PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Rose Festival kicked off Friday with the start of CityFair. Crowds of people will pack Portland's waterfront over the next few weekends for carnival rides, fair food, fireworks and live music.
CityFair runs May 24-June 9 at Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
From admission and carnival ride tickets to food and parking, KGW tallied up how much it could cost a family of four to spend a day at the fair.
Parking
The CityFair does not have its own designated parking, meaning families planning to drive will need to pay for street parking, or a parking lot or garage.
Around downtown Portland, street parking costs $2.20 per hour on Saturdays and most of Sunday. Parking is free at meters on Memorial Day, which is Monday, May 27.
KGW searched for parking garages and lots near Tom McCall Waterfront Park and found $5-per-hour rates for the closest parking.
Tickets for admission
A one-day general admission ticket costs $15 at the gate. While they're the same price online, there's an additional $3 delivery fee per order. Children under 6 years old can get in for free. Veterans, reservists and active military members can also attend for free with an ID.
A season pass costs $25 per person and can be used for all 10 days that the CityFair is open.
Carnival ride tickets
Tickets for carnival rides can range anywhere between $3-$10 per person, depending on the ride, and ride tickets amount to roughly 62 cents apiece. Rides can take 12 to 13 tickets per ride. Below is a list of the different ticket prices.
- 34 ride tickets: $20
- 68 ride tickets: $40
- 120 ride tickets: $60
- 250 ride tickets: $115
Food and drinks
Spending a day at CityFair likely means your family will need to grab a bite to eat. Below are some examples of food and drink prices that KGW saw at the fair.
- Hamburger: $13.50
- Fries: $6.50
- Hamburger, fries, 22-ounce drink special: $17.50
- Corn dog: $7.50
- Pepperoni or cheese pizza slice: $8.50
- Popcorn: $7
- Cotton candy: $8.50
- 22-ounce drink: $4.50
- 32-ounce drink: $5.50
- Bottled water: $4.50
Total cost
A family of four visiting CityFair could spend at least $175 (and likely much more). That's if the family paid for three hours of parking, and each person went on one carnival ride and purchased the hamburger, fries and 22-ounce drink special. The price estimate does not include any spending on games, souvenirs or beverages from the Oregon Brewers Festival.