News Release: Portland Sunday Parkways, Presented by Kaiser Permanente, debuts brand-new downtown route this September and invites Portlanders to take a staycation

News Article

The Sunday Parkways Downtown event will create a 2.3-mile block party in the heart of the city, showcasing SW Broadway and SW Park Avenue between Oak and Harrison Streets.

A group of cyclists enjoy riding their bikes on a car-free street during the 2019 Portland Sunday Parkways event. Photo by PBOT.

(July 16, 2025) Mark your calendars for an epic downtown Portland Sunday Parkways event, Presented by Kaiser Permanente on Sept. 14! The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is unveiling the 2.3 mile-routetoday and calling for volunteers and businesses to welcome thousands of people to the first downtown Sunday Parkways event since 2019.

The Sunday Parkways Downtownevent will create a 2.3-mile block party in the heart of the city, showcasing SW Broadway and SW Park Avenue between Oak and Harrison Streets. From Mill Street, the route will highlight the Halprin Sequence, going through Pettygrove Park, continuing to Lovejoy Fountain Park on Harrison Street, and then reconnecting with Broadway. Park your bike and walk as you explore downtown businesses, parks, and cultural destinations along the way.

Downtown Sunday Parkways will transform 2.3 miles of city streets into a vibrant celebration with music, vendor marketplaces, and free activities at every turn.

Make a weekend of it! Bring Sunday Parkways to your front door by booking a hotel downtown and rediscover the heart of the city - your city - with a staycation. Celebrate everything that makes our downtown an exciting and fun place to be, including music from PDX Pop Now, a Timbers soccer game and of course Sunday Parkways.

Visitors from across Oregon and the metro area are encouraged to book a hotel room downtown Sept. 12-14 as part of Portland Staycation Weekend, sponsored by Travel Portland in partnership with Sunday Parkways. Be a tourist in your city and explore new places and spaces or visit your tried-and-true favorites in the heart of the city. Enjoy discounts and special packages at downtown hotels, restaurants, and retailers all weekend long. Visit https://www.portlandstaycation.comfor details and discounts.

"Sunday Parkways is the perfect way to celebrate the resurgence underway in downtown Portland," Mayor Keith Wilson said. "Downtown belongs to all of us and I invite everyone from across the region to come for the day or make it a Staycation Weekend if you are able. Consider volunteering or signing up to sell your wares at Sunday Parkways and be a part of writing the next chapter of the story of this great city."

"I'm especially excited about this year's Sunday Parkways route in Downtown Portland," said Chad Melvin, Vice President at Kaiser Permanente Northwest and member of the Portland Metro Chamber Board of Directors. "This is a great opportunity to help reenergize Downtown Portland and build civic pride, by spotlighting the many gems at the heart of our city and celebrating what makes Portland truly special. Sunday Parkways brings people together to walk, bike, and connect with their community, all while supporting local businesses and promoting good health. As a health care organization, we know the powerful link between physical activity and mental wellness, and we're proud to support this event as the Presenting Sponsor for the 18th year."

Sunday Parkways will create an experience that highlights many of the unique amenities of Portland's city center - its public spaces, cultural destinations, and vibrant local businesses. People are invited to walk, bike, and roll on car-free streets. The Sunday Parkways team is partnering with Director Park, Pioneer Courthouse Square, James Beard Public Market, Portland'5 Centers for the Arts, Halprin Landscape Conservancy, TriMet, and the Cart Blocks to provide entertainment and programming at locations along the route.

In addition to the event Downtown, Sunday Parkways will be highlighting neighborhood bike routes to the central city with bike bus style guided rides. Neighbors can join any of the seven rides at designated stops, similar to riding the bus. Ride leaders from community groups and the City of Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee will lead the rides, showing community members how they can confidently bike from their homes to downtown any day of the year. Stay tuned for more details on the bike bus routes.

Ways to get involved

The best part of a block party is that everyone contributes! The Sunday Parkways downtown route is a blank canvas where you can share your ideas, offerings, and resources with our community as we envision the future of downtown Portland--one in which our streets are for everyone.

• Participate in the fun! Downtown businesses, organizations, and retailers along the event route are encouraged to extend their storefronts onto the street and connect with thousands of Portlanders who are coming to shop, dine, stroll and visit.
• Volunteer and be part of the energy that makes Portland Sunday Parkways possible! It's a fun and rewarding way to give back, connect with the community, and experience the event from the inside. Learn more and sign up at the Sunday Parkways volunteer webpage.
• Don't have a brick-and-mortar store on the route? No problem! Sign up on our vendor waitlist for a chance to promote your organization, increase brand awareness, or sell goods and services in one of our marketplaces. As more spaces become available in the coming month, vendors on the waitlist will be notified. Learn more and join the waitlist at the Sunday Parkways vendor webpage.
• Stay informed, as exciting event details emerge by subscribing to our Sunday Parkways e-newsletterand following us on Facebook at PortlandSundayParkwaysand on Instagram at PortlandSundayParkways.

Contact Portland Sunday Parkways

Email: [email protected]

Call: 311 / 503-823-4000

Website: https://www.portland.gov/sunday-parkways

Portland Sunday ParkwaysPresented by Kaiser Permanente, is a Portland Bureau of Transportation program in partnership with the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund that promotes healthy active living through a series of free events opening the city's largest public space - its streets - to walk, bike, roll, and connect with community. For more information, visit PortlandSundayParkways.org or call 311 / 503-823-4000.

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 not-for-profit 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 nearly 12.6 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-cl ass chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org.

The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fundinitiative was passed by 65% of Portland voters in November 2018. It provides a consistent, long-term funding source and oversight structure to ensure that our community's climate action efforts are implemented to support social, economic and environmental benefits for all Portlanders, particularly communities of color and people with low incomes. The initiative was supported by a broad coalition of groups and individuals and represents the first environmental initiative in Oregon led by communities of color.