(MAY 20, 2022) "All good things must come to an end" is a familiar proverb. And now it applies to a 10-year Portland tradition. 2022 will be the last year for "The Big Float" on the Willamette River in downtown Portland.
The event is on Sunday, July 10. Gates open at 11AM. At 1PM and 2:30PM, participants follow a marching band in a parade along the Esplanade in downtown Portland to Poet's Beach under the Marquam Bridge. Then floaters paddle themselves down the Willamette River to the Tom McCall Bowl. It's not a race; people take their time to enjoy the river.
The event's website says, "The Big Float is a celebration of the Willamette River. It’s a parade/float/beach party in downtown Portland that benefits the Human Access Project, a local, volunteer-driven nonprofit dedicated to helping people connect with their river and perhaps even fall in love with it."
The event's purpose is to celebrate improvements to the quality and health of the Willamette River water. The event was annual until the pandemic. It did not happen in 2020 and 2021. Now the event returns for one final time.
Levenson says the event has become too much work for him, and he wants to pursue other projects. “After doing it for all this time, with all the work it’s taken to bring it back together, it’s really made me understand the length that we have in our lives and I’m really proud of what we’ve done,” he said. He's hoping that other organizations will continue the tradition in the future.
Participants can register online at TheBigFloat.com. The event is also looking for volunteers to help with the event. More info here: http://thebigfloat.com/event/volunteer