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  • Attractions
    • women dances with large fans outside on a city street surrounded by people in colorful dragon costumesView All Attractions
    • Museums
    • Parks & Gardens
    • Family Friendly
    • Shopping
    • On a Budget
    • EVEN MORE THINGS TO DO
  • Culture
    • people dining at picnic tables in front of a food cartView All Culture
    • Arts
    • Beer
    • Biking
    • Cannabis
    • Cultural Communities
    • Craft Spirits
    • Food
    • Makers
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Outdoors
    • Sports
    • Weird
    • Wine
    • MORE CULTURE
  • Neighborhoods
    • aerial view of downtown area with buildings and roadways, bridges crossing a river to a smaller set of buildings that expand into the distanceView All Neighborhoods
    • Alberta Arts District
    • Belmont
    • Central Eastside
    • Division/Clinton
    • Downtown
    • Hawthorne
    • Lloyd
    • Mississippi
    • Northwest / Nob Hill
    • Old Town Chinatown
    • Pearl District
    • St. Johns
    • Sellwood-Moreland
    • Williams
    • ALL NEIGHBORHOODS
  • Region
    • RegionView All Region
    • Near the City
    • Columbia River Gorge
    • Mount Hood
    • Oregon Coast
    • Willamette Valley
    • ALL REGIONS
  • Plan
    • Light rail train car driving past people shopping at an outdoor marketView All Plan
    • Portland Maps
    • Portland Visitor Center
    • Where to Stay
    • Tours & Itineraries
    • Transportation
    • When to Visit
    • Accessible Portland
    • Portland Weather
    • COVID-19 FAQ
    • Safety in Portland
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  • Events
  • Search

John Patrick Pullen

two people look at art on display two people look at art on display
i
Peruse artwork by dozens of local artists at the First Thursday art walk in Northwest Portland’s Pearl District.
Credit: Ashley Anderson
Culture / Nightlife

Alcohol-Free Fun in Portland

Portland's nightlife options go beyond the usual bars and clubs.

Updated Jan. 9, 2023 2 min read

John Patrick Pullen

Just because you’re older than 21, doesn’t mean you have to act like it. Portland has a wide range of events that require no alcohol whatsoever to enjoy.

Brainiacs can test their knowledge at Mississippi Pizza‘s weekly Quizissippi. Grab some friends, study up, win prizes, eat pizza. What could be better? Well, maybe classic video games. In that case, look no further than downtown’s Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade.

Must-Try Mocktails

Portland restaurants and bars offer creative alcohol-free drinks that pack a lot more punch than your standard soda.

Take a Sip

It’s all fun and games when regular events like Rock Band Karaoke and indie game nights fill the space with 8-bit themed fun. But with more than 60 games, 27 pinball machines, a full menu and hours until 2:30 a.m., this coin-operated mecca is a go-to any night. For more arcade games head to Avalon Theater and Wunderland, where the 100+ classic games, from motorcycle racing to skee ball, are still operated with nickels.

The Best Arcades in Portland

Portland offers a wide range of arcades, from family-friendly game rooms to dive bars and adults-only bar arcades.

More Fun

To explore Portland’s local art scene, check out any of the city’s monthly art walks, including First Thursday and Last Thursday. Most art walks often include live music performances, food carts and the chance to peruse work by dozens of local artists at once.

Of course, learning is a life-long adventure, and as the packed houses of the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry (OMSI) Science Pub show, Portland is full of brave brainiacs. The 21-and-up discussions of science and technology bring in leading minds like astronauts and environmentalists to explore and explain the world from new perspectives.

Fun Things To Do

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Monthly Art Walks in Portland

Explore Portland's art gallery scene with three regular art walks, held in different creative neighborhoods around town.

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Live Storytelling Events in Portland

Hear true stories about love, sex, history, movies and even middle school at six regular live storytelling events in Portland.

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Free Live Music and Comedy in Portland

Discover a new favorite comic or musician at Portland's free concerts and comedy nights, scattered across the city and scheduled throughout the week.

Looking at it from ground-level, Back Fence PDX is a quarterly gathering of local and out-of-town storytellers who share personal tales based on the night’s theme. Never told in public before, these tales are equal parts heartfelt, cringe-worthy and hilarious, and they feel like intimate secrets shared by friends.

Speaking of friends, you may want to gather your best buds for battle at one of Portland’s many bar trivia nights. Held all over town every night of the week, these competitive gatherings of geeks stretch the limits of the mind through puzzles, games and good old questions, with winning teams walking out with everything from prizes and gift certificates to cold, hard cash.

Where to find trivia in Portland

  • Mississippi Pizza

    Based on three guiding principles — great pizza, family-friendly live music and serving the local community — Mississippi Pizza has been a local favorite for food and entertainment since 2001.

  • McMenamins Kennedy School

    This 1915 elementary school was renovated in 1997 to encompass hotel rooms, bars, a movie theater, a saltwater soaking pool, a restaurant in the former cafeteria and even a working brewery set in a former girls’ lavatory.

  • Pope House Bourbon Lounge

    This Kentucky-themed lounge is a destination for bourbon lovers. Soak up summer sun on the patio while enjoying thoughtfully crafted cocktails and Creole-inspired dishes.

  • Beulahland

    At this eccentric bar, you’ll find pinball machines, daily soups, infused vodkas, Pabst Blue Ribbon, all-natural beef burgers, sardine sandwiches, displays from local artists and soccer matches on the screens.

  • Breakside Brewery – NW Slabtown

    Breakside Brewery is known for their wide-ranging selection of beers, including sours, India pale ales and barrel-aged brews.

And if you know a thing or two about music — especially lyrics to some rock anthems — Karaoke From Hell can turn you into a star. But leave your MIDI tracks at home, because this crooning is backed by a live band, which has a 500-song repertoire to make you sound better than you ever have before. (Karaoke From Hell takes place at multiple locations; check their website for more information.)

Nightlife

Check These Out

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Water Activities

With a major river in the center of the city, it’s no surprise that the Portland region offers an abundance of water-centric fun, from whitewater rafting and swimming to fishing and windsurfing.

CBD smoothies

Healthy Food in Portland

Portland may be known for its ice cream, doughnuts, cured meats and fish sauce chicken wings, but it’s also a heavenly spot for healthy eats.

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Parks & Gardens

In a city as green as Portland, it’s only fitting that some of our top attractions are outdoor spots that appeal to home gardeners and hikers alike.

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Portland Visitor Center

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