Congratulations 2025 Scale Up Grant Awardees
In partnership with Travel Portland, The Events and Film Office at Prosper Portland is proud to announce the Scale Up Event Grant Program awardees for Summer and Fall 2025. The awardees are Roux, Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation, and Technology, 5th Annual Central Eastside Muertos Celebration, Lloyd Live: At the Dock, and Snackfest.
The Scale Up Program was conceived in early 2023 to fill a gap in regional support for the events industry and provide resources to mid-sized events poised for growth. The first round of this program launched to support events beginning in January 2024.
Awarded packages are comprehensive programs consisting of up to $35,000 in direct financial support over three years, plus custom technical, marketing, administrative and logistical assistance provided by Prosper Portland and Travel Portland. Custom packages vary per recipient depending on needs requested during the application process.
Scale Up has assisted 10 events grow and attract audiences beyond the Portland metro region while strengthening their organizational capacity. Every event is required to submit an impact report on use of funds, and administer an attendee survey. Highlights from this reporting includes:
On average, Scale Up program events see a 60% increase in attendance in their first year of the program.
All events have completed or are in the process of creating systems to understand the percentage of attendees who travel from 50 miles beyond the Portland metro region to their event.
Technical assistance highlights include:
Fertile Ground’s weekly leadership coaching to provide a disability lens, craft an accessibility statement, add develop and launch access information for each show to their website;
Kickstand Comedy in the Park received marketing support and assistance with navigating city permitting. Kickstand launched their two-day festival on the closing weekend of Comedy in the Park which featured 35 local comedians and attracted thousands of attendees to the park;
Montavilla Jazz Festival presented 48 music events over three days, partnering with 27 venues and businesses in Montavilla and around SE and NE Portland, with assistance from the Office of Events and film on marketing and city permitting navigation.
The five awardees for fall and summer 2025 join the previous three rounds of events supported by the Scale Up Event Grant Program, with a total of 15 events supported since the program’s inception. Congratulations to our Scale Up Awardees!
Roux
Roux is a week-long celebration highlighting women in food and beverage, taking place October 6-12, 2025 throughout Portland. This festival comes to life as an event series featuring panel discussions exploring wellness and cultural heritage in cuisine, a Taste Test Challenge with talented women chefs creating dishes from mystery ingredients (women-owned brands), and citywide experiences including out of town guest chef collaborations, workshops, and a passport program gamifying visits to women-owned businesses. Roux reimagines itself annually to celebrate and redefine what it means to elevate women-owned businesses while providing meaningful experiences to 2,000+ attendees with family-friendly and 21+ events.
“The Scale Up Grant from Prosper and Travel Portland is instrumental to the growth of Roux because it provides the essential resources needed to continue to elevate our long-term vision of amplifying women and Portland as a culinary destination. This support allows us to expand our reach to new audiences, enhance the quality of our programming, and create a deeper economic impact for women and underrepresented voices in the Portland food & beverage community. With this grant, we further highlight women-owned businesses, create sustainable opportunities for local vendors, and establish Roux as a signature Portland experience that draws visitors year after year.”
Delia Tethong and Jenna Winkler, House of Commons PDX Co-Founders
Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation, and Technology (PFCAT)
The festival will be held at OMSI from Aug. 6th - 10th, 2025. During the 5 days, 150+ films and animations by independent filmmakers will be screened, both from local artists as well as those across the globe. Presentations also include dome films in the Kendall Planetarium, Virtual Reality showcases, Q&A sessions with filmmakers, augmented reality demos, and educational panels and seminars. The festival is designed to be enjoyed by all ages from age 6 to seniors.
“Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology, “PFCAT” for short, has become one of the top animation-focused festivals in the country, while also showcasing visionary cinema that challenges conventions and sparks new ideas. We are so grateful for the support provided by the Scale Up grant, as it will help us spread the word in new ways, reaching fresh communities and expanding our audience beyond Portland. It will give even more people the chance to celebrate local talent and experience the incredible creativity and energy that make our city truly unique.”
Marisa Cohen, PFCAT Festival Director
5th Annual Central Eastside Muertos Celebration
Attendees of the 5th Annual Central Eastside Muertos Celebration will have the opportunity to experience authentic Mexican art, culture, and heritage events centered around the traditions of El Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)--an ancestral celebration. In this district-wide event, which includes altars, performances, lectures, and workshops, Latino artisans share the true meaning of the traditions of this important cultural holiday. Taking place October 11 – November 9, 2025.
“I love how much we put smiles on people’s faces, as we all ride down the street with our bicycles decorated in brightly colored marigolds and the warm reception we receive from the participating businesses. It’s the most singularly unexpected thing in our neighborhood, and it is a very low-impact ride, so even if you haven’t ridden a bike before, check out a Nike bike, and come join us on November 1, 2025!”
Dañel Malán-González, Executive Director, El Centro Milagro
Lloyd Live: At the Dock
Lloyd Live at the Dock is a free, all-ages summer event series that will expand to Wednesdays (DJs) and Thursdays (live music) in 2025. Held on Portland’s central city riverfront, guests swim, dance, and enjoy sunset performances at Duckworth Dock. Amenities include towel service, hydration stations, and shaded seating. Local vendors offer snacks, drinks, and rotating pop-up shopping. The event draws tourists, families, and locals ages 10–60+ for a uniquely Portland experience steps from the Oregon Convention Center—mixing recreation, music, and community in one of the city’s only swimmable downtown waterfronts. Taking place all summer long 2025.
"The expansion of Lloyd Live: At the Dock could not happen without the support of Scale Up. This program is making this event's growth possible to include both Wednesday and Thursday night live music events, high-quality amenities, and a custom-wrapped container activation hub for storage, information, and vendor engagement throughout the summer. We'll see you at Duckworth Dock!"
Kristin Leiber, Executive Director, Lloyd EcoDistrict
Snackfest
SnackFest is food-focused festival featuring all your favorite treats from Portland restaurants, food trucks, and purveyors. Alongside our 100+ vendor market featuring packaged goods and F&B products. Attendees experience live entertainment, chef throwdowns, demos, educational breakout sessions, tastings and opportunities to meet the makers of your favorite foods and products. Attendees will also have the ability to experience special, one-off pop-up's from chefs near and far. This event is free to all ages and primarily attended by ages 17-40. Taking place September 19 – 21, 2025.
"Snack Fest has had the pleasure of bringing the city of Portland together around the common love of food and beverage. We have seen thousands of people show up to Portland's Central Eastside to celebrate the diversity that represents our world class food scene here in the Pacific Northwest. With the generous support of Prosper Portland, through the Scale Up grant, we will be able to offer additional support to brands that otherwise may not have the means to participate in an event like Snack Fest. In addition, we will also be able to help host chefs from outside of Portland giving those inside our city the ability to experience culture through food that they may not have access to otherwise."
Emma Evans - Founder of Snack Fest