Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1913-06-24
THE FESTIVAL IDEA

The present agitation ia PORTLAND
regarding the holding o9 a s64e fas-
tIval In 1914, recalls to nafaf that ea4
sanae question, Or Ga@ on sgr1lEar
AInesr Will soon BE- eanfrontirg the
people ~ Seattle, Tassfaa. Spokane.
salera, and every other eomna1ltg.
practically in the entire country.
where che P0tIa5ea. r. the Mont
mara Festo. che sP0w-EE9w. the
% Cherry FaGr and che many other
seaeraes to catch the pa5lje's eye and
the public money, have aouri4had-
We believe the rose festival at Port
land is the pioneer Of all other eel
ebratl0n weeks in the Northwest.
Primarily, 1T was created to- show The
world the beauty 0f P0rtIands r1aea.
ard 10 advertise to the country ali
large Portland = incompatible sum
mer climate. But, like all the other
midsummer fsoIies, ii has largely de-
generated in a scheme 10 get the
money" Thousands os people have
rsvelsd in the beauty vi past r1aa
festivals and marveIed at the sgIea-
DIR and the brllIianey 1G the elee-
tr1e parades and 6f other DISPLAYS
which have truly been u0nderful to
behold. There have been 40 mauv ra-
rades and other enhancing sight.
however, that many have lost -.ght
II the prime object. or what la .qD-
posed 10 b. the prime object-the
rose show. The rose show portion "
the display has been aubardiaafed 10
the other features until it is safe to
say that not more than 0ae-ihird 0Y
the people who have visited Port
land, knew that rose show was 10
be seen there, and have probably
imagined that the r0se festival con
sisted Of large number Of decorat-
ed buildings, spectacle of splendid
and costly floats. and q big crowd.
Bot, while Portland may have had.
in the first place. an excuse for its
festival, IT. imitators have had Moth
ing of the sort. The Tacoma Mont
mara FestO. the Seattle PotIatch and
the Spokane P0u-Wow have no
excuse for their existence except tn
. get the crowds and '.zet the
money" The attractions" usually
found at any 81 these ''fe.tivais'' a..
Or whatever YOU may choose % cali .
them, consist of a few parades and .
any number Di side shows, fake cir 3
cuses and other schemes where one 7
has to put up the prce to enter. =
But the Portland rose festival +
should BE-. More atteH- :
ton should be paid to the real Dur
pose n the anuaBl festival. rather
than to the commercial side 6f il q
As was said at the outset. the rusc /.
festival should b. made feature h
EhIch would advertise 10 the world ..
he Oregon climate and impress \.
Eastern visitors with the comfort 90 n
= found by leaving their less favor n
II ciimes and making their homes In m
oregon. Nothing can b. more beam 81
iful from an artistic standpoint. Il
han a well arranged display Of ra,-' el
8, such a display a. Portland can "
uecessfully undertake. There j. an If
Ncuse for the rose show. Tor the p-
'endletoH Roundup. and for tire hi
.raWberry festivals and ail the 9th wi
r annual events typical of the diff vi
rent communities that have brought v.-
rem forth, because they call atten- fr
On % che products of those com 80
uniiies and are calculated o. i'm rsi
-ess the stranger. and home folks IA,
o, with the advantages offered for iaf
mes aud prosperity. me
The people u Oregon have been ant
bud of the rose shoH and hoF- that me
may b. continued but. az the same .ni
ae, they want 20 see the CONNER esr
feature made subordinate % the eoi
mary object, or The spini thar boa
{ begai the enterprise hlef