April Events
Portland blooms with seasonal events and cultural offerings every April.
Springtime in Portland means heading outside to enjoy gorgeous blooms and epic views, along with plenty of cultural offerings. Celebrate Earth Day with clean-ups around the city, head to the gorgeous annual Tulip Festival and explore vibrant spring blooms around Portland. Scroll down for a few of our top picks for things to do in April in Portland, or search our full events calendar to see everything on offer.
TEDxPortland
TEDx stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. Enjoy a day full of inspirational speakers, incredible performances and a pop-up marketplace featuring local businesses and vendors. Held at the Theater of the Clouds in the Moda Center, TEDxPortland is the largest indoor TEDx event in the world.
The One Moto Show
During the multi-day One Moto Show, thousands of motorcyclists (and moto-enthusiasts) roll into Portland to celebrate bikes and biker culture, with hundreds of motorcycles on display, ranging from vintage to strange and custom-made. Discover old, new, custom, rare and classic builds from all over the world and enjoy live music, professional flat-track racing, electric mini-bike racing, art and food.
Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival
Portland’s cherry blossoms are impressive, but an even more colorful burst of flowers appears every spring just 32 miles (51 km) south of the city, in Woodburn. The Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival blossoms each spring, and thousands come to see acres upon acres of tulips in full bloom.
Bridge to Brews
Get a great view of the city while walking or running over 4 of Portland’s iconic bridges when you join the Bridge to Brews walk/run. The race takes participants across the Willamette River in downtown Portland, finishing at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, where runners’ efforts are celebrated with a beer and cider festival featuring vendors, live music and an awards ceremony.
Earth Day
Ranking as one of America’s greenest cities, Portland is passionate about all things environmental. This Earth Day, enjoy the outdoors and join in on one of the many volunteer clean-up efforts around the city. Earth Day Oregon in Forest Park hosts stewardship events, keeping trails clear. Join one of the many Earth Day Cleanup events around Portland hosted by SOLVE.
Fertile Ground Festival
Founded in 2009, the Fertile Ground Festival is focused on showcasing Portland’s newest art. The 11-day festival showcases theater premieres, vibrant art installations, pop-up events, and even in-progress projects — all created by local artists.
Oregon Book Awards
The Oregon Book Awards honors writers in poetry, fiction, graphic literature, drama, literary nonfiction, and literature for young readers. Presented by Literary Arts and held at Portland Center Stage, the awards aim to engage readers, support writers and inspire the next generation with great literature.
Portland Lindy Exchange
Learn how to do the Charleston or the Collegiate Shag at the Portland Lindy Exchange, a weekend-long dance event that celebrates the music and dancing of the early 20th-century. Grab a partner and swing onto the dance floor, or sit back and enjoy the energetic sounds of vintage jazz, stomp and swing music.
More April Events
Enjoy these events and festivals that return to Portland every April.
Fertile Ground Festival
See Portland's newest theater and dance works every April at the annual Fertile Ground Festival.
Portland Saturday Market
Open every Saturday from March–December, Portland Saturday Market is the largest arts-and-crafts fair in the U.S.
Best Spots for Spring Flowers
Find your favorite blooms, from roses to rhododendrons and tulips to trilliums, with our guide to spring flowers in Portland.
More April Events 2024
Check out our picks for top things to do in April in Portland.
Earth Day Cleanup
SOLVE is excited to invite you to the statewide event this April, the Oregon Spring Cleanup, presented by Portland General Electric. For over fifty years, SOLVE has been supporting the efforts of community leaders around the state who are motivated to take care of their special place in Oregon. This event has its roots in the…
Fertile Ground Festival
See Portland's newest theater and dance works every April at the annual Fertile Ground Festival.
Haunted Shanghai Tunnel Tour
Old Town Pizza & Brewing is built directly above Portland's infamous Shanghai tunnels. The same tunnels that were used to house kidnapped sailors during the early 1900s. Book a tour and explore the rich history of Portland, and the legacy of Old Town.
Portland Lindy Exchange
The Portland Lindy Exchange (PDXLX) is Portland’s annual dance exchange celebrating the vintage swing music and dances of the '20s – '50s, including Charleston, Lindy Hop, Balboa, and Collegiate Shag. PDXLX was first hosted in 1999.
Portland Pizza Week
The Portland Mercury's Pizza Week is back, giving pizza lovers the chance to get special slices from some of Portland's finest purveyors of pizza pies… for a mere three dollars each. That's right: Each slice is just THREE MEASLY DOLLARS or, at participating venues, a WHOLE PIE for $24. (You heard correctly: Once again this…
Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival
Colorful fields reminiscent of Holland burst with acres of tulips in full bloom at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival in Woodburn.
Farmers Market at Portland State University
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.
Earth Day Oregon in Forest Park
Come and join in for Earth Day Oregon 2024 Earth Day is celebrated throughout Forest Park with multiple stewardship opportunities. This stewardship event is accessible to everyone, so please join, and bring along all your friends and the whole family. All training, tools, and materials will be provided by FPC, along with snacks and coffee. Register…
Hollywood Farmers Market
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…
One Moto Show
Every year, the One Moto Show draws thousands of bikers and enthusiasts to Portland to celebrate all things motorcycle.
Portland Saturday Market
Open every Saturday from March–December, Portland Saturday Market is the largest arts-and-crafts fair in the U.S.
Darcelle XV’s Weekend Drag Show
Darcelle XV and Company have been entertaining audiences from all walks of life for over 50 years with Las Vegas-style cabaret revues of Glitz, Glamour and Comedy. Stop by when you are in Portland and you will be glad that you did! We have traveled the United States presenting a show that you have to…
Portland Thorns FC
Watch the Thorns play at Providence Park. Established in 2012, the team began to play in 2013 and placed third in its inaugural season and, in the playoffs, won the first NWSL championship. The club won the NWSL Shield in 2016 and a second NWSL Championship in 2017. 2020, they won the Community Shield with the best…
Portland Gay Men's Chorus: Human/Nature: A Cascade Showcase
As spring returns, so does Cascade, PGMC’s a cappella ensemble, in this concert celebrating the earth and the stories of the lives upon it. This eclectic program of songs and stories asks: what is our place in this world, and what does it mean to be human? Explore these life-affirming questions in a concert celebrating…
Bridge to Brews
The iconic Bridge to Brews race returns in 2024 At Waterfront Park, join the annual 8k and 10k walk/run over 4 of Portland’s iconic Bridges. After the race, there will be a beer/cider-tasting event on the waterfront. Sip on some of Portland’s best beer and cider while enjoying live music, games, and goodies from local vendors.
Swan Dive Diva Drag Brunch
Join Portland’s all-star drag queens and burlesque dancers every Saturday and Sunday for a heart-pumping performance complete with acrobatics, live singing, intricate custom-made outfits and sweat-defying artful makeup. Come prepared to tip generously and have a rowdy good time. The ticket price does not include food or alcohol. Doors open at 11 a.m., and the…
Rockwood Market Hall Music Series
Each month, on a late Sunday afternoon, the Rockwood Market Hall hosts a local artist to perform for community members who enjoy their food while listening to live music in a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere. With various cuisine options, the Rockwood Market Hall is a great place to enjoy dinner with family and friends. See you…
Karaoke From Hell
The Northwest's original live karaoke band, Karaoke From Hell, has been rocking Portland for over 25 years and counting. The catalog boasts nearly 700 songs for you to sing, covering every genre from show tunes to skate punk. Catch it every Monday at Dante's and every Thursday at The Spare Room.
West End Wednesdays
West End Wednesday exists to ignite new energy and define a common vision for downtown SW Portland. Building relationships with neighbors and business partners is not just organizing a once-a-month event… it is actively creating, together, a neighborhood everyone can love to live, work and play in. West End Wednesdays is the West End's signature celebration…
Portland Night Market
The Portland Night Market showcases many unique businesses that call Portland home. Blending food, culture, music, drinks and retail for an adventurous evening in the Central Eastside. Meet some of Portland's best makers and creators. With almost 200 hundred makers, the Night Market offers food carts, drinks, clothing, lifestyle goods, home goods, body care and art. The Portland…
TEDxPortland
Cities are built and rebuilt, and Portland is in transition once again. With leadership, intention, and purpose, we drive progress by uniting our diverse perspectives. The magic of our culture and community is realized through the amalgam of creativity, technology, and innovation. Year 12 is inspired by the unlimited potential and endless possibilities revealed through…
The Movie Quiz
The Movie Quiz is exactly what it sounds like — an evening of trivia for every kind of film fan. Your movie knowledge will be put to the test with questions about movies old, new, good, bad and everything in between. Can you identify a particular film from its soundtrack, dialogue or a screen cap?…
Half Day Gorge Waterfalls Tour from Portland
Species seen nowhere else in the world, dramatic basalt lava flows nearly a mile deep, and some of the world’s most beautiful waterfalls are a few of the sights that await you on this tour. Experience the grandeur of the Columbia River Gorge, one of the United States’ most photographed National Scenic Areas. We will…
Multnomah Falls & Gorge Waterfalls Tour
Prepare to journey back in time to the birth of the Cascade Mountain Range, where lava and pyroclastic matter oozed and flowed, creating a solid layer of basalt rock that coated Western Oregon. Fast forward to the Pleistocene Ice Age, and witness the epic Lake Missoula Flood, which carved out the majestic Columbia River Gorge,…
Portland City Tour
Get ready to explore the heart and soul of Portland with a half-day City Tour. This isn’t your average tour; you'll be takn on a journey through the city’s charming streets and reveal its laid-back atmosphere. Brace yourself for an amazing tour of Portland’s must-see spots like the International Rose Garden (seasonally), the World…
Sci-Fi Film Festival
For eight weeks this spring, OMSI’s 2024 Sci-Fi Film Festival will showcase over 40 of science fiction’s most memorable films on the Empirical Theater’s giant four-story screen. From genre classics such as 2001: A Space Odyssey to more recent favorites like Everything Everywhere All at Once, the festival’s offerings are sure to appeal to science…
Shakespeare's First Folio: 1623–2023
It’s difficult to imagine now, but when William Shakespeare died in 1616, over half of his plays had never been published. As a playwright, actor, and shareholder in his theater company, Shakespeare was, above all, a man of the stage, and there is no evidence to suggest that he sought to preserve his playwriting legacy…
Sobrang Sarap
Established in the Philippines, Filipino Food Month is celebrated every April to honor Filipino cuisine's robust history and diversity. Portland is hosting the first-ever Filipino Food Month crawl this year. Local Filipinx-owned businesses in Portland are coming together to launch an annual celebration not to miss. April was designated Filipino Food Month to appreciate and…
Staying Alive: Defenses of the Animal Kingdom
Learn about the animal kingdom’s coolest methods of self-defense. Every species of animal has evolved some mechanism to protect themselves from attack. Some of these means of self-defense are more obvious than others, but make no mistake, every animal has a strategy. Staying Alive: Defenses of the Animal Kingdom explores how animals use tough armor, powerful venom…
Throughlines: Connections in the Collection
Throughlines embraces wonder and curiosity, bringing together artworks from across the Museum’s collections to explore the range of artistic innovation. From diverse geographies, cultures, and time periods, artists have consistently created images, objects, and experiences that ask us to consider ourselves and the world from different perspectives. Visitors will encounter playful groupings that reveal how artists…
Full Day Gorge Waterfalls and Mt. Hood Tour from Portland
Follow the path of an ancient riverbed, carved by the last ice age, past the Bridge of the Gods, and explore the Windsurfing Capital of the World. In the afternoon, traverse Oregon’s fertile fruit valley on the way to the alpine top of a volcano, which boasts a title as the world’s 2nd most summited…
Bridge Tour
This downtown Portland walking tour will take participants around, across, under, and inside the unique and storied spans that shape the experience of those living and visiting Portland. The route will include several bridges (with specific spans TBA), and on one of those, the tour will plan to meet a Multnomah County bridge operator to…
Full Day Oregon Coast Tour from Portland
With over 300 miles (482 km) of public coastline, Oregon’s beaches are sure to amaze with their dramatic offshore rock formations and reborn beach towns. This tour will travel along one of the most picturesque driving routes in the country, U.S. HWY 101. Spend the day exploring breathtaking beaches, trekking along sandy shores, and viewing…
Mt. Hood Loop Tour including Multnomah Falls
Buckle up for an epic journey as you are whisked away from Portland to the spellbinding Mt. Hood. With passionate and well-informed guides leading the way, you’ll have plenty of chances to snap up some breathtaking shots of the majestic landscape and soak up the mesmerizing history of this iconic mountain. Enjoy a full day…
Oregon Coastal Tour
Maximize your beach time while at the Oregon Coast Oregon’s coastline is graced with unforgettable vistas: dramatic cliffs, offshore rocks and sea lions, wide sandy beaches, majestic capes, historic lighthouses, enchanted forests and lovely small beach towns which artists and artisans make their home. Locations we may visit include: Cannon Beach, Haystack Rock, Short Sand…
Portland City Tour & Gorge Waterfalls Combo
Ready for an adventure? Join the ultimate tour of Portland and the Columbia River Gorge. You'll see the must-see sights in Portland and then be whisked away to the stunning Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area. Discover the magic of the waterfalls, soak in breathtaking views, and dive into the history of the area’s top attractions….
Tyrannosaurs – Meet the Family
Tyrannosaurs – Meet the Family brings the latest tyrannosaur discoveries to life, overturning preconceptions about these ferocious predators. The exhibition explores the most feared and revered of all dinosaurs in new and different ways. The exhibition’s real and replica specimens are spectacular in scale and form and reveal some of the most significant discoveries…
Animal Spirit
Presenting Animal Spirit, an exhibition of silver gelatin prints by Japanese photographer Yamamoto Masao. The exhibition focuses on animal imagery and pulls from his most recent body of work La Vie Simple, as well as from his series Box of Ku, Nakazora, and KAWA=FLOW.
Baby Goat Tours at Triskelee Farm
On Weekends, Triskelee Farm will have baby goat farm tours. Come get up close and personal with the mama goats and their little kids. Everyone but carried babies need a tour ticket. You'll also see other awesome farm animals like ostrich, sheep, alpacas, and more. Book online. The farm-to-table food truck will be open. There…
Ceramic Showcase and Gathering of the Guilds
The Oregon Potters Association's Ceramic Showcase and the Gathering of the Guilds are reuniting to form one of the largest, unsurpassed art shows in the Northwest. More than 300 artists working in metals, glass, wood, beads, fibers, clays and glazes will be exhibiting their wares, doing demonstrations, offering youth activities and more during this unique…
Earth Day Market at Triskelee Farm
Celebrate Mother Earth with local makers sharing their homemade, sustainable goods. There will be baby goat tours, kids' crafts, a bounce house, and farm-to-table food. Snuggle a baby goat on a tour, eat local food farm to fork food. Fun for the whole family. Free admission to walk around. Tours require tickets. Book your…
Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks
Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is a groundbreaking new exhibition that features nearly 60 futuristic footwear designs pushing the boundaries of what art can be. Featuring an incredible mix of fashion, design, gaming, new media, architecture, and material arts as well as sustainable and collaborative practices, the exhibition features work by designers as diverse…
Leaven Community Earth EveryDay Celebration; with Portland Fruit Tree Project
Join the Portland Fruit Tree Project and the many nonprofit organizations that call the Leaven Community Center home for a street festival, spring plant sale, and climate justice and community resilience fundraiser. Sparrowhawk Native Plants will be on-site for folx picking up pre-ordered plants. Did you miss the pre-order deadline? There will be a FLASH SALE…
Paw Patrol Live
Calling all good citizens. The PAW Patrol is yelping for help as they face their greatest challenge yet. Mayor Humdinger has dognapped Robo Dog and cloned him, causing chaos all over the world. It’s up to the pups to catch those clones, rescue Robo Dog and show that when the going gets “ruff,” lending a…
Steep in Words
In partnership with Julia Gaskill of Slamlandia, Lan Su Chinese Garden proudly announces "Steep in Words," a month-long celebration of poetry. For National Poetry Month, immerse yourself in the enchanting world of poetry amidst the serene beauty of Lan Su Chinese Garden and the newly re-opened Teahouse this April. Immerse yourself in the fine art of poetry against the…
Tree Time Preschool Walks
Come for a story and guided walk on the trails at Hoyt Arboretum. Use your senses to explore the natural surroundings and maybe even get our hands dirty. Staff and trained Arboretum volunteers will introduce you and your family to the plants, trees, insects, mushrooms, and more found at Hoyt Arboretum. Tree Time walks are…
World of Penjing
Immerse yourself in the 'World of Penjing' at Lan Su Chinese Garden this April. Embark on a captivating journey led by industry experts and Lan Su's esteemed horticulture team. Explore the intricate art of Chinese miniature landscapes through guided Penjing tours, interactive demonstrations, and an exquisite month-long Penjing exhibit. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to…
Buffalo Exchange’s Earth Day
Starting at normal store opening hours, Buffalo Exchange Portland (Hawthorne and Downtown) will have an awesome selection of clothing, shoes and accessories for just $1 apiece. 100% of proceeds from the sale will benefit Goats of Anarchy and their dedication to rescuing and rehabilitating farmed animals with disabilities. The $1 Sale is CASH ONLY, and…
A Year with Frog & Toad
Wake up from hibernation with this delightful musical based on Arnold Lobel’s treasure characters. Join best friends Frog and Toad as they hop, sing, and dance through a year of adventure. As the seasons change from spring to fall, the cheerful Frog and the more timid Toad plant a garden, go swimming, fly kites, and…
Alberta Street Gallery Exhibit
The Fiber Art Invitational features the immense talent and dazzling work of local members of Studio Art Quilt Associates ((SAQA). SAQA members are renowned for their layered and stitched visual masterpieces that will challenge your perception of what quilts can be. Flora and Fauna of PDX is a colorful celebration of the beautiful blossoms and…
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