Changes made to Independence Day celebration to accommodate July 5 workday

In case you missed it, violent thunderstorms Wednesday night forced the postponement of Portland’s Fourth of July celebration until today — July 5.

Unfortunately, a whole lot of folks who got July 4th off as a federal holiday don’t get the same schedule flexibility on July 5th (no days off are granted to celebrate the birthday of Edie Falco or Huey Lewis, apparently).

As a result, the city of Portland has tweaked its celebration particulars to accommodate folks who are back to work today. Among the changes, according to a City Hall announcement today:

  • The city will extend the hours to access Munjoy Hill. Munjoy Hill will now be closed to traffic at 5:30 p.m.
  • METRO runs to the East End will continue until 7 p.m. tonight.
  • There will be no bike valet services tonight.
  • Athletic events scheduled for Payson Park, the Eastern Promenade athletic fields and events are the East End Community Center have been canceled for tonight.

Other things about the July 4th celebration will be the same as if the celebration took place on July 4th, such as the 7:40 p.m. start time for the Portland Symphony Orchestra concert and the 9:20 p.m. approximate start time for the fireworks themselves. If weather again becomes a problem, keep informed by calling the city’s 756-8130 update hotline.

Seth Koenig

About Seth Koenig

Seth has nearly a decade of professional journalism experience and writes about the greater Portland region.