Chicago has Lollapalooza; Austin has South by South West; and Portland…might not have Pickathon anymore. Due to an expiring city permit, the music festival faces an uncertain future after this year’s event ends on Sunday.

Since 2006, Pickathon has taken place at Pendarvis Farm, an 80-acre property primarily used for the event but also rented out for weddings and events. The festival’s most recent permit with the city of Happy Valley, called a conditional use permit, was granted from 2014–2023. Pickathon founder Zale Schoenborn isn’t sure whether the permit will be granted again—which would leave the festival without a venue.

“These are political things,” Schoenborn says. “Nothing is certain. We’re hopeful and doing everything we can.”

Summer festivals commonly navigate rocky relationships with local municipalities and government agencies, and Pickathon is no exception. Happy Valley is a low-density, somewhat rural suburb of Portland with a population of about 26,000. The flood of Pickathon’s approximately 10,000 attendees is inevitably disruptive. Happy Valley is also in the midst of a comprehensive plan to develop a town center with expanded housing, as well as recreational and commercial facilities. The plan includes a 40-acre community center atop a plot of city-owned land that currently serves as Pickathon’s guest parking lot. 

Pickathon will apply for a fresh permit in the fall, and community members can voice their concerns and support. Partnering agencies and city staff will ultimately make a recommendation to the city’s planning commission, which is made up of seven volunteers. Laura Terway, planning manager for Happy Valley, says that the decision ultimately rests with the planning commission, and that the fall application allows the city to take “a fresh look at Pickathon, working together to identify opportunities to mitigate the impact of the festival.”

If the permit is not renewed, Pickathon could be off the table for 2024, if not longer, because the festival cannot rebuild itself in a new location in a year, says Schoenborn. “It’s gonna take multiple years to do something somewhere else.”