Rogue Waste rolls into Pear Blossom Parade fun!

Celebrating community and tradition in Southern Oregon

Every April, the Rogue Valley welcomes the vibrant Pear Blossom Festival, a beloved tradition that brings the communities of southern Oregon together. Once again this year, the festival offered a diverse array of events, showcasing the artistic talents, athletic spirit and hometown pride that make our area so special. From art events and a bustling street fair to a challenging bike ride, a competitive run, and much more, the Pear Blossom Festival truly offers something for everyone. The companies of Rogue Waste are proud to be a part of this annual celebration.

As always, the culmination of the festival was the Pear Blossom Parade, a tradition that has been uniting our community since 1954. This year, on Saturday, April 12th, the streets of downtown Medford came alive with the sights and sounds of local businesses, organizations and schools taking to the streets. An estimated 30,000 residents and visitors filled the parade route, enjoying the colorful floats, dance groups, marching bands and other exciting entries.

Rogue Waste is honored to continue our long-standing tradition of participating in this cherished hometown parade. This year, we were represented by two of our vehicles: a commercial Rogue Disposal & Recycling truck, followed by a Rogue Shred truck.

Driven by safety, service and community spirit

Behind the wheels of our big trucks were three of our dedicated team members: Josh Cole, Commercial Operations Supervisor and Erik Cochran, Commercial Driver manning the Rogue Disposal & Recycling truck, and Dave Warden, Shred Driver at the helm of the Rogue Shred truck. These individuals embody our commitment to safety, service and community spirit, and we were thrilled to have them represent us at this year's parade.

The Pear Blossom Parade is more than just a fun event — it's a pillar of our community that showcases our shared pride in the Rogue Valley. It's also a celebration that supports the next generation, with the festival having provided scholarships for area high school senior girls since 1991.

This year, the parade Grand Marshals were Dogs For Better Lives, a remarkable organization that trains and provides service dogs to people with hearing loss, autism or other trauma or disability — with zero cost to those receiving the dogs. According to their website, Dogs For Better Lives was founded in 1977 with the mission to "unleash the power of connection." They do this by acquiring dogs through partnerships with breeders, co-ops, shelters and rescues, providing the expert training to assist and enrich the lives of the recipients and their families. We were honored to share the parade route with such a worthy organization.

Rogue Waste was proud to be a part of the 2025 Pear Blossom Parade, and we remain dedicated to serving the Rogue Valley with the same spirit of community that defines this wonderful event. Whether it's collecting recyclables, supporting local initiatives, or participating in community celebrations, we're committed to being a good neighbor and a strong partner for a healthy, thriving Rogue Valley.