Prosposed RiverFest-September 2008
PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION Scheduled for Labor Day weekend of 2008, the purpose of Willamette Riverfest is to celebrate the major waterway running through the heart of Portland, and to inspire the residents of its watersheds to deepen their connection to, and understanding of, this working river. Forging a unique set of partnerships among multiple City bureau’s, environmental conservation organizations, outdoor recreation and tourism associations, and regional businesses, Riverfest will invite Portland’s citizens to enjoy a weekend of river-specific recreation activities, education, and entertainment. In order to differentiate the event further from the many established celebrations occurring throughout the year at McCall Waterfront Park in Portland, the possibility of multiple venues along the waterfront is being evaluated. Possible event activities include educational displays, food, boat parade, boating lessons, boat tours, environmental action pledges, and a floating music stage. Event logistics, formal media and outreach, and corporate and other sponsorship coordination will be conducted by a hired event organizing staff. What other activities should we add here?
PARTNERS The initial organizing group, which to date consists of participants from the entities listed below, will act in a collaborative fashion to guide the event’s overall framework and activities. Convening Organizations:
River Renaissance
City of Portland Parks and Recreation
Oregon Trout
Salmon-Safe
Willamette Riverkeeper
Portland Oregon Visitor’s Association
Portland Boathouse
Willamette River Fun(d) at Oregon Community Foundation
City of Portland Triathlon
Ecotrust
EVENT OUTCOMES
The expectation is that this event will, over the course of several years, grow to become a core event for the city and its residents. It is likely that it will draw regional and even national attention for its success at garnering high levels of citizen engagement in both urban and rural communities - upstream and downstream. It is also likely that the event has capacity to actively improve river ecosystems and watershed health while encouraging increased economic activity in both recreation and tourist-related industries.
Steering Committee for RiverFest (To date)
Alan Horton, Oregon Trout (alan@ortrout.org)
Amy Morrison, Willamette Riverkeeper (amy@willamette-riverkeeper.org)
Bob Gandolfi, Event Production (bobevents@comcast.net)
Dan Kent, Salmon-Safe (dan@salmonsafe.org)
Daniel Etra, EcoTrust (detra@ecotrust.org)
Jeff Henderson, City of Portland Triathlon (jeff@onemillionrevolutions.org)
Kip Wadden, City of Portland Parks (kwadden@ci.portland.or.us)
Michael Montgomery, River Renaissance (mmontgomery@ci.portland.or.us)
Rick Bastasch, River Renaissance (rick.bastasch@ci.portland.or.us)
Travis Williams, Willamette Riverkeeper (travis@willamette-riverkeeper.org)
Bill Young, Portland Boathouse (weyoung2@qwest.net)
As background, here is the previous list of the steering committee commitments to date:
City of Portland Triathlon- $ 2,000 plus Jeff's time, + Triathlon
Ecotrust- staff time
Portland City Parks and Recreation - staff time and location help.
Portland Boathouse - Bill's time
Oregon Trout- staff time
River Renaissance- staff time + possible $ 15,000 subject to budget approval
Salmon-Safe- staff time, Salmon Safe wine tent, some promotion
Willamette Riverkeeper - $ 500 plus staff time,
Other support to date:
POVA- not involved in planning but will help with marketing, possible help withTourism Development funds
Willamette River Fun(d)- $ 5,000 + $ 5,000 upon completion of plan/budget/hiring of event planner.-possible additional matching funds.