Metro Launches Halloween Cemetery Cleanup With Dozens of Volunteers

Metro, the regional government overseeing parks in Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington counties, held its first public cemetery cleanup on Halloween morning. Dozens of residents gathered at the Columbia Pioneer Cemetery in Portland's Parkrose neighborhood to clean marked graves. This inaugural event marked a shift from previous cleanups, which typically attracted only a handful of participants.

The 2.5-acre site in Parkrose is one of 14 historic cemeteries managed by the agency. The land holds burials dating back to 1877. Jessica Rojas, a lead for Metro's community education and stewardship team, noted that some of the first European settlers who died on the Oregon Trail are interred there. Sandy Boulevard, which borders the site, follows the path originally taken by Native Americans between the Willamette and Sandy rivers.

Volunteers used simple tools including butter knives, chopsticks, brushes, and rags to remove lichen and mud from headstones. The cleanup aimed to maintain the appearance of the grounds for visitors. Rojas stated that the agency wants people to find cemeteries looking cared for when they visit loved ones. The event also serves to normalize the practice of tending to deceased relatives and community members, a custom Rojas said has existed for a long time.

Jorden Corona, a volunteer with an interest in historic burial plots, expressed relief at learning proper techniques. She said she previously worried about being disrespectful or damaging the sites. She described cemeteries as peaceful places and cited her fascination with Victorian-era grieving rituals as a motivation for attending.

The morning temperature was 46 degrees, but the cold did not deter attendees. Sophia Butler traveled from West Linn and brought over a dozen friends and family members. She said she wanted to demonstrate to her children the importance of maintaining public spaces. Her seven-year-old son, Osric, described the activity as a treasure hunt. He said picking up trash and scrubbing stones helped him warm up after being cold at the start.

Some grave markers had become buried under years of soil. James Allman, who had attended two prior cleanups, used a flagpole to probe the soggy grass for solid objects. He found a stone and carefully dug around it with a butter knife to avoid scratches. Allman said the work was necessary because few others would do it. His father-in-law is buried in another Metro-managed historic cemetery.

Monuments in the cemetery range in age from over 100 years old to placements made last year. Older stones may lack living family members to maintain them. Butler noted that vandalism is common in cemeteries, particularly around Halloween. The cleanup helped address these issues before the holiday traffic along Sandy Boulevard and I-5.

Metro scheduled the next cemetery tending event for Friday, November 13, 2026. The agency will hold that session at Multnomah Park Cemetery.