Congratulations! Vanport Jazz Festival, Portland Criterium, and Portland Jigsaw Masters
Scale Up Grant Awardees (July - December 2026)
In partnership with Travel Portland, the Events & Film Office at Prosper Portland is proud to announce three awardees for the annual Scale Up Grant, a competitive grant program providing funding and technical assistance for local Portland events that are positioned to grow and attract attendance beyond the Portland metro region. The awardees are Vanport Jazz Festival, Portland Jigsaw Masters, and the Portland Criterium.
The Scale Up Grant program invests in Portland events that have potential to showcase the best of Portland and become a destination event drawing locals and visitors alike. The Scale Up program leverages events as an economic development tool to increase foot traffic in support of small local business, draw out of state visitors, and elevate the unique narrative of Portland.
Vanport Jazz Festival | August
University of Portland | 5000 N. Willamette Blvd
The Vanport Jazz Festival is a two-day outdoor jazz festival that honors the city of Vanport and the voices that formed Portland’s jazz community. The festival carries the torch of those artists who filled their communities with music and pays homage to this legacy by hosting a jazz experience for the modern day.
Portland Jigsaw Masters | August
Avenue | 631 NE Grand Ave
The Portland Jigsaw Masters is one of the largest speed puzzling tournaments in America. This three-day speed puzzling event is open to the public, where participants can compete as individuals, in pairs, or in teams of four. Each round lasts two hours with puzzle sizes to be announced closer to the tournament date. Some highlights are, multi-heat speed competition, one of kind prizes, social hours, puzzle swap, and community puzzling events.
Portland Criterium | August
North Park Blocks & Lloyd Center Mall
The Portland Criterium (or “crit”) is a short-circuit bicycle race held on closed city streets. Riders fly past fans every few minutes to complete multiple high-energy and action-packed laps on a spectator-friendly course. These races are known for their thrilling intensity, strategic maneuvering, and roaring crowds.