New Plan for Cherry Fest: Carnival moved to park, scaled back after Fourth Street objections

File Photo from 2024 — Carlos M., 24 with Rainier Amusements Carnival put together the Ferris Wheel on 1st Street in The Dalles. The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce announced on Friday that the Cherry Fest carnival will be moving to Lewis & Clark Festival park this year.

The Dalles, Ore., March 1, 2026 — The Northwest Cherry Festival will return April 24–26 with a relocated and reduced carnival footprint and redistributed downtown events, following objections from Fourth Street businesses and nonprofits and ongoing First Street construction, according to a Friday, Feb. 27 press release from The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce.

The revisions come after public comment at the Feb. 23 City Council meeting, when Executive Director Ellen Potter of The Dalles Arts Center and attorney Shannon Tisot of Gorge Legacy Law reiterated objections to a proposed nine-day Fourth Street closure to accommodate the carnival. Both warned the closure could disrupt access, harm business operations and threaten fundraising.

Potter told councilors the closure could jeopardize a fundraiser accounting for approximately 90% of the arts center’s monthly revenue. Tisot cited accessibility concerns for elderly clients. The council did not take action on the street closure proposal.

In its Feb. 27 press release, The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce said the festival has been “modified, downsized in certain areas, and relocated where necessary” due to construction associated with the City of The Dalles First Street Project.

“The carnival footprint has been revised and relocated to Lewis & Clark Festival Park (Union & W 1st Street),” the Chamber stated in its press release. The Chamber also stated that “the carnival has been curtailed in size to fit the available footprint.”

The Chamber said the carnival will operate from 4 to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Additional changes outlined in the Chamber’s press release include reducing vendor market activities to Saturday only, scheduled from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., in order to limit the duration of street closures.

“We heard the concerns from businesses along 4th Street and took them seriously,” said Lisa Farquharson, president and CEO of The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, in the press release. “The 2026 festival has been modified, downsized in certain areas, and relocated where necessary to reduce impact while still preserving the economic and community benefits this event brings.”

According to the Chamber’s press release, festival activities will be redistributed across multiple downtown locations rather than concentrated in one area. Saturday, April 25, will remain the central day of events, including the Cherry Festival Parade at 10 a.m., the CGCC Cherry Fun Run, the royalty coronation and community breakfast at the Mid-Columbia Senior Center, the KODL Classic Car Show on Federal Street, and the community fair, children’s fair and Cherry Festival quilt show at various locations.

According to the Chamber’s Press Release, City Manager Matthew Klebes said that the revised plan reflects cooperation between the City and festival organizers during construction.

“The First Street Project is a major investment in the future of downtown The Dalles,” Klebes said in the press release. “While construction creates temporary challenges, we appreciate the Chamber’s willingness to adapt the Cherry Festival footprint to maintain the event while reducing impacts on nearby businesses.”

Ajax Northwest who won the bid for the $4 million First Street construction project is required to complete the project by May 1, 2027.

The Chamber stated that additional maps, street closures and logistical details will be released in the coming weeks at www.NorthwestCherryFestival.com.

Contact for more information: The Dalles Area Chamber of Commerce, 541-296-2231 or info@thedalleschamber.com.