Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park

Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park Review

The park named for a former governor of Oregon revered for his statewide land-use planning initiatives stretches north along the Willamette River for about a mile to Burnside Street. Broad and grassy, it yields a fine ground-level view of downtown Portland's bridges and skyline. The park, on the site of a former expressway, hosts many events, among them the Rose Festival, classical and blues concerts, and the Oregon Brewers Festival. The four-day Cinco de Mayo Festival in early May celebrates Portland's sister-city relationship with Guadalajara, Mexico. Next to the Rose Festival, this is one of Portland's biggest get-togethers. Food and arts-and-crafts booths, stages with mariachi bands, and a carnival complete with a Ferris wheel line the riverfront for the event. Bikers and joggers enjoy the area year-round. The arching jets of water at the Salmon Street Fountain change configuration every few hours and are a favorite cooling-off spot during the dog days of summer.