Portland and Area Activities Planner - July 25 - Aug 1, 2025

PROJECT PABST
July 26–27
Project Pabst is a two-day, two-stage festival featuring some of the best acts in live music. The event will be an outdoor blowout with access to both stages, food, beverages and more.
The event is 21+. No minors.

PICKATHON
July 31–Aug. 3
For music fans and performers alike, Pickathon Music Festival feels like heaven. Every August since 1999*, this annual gathering of artists and audiences at Pendarvis Farm. has celebrated the summer with music and revelry.

The three-day festival on 80 acres just outside Portland attracts a range of indie, rock and rap artists as well as the bluegrass troupes that gave the event its name. Pickathon’s lineup is geared toward new music discovery; don’t worry if you haven’t heard of most of the artists — that’s half of the fun! The festival always releases a Spotify playlist so you can hear participating acts beforehand. And once you’re at the fest, Pickathon makes it easy to see all the artists you want. Each act performs two times over the course of the weekend at two different venues.

PORTLANDIA MERMAID PARADE AND FESTIVAL
July 26
Celebrate 10 years of bringing merfolk magic to Portland. The Portlandia Mermaid Parade is a free, family-friendly celebration of water, whimsy, and community. Join mermaids, sea creatures, and water lovers for a colorful march along the downtown waterfront—costumes encouraged. 

This year’s Portlandia Mermaid Parade is more than just a splash—it’s a tsunami of celebration. This year marks the 10th anniversary. You are invited to join a truly unforgettable opening ceremony honoring a decade of mermaid magic, river reverence, and creative community spirit. Kick things off with special live performances, a tribute to past Grand Marshals, and the unveiling of a commemorative Merfolk Time Capsule. Visit the interactive Memory Wall to reflect on the tides of change, community moments, and cherished parade snapshots. And of course, there will be a few glittery surprises waiting in the waves.

FESTIVAL OF FRIENDS (PNW)
July 25
Welcome to Festival of Friends PNW, an Inclusive, Women-Founded, Grassroots Music Festival dedicated to promoting amazing bands and songwriters from across the PNW and beyond ​in the best place possible… NATURE!! Join a weekend of music, camping,  good times, and most importantly… FRIENDS – OLD and NEW.

MCMENAMINS WIZARDING WEEKEND
July 25–27
Get in touch with your inner witch or wizard and join a magical celebration featuring Harry Potter book and movie trivia, costume contests, Pixie Hunt and more. Plus, butterbeer and enchanted food specials will be served up all weekend long.

Accio, school supplies. Bring school supplies to the Great Hall on Friday and Saturday to donate to local schools. Monetary donations welcome, too.

BLOCO ALEGRIA
July 25
Composed of people who love samba, Bloco Alegria celebrates the music, dance and culture of Brazil. Playing the heart-pumping rhythms of Rio’s carnival parades gives this band its unique sound and vibrancy, making you want to get up and dance.

Nothing says summer in Portland like a warm evening outdoors with good food and live entertainment. From June to August, the Oregon Zoo hosts Zoo Nights: evenings filled with local music, food carts, activities for all ages, and the chance to get to know some of the animals active during twilight hours.

21st ANNUAL WASHINGTON COUNTY FAIR
July 18-27
The Washington County Fair is the place for Big Fair Big Fun, July 18-27, 2025, at Westside Commons in Hillsboro. This annual fair includes amusement rides, live entertainment, food, livestock exhibits, and more. Admission is always free. 

DRONEART SHOW: A MUSIC CONCERT AND DRONE SHOW
July 25
Experience the extraordinary with DroneArt Show! This magical open-air concert blends technology and art into one spellbinding experience all audiences can enjoy. In a beautiful candlelit setting, a talented string quartet breathes new life into classical masterpieces, including Debussy’s The Snow Is Dancing, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, and Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Synchronized with the music, drones decorate the night sky with colorful patterns, bringing these iconic compositions to life and taking your concert experience to new heights. This is unlike anything you’ve experienced before — get your tickets today for DroneArt Show: A Music Concert and Drone Show in Portland!

PORTLAND SKETCH COMEDY FESTIVAL
July 24–26
The Portland Sketch Comedy* Festival is BACK for its 7th year. Sketch comedy troupes and performers from all over North America descend on The Siren Theater for three glorious nights, and IT IS A BLAST. Featuring performances from Toronto (Canada), NYC, Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Columbus, OH and of course Portland. This is the only Portland comedy festival dedicated solely to sketch comedy.

*Sketch comedy: short, scripted scenes or “sketches” typically featuring anywhere from 1-12 people whose intention is to amuse. Think Saturday Night Live, Black Lady Sketch Show, I Think You Should Leave.

ZOO NIGHTS
June 20–Aug. 22
Nothing says summer in Portland like a warm evening outdoors with good food and live entertainment. On several evenings throughout the summer, the Oregon Zoo hosts Zoo Nights filled with local music, food carts, activities for all ages and the chance to get to know some of the animals active during twilight hours.

Zoo Nights occur from mid-June through mid-August, with live music on the lawn at 6:30 p.m. and activities from 5:30 p.m. Guests will also find tasty food and snacks — plus the ever-popular elephant ears and a selection of local beer and wine for adults.

Zoo Nights is a special event and is not included with regular daytime admission. Tickets must be purchased online in advance.

ORIGINAL PRACTICE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
June 20–Aug 31
OPS Fest brings no-cost repertory Shakespeare to parks and venues all over the Portland Metro area. The company uses the original practice techniques of Elizabethan England: limited rehearsal, scrolls in hand, audience interaction, and an onstage prompter.

In Shakespeare’s Era, the audience knew the actors had not rehearsed and that the only context each had of the play was their own role on a scroll. The play was as fresh to the actors as it was to the audience.

In the Original Practice Shakespeare Company, you’ll NEVER see the same cast do the same play in the same way. Because Shakespeare should be a little dangerous.

PEDALPALOOZA BIKE FESTIVAL
Ongoing
Whether you’re a cycling fanatic, an occasional cruiser or just a lover of fun events, Pedalpalooza  — aka Bike Summer — has something for you. Held all over Portland, this bike- and fun-focused festival celebrates summer’s arrival with over 100 rides throughout town.

Inspired by the success of Bikesummer, a traveling event Portland hosted in 2002, Pedalpalooza (also known as Bike Summer) has entertained bike enthusiasts since 2003. While local bike-fun organization Shift runs the festival’s site and helps with planning, anyone can create and lead a ride.  

CHAMBER MUSIC NORTHWEST'S SUMMER FESTIVAL
June 23-July 27
Chamber Music Northwest (CMNW) manages an unusual combination: classical music played by musicians of the highest caliber in an informal, intimate setting. Since 1971, chamber musicians have flocked to Southeast Portland’s Reed College to play the great classic repertoire with their friends. Music fans share picnics and wine on the campus lawn before heading indoors to hear the sublime music.

Returning annually, the festival is one of Portland’s rites of summer. The festival returns from June 23 – July 28, and the theme for 2024 is The Beethoven Effect, which illuminates how Beethoven’s genius sparked ever-emerging ripple effects in the music world. This summer spotlights well-loved and new music inspired by Beethoven’s revolutionary foundations and explores where today’s chamber music has grown. View their festival concert guide for a full lineup of events.

HANDCRAFTED MYSTERIES
July 25
Handcrafted Mysteries is an interactive magic performance featuring Greg Van Holsbeck’s original illusions. Greg’s goal is to create a unique experience by putting the magic in the hands of the audience. Minds are read, objects teleport, and impossible things are predicted as magic takes place all around the room and gets everyone involved.

“Handcrafted Mysteries” debuted in Southern California and has been performed over 100 times in major cities across the country. The mission statement of Handcrafted Mysteries is to showcase illusions that are created by Greg Van Holsbeck and can’t be seen anywhere else.

Greg Van Holsbeck is a world-class magician based in Los Angeles. When he’s not performing at prestigious magic venues like The Magic Castle, Chicago Magic Lounge and Illusion Magic Lounge, Greg can be seen in his self-produced public shows and on cruise ships. Greg VanHolsbeck believes in bringing innovation and creativity to the art of magic with every performance. His original magic is now a staple in the acts of many other magicians around the world.

ANYTHING GOES
Jul. 31 - Aug. 3
Climb aboard for a tap-filled classic this summer. With music and lyrics by Cole Porter, this voyage of the S.S. American between New York and England is filled with a madcap group of passengers, witty repartee, exceptional songs, and thrilling tap dancing. The 2022 revision includes familiar classics from the Great American Songbook such as “Anything Goes,” “You’re the Top,” and “I Get a Kick Out of You.” This musical will have everyone rooting for true love to win out in the end. It’s delightful, delicious, and de-lovely.

THE WIZARD OF OZ
Aug 1
Follow the Yellow Brick Road to an Unforgettable Adventure!

Get ready to be swept away to the magical land of Oz in this spectacular all-youth production of The Wizard of Oz: The Musical! Join Dorothy, a brave young dreamer, as she embarks on a thrilling journey through a world filled with talking scarecrows, dancing lions, and mischievous witches—all brought to life by an incredibly talented cast of young performers!

AMERICANA HARVEST FEST
July 8–Sept 7
Topaz Farm is excited to announce the 2025 Americana Harvest Fest series. The festival features a mix of nationally and internationally known folk, country, and bluegrass artists. Bring a blanket or lawn chair to enjoy live music on the farm, surrounded by farm animals, U-pick fields, and the market bar and grill. Come early to enjoy the farm, including the cow train, fresh grilled farm food, craft beer, cider, and more.

JURASSIC WORLD BY BRICKMAN
Mar. 15–Sep. 31
Get ready for an immersive adventure like no other as Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught re-imagines Jurassic World, the blockbuster franchise from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment, through 6 million LEGO bricks.

It features large-scale LEGO brick dinosaurs, props, scenes, and activities, as well as the newest Jurassic World by Brickman® dinosaur, made from over 100 thousand LEGO bricks, the Baryonyx. Walk through the iconic Jurassic World gates and relive the magic of beloved stories and characters from the Jurassic World franchise, as you embark on a thrilling journey across the Isla Nublar.

Get hands-on with LEGO brick paleontology, mystery mosaics, island-building, hybrid dinosaur creations, and much more. There will be 2.5 million LEGO bricks for you to show off your own building skills.

LINCOLN CITY'S FINDERS KEEPERS GLASS FLOATS 2025
Year-Round
Finders Keepers is Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2025. Be on the lookout for the colorful twinkle of a hand-blown glass float when you’re exploring the beaches of Lincoln City. As the name says, Finders Keepers.

Discover “random acts of findness” in Lincoln City, with —Finders Keepers. Over 3,000 glass treasures are hidden along the town’s seven miles of sandy beach, made by local artisans. If you find a float, it’s all yours. Let your treasure hunt begin. Discover glass treasures every day of the year from Roads End on the north to Siletz Bay on the south.

PORTLAND SATURDAY MARKET
Mar. 1–Dec. 20
Combining the vibes of an art show, a live street concert and an open-air bazaar, the Portland Saturday Market has been a beloved Rose City tradition since 1974, earning it the “Oregon Heritage Tradition” title in 2024. In fact, the market is considered the largest continually operating arts-and-crafts fair in the United States, drawing up to one million visitors during its annual season.

On any given weekend from the beginning of March to the day before Christmas, shoppers can wend their way through the rows of tents of this large outdoor market featuring local makers, artisans, and chefs. A full sensory experience, the sights, and sounds will have shoppers and on-lookers tapping their heels to bluegrass pickers and jazz trios with weekly sets of local musicians performing for market-goers and passersby in Tom McCall Waterfront Park

FARMERS MARKET AT PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
Year-Round
The Portland Farmers Market at Portland State University will be open every Saturday, year-round. April through October hours are 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. November through March hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Market at PSU is located in Downtown Portland in the South Park Blocks between SW College & Montgomery Streets.

HOLLYWOOD FARMER'S MARKET
Year-Round
Year-round on Saturdays, the Hollywood Farmers Markets hosts 50+ vendors, bringing you the best of the region’s agricultural bounty.

In addition to amazingly fresh, local food,  you’ll find live music, children’s activities, and fun events throughout the season.

• April through September, every Saturday 8 AM to 1 PM,
• October and November, every Saturday 9 AM to 1 PM,, and
• December through March: 9 AM to 1PM on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month

ST. JOHN'S BAZAAR AND PARADE
May 10
The St. Johns Bizarre is a uniquely crafted celebration that kicks off Portland's summer street fair season. Held annually on the second Saturday in May, the Bizarre brings music, crafts, and food to the crowds who traditionally attended the St. Johns Parade. After the parade, a portion of the business district in St. Johns is closed to traffic and filled with over 135 juried craft vendors, several stages for music, great food, and tons of games and activities.
It’s a fantastic community event with something for everyone.
The event is free.