Portland Parks & Recreation’s Summer Free For All Returns for 2023

Second annual East Portland Summer Arts Festival set for Ventura Park 

Portland Parks & Recreation is bringing back its series of Summer Free For All events. The popular annual program will begin with Free Lunch + Play on Wednesday, June 21 at 17 parks in the Portland Public School district area and at seven school district sites located in East Portland on Monday, June 26.

At Free Lunch + Play, kids come to share a meal together and have fun in the sun (Photo courtesy PP&R)
Portland Parks & Recreation welcomes everyone to join the Summer Free For All Free Lunch + Play Kickoff Celebration at lunchtime on Thursday, June 29 at K ͪunamokwst Park from 11:30am-1:30pm. Get summer started with meals for youth, free arts and music activities, games, and an exciting musical performance by Triple Rainbow. (Photo courtesy PP&R)
PP&R’s Free Lunch + Play events will kick off dozens of amazing outdoor citywide events all summer long. Schedules and information are posted at portland.gov/parks/arts-culture/sffa in English and Spanish. Schedules will be posted soon in Russian, Somali, Chinese, Vietnamese and many other languages.

East Portland Summer Arts Festival, July 8-9 at Ventura Park, is headlined by PJ Morton, the multiple Grammy Award-winning keyboardist for Maroon 5 and an accomplished neo-soul, R&B, and funk songwriter, singer and producer. Launched in 2022 as part of Summer Free For All, the theme of this year’s arts festival is Celebrating Black Excellence. (Photo courtesy PP&R)
Summer Free For All is a community-building, annual program that takes place in Portland parks.  There are free cultural events for everyone and free meals and activities for kids, adults and families. This year’s program includes 50 events, including multicultural festivals, free outdoor movies, concerts, and other special events across the city.

The Free Lunch + Play program will again provide free lunches to youth while most schools are not in session for summer. PP&R’s Free Lunch + Play is delivered in partnership with four area public school districts including Portland, Centennial, David Douglas, and Parkrose at 24 parks citywide (Monday-Friday) and five Mobile Lunch + Play sites in East Portland (days vary; see online schedule for details).