the park in 1909. Mische planted roses in the diamond gardens giving it a "stained glass effect". The park was acquired by Portland Parks & Recreation in 1981 and currently features 3,000 roses representing sixty varieties that were popular in the early 20th century. Other rose gardens surrounding the Portland metropolitan area include Esther Short Park in Vancouver, Washington, Avery Park Rose Garden in Corvallis, Owen Rose Garden in Eugene, and Heirloom Roses in St. Paul. Events The Portland Rose Festival is an annual civic festival held during the month of June. Events, including multiple parades, a carnival, fleet week, and the crowning of a queen, are organized by the volunteer non-profit Portland Rose Festival Association with the purpose of promoting the Portland region. Coinciding with the festival is the Annual Spring Rose Show, considered to be one of the largest and longest-running in the nation. The Portland's Best Rose event, sponsored by the Portland Rose Society, began in 1996. The competition includes 100 judges ranking varieties in a blind contest. One day prior to the competition, the public is invited to vote for the People's Choice award recipient. Local namesakes Rose City Park is a neighborhood and park in northeast Portland. The neighborhood formed in 1907, the year of the first Portland Rose Festival. The headquarters of the rose festival are at the Visitors Information Center, also known as the Rose Building. The building was designed by architect John Yeon in 1948 and served as a chamber of commerce office and visitor center, city offices, and a restaurant, as well as the rose festival's headquarters. Located along Tom McCall Waterfront Park, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010 and features a rose garden and neon rose sign. Other namesakes include murals depicting roses painted on sides of buildings in Portland, and the private company Rose City Transit, which provided most mass transit service in Portland from 1956 to 1969. Roses have long been associated with sports in Portland. The Moda Center, known as the Rose Garden for many years, is an indoor sports arena in the Rose Quarter, a sports and entertainment center in the Lloyd District neighborhood. The venue was one of the last National Basketball Association (NBA) facilities to have its naming rights sold. In addition, three professional sports teams were named the Portland Rosebuds during the first half of the 20th