The Portland Rose Festival announced today the 2024 Grand Floral Parade Grand Marshal is Greg McKelvey, the prolific band director at Battle Ground High School.
“Greg represents everything we love about the Rose Festival and Grand Floral Parade,” said Contesa Diaz-Nicolaidis, Rose Festival Board President. “Greg has spent decades marching in our parades to showcase the hard work of his students. When times continue to get tougher for our young people, Greg always finds ways to make sure his students have a positive spotlight on them. We are so fortunate that Greg’s dedication to his students was matched in his dedication to sharing their talents with Portland and the world, for so many years.”
Greg McKelvey is a Rose Festival legend, maybe the most prolific high school band director to participate in Rose Festival events over his decades-long career. Greg will hang up his baton this summer after 28 years in the Battle Ground School District, leading the Battle Ground High School marching band and advanced jazz band during many successful seasons—including a first-place national finish for the jazz band in 2023. The Rose Festival is pleased to honor Greg as this year's Grand Floral Parade Grand Marshal, with gratitude and good wishes for his decades of dedication to music education and to his students.
Source: Rose Festival