Beneath the St. Johns Bridge, two ranks of soaring Gothic arches march down to the Willamette River. The bridge's engineers were chasing strength, not reverence—but the parabolic towers throw long, rib-vaulted shadows across the grass, and the effect is unmistakably ecclesiastical: a nave with no roof, open to the Oregon sky.
I came on a Wednesday evening for Tabor Dance, a free, volunteer-run sunset dance party born on Mount Tabor in the lockdown summer of 2020 and now roving to parks across the city. Under the arches, a DJ's set drifted up into the steelwork while dancers in feathers and face paint twirled poi and blew enormous bubbles toward the bridge deck high above. Children chased them. Strangers swayed. The cathedral got its congregation after all.
If you go: the dances move around the city and are announced a few days ahead on the group's Instagram. Park events run roughly 6 to 9 p.m., are family-friendly and free, and ask only that you leave no trace. Bring a blanket, and maybe a costume.
