First Thursday in the Pearl: Portland’s Gallery Night Tradition
Since the 1980s, the first Thursday of the month has belonged to art in Portland’s Pearl District. As evening falls, dozens of galleries throw open...
Month : October 2026
Alberta Arts District & Last Thursday: Portland’s Happiest Street Party
Alberta Street in Northeast Portland is what happens when a neighborhood decides art is a way of life. Fifteen blocks of galleries, murals, craft shops,...
Portland Center Stage at The Armory: A Playhouse in a Castle
The Armory looks like a castle that wandered into the Pearl District — an 1891 National Guard fortress of stone turrets that Portland Center Stage...
Oregon Symphony: 128 Years of Music Under the Portland Sign
Founded in 1896, the Oregon Symphony is older than the state fair and prouder than ever — one of America’s oldest orchestras, performing under the...
Portland Pools and Community Centers: The Neighborhood Family Headquarters
Every Portland neighborhood has one, and local families swear by them: the Portland Parks & Recreation community centers and pools. The East Portland Community Center’s...
Enchanted Forest: Oregon’s Storybook Theme Park in the Woods
An hour south of Portland, a retired rest-area caretaker named Roger Tofte spent decades hand-building his dream in the woods — and Enchanted Forest remains...
Portland Rose Festival for Families: Parades, Dragons and CityFair Fun
Since 1907, the Portland Rose Festival has turned late spring into the city’s family season. The Grand Floral Parade rolls floats covered entirely in flowers...
Family Bike Ride: The Eastbank Esplanade and Tilikum Loop
Portland’s signature family ride fits in an afternoon: cross the Steel Bridge’s river-level walkway, roll south along the Eastbank Esplanade — part of it floating...
Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge: Herons and Trails in the Middle of Portland
Between the Sellwood bluff and the Willamette River hides Portland’s first urban wildlife refuge — Oaks Bottom, a 163-acre floodplain lake and marsh where great...
Free Family Days: Portland’s Museums Open Their Doors Wide
Portland’s culture is famously generous, and smart families plan around its free days. The Portland Art Museum throws open its doors on First Thursdays; OMSI...
