PORTLAND, Ore. — Following more than a year of maintenance, the water is flowing once again at the iconic Ira Keller Fountain in downtown Portland.
The fountain roared back to life on Tuesday, after lying dormant for 18 months.
The historic fountain was shut down in May 2023, after the main internal pump system gave out. There were efforts to replace the pump in December 2023, but they were ultimately unsuccessful, resulting in delays bringing the fountain back to life.
Now, the dry spell is broken, and to celebrate, a few groups hosted an opening ceremony on Friday where there were a few brief statements followed by live music, performances, and food vendors.
Among the hosts was The Halprin Landscape Conservancy, a nonprofit dedicated to maintaining and preserving the Portland Open Space Sequence, a group of parks designed by architect Lawrence Halprin.
The Ira Keller Fountain is one of four fountains that make up the Portland Open Space Sequence, with the others being the Lovejoy Fountain, the Pettygrove Fountain, and the Source Fountain.
The other host is the advocacy group Our Next Keller, whose goal is to push for the renovation of the Keller Auditorium amid discussions of whether to do that or build a new concert hall somewhere else in the city.
The fountain reopened at an opportune time, offering a beautiful, shaded place to cool off as weekend temperatures are expected to peak at 95 degrees on Saturday. The fountain is decorative and not for swimming, Portland Parks and Recreation said.
