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Good morning, Northwest.

The annual Portland Rose Festival wraps up this weekend, and if you’re planning to watch the parade in downtown Portland tonight, you’ll notice something different. For the first time in the festival’s more than 100-year history, the Grand Floral and Starlight parades have been combined into a single event. OPB’s Joni Auden Land has the story.

Plus, if you practice yoga and are tired of listening to traditional mantras during class, how does doom metal sound? OPB’s Amanda Linares visited a yoga studio in Southeast Portland to find out more.

Here’s your First Look at Saturday’s news.

— Winston Szeto

Top story

Combined Rose Fest parade brings mixed feelings

Following weeks of festivities, this year’s Portland Rose Festival wraps up this weekend.

And for the first time, there will only be one parade in downtown Portland for the festival. Due to budget constraints, organizers have combined the Grand Floral and Starlight Parades into one event on Saturday evening.

Elements from both parades will be incorporated into the event. Floats at the start of the parade will have more floral presentations. As the parade moves along, they will slowly transition to the colorfully electric floats typically seen at the Starlight.

Dave Keckes-Chartrey, one of the organizers of the parade, acknowledged that some have been concerned with the new format, but was optimistic that people would still enjoy the parade. (Joni Auden Land)

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3 things to know

1. Milla Leilani Payne, who was doused with mace last fall by a federal officer outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government yesterday. (Troy Brynelson)
2. The Oregon Supreme Court struck down parts of two cases with AI-generated fabricated citations yesterday, marking the first time it has addressed false information from artificial intelligence. (Kyra Buckley)
3. In the aftermath of the deadly Longview paper mill disaster that released a corrosive chemical into nearby waterways, the Warm Springs tribal chairman Dennis White III yesterday raised concerns about long-term effects on the Columbia River. (Alejandro Figueroa)

Northwest headlines

• Remembering Astor’s ship, the Tonquin, 215 years after it exploded (Kristian Foden-Vencil)
• Some of the most dedicated World Cup fans are skipping this year’s tournament (R.J. Rico, AP)
• Medford goes 50-50 with the Eugene Emeralds on a stadium engineering study (Roman Battaglia, JPR)
• Pets on deck: Washington State Ferries update pet policy ahead of summer (Lisa Brooks, KNKX)
• Dozens of new Oregon laws are set to go into effect this week. Here’s a closer look (Shaanth Nanguneri, Oregon Capital Chronicle)
• Ballot initiative could require genital exams for Washington secondary students to play sports (Sarah Mizes-Tan, KNKX & KUOW)
• Bonner helps the short-handed Mercury beat the Fire 78-72 (AP staff)

One more look

A headbang into a downward dog; Doom metal yoga offers a unique way to zen out

Nestled between a coffee shop and a craft beer taproom in Southeast Portland’s bustling Woodstock neighborhood, dozens of people are shuffling into the Elk Rock Yoga studio.

Instructor April Fox adjusts a small, portable projector to illuminate multicolored swirls and starry lights at the front of the dimly lit room.

But her playlist isn’t filled with the mantras or the ambient instrumentals you’ll typically hear during a yoga class. For the last 10 years, Fox has been teaching doom metal yoga. (Amanda Linares)

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News Source : https://www.opb.org/article/2026/06/06/portland-rose-festival-opb-first-look/