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Join the celebration of open streets during Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways Presented by Kaiser Permanente on September 13! On this page, you’ll find information about the Downtown event route, what to expect at the event, street closure information, and more.
Last updated 3/20/2026
Portland Sunday Parkways Presented by Kaiser Permanente will return to Downtown Portland on September 13, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Experience an energetic block party atmosphere in the heart of the city, highlighting many of Downtown Portland's unique amenities — its public spaces, cultural destinations, and vibrant local businesses. This free community event led by the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) invites people to walk, bike, roll, and play on car-free streets.
This year's Downtown Portland route will feature Darcelle XV Plaza to honor the legacy of Darcelle XV and celebrate the soon-to-be-completed public space in the heart of downtown.
Do you want to stay up to date about the Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways event? Text "Downtown" to 888-520-0526 to receive event-specific updates, route maps, and day-of reminders delivered straight to your phone. Standard text message rates may apply. Opt-out anytime by texting "STOP".
Volunteer at the Downtown Portland event
Make a positive impact in your community by volunteering at the Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways event. At the heart of Sunday Parkways is community, and volunteering is a meaningful way to connect with fellow Portlanders.
Prior to each shift, volunteers receive comprehensive training and a Sunday Parkways t-shirt. Each shift is 3.5 hours, leaving plenty of time to enjoy the event as a participant.
Become a Sunday Parkways volunteer
Register to be a vendor at the Downtown Portland event
Help bring the Portland Sunday Parkways marketplaces to life as a vendor! Vendors sell food and other items, promote their organization, and increase brand awareness to thousands of engaged attendees. Complete the vendor registration form to apply.
Downtown Portland event route
The Downtown Portland 2.3-mile one-way event route showcases SW Broadway and SW Park Avenue between Oak and Harrison Streets. Choose your own adventure by starting anywhere on the route to bike, walk, or roll as you explore the neighborhood. There will be activation areas along the route where circulation slows for vendor marketplaces, community booths, free family-friendly activities, and live entertainment. Activation areas include the Cart Blocks, Darcelle XV Plaza, Director Park, Main Street Plaza, PSU Park Blocks, Lovejoy Fountain Park, Pettygrove Park, and Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Reading north to south, the route starts on SW Oak Street between Park Avenue and Broadway, travels south on Broadway past Pioneer Courthouse Square and the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, then east on Mill Street. Past Fourth Avenue, this turns into a pedestrian trail. Jog south on the pedestrian trail and cross through Pettygrove Park, continuing on the pedestrian trail to Lovejoy Fountain Park.
Walk bicycles through the vendor marketplace. Then, from the west end of Lovejoy Fountain Park, continue north on the pedestrian trail, west on SW Harrison Street, and then north on Park Avenue, past Director Park, all the way to Oak Street to complete the loop.
Mobile event map
You can access the event route from your phone by bookmarking the Google Map link below. By clicking on the legend, you can turn different layers of information on and off.
View the Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways map
At each featured activation:
- Free Entertainment & Activities - Each featured activation hosts a variety of free family-friendly activities and live entertainment.
- Vendor Marketplace – Each featured activation includes a vendor marketplace showcasing local businesses, food vendors, sponsors, and community organizations. Help us keep everyone safe by walking your bike through the vendor marketplace, as it can get congested.
- Quick Fix Bike Repair – A local bike shop providing free basic bike repair services during the event.
- Information Booth - Stop by for an event brochure, first-aid services, a water station, and lost-and-found. You can also receive a vintage Sunday Parkways shirt by donating to this program ($5 minimum).
- Seating Area – Kick back and relax or enjoy some food at the seating area, which provides tables and chairs.
- Bike Parking – Bike racks are available at each featured activation.
- ADA Entrances - Either permanent or temporary, ADA ramp entrances are available at each featured activation.
- Restrooms – Portable restrooms, including ADA units, are available at each featured activation.
Kaiser Permanente Sticker Hunt
- Stop by any of the Kaiser Permanente booths located at the four featured activations to pick up a Sticker Hunt Map.
- Travel to each Kaiser Permanente booth located at each featured activation to participate in the activity and receive a sticker for your Sticker Hunt Map.
- Bring your completed Sticker Hunt Map to any Kaiser Permanente booth to receive a prize!
Learn more at Kaiser Permanente's website.
Join the Sunday Parkways Bike Bus
Bike buses are guided rides, and while they are popular for school-age children, we invite Portlanders of all ages to join the Downtown Sunday Parkways Bike Bus edition.
Each bike bus will have a ride leader at the front and a "caboose" at the back to help everyone stay safe and together. These volunteers will be wearing Sunday Parkways t-shirts to help them be identified. These volunteers have practiced riding the route and participated in a ride volunteer training to ensure you experience a safe, family-friendly ride.
Routes were chosen and vetted to highlight safe infrastructure and may include some of the following road conditions:
- Neighborhood Greenways (shared bike streets)
- Bike Lanes
The streets for these routes will not be closed to other road users, such as drivers. We ask that participants be prepared to share the road and follow the rules of the road to ensure their own safety. Volunteers will provide guidance at intersections, but safety requires attention from everyone.
Bike Bus Volunteers will lead inbound rides to the Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways event, and outbound rides leaving the Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways event. Stay tuned for more details, such as bike bus schedules!
Prepare for street closures
During Portland Sunday Parkways events, streets along the route will be closed to motorized traffic for the day, with limited access for people living on the route. There are designated crossing points for motorized traffic, but it is best to avoid driving in the area during the event, as you will experience long delays. The event route's intersections will have temporary barricades set up, with volunteers available to help people get where they need to go.
The designated crossing points for motorized traffic during the Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways event include the following streets:
- Westbound access at SW Washington Street, SW Taylor Street, SW Jefferson Street, and SW Clay St
- Eastbound access at SW Alder Street and SW Market Street
- SW 6th Ave, SW 5th Ave, and SW 4th Ave are open for north-south travel and all bus routes
- SW Harrison St is open for westbound travel between SW Naito Parkway and SW 4th Ave
Transit
TriMet's MAX lines and Portland Streetcar will operate with normal Sunday routes and timing. Traffic flaggers will manage intersections along the event route featuring rail lines.
As part of Sunday Parkways partnership with TriMet, the following bus detours will help riders navigate around the event. Bus re-routes are in effect only on Sunday, Sept. 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- TriMet Bus Line 6 – Martin Luther King Jr Blvd will be rerouted on SW Columbia between 11th and 4th Avenues.
- TriMet Bus Lines 12 – Barbur/Sandy Blvd and 44 – Capitol Hwy/Mocks Crest will be rerouted off of SW Mill onto SW Clay between SW Mill Street and SW 6th Avenue.
- TriMet Bus Lines 35 – Macadam/Greeley, 40 – Tacoma/Swan Island, and 54-Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy will be rerouted off of SW Harrison Street onto SW Lincoln between 6th and 1st Avenues
- TriMet Bus Line 58 – Canyon Rd will be rerouted off of SW Columbia onto SW Market between 11th and 4th avenues.
People riding TriMet should visit www.trimet.org/home/alerts for the latest information on service impacts and updates.
Getting to the event
There are multiple ways to get to the Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways event! Be sure to plan your route in advance, so you have the best commute mapped out for your journey. Below are some resources to make your trip go as smoothly as possible.
By bike
Hop on one of the guided Sunday Parkways bike bus routes! Bike Bus Volunteers will lead inbound rides to Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways and outbound rides leaving the Downtown Portland Sunday Parkways event. Stay tuned for more information.
For those riding bikes, check out Portland By Cycle’s Citywide Bike Map. It will direct you to the route via neighborhood greenways and the least-congested routes.
No bike? No problem! BIKETOWN has thousands of e-bikes available across Portland. Get $2 off by ending your ride along the Sunday Parkways route. Please remember to lock the bike when you’re done riding.
By scooter
Portland has shared scooter programs you can access from your phone and pay by the minute to use. Get $2 off your BIKETOWN scooter ride by ending your ride along the Sunday Parkways route. Please remember to lock the scooter when you’re done riding.
By transit
TriMet bus lines #6, #12, #35, #40, #44, #48, and #54 will observe a re-route during the event, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. You can review these re-routes on the Google map located in the "Mobile event map" section.
TriMet's MAX lines and Portland Streetcar will operate with normal Sunday routes and timing. Traffic flaggers will manage intersections along the event route featuring rail lines.
People riding public transit should visit www.trimet.org/home/alerts for the latest information on service impacts and updates.
- Go to the TriMet Trip planner for transit information.
- Make sure you are looking at “Sunday” routes, as they differ from the weekday schedule.
- Did you know TriMet buses are equipped with bike racks? Here’s a quick video on how to mount your bike on a TriMet bus.
- Learn about TriMet’s plan to convert to a 100% zero-emission bus fleet by 2040 here: Converting to a Greener Bus Fleet.
Features along the route
Portland Parks and Recreation believes that sustaining a healthy park and recreation system makes Portland a great place to live, work, and play. Portland Sunday Parkways is an excellent way to get to know our Portland city parks. Whether you are coming in from another corner of town or simply enjoying the car-free atmosphere in your neighborhood, you're sure to find something new.
Click the specific destination link below for information on facilities, accessibility, picnic permits, and more. Be advised that most parking lots will be unavailable during the event.
- Cart Blocks
- Darcelle XV Plaza
- Director Park
- Lovejoy Fountain Park
- Main Street Plaza
- Pettygrove Park
- Pioneer Courthouse Square
- PSU South Park Blocks
New and improved roadways and sidewalks
As you're riding along the Downtown Portland route, keep your eyes out for recently completed projects from the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) as a way to make streets safer and more welcoming to bikes, pedestrians, and all non-motorized traffic.
SW 6th Avenue Lane Restriping from SW Caruthers Street to SW College Street (Spring 2026) - PBOT repaved SW 6th Avenue during summer 2025. As with all paving projects, PBOT is reviewing system operations and looking to improve safety and access. After paving on SW 6th Avenue, PBOT plans to re-stripe the travel lanes to improve safety. The project will create safer bike lanes on SW 6th Avenue from SW Caruthers St to SW Broadway by increasing bike lane width and adding buffers.
Pride and Darcelle XV Public Street Plazas (Spring 2026) - PBOT is upgrading the existing car-free Pride Plaza on SW Harvey Milk Street between 13th and 12th avenues and building a new car-free plaza on SW 9th Avenue between Harvey Milk and Washington streets. This project will feature durable, high-quality materials and represents PBOT's first example of the "permanent street plaza typology." Darcelle XV Promenade on SW 9th Avenue will be next to the Darcelle XV Plaza, now under construction by Portland Parks and Recreation. This street plaza includes a portion of the future Green Loop, a linear park and multi-use path that will connect the Central City.
NW/SW Broadway Streetscape Project (March 2026) - The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) brought a host of improvements to NW and SW Broadway between 2020 and 2025, making it safer for all travelers. Additional enhancements are coming to NW/SW Broadway from NW Glisan to SW Clay in 2026. As a part of this project, PBOT will improve safety and aesthetics along the corridor from NW Glisan to SW Clay. In addition, we will continue to support parking and loading activity.
SW Fourth Avenue Improvement Project (Winter 2025) - Crews and contractors with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) have reconstructed and repaved SW Fourth Avenue between Lincoln and W Burnside streets. This project includes safer crosswalks, upgraded ADA curb ramps, a new protected bikeway, better street lighting, and a business access and transit lane.
Event Accessibility
While Portland Sunday Parkways are community events designed to be accessible, the route and featured activations include a variety of surfaces and conditions. The following information will help you prepare for the day and what to expect.
On the route
- Along the route through neighborhoods, participants should experience low noise levels, except for the occasional cheering from bystanders.
- Volunteers are available at intersections. They are there to help you and direct traffic.
- Orange cones marking turns will be present throughout the route.
Entering the marketplaces
- There are multiple marketplaces along the route. Marketplaces contain a series of vendor booths, often on both sides of the street.
- Upon entering the marketplaces, the noise level and the number of people congregating around booths, eating food, and listening to music will increase. But this will not result in a "concert" level noise. Music volume will only be slightly above a conversational level.
- Bicyclists must walk their bikes through the marketplaces or park them at the provided bike racks.
- Sidewalks will remain clear.
Featured Stops
This route includes eight featured activations: Pioneer Courthouse Square, Main Street Plaza, Pettygrove Park, Lovejoy Fountain Park, PSU South Park Blocks, Director Park, Darcelle XV Plaza, and the Cart Blocks. At each stop, you can expect:
- ADA ramps, permanent or temporary (ramp locations marked on the map).
- Information booths with PBOT staff and volunteers who are ready and excited to help.
Elevation
- This event route is one-way to better support participant safety.
- There is a gradual elevation along SW Broadway.