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There’s plenty of fun to be had during the dog days of summer in Portland.
Portlanders know how to get every last drop of fun out of the summer, especially in August. Grab a bike and a helmet and join thousands of local bicyclists as they zoom across several of the city’s bridges for the annual Bridge Pedal, watch soapbox derby cars zoom down an extinct volcano for the PDX Adult Soapbox Derby and head into the woods for the annual Pickathon Music Festival. Read on for more of our favorite August events in Portland, or check out our full events calendar to see everything on offer.
Vanport Jazz Festival
The Vanport Jazz Festival honors the city of Vanport and the voices that formed Portland’s jazz community. Near the historic 1948 flood site, the event transforms Colwood Golf Center into a cultural revival, welcoming nationally renowned artists and breathing new life into Portland jazz.
Pickathon
Since 1999, the Pickathon Music Festival, a celebrated multi-stage folk festival at the bucolic Pendarvis Farm just outside Portland, has attracted headliners like Feist and Andrew Bird while establishing itself as the nation’s greenest music festival.
Bridge Pedal
Portland’s annual Bridge Pedal is a community celebration of the city’s iconic bridges and biking culture. Join thousands of fellow bicyclists in crossing Portland’s car-free streets and bridges (including the upper decks of the Marquam and Fremont bridges). Portland’s Bridge Pedal is both one of the largest community bike rides in the world and one of the city’s favorite summertime traditions.
William Byrd Festival
Founded in 1998, The William Byrd Festival explores the life and work of beloved early English composer and Shakespear contemporary William Byrd with a series of choral concerts, an organ recital and liturgical services.
Piano Push Play
Piano Push Play is a local initiative to fill Portland’s public spaces with dozens of instruments every July and August. The results? On any given summer day in Rose City, you’re likely to find a teen skateboarder playing “Für Elise” at a bus stop or a sweaty hiker wowing crowds with a Mozart sonata at the top of Mt. Tabor.
Portland Hip Hop Week
Founded in 2015, Portland Hip Hop Week highlights and strengthens the rich culture of hip hop through entertainment, education and community building. Celebrations include skating to your favorite hip hop songs at Oaks Park Roller Rink, an Old School Hip Hop & RnB dance party and ending the week with the annual Star Awards in honor of the founder, Idris “Starchile” O’ferrell.
Hood to Coast Relay
The Hood to Coast is the world’s largest running relay race, stretching 200 miles from the top of Mount Hood to the Pacific Ocean in Seaside. The overnight event culminates in the West Coast’s largest beach party and draws more than 12,000 runners and walkers annually. The race fills up months in advance, but there’s no charge to watch the dedicated and costumed runners make their way down the mountain and onto the beach.
Portland Adult Soapbox Derby
The Portland Adult Soapbox Derby is a race that returns every August to Mt. Tabor Park, an extinct volcano that is now a forested urban park. Dozens of teams build cars to zip down the course, a great mix of curves and straightaways lined with picnicking onlookers. After the races, prizes for speed, engineering, fan favorites, and lifetime achievement are handed out to the deserving winners.
More Summer Events
Explore more things to do and see every summer in Portland.
More August Events 2023
Check out our editor's picks for top things to do in August in Portland.
Chinese Festival
Join the Oregon Chinese Coalition for the 2022 Chinese Festival in the Square. Celebrate Chinese American culture and enjoy nonstop entertainment, delicious Chinese food, authentic arts and crafts, and much more. For more information visit pdxchinese.org.
Morning or Afternoon Multnomah Falls & Gorge Waterfalls Tour
Explore the beauty of the canyon walls and rock formations, breathtaking waterfalls and awe-inspiring visas that make the Columbia River National Scenic Area one of the Seven Wonders of Oregon. Our enthusiastic guides will introduce you to the most amazing places in the Gorge while providing a comprehensive narrative of this spectacular landscape and its…
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…
Wake Up Rounder Bluegrass Jam
Open bluegrass jam every Tuesday at 7:00. All level pickers welcome. Grinners, onlookers, sinners, whooters and hollerers are welcome as well. No cover, $5 suggested donation.
Music Bingo at Tomorrow's Verse Taproom
You love music, but do you 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 music? Test your playlist knowledge in a new challenge coming to Tomorrow’s Verse — “Last Call: Bingo Music!” from 7:00-9:00. The announcer will take the stage, supply you with a song-filled Bingo sheet, then play tunes for you to identify and, hopefully, “BINGO!” How it works: Each Last…
Tap That Showcase
Tap That Comedy Showcase and Open Mic A weekly comedy showcase highlighting some of the up-and-coming comedic talents in the Portland metro area.
Free Reiki in Laurelhurst Park
Free Reiki from 3rd Generation Therapist @ Laurelhurst Park every 3rd Saturday Reiki and Guided Yoga Nidra afterward. This is a great way to meet the therapist and see results.
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