Portland Rose Festival & Parade
The Portland Rose Festival is an annual event held in early June. Tom McCall Waterfront Park hosts the Pepsi Waterfront Village, offering family entertainment with a carnival atmosphere. The highlight of the 11-day event is the nationally-known Grand Floral Parade, the second-largest all-floral parade in North America. Other Rose Festival features are dragon boat races, the Starlight Parade, Fleet Week, fireworks, and Musicfest.
» www.rosefestival.org
» 503.227.2681
Saturday Market
The Portland Saturday Market is held on Saturdays and Sundays from March until December. This thriving open-air marketplace offers local arts and crafts, an international food court, street musicians, special events and activities for kids. The Saturday Market is located under the west end of the Burnside Bridge.
» www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com
» 503.222.6072
Art in the Pearl
Over 120 artists offer their works at the Art in the Pearl community arts event. Other festivities include artist demonstrations, music, and food. This festival is held in early September at the NW Park Blocks at W Burnside and NW Glisan.
» www.artinthepearl.com
» 503.722.9017
Festa Italiana
A festival that showcases Italian culture is held in August at the Pioneer Courthouse Square. The festival includes a wine garden, Italian food, dancing and live entertainment.
» 503.223.1613
Mt. Hood Jazz Festival
Mt. Hood Jazz Festival is one of the nation’s premier jazz festivals featuring local talent as well as some of the most well-known jazz musicians from the Northwest and across the nation. This festival is held the first two weekends in August at various venues in and around Portland.
» www.mthoodjazz.com
» 503.295.6542 (tickets)
First Thursday
On the first Thursday of each month, the Pearl District celebrates the arts with gallery showings as well as sidewalk offerings from independent artists and musicians.
» www.firstthursday.org
The Bite
Every August for over twenty years, Portland has been celebrating The Bite of Oregon. Great music, food from some of Portland’s best restaurants and wine from over 20 wineries across the state are the offerings along the waterfront at The Bite Festival with proceeds going to the Oregon Special Olympics.
» www.biteoforegon.com
Safeway Waterfront Blues Festival
Held right on the waterfront, the five-day Waterfront Blues Festival brings people from all over the state (as well as boaters) the hear some of the best blues bands from all over the world and watch the fireworks on the Fourth of July. Proceeds go to the Oregon Food Bank.
» www.waterfrontbluesfestival.com
» 503.973.FEST
Other Festivals
Cinco de Mayo
The popular Mexican celebration of independence is celebrated in Portland every year on May 5th at Portland’s Waterfront Park and includes food, music, dancing and fun.
» www.cincodemayo.org
» 503.232.7550
Christmas Ship Parade
For the two weeks before Christmas, the Christmas Ship Fleet, averaging 50 – 60 boats, has been sailing Portland’s Willamette and Columbia Rivers for over 50 years.
» www.christmasships.org
LPGA Safeway Classic
The top world-class women’s golfers play on tour at the annual Safeway Classic that is held in August at the Columbia Edgewater Country Club.
www.safewaygolf.com
503.626.2711
Musicfest NW
In September, over 250 bands featuring all music genres perform at various places around Portland.
» www.musicfestnw.com
Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts
The three-day Festival of the Arts features more than 1,000 regional artists in an open art show, a juried craft fair, music at George Rogers Park, and a performing arts series.
» www.lakewood-center.org
» 503.636.1060
Sherwood, Oregon Robin Hood Festival
The Robin Hood Festival, held annually in July, began in 1952. Activities include a parade, a knighting ceremony, a castle-building contest, and an archery contest. The Sherwood Renaissance Singers perform throughout the festival.
» www.robinhoodfestival.com
» 503.625.4233
Tigard Festival of Balloons
Events at the Tigard Festival of Balloons include a carnival, music, craft fair, food vendors and a beer garden, a 5k run, night glow and plenty of hot air balloons!
» www.tigardballoon.org
» 503.612.8213
Tualatin, Oregon Crawfish Festival
This 53-year-old event is the nation’s oldest crawfish festival. There is a crawfish-eating contest, and crawfish cooked various ways, as well as other food vendors. The food, music, entertainment and fun can be found at The Commons by the lake as well as in Tualatin Park.
» www.tualatincrawfish.com
Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival
Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver, Washington hosts internationally acclaimed jazz artists such as Chick Corea, Diane Schuur, and The Louis Armstrong Society Jazz Band at the Vancouver Wine and Jazz Festival. Other features of this annual summertime festival are great wines, fine cuisine, and artwork by Northwest artists.
» www.vancouverwinejazz.com
» 360.906.0441
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