Get ready to get wet, Portland, because the best river event of the year is going down this Sunday, July 10... the annual Big Float! For those new to town, the Big Float is a celebration of the Willamette (put on by the Human Access Project) in which thousands of fun-havers put on life vests and jump into innertubes for a nice leisurely float in the river. But that's not all! This year there will be TWO innertube parades—to get people in the water quicker—that starts at Tom McCall Bowl (just south of the Hawthorne Bridge on the west side), a music barge featuring bands such as Charts, Ants in the Kitchen, Hit Machine, and more, food and drink, and not one but TWO 100' long slip-n-slides, so you can "slide the bowl'! THIS KIND OF FUN IS INSANE.
It goes from 11 am-6 pm (first floaters parade starts at 12:30 with a second parade starting at 1:30), and you can pay your $10 registration on the spot or sign up in advance here, which is what all the smart people do.
Trust me, people! The Big Float is a BLAST! So don your sexiest swimwear, grab a life vest and an inflatable, and let's get wet!