Pioneer Courthouse Square celebrates its 40th anniversary

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Saturday marks Pioneer Courthouse Square’s 40th anniversary in the heart of downtown Portland.

To celebrate, a free event from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. will feature the Portland Festival Symphony, the Albina Music Trust’s "Time Sound," and more special musical guests.

The Hilton Portland Downtown will also present a cake “like the cake that was featured during The Square’s inaugural grand opening event in 1984” along with free cupcakes and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream.

Activities will include free games, balloon art, face painting, and giveaways. More information can be found on The Square’s website.

Pioneer Courthouse Square was created in the footprint of what was once one of the city’s most prominent hotels, The Portland Hotel. The public space we see now cost nearly $7 million to build, and nearly $1 million was raised by people buying bricks with their names on them.

“The Square, adoringly known as our City’s Living Room, was dedicated on April 6, 1984, with the names of more than 60,000 Portlanders inscribed on the bricks that paved it,” according to spokesperson Theresa Vetsch-Sandoval. “Today, that legacy continues with more than 85,000 inscribed bricks and the opportunity to add more.”