73rd Pear Blossom Festival Draws Thousands Back to Downtown Medford

MEDFORD, Ore. (Apr. 6, 2026) — The 73rd annual Pear Blossom Festival will return to Medford April 10–11, continuing a decades-long tradition that celebrates the Rogue Valley’s agricultural roots with a weekend of parades, pageantry and community events.

Festivities will take place Friday and Saturday, featuring a wide range of activities including the signature parade, street fair, tournaments and cultural events.

The Pear Blossom Parade is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Saturday. The route will start at Beatty Street and Central Avenue, travel along Central Avenue, turn right onto West Main Street and conclude at Mistletoe Street. This year’s grand marshal is Habitat for Humanity, with the theme “Pear-ing Homes with Humanity.”

Organizers said the festival has grown significantly since its beginnings in 1954, when it started as a small children’s parade with about 20 wagons and a five-year-old “Miss Blossom” presiding over 10 floats. Within two years, the parade expanded to 100 floats, and by 1964, motorized floats were introduced.

Over the years, notable parade marshals have included former Oregon Gov. Robert Holmes, President John F. Kennedy and Olympic gold medalist Frank Shorter, who led more than 650 participants in the festival’s first mini-marathon in 1977.

Today, the parade features more than 150 entries and upwards of 5,000 participants, drawing crowds estimated between 25,000 and 30,000 spectators.

The Pear Blossom Street Fair will run from noon to 10 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in downtown Medford. The event will include food vendors, arts and crafts, games and live entertainment.

Additional festival highlights include the Smudge Pot Stroll on Friday evening, offering a ticketed walking tour with food and beverage tastings from downtown restaurants, as well as longstanding traditions such as the Junior and Senior Royalty Pageants, a baby contest and Pear-A-Fare.

Festival-related events will continue later in April. A two-day golf tournament is scheduled for April 18–19 at Stone Ridge Golf Course and Centennial Golf Club. The 11th annual “Tour de Pear” bike ride is set for April 25 in Medford.

Organizers encourage community members and visitors to attend and take part in one of Southern Oregon’s most enduring springtime celebrations.