Cathedral Park
Cathedral Park is the City of Portland's 21.85-acre riverfront park at North Edison Street and Pittsburg Avenue, an open lawn beneath a large bridge with its own outdoor stage. Parking is a paid boat-ramp lot plus two small free lots, and on festival days demand outruns supply, so the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival encourages transit or rideshare. The festival is free, and amplified music is the whole point.
Before you go
- Indoor or outdoor
- Outdoor: open lawn and riverfront with an outdoor stage
- Official site
- portland.gov
- Next festival here
- Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, 2027
Worth knowing before you go
- The boat-ramp lot costs $5 a day, closes at 7pm and allows no overnight parking.
- Festival-day parking demand outruns the three small lots, and there is no festival shuttle.
- Alcohol is only allowed with an event permit, and permitted events are generally limited to beer and wine.
- St. Johns Bridge repair and Bradford Street environmental works can change the routes and the event layout.
- The lawn is grass and gravel in summer heat and glare, with a dog off-leash area in the park.
Festivals here
Venue basics: Three small lots; full on festival days · No festival shuttle; TriMet or rideshare · Accessible restroom and paved paths; grass and gravel lawn.
Is it for you
Choose it if
- You want a free jazz and blues weekend on a riverfront lawn.
- You are happy to arrive by transit or rideshare.
- You like a park with paved paths, picnic tables and an accessible restroom.
Think twice if
- You need to park near the stage: three small lots and festival-day demand outruns them.
- You are sensitive to layered noise: bridge, river, road traffic and dogs sit under the amplified music.
- You are planning to camp: we don't yet have confirmed information about camping here.
Getting there and parking
The park is at North Edison Street and Pittsburg Avenue in St. Johns, Portland, not to be confused with parks of the same name elsewhere. Parking is a paid boat-ramp and trailer lot at $5 a day, open 5am to 7pm with no overnight parking, plus a small free lot next to the boat ramp and another small free lot by the dog off-leash area on North Crawford. On festival days demand can exceed supply.
There is no dedicated festival shuttle. Because parking is limited, the festival encourages coming by transit or rideshare, and a current TriMet itinerary is the thing to plan with. City park hours are 5am to midnight, and event permits and parking rules can impose further limits.
Accessibility
The park has an accessible restroom and paved paths. The lawn itself is grass and gravel, and the bridge repair and Bradford Street environmental work under way can change how you move around the park, so look at the layout for the festival date.
Confirm your specific needs with the venue before you travel (portland.gov).
Camping
We don't yet have confirmed information about camping at Cathedral Park. The venue's own pages are the place to check: portland.gov.
Food, water and what you can bring
Alcohol is not allowed in Portland parks without a proper event permit. For permitted events the City requires insurance whenever alcohol is provided, and generally only beer and wine are allowed unless special permission is granted.
Sound and sensory
This is an open lawn and riverfront under a large bridge, with roads and industry nearby and a dog off-leash area in the park. The bridge, the river, the traffic and the dogs are all part of the soundscape before the music starts.
Amplified music is central to the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, and the City requires permits for stages, sound systems and any event of 150 or more people. Expect crowd density, summer heat and glare, uneven grass and gravel, and dogs and river activity close by.
Quick answers
Where do you park for the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival?
In the paid boat-ramp lot ($5 a day, 5am to 7pm, no overnight parking) or one of two small free lots, by the boat ramp and by the dog area on North Crawford. On festival days demand can exceed supply, so the festival encourages transit or rideshare.
Is there a shuttle to Cathedral Park?
No. There is no dedicated festival shuttle; plan a current TriMet route or use rideshare.
Is Cathedral Park wheelchair accessible?
Partly. There is an accessible restroom and paved paths, but the lawn is grass and gravel and bridge repair work can change the routes around the park.
Can I camp at Cathedral Park?
We don't yet have confirmed information about camping at Cathedral Park. The venue's own pages at portland.gov are the place to check.
Can I drink alcohol at Cathedral Park?
Not without an event permit. Portland park rules prohibit alcohol otherwise, and permitted events are generally limited to beer and wine.
How long has the jazz festival been at Cathedral Park?
The 2026 festival was the 46th annual edition, held July 17 to 19, and it is described as the longest-running jazz and blues festival west of the Mississippi.
A little history
The City acquired the park in 1968 and dedicated it on May 3, 1980 after community fundraising. The 2026 Cathedral Park Jazz Festival was the 46th annual edition, held July 17 to 19, 2026, and it is described as the longest-running jazz and blues festival west of the Mississippi.
A nature patch was added in 2024, and St. Johns Bridge repair and Bradford Street environmental projects are ongoing, which can shift circulation and the event layout.