Grand Opening for Legacy Fountain

A new landmark at Waterfront Park

Compelling rhythms, sparkling water fountains, and hundreds of laughing children contributed to the grandest of openings for a new Portland landmark. On August 20, 2009, hundreds of Portlanders turned out for a celebration to honor the donors who, in partnership with Portland Parks Foundation and the City of Portland, created this new monument. With Japanese drums and flutes, Portland Taiko announced the start and established the theme, a tribute to the contributions of the diverse cultural legacies that played important roles in developing our city.

A special feature of the program was a reading by Oregon Poet Laureate Lawson Inada of the moving Legacy Poem. This homage to Portland's forefathers, which is carved into the granite risers surrounding the fountain, ends, "…For those whose voices still echo today and for those whose legacies are quiet, a port city harbors their hopes and a fountain flows here in their memory."

The fun continued over the weekend, as the Foundation sponsored two more full days of entertainment, featuring every cultural group mentioned in the Legacy Poem.