The 2007 Rose Festival has come to and end. As always the highlight of Rose Festival The Grand Floral Parade. This Year the biggest in Rose Festivals 100 years. As most of you know it rain through the entire parade. Almost a half of an inch from Saturday morning until nightfall.

The weather was wet and cool, but the spirit of the crowd was warm and sunny. Neither tape gate 07 or the weather could keep large crowds away or dampen the enthusiam for the parade. As a member of the Royal Rosarians, marching the 5 mile long parade route I had a great prospective. Here's some pictures I took along the way.

The picture above pretty much sums up the day. These people are true Oregonians!

Marching down Martin Luther King Blvd. The crowd was 7 to 10 deep! Nearly everybody had an umbrella and was wearing rain gear.

This might be my favorite picture of Saturday's parade. A fellow Rosarian, decked out in our traditional white suits, notice the suit protected by see through rain jacket. Also note the stylish sun glasses. Ray Ban Wayfers, Circa 1988!

The King of Rosaria! Rex Oregonus. Aka Bud Clark, former mayor of Portland.

The Character of Rex Oregonus was a fixture of Rose Festival until the 1930s. Rex was brought back this year as part of Rose Festivals 100 anniversery. I hope he comes back in 2008. It's one of Rose Festivals traditions I feel should never have gone away.

Finally, Tape Gate as I call it. Why a certain city commisioner decided to stir the pot over the long held practice of marking off spots on the parade route I just don't
understand.

As you can see most people along the parade route took the controversy in stride and with a good since of humor!

Dave Salesky
Meteorologist KGW-TV