When to Visit

Every September, spectators gather to see the world’s largest roost of Vaux’s swifts swarm and spiral into the chimney of a Northwest Portland school.

Join the Hollywood Theatre for its annual H. P. Lovecraft Film Festival, the world’s most beloved horror actor. Enjoy Lovecraftian and independent films, panel discussions, author readings, art, guest filmmakers and handmade wares.

The Portland Greek Festival is celebrated as the largest Greek Festival on the west coast with more than 15,000 people attending. This cultural experience features Greek food, music, dance and shopping! The Agora – the Greek marketplace features imported merchandise, clothing, jewelry, icons, flokati rugs and cookbooks. Among the fabulous food, exclusive cooking demonstrations, and…

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

The Wedge is a Farmers Market-style festival celebrating cheese and everything that goes with it. Sample and purchase local, artisan cheese, specialty foods, beer, wine, and cider. This is a family-friendly event that’s open to all cheese lovers.

Taking runners along a loop of Portland along the east and west sides of the city’s Willamette River, the Portland Marathon is an excellent way to see a lot of Portland in one great run. The race starts and finishes at Waterfront Park, crossing four bridges and passing by some of the city’s most iconic…

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.

Portland Film Festival is a non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing filmmakers and audiences, and to celebrating the power of a good story. The festival focuses on the people, ideas, technology, skills and artistry behind filmmaking and provides both entertaining and educational opportunities to the public. The festival is anchored with outdoor screenings, offering its filmmakers…

For lovers of the strange and unusual, enjoy Portland’s Oddities and Curiosities Expo. This annual event features local and national vendors with items such as: TaxidermyWet and dry preserved specimensAntiquesJewelry made from bones, skulls and insectsOriginal artworkSkulls and bonesCuriosities, and all around creepy, strange and bizarre itemsThere will be sideshow performances and live human suspension…

This annual race series consists of paddlers piloting a gaggle of gigantic gourds through a water course.

This annual 2-day festival celebrates all things related to plant-based living, with free food samples, health and nutrition speakers, chef demonstrations and more.

Join us for the 4th annual Gamay Tasting Salon at The Nightwood, featuring over 25 wineries each pouring their latest Gamay wines! As always, we’ll be featuring the trail-blazing Oregon winemakers who have largely led the domestic growth of Gamay Noir’s popularity, but this year we’re super sizing the Tasting Salon—we will be showcasing Gamays…

EVENT POSTPONED. “With the news from Governor Kate Brown that all large gatherings are banned for the next month, the Northwest Cider Association has made the difficult decision to postpone Cider Rite of Spring due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus. The new date will be November 7th, still at the Leftbank Annex (perhaps…

Honor Veterans Day with Portland’s annual Veterans Day Parade. The Parade begins at 9:30 a.m. at Northeast 40th and Northeast Sandy Boulevard and travels down Sandy, ending at Sandy & 48th in front of Ross Hollywood Chapel, which is the site of the Veterans Memorial Flag pole. At the conclusion of the parade, there is…

OryCon is Oregon’s premier, fan-run, annual science fiction/fantasy convention held in Portland since 1979. OryCon is a 100% volunteer-based production of Oregon Science Fiction Conventions, Inc. (OSFCI), which is a non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)3 corporation.

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).

At the Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival, you will find a wide variety of sewing, quilting, needle-art and craft supply exhibits from many quality companies, along with make ‘n’ takes, free demos, daily door prize drawings and more.

Join Renegade Craft for a festive holiday weekend celebration in Portland featuring the country’s foremost voices in craft and design. Get your holiday shopping done while supporting emerging and established makers, all while enjoying rarities and remixes from local DJs, workshops, exceptional food trucks and cocktails.

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 attending the St. Johns Parade. After the parade, the entire six block…

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

NOTE: The 2020 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…

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….

Every Fourth of July weekend, the Waterfront Blues Festival takes over downtown Portland’s Waterfront Park.

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.