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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
    • Plan a Meeting
  • Events
  • Search
Emilly Prado

Emilly Prado

Emilly Prado is a writer, award-winning journalist and consultant living in Portland. Read More

mural on side of building on a city street mural on side of building on a city street
i
Spot this eye-catching mural on Northwest Fourth Avenue and Everest Street in Portland’s Old Town Chinatown.
Credit: Ashley Anderson
Culture / Arts

Cheap/Affordable Things to Do in Portland for Arts Lovers

Experience Portland’s culture without breaking your budget.

Updated Aug. 8, 2023 3 min read
Emilly Prado

Emilly Prado

Emilly Prado is a writer, award-winning journalist and consultant living in Portland. Read More

Portland boasts a stellar music scene, ample museums and galleries, and some of the best art walks and festivals anywhere —  and exploring them all doesn’t take busting your budget. This itinerary of cheap things to do in Portland is designed to help any art lover make the most of a weekend day in the city.

Getting Around on a Budget

For each of our budget itineraries, we recommend getting an all-day TriMet pass ($5) good for the city’s public light rail, streetcar and bus.

Transit on the Cheap

Explore Portland on a budget with these wallet-friendly transportation options.

Go To Transportation
A person standing over an orange bike next to bike stands

Biketown Bike-Share in Portland

Introduced in 2016, Portland’s bike-share program brings 1,000 smart bicycles to the central city.

A light rail train passes in front of a modern, glass-encased retail store

MAX Light Rail

Portland's efficient light rail system connects the metro area and downtown core. Learn how to ride and where to go on MAX.

person on e-scooter passes mural reading Long Live the Wildcards, Misfits & Dabblers

Electric Scooters (E-Scooters) in Portland

E-scooter sharing lets users rent vehicles via an app for one-way trips. Before boarding, check out our dos and don’ts for riding e-scooters in Portland.

Cheap Arts Activities in Portland

Breakfast and Browsing in Hawthorne District

Estimated cost: $9.00

Indulge in a heaping, music-themed breakfast sandwich at Fried Egg I’m in Love, which began as a beloved Portland food cart. Savor your gooey pesto and parmesan “Yolko Ono” sandwich ($9.00) amidst an egg-themed mural and plenty of yolk-yellow accents.

Stroll the boulevard and check out nearby murals using online maps from Portland Street Art Alliance (don’t forget to snap some souvenir photos in front of these works of art!). Next, do some vintage shopping — or browsing to protect your pocketbook — at House of Vintage or Red Light. Hawthorne is known for its resale shops; even if you don’t buy, you’ll find plenty of entertaining eye candy.

Southeast Portland Mural Crawl

Get your camera ready for these stunning examples of street art.

Look Around

Travel Time to Next Destination

25 minutes by transit18 minutes by bike10 minutes by car

Pedal Downtown for Public Art

Estimated cost: $5

Next, hop on a neon orange Biketown rental at a nearby kiosk for a quick ride to downtown Portland. You’ll pay a $1 to unlock the bike plus $0.20 per minute, and the downhill ride will take about 15 minutes ($4.00).

Dock the bike and spend an hour or two scoping out some of the city’s expansive public art collection. Download this free walking map to explore more than 100 centrally located sites, indoors and out. Standouts include Manuel Izquierdo’s The Dreamer (Southwest Third Avenue and Market Street) and Portlandia (Southwest Second Avenue and Jefferson Street).

Don’t leave downtown without heading to the free Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Portland State University. Opened in 2019, this multi-floor museum features works by Northwest artists and art by PSU faculty and students. The museum also hosts frequent events and rotates works by national and international artists, such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and David Hockney.

Lunch and a Concert

Estimated cost: $10

For lunch, pick up some food cart fare ($10) and head to the elegant Old Church for its Wednesday lunchtime concert series (free). Soak in the classics performed by concert pianists, cellists and other musicians in this impressive restored 1882 church-turned-concert hall.

Piano Push Play Brings Music to the People

Piano Push Play invites local artists to transform old, donated pianos into whimsical works of art which are distributed across the city.

More

Travel Time to Next Destination

10 minutes by transit6 minutes by bike12 minute walk5 minutes by car

Get Lost in a City of Books

Estimated cost: Free

Weave through nine color-coded rooms packed with books at the three-story Powell’s City of Books (free), open since 1971. (There’s a map to help you find your way.) On Sundays, visitors can join a free 45-minute tour. Any day, you can get a glimpse of the rare book room, which houses 9,000 volumes valued at $1.8 million. Their oldest book dates back to 1480! Don’t miss the stellar art book collection and frequent free reading in the top-floor Pearl Room.

Punk Rock Pizza

Estimated cost: $3.50–10

Across the street, grab a hand-tossed slice at Sizzle Pie and take a photo with the pizza-themed food pyramid mural. The punk rock pizza shop offers $3.50 half-slices, crave-worthy salads and plenty of options for vegans, vegetarians and omnivores alike.

Evening Entertainment

Estimated cost: Free–$6

Up the block, catch an art-house film at the plush Living Room Theaters ($6 on Mondays and Tuesdays). Or duck into the basement of the Crystal Hotel for free live music from rotating musicians-in-residence at Al’s Den (free). Back on the eastside, you can also catch free local music at Rontoms’ Sunday Sessions (free).

Arts, Budget, Tours & Itineraries

Affordable Fun

From free live music to wallet-friendly happy hours, having fun in Portland doesn't require breaking the bank.

Go To On a Budget
A historic building with a variety of business signs

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.

People lounging and walking dogs on the green lawn of a park in front of a large water tower

Cheap Things to Do in Portland for History Buffs

Experience Portland’s history without breaking your budget.

Powell\'s City of Books

Powell’s City of Books

Covering an entire city block, Powell’s has grown into a Portland landmark and the world's largest new and used bookstore — and its location is at the heart of the city, bridging the Pearl District, downtown and the West End.

a mural on the side of a brick building of a girl holding her hands behind her back

Visual Arts in Portland

View paintings, sculptures and other visual art in a wide range of galleries, public spaces and unexpected venues.

decorated paint reads please play me at a metro stop as an orange street car passes behind

Piano Push Play Brings Music to the People

Piano Push Play invites local artists to transform old, donated pianos into whimsical works of art which are distributed across the city.

people sitting at a picnic table in front of a line of colorful food carts

Popular Food Carts

Portland has hundreds of food carts serving countless cuisines — eat your way through breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert at some of Portland’s award-winning, popular food carts.

Riding Max Light Rail

Cheap Things to Do in Portland for Weekend Adventurers

Bring your walking shoes, water bottle and day-pack for an affordable urban adventure that highlights several things locals love about Portland.

Blond comedian on stage performing in front of large crowd sitting in a park

Kickstand Comedy Brings Laughs to Portland’s Laurelhurst Park

Friday evenings in the summer grab a picnic and head to Portland's Laurelhurst Park for Kickstand Comedy in the Park, a series of free outdoor shows featuring local and national standup comics.

Upcoming Free Events

There's no need to break the bank with these upcoming no-cost events.

Go To Events
Editor's Pick
Spirit of Halloweentown
Sept. 16–Oct. 31, 2023

Spirit of Halloweentown

Courthouse Plaza Cost Varies

The historic town of St. Helens, located 45 minutes from Portland, celebrates Halloween all month long with haunted tours, costume contests and more.

Editor's Pick
Attractions
Events
Fall
Halloween
Editor's Pick
Dahlia Festival
Aug. 2–Sept. 30, 2023

Dahlia Festival

Swan Island Dahlias Free

Celebrate the season of DAHLIAS. A Rainbow of Color. Stroll through almost 40 acres and a beautiful display garden of stunning dahlias featuring over 370 varieties. The beautiful fields are open from August to September each year, closed on Monday and Tuesday. Pick out and order your favorite dahlias for Spring delivery and planting. Purchase…

Editor's Pick
Outdoors
Shopping
Editor's Pick
Woodstock Farmers Market
Ongoing

Woodstock Farmers Market

Woodstock Farmers Market Free

The popular Woodstock Farmers Market features fresh produce, baked goods, fresh juices, sweets, cheese, meat and more from 30+ vendors, along with artisan-made products like jewelry, ceramics and art.

Editor's Pick
Food & Drink
Shopping
Editor's Pick
Chapman Swift Watch
Sept. 1–30, 2023

Chapman Swift Watch

Chapman Elementary School Free

Every September, spectators gather to see the world’s largest roost of Vaux’s swifts swarm and spiral into the chimney of a Northwest Portland school.

Editor's Pick
Attractions
Events
Fall
Outdoors
Weird
Editor's Pick
Farmers Market at Portland State University
Ongoing

Farmers Market at Portland State University

Portland Farmers Market at PSU Free

The Portland Farmers Market at Portland State University will be open every Saturday, year-round. April through October hours are 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. November through March hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Market at PSU is located in Downtown Portland in the South Park Blocks between SW College & Montgomery Streets.

Editor's Pick
Food & Drink
Shopping
Editor's Pick
Hollywood Farmers Market
Ongoing

Hollywood Farmers Market

Hollywood Farmers Market Free

Year-round on Saturdays, the Hollywood Farmers Markets hosts 50+ vendors, bringing you the best of the region’s agricultural bounty. In addition to amazingly fresh, local food, you’ll find live music, children’s activities, and fun events throughout the season. April through September, every Saturday 8 AM to 1 PM,October and November, every Saturday 9 AM to…

Editor's Pick
Food & Drink
Outdoors
Shopping
Editor's Pick
Rocky Butte Farmers Market
Ongoing

Rocky Butte Farmers Market

Mannahouse Church parking lot at the base of Rocky Butte Free

Rocky Butte Farmers Market, an iconic urban neighborhood market featuring affordable locally grown foods and artisan products, weekly children's activities, live entertainment, and a dog-friendly, energetic block party vibe, is back for the 2023 Season. The market's goal is to lower barriers to market participation for beginning and under-represented vendors and to strengthen connections within…

Editor's Pick
Food & Drink
Outdoors
Shopping
Editor's Pick
Portland Saturday Market
Ongoing

Portland Saturday Market

Tom McCall Waterfront Park Free

Open every Saturday from March–December, Portland Saturday Market is the largest arts-and-crafts fair in the U.S.

Editor's Pick
Attractions
Events
Shopping
Editor's Pick
Lents International Farmers Market
Ongoing

Lents International Farmers Market

Lents International Farmers Market Free

Lents International Farmers Market opens on Sunday, June 4, 2023, and is open every Sunday through November 19, 2023. The Lents International Farmers Market (LIFM) is the only one in Portland with an intentional international focus. LIFM provides fresh, affordable and culturally appropriate produce to the diverse community of Lents neighbors. Founded in 2006 by…

Editor's Pick
Cultural Communities
Food & Drink
Outdoors
Shopping
Editor's Pick
Come Thru: Black & Indigenous Market
Ongoing

Come Thru: Black & Indigenous Market

The Redd on Salmon Street Free

Come Thru Market is an incubator market centering on Black and Indigenous Farmers, Makers, and Friends. Come Thru supports BIPOC growers in taking their small business dreams to the farmers’ market environment. It’s a vibe – Come Thru and get what you need.

Editor's Pick
Cultural Communities
Food & Drink
Shopping

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