Summer Events Round-Up
Portland embraces summer sunshine with fun festivals and more.
Know Before You Go
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Oregon’s governor has banned all large events through the end of September 2020. For details on the events listed below, please visit their websites.
When the sun finally comes out, Portlanders celebrate with their favorite things: music, beer, art and food. Here are some of Portland’s best events in June, July, August and September. Click into each month’s event round-up to discover even more things to do in Portland in the summertime.
June Events
Festival of Balloons
The mesmerizing Festival of Balloons in Tigard (a suburb 30 minutes southwest of downtown Portland by car) brings more than a dozen brightly colored, colossal hot-air balloons to the sky every June. Enjoy balloon rides and a fair-like atmosphere, including a beer garden, live music and kid-friendly activities.
World Naked Bike Ride
The largest of its kind in the world, Portland’s World Naked Bike Ride draws thousands of cyclists to cruise commando through the streets of Portland every June. The location of the bike ride is revealed mere days before the event, so keep your eyes on their website for more information.
Portland Pride Festival & Parade
Known far and wide as a gay-friendly destination, the Rose City is open and accepting to every kind of visitor. During the month of June, it gets friendlier than ever, with the Portland Pride Festival and Parade and various LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, plus) community celebrations all over town.
July Events
Waterfront Blues Festival
The Waterfront Blues Festival — the largest blues festival west of the Mississippi River — rocks crowds on the riverbank at Waterfront Park and on the water with five days of top national acts, as well as spectacular fireworks on July 4.
Oregon Brewers Festival
Craft breweries from around the United States bring more than 80 beers to the Oregon Brewers Festival, the largest gathering of independent brewers in North America, held in downtown Portland’s Waterfront Park.
August Events
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 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.
September Events
Time-Based Art (TBA) Festival
During the Time-Based Art Festival, presented by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA), visual artists, musicians, dancers and other creatives from all over the world push boundaries with installations, performances and interactive art experiences.
Feast Portland
International culinary festival Feast Portland taps into the wealth of renowned Portland chefs — and welcomes noted culinary stars from around the world — to make the most of Oregon’s bounty. In addition to events at restaurants around town, you’ll find happenings at Director Park, Pioneer Courthouse Square and Ecotrust.
Events by Month
June Events
Portland's "festival season" warms up every June with the Portland Rose Festival, Portland Pride Parade and Festival, plentiful outdoor concerts and celebrations of craft beer.
July Events
July in Portland is a busy time, with a variety of live music, beer fests and film events to take in.
August Events
Biking across bridges and cheering on soapbox racers are two of many great August events in Portland.
Sounds of Summer
Enjoy Portland's music scene with the summertime concerts and performances.
More Summer Events
Sneaker Week
Sneaker Week offers fun events for sneaker addicts and footwear newbies alike.
Summer Free For All
Portland Parks & Recreation offers over 400 free events including free movie screenings, concerts and rock climbing.
Flicks on the Bricks
EVENT CANCELED. Please visit the event website for current information. On five Friday evenings in July and August, the Square will be transformed into Portland’s largest outdoor movie theater for the entire community to enjoy! Flicks on the Bricks will kick-off on Friday, July 17 and continue through August 14 on Friday nights. IKEA will…
Oregon Zoo Summer Concerts
Musicians and fans alike flock to concerts at the Oregon Zoo each summer to enjoy live music, sunshine and friends.
Multnomah Days
EVENT CANCELED. Please visit the event website for current information. Portland’s Multnomah Village is filled with character – as well as dozens of unique shops, galleries, restaurants, arts and more. The annual Multnomah Days Parade (dubbed “the biggest little parade in Portland”) is the neighborhood’s old-school street fair, starting with a parade and featuring vendors…
Portland Adult Soapbox Derby
The PDX Adult Soapbox Derby at Mt. Tabor Park pits grown-up kids against each other every August in pursuit of speed and laughs.
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.
India Festival
LIVE EVENT CANCELED. This event will now be held virtually, please visit the event website for current information. India Festival brings India to downtown Portland! This festival is a celebration of India’s Independence Day with live music, dance, food and other entertainment. India Festival is hosted by the India Cultural Association, a non-profit dedicated to…
Noon Tunes Summer Concert Series
EVENT CANCELED. Please visit the event website for current information. The Noon Tunes Summer Concert Series will return for its 30th year on Tuesdays in July and August! From noon-1:00pm enjoy music from some of Portland’s best regional and local musical talent. With eight FREE concerts, dancing, some of Portland’s favorite food vendors at Carts…
Portland Sunday Parkways
This family-friendly bike ride features local vendors and live entertainment.
Sunday Parkways: Green Loop
The 2020 Sunday Parkways bike rides have been canceled and events will be digital-only due to the coronavirus pandemic. See the Sunday Parkways Facebook page for details. Sunday Parkways heads to the historic North Park Blocks for a 7-mile route along Portland’s Green Loop. This ride will pass by multiple cultural hotspots, including the Portland…
Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn
EVENTS CANCELED AND/OR POSTPONED. Please visit the event website for current information. Since 2008, McMenamins Edgefield, a bucolic venue located 15 miles east of Portland in Troutdale, has welcomed musical acts to its Concerts on the Lawn series, which is a local rite of summer.
Last Thursday Art Walk on Alberta
LIVE EVENT CANCELED. This event will now be held virtually, please visit the event website for current information. This boisterous street fair attracts independent artists, performers, local bands, troupes of acrobats, buskers, makers and more to celebrate their art on Northeast Albera Street. Held year-round, the event is biggest from June through August, when the…
Hood to Coast
EVENT CANCELED. Please visit the event website for current information. 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….
River Lantern Lighting
Join family, friends and neighbors to celebrate life together. The River Lantern Lighting brings together individuals from all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life to join in one memorable night to celebrate community in Portland, Oregon. Every participant gets a lantern, candle, marker, beer or cider (over 21), snacks and live music.
Art In The Pearl Fine Arts & Crafts Festival
EVENT CANCELED. Please visit the event website for current information. The Art in the Pearl annual Fine Arts & Crafts Festival occurs every year on Labor Day weekend in the Pearl District’s North Park Blocks. The Festival is free and requires no tickets for entry. Art In The Pearl has been named one of the…
Feast Portland
This foodie festival, held every September, has cemented Portland’s reputation as a culinary capital of the world.
Sunday Parkways: Northeast Portland
The 2020 Sunday Parkways bike rides have been canceled and events will be digital-only due to the coronavirus pandemic. See the Sunday Parkways Facebook page for details. Come out and enjoy the last Sunday Parkways of the season with this 7.6-mile ride in Northeast Portland! Enjoy the walking/biking boulevard of Ainsworth along with the neighborhood…
Waterfront Blues Festival
Every Fourth of July weekend, the Waterfront Blues Festival takes over downtown Portland’s Waterfront Park.
Oregon Brewers Festival
Portland hosts dozens of beer festivals every year, but none compares to the Oregon Brewers Festival. With offerings from 80 craft brewers, the event draws nearly 70,000 attendees to the downtown waterfront every July.