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  • Attractions
    • women dances with large fans outside on a city street surrounded by people in colorful dragon costumesView All Attractions
    • Museums
    • Parks & Gardens
    • Family Friendly
    • Shopping
    • On a Budget
    • EVEN MORE THINGS TO DO
  • Culture
    • people dining at picnic tables in front of a food cartView All Culture
    • Arts
    • Beer
    • Biking
    • Cannabis
    • Cultural Communities
    • Craft Spirits
    • Food
    • Makers
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Outdoors
    • Sports
    • Weird
    • Wine
    • MORE CULTURE
  • Neighborhoods
    • aerial view of downtown area with buildings and roadways, bridges crossing a river to a smaller set of buildings that expand into the distanceView All Neighborhoods
    • Alberta Arts District
    • Belmont
    • Central Eastside
    • Division/Clinton
    • Downtown
    • Hawthorne
    • Lloyd
    • Mississippi
    • Northwest / Nob Hill
    • Old Town Chinatown
    • Pearl District
    • St. Johns
    • Sellwood-Moreland
    • Williams
    • ALL NEIGHBORHOODS
  • Region
    • RegionView All Region
    • Near the City
    • Columbia River Gorge
    • Mount Hood
    • Oregon Coast
    • Willamette Valley
    • ALL REGIONS
  • Plan
    • Light rail train car driving past people shopping at an outdoor marketView All Plan
    • Portland Maps
    • Portland Visitor Center
    • Where to Stay
    • Tours & Itineraries
    • Transportation
    • When to Visit
    • Accessible Portland
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    • Plan a Meeting
  • Events
  • Search
People stand under a canopy with signs reading \"Portland Saturday Market Saturdays & Sundays March - Christmas Eve\" People stand under a canopy with signs reading \"Portland Saturday Market Saturdays & Sundays March - Christmas Eve\"
i
Combining an arts show, a live street concert and an open-air bazaar, this riverside market has been a beloved Portland tradition since 1974.
Credit: Justin Katigbak
Portland Events / Summer in Portland

Summer Events Round-Up

Portland embraces summer sunshine with fun festivals and more.

When the sun 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. All summer long, there is something new to experience and explore while enjoying the wonderful weather.

Festivals & Events

Waterfront Blues Festival

Over the Fourth of July weekend, crowds of more than 100,000 will attend the Waterfront Blues Festival in downtown Portland, grooving to a star-studded lineup of blues artists by the river.

Beer Festivals in Portland

Portland isn't shy about its love of beer — the city has nearly as many beer festivals as it does breweries.

read more

Portland Craft Beer Festival

The Portland Craft Beer Festival brings a huge outdoor party to The Fields Neighborhood Park, along with a huge selection of local beers, ciders and wine, all crafted within Portland city limits.

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.

PDX Adult Soapbox Derby

Creativity and horsepower are put to the test at the Adult Soapbox Derby each August. About 40 teams competing with their handmade carts — many boasting whimsical designs — boldly whizz downhill at Mt. Tabor Park.

Keeping it Weird

people dressed as aliens at a parade

UFO Festival in McMinnville

Every May, thousands of visitors flock to the city’s famous UFO Festival, featuring four days of parades, costume contests and expert speakers.

a depiction of cartoon character Bart Simpson on a sidewalk

“The Simpsons” Landmarks in Portland

Check out the landmarks that inspired the characters and places in "The Simpsons," created by Portland’s own Matt Groening.

people on bikes at night wearing very little clothing

Portland’s World Naked Bike Ride

Every summer, thousands of cyclists cruise commando through Portland streets as part of the World Naked Bike Ride.

Portland Pride Festival & Parade

Known far and wide as a gay-friendly destination, Rose City is open and accepting to every kind of visitor. During the month of July, 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.

Cathedral Park Jazz Festival

The Jazz Society’s Cathedral Park Jazz Festival is free, open to the public and held over three days in mid-July at Cathedral Park at the base of the St. Johns Bridge in the Cathedral Park neighborhood. Nearing four decades of history, the festival is the longest-running jazz and blues festival west of the Mississippi River.

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 Course into a cultural revival, welcoming nationally renowned artists and breathing new life into Portland jazz.

Portland Jazz

In Portland, it's pretty easy to find small venues hosting intimate combos of world-class talent, or bigger, more boffo live shows.

Read More

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.

Sneaker Week

Those in the know already consider Portland sneaker central. Meet the designers, connect with industry insiders and party with fellow sneakerheads during August’s Sneaker Week celebration. This year, the focus is on exposure for those new to the industry, and the schedule includes days dedicated to art, design, music, media, tech and science.

Summer Markets

Come Thru Black & Indigenous Market

Founded in 2020, the anti-racist Come Thru Black & Indigenous Market centers Black and Indigenous farmers and makers every other Monday afternoon at The Redd on Salmon Street in Southeast Portland. In addition to serving as an incubator for BIPOC growers and entrepreneurs, the Come Thru Market Farmer Training Program supports new farmers of color in Portland, including immigrants and refugees, in building their farmers’ market readiness and success.

My People’s Market

In early June, the Central Eastside hosted 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.

Saturday Market

Since 1974, the Portland Saturday Market is a beloved Rose City tradition that showcases handmade arts and crafts. On any given Saturday from spring through the day before Christmas, shoppers can tap their heels to bluegrass pickers and jazz musicians or sample ethnic eats like falafel or kielbasa while browsing wares sold by the makers themselves.

A Perfect Day at Portland Farmers Market

Portland’s flagship farmers' market perfectly embodies the city’s foodie sensibilities and independent spirit.

read more

Outdoor Performances

Cool Kids Patio Shows

The Cool Kids Patio Show series features local comedians and musicians on the patio at Doug Fir Lounge every Thursday in July and August — all for the unbeatable price of free.

PDX Live at Pioneer Courthouse Square

For the second year, PDX Live presents a series of outdoor concerts in Portland’s Living Room, Pioneer Courthouse Square. The robust lineup of beloved artists includes Patti Smith and Her Band and Fleet Foxes, among others.

Comedy in the Park

On Fridays in the summer, you can grab a picnic and head to the picturesque tranquility of Laurelhurst Park, where nestled among the trees, you can watch some free Comedy in the Park put on by Kickstand Comedy. Every week favorite local comedians and national comics come to please the crowd. Blankets drop at 6:00 but get there earlier to claim a good spot for viewing. The show is for all ages, but content may range from PG-13 to R, so it’s at a parent’s discretion to bring children.

Kickstand Comedy Brings Laughs to Portland’s Laurelhurst Park

Friday evenings in the summer grab a picnic and head to Portland's Laurelhurst Park for Kickstand Comedy in the Park, a series of free outdoor shows featuring local and national standup comics.

Read more

Opera a La Cart

Inspired by Portland’s food cart culture, Opera a la Cart brings live opera directly into the community. Designed and built by architecture students at Portland State University, the cart features a fold-out stage and a “menu” of operatic specials of the day sung by local artists. It pops up at farmers’ markets, parks, festivals, street fairs and other events throughout the Portland region all summer.

Piano Push Play

Celebrating ten years of spreading music and delight throughout Portland, Piano Push Play presents a kick-off concert in Pioneer Courthouse Square this July. Still, you can catch — or stage your own — performances at these artistic pianos all around town.

More Outdoor Concerts

Neighborhood favorites Alberta Street Pub, Laurelthirst Public House,, Rontoms and the World Famous Kenton Club are all hosting regular outdoor concerts this summer.

Sounds of Summer

See More Music
a guitar player on stage

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.

a quartet of string musicians wearing white tuxedos

Chamber Music Northwest’s Summer Festival

Chamber Music Northwest’s annual summer festival combines high-caliber classical music with a laid-back atmosphere.

a musician performs on an outdoor stage

Pickathon Music Festival

Every August, Pickathon draws diverse musical performers to celebrate music and the outdoors at the lush Pendarvis Farm just outside of Portland.

Outdoor Cinema

Flicks on the Bricks

Gather up the family and head to Pioneer Courthouse Square for free movies and popcorn under the stars. Transforming Portland’s Living Room into Portland’s largest outdoor movie theater, Flicks on the Bricks is held every year in July. Arrive early to score one of the limited theater-style seats, or bring your own low-back chairs, blankets or cushions.

Hollywood Theatre Outdoor Movies

Partnering with the Oregon State Parks Department, the Hollywood Theatre brings a series of screenings in Oregon State Parks. The Hollywood Theatre Outdoor Movies take place in parks within an hour’s drive of Portland, with film programming selected to complement the diverse features of each park. Explore Oregon parks’ amazing recreational amenities during the day, then sit back at dusk and catch films such as Addams Family Values and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial.

Popular Food Carts

Enjoy the lovely summer weather at these favorite food carts.

Dig In

Bike Around Portland

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). The Bridge Pedal is both one of the largest community bike rides in the world and one of the city’s favorite summertime traditions.

Pedalpalooza

Whether you’re a cycling fanatic, an occasional cruiser or just a lover of fun events, Pedalpalooza has something for you. Extended throughout June, July and August in 2022, this bike- and fun-focused festival celebrates summer with over 100 rides throughout town.

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 or July. The location of the bike ride is revealed mere days before the event, so keep your eyes on their website for more information.

Bike Safety Tips

Portland loves bikes, but it's still important to be armed with knowledge and cycle safely.

Be Safe

Around the Neighborhoods

Central Eastside

Across the Willamette River from downtown, the Central Eastside area blends industrial Portland with new restaurants, microbreweries and riverside recreation. The neighborhood hosts the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and the monthly Flea + Food Market. For those who like an evening shopping experience, check out the Portland Night Market at the Electric Blocks.

The Pearl

The Art in the Pearl annual fine arts and crafts festival occurs every year on Labor Day weekend in the Pearl District’s North Park Blocks. The free event has been named one of the top such festivals in the country, where you can find art, theater, music, and hands-on activities for people of all ages.

Further Out

Venturing beyond the borders of the central city, visitors can also find enjoyable events. Multnomah Days in Multnomah Village is one of Portland’s oldest street fairs. The St. Johns neighborhood hosts a yearly St. Johns Art Walk to showcase creative makers in the neighborhood. Reed College, in the southeast, hosts the yearly Chamber Music NW Summer Festival. Or, located even farther afield at McMenamins Edgefield, visitors can catch a Concert on the Lawn or imbibe at the Edgefield Brewfest.

Events, Summer

More Summer Events

Bask in the sun while enjoying these upcoming Portland summer events.

Editor's Pick
Portland Pride
July 20–21, 2024

Portland Pride

Tom McCall Waterfront Park Free

Every summer, the Portland Pride Festival & Parade makes a name for itself — and LGBTQ+ community members — all over town.

Editor's Pick
Festivals
LGBTQ+
Summer
Editor's Pick
Chinese Festival
Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024

Chinese Festival

Pioneer Courthouse Square Free

Join the Oregon Chinese Coalition for the 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.

Editor's Pick
Cultural Communities

More Portland Events

Visit our events calendar to discover even more things to do in Portland. Search by date, event type and more.

See All Events

Celebrate Negroni Week in Portland

You can do good while sipping delicious twists on a classic cocktail during Portland's Negroni Week, when proceeds benefit dozens of charities.

Take A Sip

Events by Month

More Summer in Portland
dragon boat with rowers in Wilamette River

June Events

Portland's "festival season" warms up every June with the Portland Rose Festival, plentiful outdoor concerts and celebrations of cultural heritage.

Aerial shot of an urban riverside park with festival tents and umbrellas

July Events

July in Portland is a busy time, with a variety of live music, beer fests and film events to take in.

a crowd of bikers riding across a bridge during Bridge Pedal

August Events

Biking across bridges and cheering on soapbox racers are two of many great August events in Portland.

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