Oaks Park Welcomes All To 5th Annual Pride Rides Celebration - 06/23/26

A joyful celebration that’s become an annual Portland favorite will return to Oaks Park for its fifth year Sunday, June 28. Called Pride Rides, the day celebrates the LGBTQ+ community all day long.

“Oaks Park is a welcoming, open place, and Pride Rides is our way of inviting everyone to come out and have fun while recognizing and honoring Portland’s incredible LGBTQ+ community,” said Emily MacKay, Oaks Park’s marketing and events director. “This special day grew out of a desire to honor and support our own LGBTQ+ staff. It has really become a favorite here at the park, and we’re glad to bring it back again this summer.”

For Pride Rides, which runs from noon to 7 p.m., Oaks Park will offer 30% off Ride Wristbands online with the code PRIDE26. The park will also feature limited-edition treats, community performers, Pride-themed game prizes and gift shop merch, and free cake and balloons. In addition, there will also be a special-edition Pride Skate in the Oaks Roller Rink – the oldest one in the entire country – from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

On top of all that, Pride Rides will again include a vendor fair that centers LGBTQ+ voices and intentionally prioritizes LGBTQ+-owned, LGBTQ+-led, and affirming vendors. Interested vendors can apply online.

In addition to Pride Rides, Oaks Park has a whole calendar of special events planned throughout its 2026 season. For more information about all of them, visit Oakspark.com.

Roller Skating And Dads Take Center Stage At Oaks Park June 20-21 - 06/15/26

Oaks Park will be extra festive the weekend of June 20-21 with special celebrations planned to honor dads on Father’s Day and the birthday of the oldest roller-skating rink in the entire United States. 

“Every day at Oaks Park is a celebration of fun, families and just fantastic times,” said Emily MacKay, Oaks Park’s marketing and events director. “This weekend, we’ll have even more fun with a 120th birthday party for our beloved roller rink and free Ride Wristbands for dads on Father’s Day. Fans of Oaks Park are not going to want to miss this.”

Officially opened on June 23, 1906, Oaks Park’s storied roller rink is the oldest in the country and the only one in the world to still feature a live pipe organist during select skating sessions. To celebrate the 120^th anniversary of one of the park’s most treasured attractions, Oaks Park is throwing a birthday celebration for the rink from 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, June 20. The party will include free birthday cake and party hats, a live DJ, classic skate games and photos with the Oaks Park mascot, Chipper the Squirrel. Admission to the rink is $13 per skater, but a limited number of discounted tickets for the party – two skaters for just $19.06! – are available online in advance.

In addition, the roller rink celebration will include the unveiling of a new entry mural designed by local artist Nick Lee and funded in part by the Regional Arts & Culture Council and the Arts Access Fund. Members of the Royal Rosarians will be in attendance for a meet-and-greet and to take photos at the new mural when the doors open at 7 p.m. 

The next day, Sunday, June 21, Oaks Park will honor fathers from all over on Father’s Day with a special Ride Wristband deal. Dads who purchase a wristband for their child on Father’s Day will receive a free Ride Wristband, good for unlimited rides all day long at Oaks Park. The deal will only be available at the Oaks Park ticket booth on Father’s Day.

Oaks Park, which has been providing family fun on the banks of the Willamette River since 1905, has a whole calendar of special events planned throughout its 2026 season. For more information about all of them, visit Oakspark.com.

Oaks Park Is Looking For An Unforgettable Name For Its Thrilling New Drop Tower Ride - 06/03/26

PORTLAND, Ore. (June 03, 2026) – A creative fan of Oregon’s favorite amusement park could land major bragging rights – and two season passes – by coming up with a name for the thrilling new drop tower ride coming to Oaks Park in 2027.

The park, which has been providing family fun on the banks of the Willamette River since 1905, will start construction this summer on its new drop tower ride. The Larson International ARM Park Model Super Shot Drop Tower will offer guests a breathtaking view of Portland before delivering a heart-pounding free-fall guaranteed to induce thrills and screams of excitement.

“Exhilarating thrill rides have always been a major draw for everyone who loves Oaks Park,” said Emily MacKay, Oaks Park’s marketing and events director. “When our new drop tower debuts in 2027, we’ll be turning up the fun even more. And to celebrate that, we want to let fans of Oaks Park come up with the best names they can.”

The naming contest is underway now on the Oaks Park website. Contestants simply fill out a short online form, where they can submit up to four creative, clever and memorable names for the tower. Entries need to be submitted by June 14, 2026, and the winner will be notified by email by July 31, 2026.

In addition to landing the honor of naming what’s expected to be the tallest drop tower in the Pacific Northwest – and the most intense thrill ride ever added to Oaks Park – the winner will also receive two 2027 Season Passes to the park. The passes offer unlimited rides every standard operating day of the season, 10% off food, beverages and gift shop purchases, and exclusive special offers.

For more information about the new Drop Tower coming to Oaks Park in 2027 and to enter the contest, visit Oakspark.com.

Oaks Park Celebrates Its 121st Birthday With A Celebration On May 30 - 05/27/26

Located close to downtown Portland along the Willamette River, Oaks Park first opened its doors in 1905. Now, 121 years later, Oregon’s favorite amusement park is celebrating with a Birthday Bash that includes beer and spirits tasting, cake and balloons, and the unveiling of Oaks Park’s redesigned Wrath of Willamette Willy game by local artist Mike Bennett. The game will also be free to play during the event. A limited number of Unlimited Ride Wristbands will be available online for just $19.05 while supplies last, and discounted wristbands are expected to sell out.

“Oaks Park has been a part of the Portland community for 121 years,” said Emily MacKay, Oaks Park’s Marketing and Events Director. “Some families have had multiple generations that have enjoyed Oaks Park over the years, and we’re proud to be a big part of their families’ tradition.”
 

Interviews available via Zoom or on-site. B-roll and images also available to use.

Oaks Park, a nonprofit community resource, is one of America’s oldest continually operating amusement parks. The park first opened its gates to eager visitors on May 30, 1905, to boost ridership on the area's emerging interurban transportation system. Arriving via streetcar, visitors to the park were thrilled by exotic animals, nightly fireworks, a bathhouse, death-defying amusement rides and that latest of inventions, electric lights. Today, when visitors walk through the gates, they are delighted by a uniquely Portland blend of modern thrills and turn-of-the-century charm on a midway that has delighted generations of Northwesterners.
 

In 1985, the Bollinger Family donated Oaks Amusement Park to the nonprofit 501(c)(3) Oaks Park Association, which continues to operate the park to this day. The purpose of the OPA is to perpetuate and preserve this piece of Portland's history and to provide affordable family fun throughout the generations.

Beyond the thrill rides, Oaks Park is packed with other ways to enjoy and celebrate time together. The park is home to a historic carousel, the oldest roller rink in the United States, scenic picnic areas, carnival games and classic amusement park food and drinks. There are also the timeless Oaks Park train and a miniature golf course with views of the Willamette River. 

For more information about hours, rides and tickets, visit Oakspark.com.