Portland Sunday Parkways Presented by Kaiser Permanente announces its 2023 season!

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Portland’s premiere family-friendly walking and biking event will celebrate its Sweet 16 in Northeast Portland, East Portland, and Southwest.
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Participants visiting one of the four Kaiser Permanente booths during Sunday Parkways.
Portland Sunday Parkways is back in 2023 with three family-friendly events that encourage people to walk, bike, and roll through open streets.

Portland Sunday Parkways presented by Kaiser Permanente is excited to announce that it will host three events in 2023. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will start the season on Sunday, May 7 in East Portland’s Gateway, Hazelwood, and Mill Park neighborhoods followed on Sunday, June 25 with a return to Portland’s Cully and Concordia neighborhoods; and on September 10, debut a new route in Southwest Portland’s Multnomah neighborhood

In choosing our routes, Portland Sunday Parkways strives to engage with neighborhoods that have been historically underserved by this program. This year will be the first time that Portland Sunday Parkways has highlighted the Southwest neighborhood since 2014. New infrastructure along SW Capitol Highway, including sidewalks and bike lanes, will be featured along this route. 2023 will mark the second year that Portland Sunday Parkways routes will be in East Portland and Northeast Portland.  

These inclusive events welcome youth, seniors, wheelchair users, cyclists, white cane users, pedestrians, and families to safely bike, walk, roll and play in Portland’s largest public space -- its streets. Streets on the route are closed to car traffic to allow the community to come together and engage with their neighbors, Portland’s network of neighborhood greenways, parks, and community resources. Participants are invited to engage in free entertainment and activities throughout the day, explore local businesses, and enjoy tasty food from local vendors.  

It’s important that everyone feel safe as they explore new ways of getting around, especially on streets that prioritize people walking and biking. Based on learnings from last year we will incorporate more public safety tools including updated volunteer/staff training, road closure notifications and suggested alternatives for motorists living along the route.  

Four volunteers wearing yellow Sunday Parkways shirts pose for a group photo.
Four Sunday Parkways volunteers smile as they work at an information booth during a Sunday Parkways event. Photo by PBOT.

How people can support and get involved with Sunday Parkways:  

Portlanders wanting to contribute to the spirit of Portland Sunday Parkways can make an impact in a variety of ways!  

Share your thoughts to win Sunday Parkways merch 

Our pre-season survey helps us improve our programming and design events that reflect the community. It should take less than five minutes, and you’ll have a chance to win Sunday Parkways merch.  

Become a sponsor 

Portland Sunday Parkways captures the essence of Portland. It combines passions for health, community, and the environment and is the only event of its kind. Your sponsorship dollars are an investment in the community, the people, and the future of Portland. Find all sponsorship information here.  

We appreciate early commitments from Presenting and Founding Sponsor Kaiser Permanente, and additional sponsors: TriMet, Lime, Oregon Metro, NW Natural, iQ Credit Union, AAA Oregon/Idaho, Portland Bureau of Environmental Services, Portland Water Bureau, and Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. 

Make a donation 

You can be a part of our mission to "Open the Streets and Celebrate our Communities" through a donation to Portland Sunday Parkways, whether big or small. Learn more about how to donate here.  

Show your Sunday Parkways support all year long! 

Did you know that you can purchase Sunday Parkways merchandise while also supporting this program? Whether you are gifting someone or treating yourself, Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Zazzle store is the place for PBOT merch! The best part is that the proceeds from your purchase go towards supporting Portland Sunday Parkways. 

Volunteer at the event 

Community support is what keeps this beloved Portland tradition alive. Signing up as a volunteer during the event is a fun way to connect with your neighbors! Groups who sign-up five or more volunteers can also raise funds by volunteering their time. For more information, please visit the Portland Sunday Parkways webpage.  

Have a presence at the event 

Share your business, cause, or information with thousands of Portlanders by having a booth at our marketplaces along the route. Learn more about being a vendor or hosting an intersection here.  

These large-scale community celebrations are only possible with the support of the program’s amazing volunteers. Portlanders are invited to be one of the hundreds of people who help make these events fun and safe. You can sign up individually or as a group. A shift only lasts for half of the event so you will have plenty of time to explore the route and enjoy. To learn about volunteer roles and sign up, visit https://www.portland.gov/sunday-parkways/volunteer.

Small businesses and organizations interested in vending at Sunday Parkways, as well as performers with special skills are invited to learn more about participating at an event at https://www.portland.gov/sunday-parkways/sp-vendors.

Health and safety are a top priority for the program. Providing a variety of programming allows community members to participate at their comfort level, whether through a self-guided sticker hunt or at a large community event. Sunday Parkways and PBOT will continue to monitor the conditions of the COVID-19 health pandemic and will follow all state guidance from the Oregon Health Authority to ensure the health and safety of all community members.

Portlanders interested in exploring the city by bike can plan their route using PBOT’s interactive bike map at www.portlandbikemap.com. The Portland Biking Guide includes tips, techniques and street smarts from PBOT to make your bike ride safer and more rewarding. Additional biking resources are available at https://www.portland.gov/transportation/walking-biking-transit-safety/biking-portland.

About Sunday Parkways

Sunday Parkways 2022 is presented by Kaiser Permanente and is a Portland Bureau of Transportation program. For maps and more information, visit PortlandSundayParkways.org or call 503-823-7599.

Follow us on Facebook @PortlandSundayParkways, Twitter @SundayParkways, and Instagram @PortlandSundayParkways.

About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and nonprofit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.5 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, please visit: about.kaiserpermanente.org