Overview
2025 was a strong and productive year for Friends of Pier Park. Through partnerships, grants, volunteers, and community support, we advanced key projects, expanded educational programs, and strengthened our financial position to support the park into the future.
Projects and Programs
Pier Park Pool Reopening
When the Pier Park Pool closed due to major maintenance issues at the start of the 2024 summer season, we made it a priority to work with Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) to ensure the pool was not permanently closed. That advocacy paid off. PP&R secured the necessary resources to complete major repairs and improvements, and we celebrated the reopening of the Pier Park Pool in mid-July for the summer season.
Learn more at
- 3 Pools, 3 Neighborhoods, 2 Outcomes
- Repairs Planned for Pier Pool
- Community Advocacy Leads to City Repairs.
Next Door Nature and School Partnerships
We expanded our Next Door Nature Program through our ongoing partnership with Sitton Elementary School. Students learned about the importance of native species while gaining hands-on experience in the park.
For the fifth consecutive year, 5th grade students continued the Understory Enhancement Program by installing native plants in areas formerly mowed beneath the Douglas fir canopy. With a grant from the Portland Garden Club, we also launched a new Pollinator Garden Program with the 3rd graders. Students learned about pollinators and installed a large pollinator garden along the path near the corner of North James Street and Bruce Avenue.
Together, these projects added more than 1,000 new native plants to Pier Park.
Music in the Park
We continued our tradition of bringing live music to Pier Park, this time by partnering with PP&R’s Summer Free for All Program. Rather than self-producing concerts, we applied for and were awarded a professionally produced show. This marked the fourth consecutive year of music in the playground meadow, and thanks to PP&R’s outstanding production, it was the best-attended and most successful concert we’ve hosted to date.
Volunteer Work Parties
Volunteer work parties remained an important part of our stewardship efforts, helping remove invasive species and maintain park infrastructure. We had a strong turnout for our spring SOLVE Earth Day event. Unfortunately, weather and staffing challenges prevented us from hosting a fall No Ivy Day event. Individual members also helped on other smaller projects throughout the year. We look forward to continuing both programs in 2026.
Learn more at 2025 Pier Park Pick-Up Review.
Frisbee Friends of Pier Park Disc Golf Tournament
In August, we hosted another successful Frisbee Friends of Pier Park Disc Golf Tournament. We are grateful to our primary sponsor, IQ Credit Union, as well as our tee sign sponsors and the tournament players for their generosity. The tournament raised over $2,500, all of which will be reinvested in park and disc golf course improvements.
Financial Report
We began the year with a treasury balance of $14,235. In 2025 we spent $9,315 on projects, programs, and operations. Grants and donations received in 2025 leave us in a strong financial position that allows us to confidently continue supporting our key projects and programs through 2026.
Our major financial contributors for 2025 programming were:
- Portland Garden Club
- Portland Parks Foundation
- Whole Foods NW Store
- IQ Credit Union
- Autzen Foundation
Thank you to all of our partners, volunteers, sponsors, and community members who made 2025 such a successful year.
Looking Ahead to 2026
In 2026, Friends of Pier Park will continue building on the momentum of this successful year. We plan to continue our environmental education partnerships, support ongoing habitat restoration and invasive species removal, and maintain our commitment to community events that bring people together in the park. With a strong volunteer base, solid partnerships with Portland Parks & Recreation, and a healthy financial position, we are well prepared to support Pier Park as a welcoming, vibrant, and ecologically resilient community resource.