Forest Park 75th Anniversary Celebration

Photo courtesy of Forest Park Conservancy

Celebrate community connections at this special nature escape right in the heart of Portland. The Forest Park 75th Anniversary Celebration hosts a full day of outdoor activities. 

Enjoy a day of volunteer opportunities, group hikes, workshops, and other activities with your friends and family.

The community is invited to honor the generations of Indigenous people who have stewarded the land and help ensure Forest Park is inclusive and welcoming for generations to come.

Here’s how you can participate in the activities during the anniversary celebration.

Forest Park 75th Anniversary Celebration

Photo courtesy of Forest Park Conservancy

The Forest Park 75th Anniversary Celebration is Saturday, September 23. Free activities are held at locations throughout the park.

Organizers ask that you register in advance for activities. Some activities are tailored to specific communities and affinity groups, but all are welcome to attend. 

Schedule of Activities

Here are the activities on September 23. Most meet at Lower Macleay trailhead, 2960 NW Upshur St. in Portland. Use the links below to register. These activities are free. 

Volunteer in the Park

8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. 

Join Forest Park Conservancy to pull ivy and do restoration work at multiple sites in the park. All training, tools, and materials will be provided by Forest Park Conservancy, along with snacks and coffee. Sign up here. 

Community Partners Info Fair

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Community organizations will be tabling at the Lower Macleay trailhead sharing information about their programs. No registration required.

Event Opening

9:15 a.m.

Join the event opening celebration at Lower Macleay trailhead featuring Dave Barrios, longtime Portland Parks and Recreation Ranger in Forest Park. No registration required. 

Birding walk with Portland Audubon

9:15 to 11:30 a.m.

Join Portland Parks and Recreation and Portland Audubon for a birding walk in Forest Park celebrating diversity. This birding walk, centering on communities of color, will start at Forest Park’s Holman Lane trailhead, 3494 NW Raleigh St. in Portland. Sign up here. 

Basket weaving with Wisdom of the Elders

9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Join Celeste Whitewolf, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation elder, and Lise Gervais, a basket weaving instructor, for a basket weaving workshop at the Lower Macleay trailhead. Elder Whitewolf and Lise will be teaching participants to use natural materials to weave baskets and other crafts. Sign up here. 

Group hike with Vive NW

9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Join Vive NW for an immersive hike exploring the wonders of our local ecosystems. The day focuses on recreation, conservation and community.  Portland Parks and Recreation and Forest Park Conservancy will provide valuable insights. Sign up here.

Group hike with Outdoor Afro

9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

 Join Outdoor Afro, a group that celebrates and inspires Black connections and leadership in nature, for a hike from the Leif Erikson Drive trailhead, 4015 NW Thurman Street in Portland. Sign up here. 

Group hike with People of Color Outdoors

10 a.m. to 12 p..m.

Join Pamela Slaughter, founder of PDX People of Color Outdoors, for a family-friendly hike on the Lower Macleay trail. This is a slow-moving hike with frequent stops to share about plants, birds and other things of interest along the trail. The hike will go to the Stone House and then return. Well-behaved dogs on leash are welcome. Sign up here. 

Transformative Relationships: Uplifting Indigenous Ways of Knowing & Being 

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

Join Serina Fast Horse for a conversation about uplifting Indigenous voice and vision through land health and access restoration projects. Serina will share her experience with local collaborative projects, including recent systemic shifts, important lessons learned and gaps that need to be bridged. Participants are invited to share their reflections, questions and hopes for the future. Sign up here. 

Afterparty

12:30 p.m.

Join the afterparty at Lower Macleay trailhead featuring food from Salsas Locas for all registered participants, as well as a short presentation.

Parking and Shuttle

Parking is limited in Forest Park. You can park at Montgomery Park and walk to Lower Macleay trailhead. Portland Parks and Recreation is providing a shuttle service from Montgomery Park that will transport you to the trailheads for the event. Sign up for shuttle service here. Montgomery Park is at 2701 NW Vaughn Street in Portland. 

For more information about Forest Park’s 75th anniversary, visit the City of Portland’s website. 

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