Friends and Partners Directory
Friends of Peninsula Park Rose Garden
Friends of Peninsula Park Rose Garden, founded in 2012, is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization. Our mission is to preserve, protect, and enhance Peninsula Park Rose Garden as a heritage resource for all generations. Members of the Friends group volunteer their time and energy to enhance and maintain the beauty of this historic garden for the benefit of the Piedmont neighborhood, the Portland community at large, and the many visitors who enjoy strolling through the garden, sitting by its fountain, or using the garden as a backdrop for weddings and other important personal celebrations.
Because the Friends is an entirely volunteer-run organization all funds raised by the group go directly to the care of the Garden and to support the large volunteer force essential to keep the roses in peak condition. Here are just a few of the many projects generous donors to our fundraising campaigns have made possible:
- Interpretive welcome sign at Garden entrance, highlighting the Garden’s history
- Community rose care classes, lectures, and Garden tours, including a special children’s tour
- New, easy-to-read rose identification markers
- Critical masonry repairs to the Garden’s century-old masonry in partnership with Portland Parks
- Sustainable garden with all-season interest on North Ainsworth Street
You can reach the Friends by email at info@penrosefriends.org
Native American Community Advisory Council (NACAC)
In 2010, in collaboration with Native communities and local tribes, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) co-created the Native American Community Advisory Council (NACAC), with the understanding that the Willamette Valley and Columbia River indigenous people hold a unique status as the original stewards of this region’s land. Learn more at the NACAC page and from the information below:
Delta Park Powwow and Encampment
The Delta Park Powwow and Encampment is an annual Portland tradition that draws Native American, and non-native participants and spectators from across the Pacific Northwest to enjoy intertribal and competition dancing, dancing exhibitions, arts and craft vendors, fry bread, and other food booths, all as part of a free and family-friendly celebration of Native American culture.
The Bow and Arrow Culture Club, host organization for the Delta Park Powwow and Encampment is a grassroots, nonprofit that raises money throughout the year to bring this powwow to the community. It is an all-volunteer group that works all year to raise money for this every year from fundraisers like fry bread taco feeds and benefit.
There is no better way to enjoy Father’s Day weekend with your dad or granddad (and the entire family) than by experiencing the Delta Park Powwow and Encampment. Don’t miss this opportunity to come together and share our culture with each other and the surrounding community.
Annual Salmon Homecoming Celebration
Join in the celebration of the return of our resilient salmon relatives! In partnership with the Native American Community Advisory Council (NACAC) as hosts, Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) and the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) invites all to a free, public event celebrating the healing of urban waters and return of salmon. Restoration of Crystal Springs Creek in 2014 renewed connections to the only undammed, unpiped, salmon-bearing watershed in the city. The following season, salmon were witnessed actively spawning in a stream bed missing salmon for over 100 years!
The Salmon Celebration will include a Native American blessing, a salmon bake demonstration, games, crafts, and inter-tribal activities. This annual event is free to attend and all are welcome.
The Salmon Homecoming Celebration will:
- Celebrate the restoration of Crystal Springs Creek and the return of salmon to the city!
- Educate neighbors about human beings’ connection to natural systems and our dependence on a healthy environment
- Share the history, culture, and experiences of Native Americans, the first inhabitants of our lands
- Cultivate an environment of intercultural learning
- Help increase stewardship of Crystal Springs Creek through participation in the Crystal Springs Partnership
Native American Family Day and Marketplace
Portland Parks & Recreation is proud to present the annual Native American Marketplace & Family Day at Mt. Scott Community Center every November. Join us as we celebrate Native cultures during #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth with food, crafts, vendors, and activities for all ages.
PP&R thanks retired longtime staffer Sheryl Juber and our partners, including the Portland Parks & Recreation Native American Community Advisory Council (NACAC), for making this event possible. Event highlights:
- Indian Taco fundraiser. All proceeds go to support the Delta Park Powwow.
- Roller skating available (modest fee; socks required)
- Swim in the Mt. Scott Pool (modest fee; a paid adult must accompany children under 48” in the water)
- Local artists with expert craftwork using natural gemstones and other materials – great holiday gifts!
- Beautiful handmade native beadwork and sterling silver jewelry, among many other types of arts and crafts.
Questions? Contact Ken Rumbaugh
ken.rumbaugh@portlandoregon.gov
Phone: 971-269-9042
Nature in Neighborhoods capital grants
Habitat Restoration, Land Acquisition, Neighborhood Livability, and Urban Transformation grants offered through Metro. For more information, please visit Metro Nature in Neighborhoods Capital Grants.
Park Project Proposal Process
The community-initiated Parks Project Proposal process has been discontinued due to staffing limitations. There are other ways to engage in our parks systems. Please consider connecting with us as a volunteer. Thank you for your understanding.
Portland Parks Board
The Portland Parks Board advocates for parks on a city and regional basis to ensure that parks, natural areas, open spaces, and recreation facilities are advanced in planning and design.
Portland Parks Foundation
The Portland Parks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that mobilizes financial and popular support for a thriving and accessible parks system for a healthy Portland.
Public/Private Agreements
Request for Expressions of Interest
Businesses, non-profit organizations, and individuals are invited to form public-private agreements to carry out revenue-generating programs or capital-related activities supporting Portland Parks & Recreation's goals. Effective public-private agreements have the potential for not only mobilizing additional resources for park and recreation programs citywide, but also promoting greater effectiveness of those programs - helping us sustain a healthy park and recreation system.
While all partnership ideas will be considered, these are the current high priority areas:
- Concessions in recreation or park facilities that improve the visitor experience
- Recreation programming promoting physical activity
- Capital improvements in park facilities that enhance the visitor experience
- Programming river use and boating, as well as dock use
- Development and operation of indoor recreation facilities (indoor soccer, tennis, etc.)
- Installation of photovoltaic, solar water heater, and other renewable energy technologies at PP&R facilities. Potential PV sites have been identified at Multnomah Arts Center, Southwest Community Center, and Portland International Raceway.
Please review the Request for Expression of Interest - Public/Private Agreement Information document below, then submit your Expression of Interest using the online form.
Public-Private Agreement Expression of Interest Online Form
Questions? Please submit in writing via email or fax to:
Zalane Nunn, Assistant Property and Contracts Manager
zalane.nunn@portlandoregon.gov
Fax: 503-823-5229
Washington Park Transportation Management
Washington Park is one of the crown jewels of our nationally-recognized Portland Parks & Recreation system. The park suffers from problems, which have been widely recognized for two decades. We’re facing these challenges by reinvesting parking revenue into a variety of projects and programs that will benefit visitors, attractions, and the surrounding neighborhoods.
To find out the latest information about transportation and parking in Washington Park, please visit explorewashingtonpark.org.
To find general information about transportation and parking in all Portland Parks and Natural Areas, please visit our Parking Guide for Parks page.