Spring in Portland
Portland celebrates spring with beer and food festivals, fiestas and flowers.
Rain showers, blooming flowers and lots of only-in-Portland things to do hit the calendar every spring in Portland. The city bursts into bloom, as gorgeous rhododendrons, azaleas, cherry trees and roses come into full flower in parks, gardens and yards all over town. Amidst spring showers, sun-breaks and dry days are common, though, and spring visitors are rewarded with lovely vistas, bountiful outdoors adventures and the city’s signature event, the Portland Rose Festival, which runs from late May through early June. Read on for our top things to do, see and experience during a springtime visit to Portland.
Spring Weather
Rain showers continue in spring, along with plenty of cloud-breaks and dry spells. Spring days often start rainy and end up with clear blue skies and sunshine. With such a temperate climate, many flowers start blooming in Portland in early March.
What to Pack
For a springtime visit to Portland, we recommend packing layers and a light rain-proof jacket. Waterproof boots will come in handy on muddy spring hikes and for splashing through Portland’s puddles.
Spring Activities
Don't let rain showers keep you from enjoying this verdant season in Portland.
Spring Hikes Near Portland
There’s something special about the first spring hike of the year. Enjoy wildflowers, bird watching and breathtaking scenery on these springtime rambles.
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.
Wildflower Viewing in Greater Portland
Feast your eyes on the many wildflower patches around the region for natural beauties you won't find anyplace else.
Favorite Spring Events
The spring season in Portland overflows with exciting events and festivals.
Spring Holidays
Celebrations a season of renewal and rebirth with these annual celebrations around Portland.
Mother’s Day Events in Portland
Myriad Mother's Day events in Portland make it easy (and fun!) to celebrate moms, grandmas and all of the other important women in your life.
Easter Events in Portland
Spring is the harbinger of Easter festivities in Portland. Check out our favorite kid-friendly Easter egg hunts, annual picnics and candy-centric events.
Memorial Day Weekend Events
Enjoy vacation-level-fun events during Memorial Day weekend in Portland.
Events by Month
Each month of Spring in Portland offers its own unique selection of events and things to do.
March Events
Shop, eat and cheer your way through the last of winter with these March events in Portland.
April Events
Spring in Portland brings festivals dedicated to wine, tulips and tunes.
May Events
From farmers' markets to fiestas, there's plenty to do in Portland in May.
Upcoming Spring Events
Portland comes to life every spring with these special events and festivals.
CityFair
EVENT POSTPONED. Please visit the event website for current information. Considered the “hub” of the annual Portland Rose Festival, CityFair fills Waterfront Park with carnival rides, concerts, food and fireworks for multiple weekends during the festival.
Cultivation Classic
EVENT POSTPONED. Please visit the event website for current information. Cultivation Classic, produced by Willamette Week, is the only competition for craft cannabis produced in Oregon with a regenerative approach, paired with an exceptional public education event curated especially for thought leaders, policymakers, producers, bud tenders and consumers.
Festival of Flowers
For more than 30 years, the Festival of Flowers at Pioneer Courthouse Square (in the heart of downtown Portland) has been one of city’s most renowned festivals. Every year, the Square works with a local artist or design firm to create a masterpiece of vibrant color utilizing more than 24,000 flowers and plant material, filling…
Portland Saturday Market
Open every Saturday and Sunday from March–December, Portland Saturday Market is the largest arts-and-crafts fair in the U.S.
Rose City Rollers Hometown Throwdown
Join Portland’s roller derby team, The Rose City Rollers, for their annual Hometown Throwdown, featuring two double-headers every day. Hometown Throwdown Games in 2020: Friday, May 29:7pm Axles of Annihilation (PDX) vs. The Wall Street Traitors (NYC);9:00pm Wheels of Justice (PDX) vs. Mile High Club (DEN)Saturday, May 30: 7pm Bruising Altitude (DEN) vs. The Wall…
Rose Festival Starlight Parade
EVENT POSTPONED. Please visit the event website for current information. For more than 40 years, Portland’s Starlight Parade has offered funky, eclectic fun for everyone. From traditional marching bands and flood-lit floats, to glow-in-the-dark umbrellas and unique hand-built entries, you’ll see the best of Portland’s diverse community groups (and surrounding Northwest region) together in one…
Portland Brunch Festival
Join us in celebrating Portland’s favorite meal at the 3rd annual Portland Brunch Festival, benefiting The Jerome Kersey Foundation. This year’s festival will include local restaurants, cafes, popups, food trucks, local artists and designers. Enjoy multiple bars, a photo booth, live music, and games. Bars will be serving your favorite brunch cocktails and entertainment will…
Fleet Week
EVENT POSTPONED. Please visit the event website for current information. Since the very beginning of the Rose Festival back in 1907, visiting ships and other fleet-related elements (like submarines) have been making their way to Portland’s waterfront. The City of Portland is known to be a favorite port of call for military (and non-military) visitors…
Portland Rose Society Annual Spring Rose Show
EVENT POSTPONED. Please visit the event website for current information. This annual rose show is the nation’s largest and long-running rose show, bringing more than 4,000 blooms to Lloyd Center in Northeast Portland. Explore a huge variety of roses, from the quarter-inch micro-minis to the 8 inch standard blooms.
Portland Night Market
The Portland Night Market showcases many unique businesses that call Portland home. Blending food, culture, music, drinks and retail together for an adventurous evening in the Central Eastside. Come meet some of Portland’s best makers and creators! The Portland Night Market is a bimonthly, free event and open to all ages.
Rose Festival Dragon Boat Races
EVENT POSTPONED. Please visit the event website for current information. The Rose Festival is proud to host the Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Races, an event that has been bringing an exciting Chinese tradition to Portland for more than two decades, beginning in 1989. Held on the Willamette River near the Hawthorne Bridge, the races…
Grand Floral Float Showcase
EVENT POSTPONED. Please visit the event website for current information. Take a closer look at this year’s Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade floats at the Grand Floral Float Showcase on Southwest Naito Parkway, adjacent to CityFair. These unique floats are meticulously decorated with natural materials like seeds and coconut flakes in addition to live flowers.
Oregon Tattoo Expo
Come out and get tattooed at the third annual Oregon Tattoo Expo at our all new downtown location. This year‘s event will take place at the Oregon Ballroom at the Riverfront Marriott in downtown Portland. Our new venue has a full service hotel and restaurant on site, valet parking and has an amazing river view.
Scandinavian Midsummer Festival
Enjoy Nordic music, dancing, games, food, vendors, a beer garden, a kids’ area and more at Portland’s annual Scandinavian Midsummer Festival. Enjoy delicious Nordic cuisine, try traditional beverages and scrumptious sweets. Spend the day with us and make your own colorful flower crown and other crafts. Play “Viking Chess”, Nordic Jenga and other fun games….
Water Lantern Festival
Portland’s annual Water Lantern Festival is a beautiful experience where you’ll witness the magic of lanterns as they light up the water at Laurelhurst Park. This family-friendly event includes food trucks, pre-made floating lantern kits, markers, ascavenger hunt and more.
GeekCraft Expo
GeekCraft Expo is a curated craft market specializing in handmade, “geek”-themed crafts of all kinds; clothing, accessories, toys, home decoration, furniture, art . . . if it’s geeky and made by hand, it can be found at a GeekCraft Expo. Cosplay is highly encouraged and admission is free (you just need to pre-register).
Oregon Book Awards
Join Literary Arts’ annual celebration of the state’s most accomplished writers in the genres of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, young readers and graphic literature. Hosts in 2020 are Elena Passarello and Omar El Akkad.
Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts
EVENT CANCELED. Please visit the event website for current information. For more than 50 years, the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts has proudly presented unique art exhibits including more than 600 local, national, and international artists. Visitors can also experience live music on two stages, performances, kids activities, artist demos, and a variety of…
Good in the Hood Multicultural Festival
EVENT POSTPONED. Please visit the event website for current information. Come to the Good in the Neighborhood Multicultural Music & Food Festival features live music, a parade, an information Village, marketplace, beer and wine garden and a youth venue, along with a kids’ space. The official parade is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. June…
Inner City Blues Festival
Soul Queens & Blues Kings A benefit for HEALTH CARE FOR ALL- OREGON “Healing the Healthcare Blues” This very special showcase will celebrate icons of Soul and the Blues pioneers that helped shape the history of music. Norman “Boogie Cat” Sylvester brings together some of our local R&B favorites: Lenanne Miller, Renato Caranto, LaRhonda Steele,…
UFO Festival
Every May, thousands of visitors flock to the city’s famous UFO Festival, featuring four days of parades, costume contests, expert speakers
St. Johns Bizarre & Parade
EVENT CANCELED FOR 2020. Please visit the event website for current information. The St. Johns Bizarre is a uniquely crafted celebration that kicks off the summer street fair season in Portland with music, kids’ activities and more. Held annually on the second Saturday in May, the Bizarre brings music, crafts and food to the crowds…
TEDxPortland
NOTE: This event has been postponed until May 29, 2021. TEDxPortland, the largest TEDx event in the world, celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2020. For its first time, the event heads to the Moda Center in North Portland (home of the city’s iconic NBA team, the Portland Trail Blazers). Enjoy a day of notable and…