Discover how East Portland neighbors turned a neighborhood park into a welcoming playground for every child …
Canopies ring the new Raymond Park Inclusive Playground, giving the opening celebration a “street fair” feel, as neighbors from outer East Portland stop in to explore the space.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Families, neighborhood leaders, and city officials filled Raymond Park on Friday afternoon, May 8th, to mark what was officially called the “Community Grand Opening Celebration of the new Raymond Park Inclusive Playground”. The celebration turned the outer East Portland park into a festival –with face painting, DJ music, games, and treats for kids – all centered on a state-of-the-art play area designed for children of all abilities.
Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) and the Portland Parks Foundation hosted the free family-friendly celebration, inviting neighbors to “Come celebrate your new playground at this free family-friendly event!”
On their first visit to the Raymond Park Inclusive Playground we found Ezra, and dad Jason Tullo, exploring the new play space – which is just a block from their Powellhurst-Gilbert home.
A rubberized play surface cushions falls and supports mobility devices, making the Raymond Park Inclusive Playground safer and more accessible for all children.
Partners highlight a new kind of play space
As the formal program begins, Jessica Green – Executive Director of the Portland Parks Foundation – welcomes neighbors to the Raymond Park Inclusive Playground opening celebration.
Kicking off the formal remarks, Portland Parks Foundation Executive Director Jessica Green welcomed neighbors and partners by underscoring the collaboration behind this project. She reflected that the Foundation was “honored to be here today, and be part of this project”, and pointed out that PP&R leadership and District 1 Councilors were present to “celebrate this exciting new play space with us.”
Following her introduction, PP&R Interim Director Sonia Schmanski addresses the crowd at the “Raymond Park Inclusive Playground” opening celebration.
Introducing PP&R Interim Director Sonia Schmanski, Green pointed to partners who helped design and build the playground. Schmanski told the crowd her primary role that day was simple: “My best job here [is] to thank you.”
Schmanski thanked the Portland Parks Foundation for its “extremely strong vision and partnership, helping us build out our park system for you,” and highlighted project partners.
Through donations from park supporters across the city and the Foundation’s stewardship, more than 1,600 local East Portland households now have access to a state-of-the-art play area with smooth rubber surfacing, sensory stations, and a communication board to support children with differing abilities. During construction, PP&R also improved drainage in the park to help keep the popular “Splash Pad” in service.
Serving sweet treats at the celebration, Mirian McNamee of CandyWagonPDX.com hands out ice cream to families attending the Raymond Park Inclusive Playground grand opening.
Dunphy: “We’re going to keep making big investments”
Portland City Council President and District 1 Councilor Jamie Dunphy greeted the crowd as “friends”, and said it was “so exciting when East Portland finally gets an opportunity to have some investment.”
Watching children test the equipment, he remembered his own daughter racing barefoot into less forgiving playgrounds. “I’m looking at this sweet little kiddo right here without her shoes on. That is exactly what my daughter did every time we got to the playground – and back then I would have to spend the next couple of hours pulling splinters out of her feet.”
In his opening celebration remarks, Portland City Council President and District 1 Councilor Jamie Dunphy points to safer play surfaces as a key benefit of the Raymond Park Inclusive Playground.
With rubberized surfaces and inclusive design, he said, kids can “be [their] true self and run crazy here, and not have any repercussions from that.”
Dunphy framed the playground as a shared achievement in this way: “The partnerships that are here, the community that is here, the fact that it takes all of us chipping in – government, private sector, volunteers, every mom and dad, and every kiddo who wants to be here, choosing to show up every time.”
Adaptive and traditional swings sit together at the Raymond Park Inclusive Playground, giving children of all abilities a chance to soar.
Avalos: East Portland “tired of waiting for good parks”
District 1 Councilor Candace Avalos grounded the celebration in a larger push for equity and reinvestment in outer East Portland.
Proud “to represent East Portland, which, as we know, stretches from Montavilla all the way to Portland International Airport” – she recalled visiting parks across the city and coming away with a stark conclusion: “Let me tell you that a lot of parks do not look like Raymond Park. There are a lot of parks in our city that are empty and barren – they have a bench, they barely have any trees, and they definitely don’t have cool playgrounds like this.”
Speaking at the opening celebration, District 1 Councilor Candace Avalos underscores the role of parks in building healthy and connected communities.
Avalos called the new playground “an important opportunity to celebrate enriching our parks,” stressing that they must be “a place where neighbors can gather, and kids can play.”
She linked the new playground to broader neighborhood wellbeing, arguing: “I really believe that caring for our parks is about caring for our communities, and we need to make sure that our parks are safe and clean and accessible, well-maintained in every neighborhood – but especially in East Portland, because we are tired of waiting for good parks. We are tired of waiting for good infrastructure.”
She closed by tying the project to East Portland’s future, saying “Thank you for celebrating with us and showing us why parks matter.”
JR Lilly, Portland Parks Foundation Board Chair, invites neighbors to share their “park dreams” during the Raymond Park Inclusive Playground grand opening.
After his introduction JR Lilly addressed the gathering, “Good afternoon, East Portland. I have the privilege of serving as Portland Parks Foundation Board Chair, as well as being Director of Multnomah County’s Office of Community Involvement.
“At Portland Parks Foundation, we help people who help parks – and this project mattered to us, because we want great parks in every neighborhood, especially here in East Portland,” Lilly continued. “If there are more park projects we should be paying attention to, let us know how we can partner with you to make your park dreams come true.”
Neighborhood kids and community leaders cut the ribbon to officially open the new Raymond Park Inclusive Playground in outer East Portland.
Going to Raymond Park
The grand opening wrapped up, but the new Raymond Park Inclusive Playground is now open daily – free to the public – at SE 118th Avenue and Raymond Street.
Amenities at this free outdoor community space include:
+ New inclusive playground with smooth rubber surfacing, sensory elements, and a communication board
+ Portland Loo onsite
+ Accessible paved pathways
+ Served by TriMet bus lines 73 and 10
+ Nearby street parking in the surrounding neighborhood
© 2026 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
