The long-anticipated Summer Free For All (SFFA) events will be back this year, revitalized, revamped, and with an amazing series of events by Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R), the founder of SFFA. The 2022 program will begin with Free Lunch + Play on Tuesday, June 21 at 15 parks in the Portland Public School district area and on Monday, June 27, 2022, for other school district sites. This will be followed by dozens of amazing outdoor citywide events all summer long.
Following those launches, Portland Parks & Recreation welcomes everyone to join the Summer Free For All Kickoff Celebration at lunchtime on Tuesday, June 28, 2022, at Kʰunamokwst Park. Get summer started with Free Lunch + Play meals, arts, and sports activities. It’s free and fun for all!
What: PP&R’s Summer Free For All Free Lunch + Play Kick-Off event
When: Tuesday, June 28, 2022
Where: Kʰunamokwst Park, NE 52nd Avenue and NE Alberta Street
Time: 12:00pm-1:30pm
SFFA event guides and schedules are posted online at portland.gov/parks/sffa and will be available in multiple languages in early summer.
Summer Free For All (SFFA) is a community-building, annual program consisting of free cultural events and free meals and activities for kids in Portland parks. This year’s program includes 42 events including Festivals, Movies in the Park, Concerts in the Park, and other special events across the city. The Free Lunch + Play program will again provide free lunches to youth while schools are not in session, in partnership with Portland Public Schools, Centennial, David Douglas, and Parkrose school districts at 23 parks citywide and seven mobile program sites in East Portland.
Funding for Summer Free For All
The 2020 Parks Local Option Levy (Parks Levy) is making Summer Free For All possible, and the program would not be occurring without this critical community investment. As promised to Portland voters, the Parks Levy will, in part, deliver recreational programs, including family-friendly movies and concerts, fitness and art classes, teen- and senior-focused programs, life-saving swim lessons, and Free Lunch + Play.
Summer Free For All Highlights:
New! East Portland Summer Arts Festival - July 9-10 at Ventura Park
Five-time Grammy award-winning bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer esperanza spalding will headline the first-annual East Portland Summer Arts Festival! A new addition to PP&R’s Summer Free For All, the theme of this year’s arts festival is “music and expression.”
Daytime arts activities from 2pm-4pm with a headlining performance at 6pm daily. Attractions include multicultural music and dance performances, including Spalding, Aaron Nigel Smith, and 1 World Chorus, live painting from Sora Shodo, Tongan dance, African dance, and more. Free drop-in mini music lessons, arts activities, and more will be provided by Portland Parks & Recreation's Community Music Center and Multnomah Arts Center. Big Up Music Show, and Family Fun Drumming will be a part of our daily activities, something for the entire family.
Special thanks to our nonprofit partners: Community Music Center, Inc. for their support of esperanza spalding’s engagement and Multnomah Arts Center Association for their support of the East Portland Summer Arts Festival.
Washington Park Summer Festival
This beloved Portland summer tradition returns, featuring world-class performances at the gorgeous Rose Garden Amphitheater in Washington Park.
- Friday, August 5 – Espacio Flamenco
- Saturday, August 6 – Albina Music Trust presents "Time Sound: Albina's Jazz Reimagined" + screening of Oscar- and Grammy-award winning film Summer of Soul
- Sunday, August 7 – Opera in the Park: Angela Brown in Verdi’s Aida
Movies, Concerts, and Cultural Events in the Park
Movies in the Park and Concerts in the Park return this summer, plus the addition of new special cultural events including live comedy, spoken word, and “date night.”
Just some of the Movies in the Park highlights include acclaimed animated movies Encanto (July 16, Cully Park, Spanish w/English subtitles) and Soul (September 3, Woodstock Park); high-energy musicals In The Heights (August 20, April Hill Park), and West Side Story (September 1, Overlook Park). We will also show some classic films like The Goonies and much more.
A few Concerts in the Park highlights include the return of music to Mt. Tabor Park with the Afro-Latin dance music of Grupo Masato (July 14), the searing funk of Tyrone Hendrix & Friends (August 12, Dawson Park), and the family-friendly kids’ music supergroup Smith & Yarn (Red Yarn with Aaron Nigel Smith) at Peninsula Park on July 30. Among other amazing performances, catch the DJ-led dance party with DJ Prashant and Jai Ho! Dance Troupe (August 13, Laurelhurst Park), soulful R&B with Kimberly Monique’(August 27, Irving Park), and Date Night in the Park with Eldon T Jones, Ronnie Wright, Rae Gordon, Rich Layton and more (August 19, Columbia Park Annex).
Free Lunch + Play
Thanks to our school district partners Portland Public Schools, Parkrose School District, Centennial School District and David Douglas School District, PP&R’s Free Lunch + Play program expects to once again serve around 100,000 free, healthy lunches to children this summer in parks and at three east Portland apartment complexes. Around 57% of young Portlanders typically qualify for free or reduced-price lunch during the school year. Portland Parks & Recreation supports families by offering nutritious meals and recreational activities during the summer break from school. Free lunches are accompanied by play activities including sports, games, arts, crafts, music, and other activities provided by trained staff, PP&R’s arts and music centers and community program partners. Lunches will be served at 30 sites across the city, including Mobile Lunch + Play program sites.
Mobile Lunch + Play Program, part of Free Lunch + Play
Our Mobile Lunch + Play is back and will make 10 visits per week to seven locations in East Portland in park-deficient areas. Portland Parks & Recreation brings the Lunch + Play experience to children at apartment complexes and sites for kids to enjoy meals, arts, crafts, games, and sports.
Free Open Play Swim sessions at PP&R pools, part of Summer Free For All
No registration is needed to stay cool at your nearby pool. Just check the website for dates and times for FREE open play swimming at Creston, Grant, Montavilla, Peninsula, Pier, Sellwood, and Wilson Pools.
Free Arts and Music Activities - part of Free Lunch + Play
PP&R's Multnomah Arts Center and Community Music Center provide free, enriching community arts experiences to kids and families as part of Free Lunch + Play. Arts activities include nature art, storytelling, rhythm and movement, drawing, painting, clay, and textile. In addition, PP&R’s Community Music Center will be providing music activities at Lincoln Park twice a week this summer.
MORE free PP&R summer programs /cultural events at Gateway Discovery Park
Come visit Gateway Discovery Park in East Portland this summer for free drop-in activities and cultural events.
Pa’lante Dance Party - Saturday, July 16, 5:30-7:30 pm Concert in the Plaza including Salsa Instructors on-site to teach you the basic moves and lead a 2-hour community dance. All ages and levels are welcome.
Taiko, People of the Drum - Saturday, July 23, 4:30-6:30 pm: Join us for a performance of The People of the Drum with performances by Portland Taiko, Mexica Tiahui, Hula Hālau 'Ohana Holo'oko'a, and the Alex Addy Drummers.
Original Practice Shakespeare Featuring, Twelfe Night- Saturday, July 30, 6:00 pm-8:30 pm Join us for a fast-paced, energetic play with lots of audience interaction!
Tonga Day 2022 – Saturday, August 20, 2022, Noon-5:00 pm. This is the fourth year of this special event, featuring a range of Tongan and Pacific Islander music and dance performances, vendors, and food.
Son Latino Dance Company: Saturday, August 27, 5-7 pm. Bring your dancing shoes and enjoy Salsa performances and lessons followed by an instructor-led community dance! All ages and levels are welcome.
Prismagic: Saturday, August 6, 5:00 pm-6:30 pm Join us for a Circus and Aerialist performance by Prismagic, International Circus Arts Company!
Source: Portland Parks