Oregon Trails

An Illustrated Guide to Oregon’s Winter Celebrations

Must-catch happenings during the state’s coldest months.

12/01/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden Illustrations by Jordan Kay

Month Ahead

What to Do in Oregon in December

Make crafts at Silver Falls, hunt for ornaments in the forest, hop aboard a Christmas train, and spot gray whales swimming south.

11/26/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson and Margaret Seiler

Get Out

What to Do in Oregon in November

Taste olive oil in Dayton, dance to Celtic music in Yachats, gorge on sausage and kraut in Forest Grove, and celebrate Thanksgiving in wine country.

10/29/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson and Isabel Lemus Kristensen

Costume Party

The Best Halloween Parties in Portland 2025

Summoning the dead? Looking for a risqué ball? Want to dance at Holocene? There’s a fright night party for you.

10/21/2025 By Matthew Trueherz

Get Out

What to Do in Oregon in October

Celebrate the harvest in Hood River, have fun with fungi in Yachats and Eugene, and cheer on pumpkin regatta paddlers in Tualatin.

09/24/2025 By Isabel Lemus Kristensen and Portland Monthly Staff

Bier Fest

Oktoberfest Already? Here’s Where to Go In and Around Portland.

Break out your lederhosen for pretzel tossing, dachshund races, and a goat petting zoo.

09/04/2025 By Alex Frane and Portland Monthly Staff

Get Out

What to Do in Oregon in September

Dahlias are in bloom, Crater Lake goes car-free, the Pendleton Round-Up kicks off, and Oktoberfest has us raising our steins.

08/27/2025 By Portland Monthly Staff

in the woods

Can’t-Miss Bands Playing Pickathon 2025

The state’s most charmingly idiosyncratic music festival has an expectedly packed lineup. Also: chefs, authors, and sound baths await.

07/10/2025 By Matthew Trueherz

Month Ahead

What to Do in Oregon in July

Chainsaw races, lavender trails, hazelnut festivals, and dory boats on parade.

06/24/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson and Portland Monthly Staff

LGBTQ+

Portland Pride Guide 2025

Our annual roundup of LGBTQ+ parades, pageants, concerts, drag shows, and festivals.

06/11/2025 By Portland Monthly Staff

Maximum Fun

The 22 Best Summer Events in Oregon

When it comes to festivals and fairs, our state doesn't mess around.

05/30/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson Illustrations by Davide Comai

Month Ahead

What to Do in Oregon in June

Goonies Weekend takes Astoria, the rodeo ropes Sisters, and a Sasquatch fest stomps through Glide.

05/28/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson and Portland Monthly Staff

Wheelie Good

These Are Portland's 15 Essential Annual Bike Rides

Bike proms, bike plays, and naked rides—few cities have livelier bike calendars than ours. Here are the can't-miss events.

04/07/2025 By Katherine Chew Hamilton and Rebecca Jacobson

Get Out

What to Do in Oregon in March

Get schooled on cacao terroir, dissect an owl pellet, watch whales on their way to Alaska, and amble under a canopy of cherry blossoms.

02/26/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson

Festival Preview

Who’s Coming to Project Pabst This Summer?

Japanese Breakfast, Death Cab for Cutie, Devo, and Iggy Pop headline the waterfront festival in 2025.

02/25/2025 By Matthew Trueherz

Veggies of the Sea

Alanna Kieffer Just Wants You to Love Seaweed

The seaweed farmer and marine educator cofounded a seaweed-centric event series called Winter Waters, back in 2025 for its third year.

01/29/2025 By Britany Robinson

Get Out

What to Do in Oregon in February

Leaving the house is good for you. This month delivers truffle dog competitions, sausage eating contests, ski races, and salty verse. (Also...Afroman?)

01/27/2025 By Rebecca Jacobson

All of the Lights

For the 10th Portland Winter Light Festival, Artists Look Forward

Since 2016, the Portland Winter Light Festival has illuminated the city with dramatic sculptures and interactive installations. This year, it imagines the future.

01/13/2025 By Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Get Out

What to Do in Oregon in January

Plunge into the Pacific on New Year's Day, dance to folk music in Florence, and cheer on sled dogs in Oregon's answer to the Iditarod.

12/26/2024 By Rebecca Jacobson and Portland Monthly Staff

Reading Ahead

The Most Anticipated Book Events in Portland Fall 2024

Ta-Nehisi Coates is coming, the Portland Book Festival is almost here, and the city’s small presses are printing the next generation’s debuts.

10/15/2024 By Matthew Trueherz