Dozens dance in Jamison Square
Pearl District comes alive for Norman Sylvester and Lenanne Miller
It was a warm July evening, and the neighborhood turned out. The Norman Sylvester Band played under the trees at Jamison Square Park, with Sylvester’s daughter Lenanne Miller on vocals. Kids danced. Parents danced. People brought blankets and snacks. It felt like summer.
By the time the first guitar solo echoed off the Pearl’s brick and glass Friday night, Jamison Square had transformed. Strollers lined the edges. Dogs played in the grass. A barefoot kid spun like a vinyl record. And when Lenanne Miller belted out Aretha Franklin, even the dogs paused.
“This shows how the neighborhood can come alive,” said Bill Truncali, a Pearl District Neighborhood Association board member who helped organize the event with Portland Parks & Recreation. “It was a great night.”
It was more than that. It was a reminder of what this city can be when we show up together—not just to witness something, but be part of it.
Thanks to all that helped bring this event to Jamison Square. Great turnout and hopefully we will see more things that draw people back into the Pearl and its nice parks.