Warm Nights, Brighter Futures - What Summer Nights in Parkrose Are Really About
It starts with music.
Not too loud. Just the kind of beat that makes your shoulders sway a little while you wait for your frybread taco. There’s a little girl trying to keep rhythm with the maracas she got for free at the kids’ booth. A couple old-timers lean against the bench outside the hardware store, catching up like they haven’t seen each other in years—though they probably saw each other last week at Grocery Outlet.
Welcome to Summer Nights in Parkrose.
We don’t have to tell you that things haven’t been easy in our neck of the woods. East Portland—especially Parkrose—has weathered a lot: the pandemic, economic hits, closures, construction, displacement, you name it. But if you’ve lived here more than five minutes, you also know this place has heart. It beats loudest on nights like these.
A Night Market That Means More
A few years back, Historic Parkrose said, Let’s bring the party back home. The old “Taste of Parkrose” festival had faded, but something new bloomed in its place: a street fair-meets-night market that celebrates the grit and grace of this community.
And it’s not just about fun—though there’s plenty of that. It’s about resilience and opportunity.
In 2024, nearly 50 local vendors showed up—many of them small businesses without storefronts, run by families, immigrants, and neighbors who took a chance on themselves. They sold tacos, teas, handmade jewelry, henna tattoos. They brought their culture to the corner of Sandy and 104th, and folks showed up—nearly 500 of them. This year, we’re expecting even more.
Summer Nights grew so much, it couldn’t be contained in one evening. In 2025, it’s two nights (June 18 & July 16), with live music, art, dancing, face painting, and more free fun than you can shake a sno-cone at.
It’s About Place—and Pride
Sociologists call events like these “third spaces.” We call them living rooms with streetlights—places where you feel like you belong, where you can bump into your kid’s teacher, or your barber, or someone you haven’t seen since the last SOLVE cleanup.
This isn’t just any street, either. Sandy Boulevard is the backbone of our business district. Bringing the fair here—onto the actual street—means more than convenience. It’s about activating a corridor that too many people drive through without ever stopping. When the music plays and booths pop up, it tells the world: There’s something happening here. Come see.
JOIN US!!!
📍 NE Sandy Blvd @ 104th Ave
🕔 5 PM – 9 PM | Free to attend
🎶 Food, music, art, and homegrown joy
Why It Matters
Parkrose is one of the most culturally diverse neighborhoods in Oregon. But too often, diversity isn’t celebrated—it’s overlooked. Not at Summer Nights.
You’ll hear music in Spanish, Somali, and German. You’ll taste tacos and tamales, samosas and shaved ice. Kids paint, teens perform, elders dance. And for a few golden hours, the divisions fade. Everyone’s just… here. Together.
That matters. Especially now.
Because when crises come—and they always do—it’s the communities that know each other that weather the storms best. That check in. That show up.
A Note From the Organizers
“We wanted something beautiful and family-friendly,” says Samantha Montanaro, Historic Parkrose’s events lead and community champion. “Something that brings joy and celebrates our small businesses and cultures.”
Mission accomplished, Sam.
Come Be Part of It
If you haven’t been yet, come. You’ll leave with a full belly and maybe a new friend.
And if you’ve been before? You know the magic.
So come back. Bring your cousin. Bring your cousin’s cousin. Tell that coworker who never ventures east of 82nd to come see what Parkrose really is.
Because this isn’t just a night market. It’s a love letter to a community—and everyone is invited.
🗓️ Summer Nights in Parkrose 2025
📍 NE Sandy Blvd @ 104th Ave
🕔 5 PM – 9 PM | Free to attend
🎶 Food, music, art, and homegrown joy
➡️ Want to get involved?
Volunteers: info@historicparkrose.com
Sponsorships: Donate to Parkrose. Your community needs your support!
