Portland, Oregon: Falun Dafa Boat Shines at Starlight Parade

(Minghui.org) The Starlight Parade is a popular summer tradition in Portland, Oregon, and one of the highlights of the annual Portland Rose Festival. The festival began in the early 1900s, and draws large crowds to downtown Portland to enjoy the dazzling displays from nearly 100 participating groups.

Falun Dafa practitioners were once again invited to join the parade with their large, beautifully crafted float on May 31, 2025. Every year, people praise its unique design and graceful decorations.

Practitioners’ float at the Starlight Parade.

Practitioners carry banners during the parade.

Practitioners arrived at the assembly site at 8 a.m. and started the day by doing the Falun Dafa exercises. Some people stopped to watch and practitioners handed out small lotus flowers and informational leaflets with the messages: “Falun Dafa is Good” and “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” People thanked them and some said, “This is beautiful!”

Other parade teams said they were impressed by the intricate design of the Falun Dafa float. Many took photos with it and said, “Your float is beautiful!”

As night fell, the float was lit with colorful lights, drawing even more attention. With a purple base and large landscape paintings, the float gave off a majestic look. The golden sails rose and fell, creating a dynamic visual effect.

Practitioners dressed as celestial maidens sat on lotus platforms while practitioners in golden outfits demonstrated the exercises. Accompanied by gentle music, some spectators said the float radiated a feeling of peace and kindness.

Along the parade route cheers like “Falun Dafa!” could be heard from the crowd. Some people said, “So beautiful!” Some clapped, took photos, gave thumbs-up, or even bowed and put their hands together in respect. Many people followed along with the exercise movements as practitioners did them on the float.

There were commentary stations along the parade route and coordinators introduced Falun Dafa, “Falun Dafa is a traditional spiritual practice based on the universal value of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance. It transcends cultural, racial, religious, and age boundaries, and has improved the lives of millions of people around the world. It is free to learn, and all information is available online at www.falundafa.org.”

The event was broadcast live by Fox 12 and KGW. One Fox 12 host said, “They bring peace, harmony, and balance to the Starlight Parade. It’s truly beautiful! I look forward to seeing this float every year.”