August Events

Portlanders know how to get every last drop of fun out of the summer, which is especially apparent 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 site of the historic 1948 flood, the event transforms Colwood Golf Course into a cultural revival, welcoming nationally renowned artists and breathing new life into Portland jazz.

Bridge Pedal

Portland’s annual Bridge Pedal is a community celebration of the city’s iconic bridges and biking culture. Join with thousands of fellow bicyclists in crossing Portland’s car-free streets and bridges (including the upper decks of both 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.

Top-Down Rooftop Cinema

Enjoy Portland’s temperate summer nights with Top-Down Rooftop Cinema. The series will offer open-air rooftop screenings of great movies at Lloyd Center with food, drink, fun weekend themes and costumes, plus outdoor watching at pop-up venues throughout Portland.

More Summer Events

Explore more things to do and see every summer in Portland.

More Summer Events

Portland Farmers Market

Enjoy fresh, local produce, meals and treats at every Portland Farmers Market location.

Portland Street Fairs

Come summer, many of Portland’s neighborhoods put on local parties with live music, food and fun.

Summer Concert Round-Up

Portlanders' pent-up desire for sun may explain our skill at making the most of summer's long days and warm nights with outdoor concerts.

Portland Sunday Parkways

This family-friendly bike ride features local vendors and live entertainment.

Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn

With acts that have ranged from Al Green to ZZ Top, McMenamins Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn are an annual rite of summer and the hottest ticket in town.

Portland Saturday Market

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

Piano Push Play

Piano Push Play, a local initiative to fill Portland’s public spaces with dozens of the instruments every July and August. The results? On any given summer day in the 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.

My People’s Market

In early August, the North Park Blocks will host My People’s Market, where shoppers get a chance to discover the diversity of Portland. Connect with BIPOC entrepreneurs, makers, artists and culinary wizards while experiencing the sounds of local Portland artists and performers, curated by Young, Gifted and Brown.

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.