle Board.
PORTLAND SPIRIT’S CAPTAIN TAFFY
- Captain Taffy will appear on River Fair stage at Waterfront Park
- 12 noon – 12:20pm
- Featuring Sailor training including sailor terminology and knot tying skills
- Featuring showing of Ultimate Wave Tahiti
- View the awesome power of the mighty waves at the giant screen experience of OMSI’s OMNIMAX Theater.
- Mention RiverFest at the ticket counter and receive $2 off of admission
- Go to link below for showtimes
- Link: http://www.omsi.edu/visit/omnimax@Wave
PORTLAND SPIRIT RIVERFEST DRAWING/PHOTO CONTEST
- Two Entry Categories
- Age 13 and under - a drawing contest
- Age 14 and up - a photo contest
- Photos or Drawings must be submitted on paper no larger than 8.5 x 11
- Photos or Drawings must be of one of Portland Spirit’s boats or venues on the River
- Entries are due by 3:00pm on Sunday, August 21, 2011 and can be mailed or dropped off at 110 SE Caruthers, Portland, OR 97214
- Entries may also be dropped off at the Portland Spirit RiverFest booth at Waterfront Park on Sunday August 21 before 3:00pm.
- A winner from each category will be selected by the Portland Spirit and notified of their win on Monday, August 22nd.
- The winner of the age 13 and under category will receive a four pack of tickets to join the Portland Spirit’s Cinnamon Bear cruise in December, 2011. Value $112.00. Their artwork will also be published on the Portland Spirit’s website and announcement made on their social media pages.
- The winner of the age 14 and over category will receive a two pack of tickets to a Portland Spirit dinner cruise. Value $136.00. Their artwork will also be published on the Portland Spirit’s website and announcement made on their social media pages.
- Entry Form