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

Farm Life

As Pickathon Grows, Its Music Lineup Doubles Down on Young Talent

The beloved festival runs a venue in Portland and just launched a nonprofit. But its heart remains the annual Happy Valley campout, stacked this year with Gen Zers.

07/26/2024 By Rebecca Jacobson

Uh-Oh

The End of Pickathon? Festival’s Permit Expires This Year

The music festival’s fate sits in the hands of a volunteer committee in Happy Valley. Will its permit be renewed?

08/04/2023 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

Music Festivals

Pickathon Is Back (and Vibier Than Ever) After a Three-Year Hiatus

The 10,000-person Happy Valley festival returns, and it’s bigger and weirder than ever.

08/04/2022 By Matthew Trueherz

Music

Pickathon Announces 2019 Lineup

Khruangbin, Nathaniel Rateliff, and Mandolin Orange are headed to Happy Valley this summer.

01/21/2019 By Rebecca Jacobson

Music

20 Reasons to Check Out Pickathon on Its 20-Year Anniversary

2018 marks the legendary music fest’s 20th birthday, and it’s as alive and kickin’ as ever.

08/01/2018 By Sam Pape

Spoken Word

Poets at Pickathon? We're In.

Shayla Lawson may be best known as a poet, but that doesn’t mean she can’t play a music festival.

08/02/2017 By Bryanna Briley

The Essentials

12 Portland Shows, Events, and Pure-Genius Things to Know This August

See a different kind of eclipse, get your family heirlooms assessed at the Antiques Roadshow, and belt tunes from the Revolution Hall roof.

07/10/2017 By Rebecca Jacobson and Fiona McCann

Music

Charles Bradley, Dinosaur Jr., and Drive-By Truckers Are Pickathon Bound

The annual Happy Valley hoedown has announced its initial lineup of 42 international and local acts.

01/19/2017 By Lauren Kershner

MUSIC

Pickathon 2016: The Music, the Magic, the Photos to Prove It

Our Pickathon weekend in pictures.

08/10/2016 By Portland Monthly Staff

PoMo Picks

Top Things to Do This Weekend: Aug 4–7

Aerialists spinning from the trees. Pink Martini crooning at the zoo. Coney Island photography in the Pearl. Pirouettes (and prima donnas, and Pee-wee, and Prospero) at the park. Ahoy, August.

08/04/2016 By Rebecca Jacobson and Lisa Dunn

Music

Your Day-by-Day Pickathon Guide

The annually awesome Pendarvis Farm festival returns with a kick-ass lineup on six stages. We've combed through a packed schedule for musical highlights.

08/02/2016 By Portland Monthly Arts Team

Restaurant and Bar Updates

PREAM, Muselet, and the Bent Brick Call It Quits, Plus More PDX Food News

… including a flashy Ava Gene’s acquisition and Pickathon’s new dinner series.

07/18/2016 By Michelle Porter

CULTURE CALL SHEET

The Latest in Portland Arts News—Powell's Expands on Hawthorne

Plus: Portland Art Museum promises Warhol and Rodin, and Pickathon starts the party.

01/14/2016 By Fiona McCann

MUSIC FESTIVAL

Recapping Pickathon 2015—in Photos!

From a soulful Leon Bridges to Sinkane's sweaty psychadelia; from tUnE-yArDs' heart-pounding hypnotism to JD McPerson's retro rockabilly, Pickathon filled our ears, souls—and bellies—with delights. And we've got the pics to prove it.

08/03/2015 Photography by Brendan Duggan, Amy Martin, Andrea Tomasi, and Samuel Hunt By Benjamin Tepler and Allison Jones

ARCHITECTURE

PSU Students Designed this Awesome Pickathon Stage

A totally tubular backdrop reuses massive industrial materials.

07/31/2015 By Rachel Sandstrom

FESTIVALS

The Ultimate Pickathon 2015 Playlist

Eighteen hours of music, 271 songs: That’s our Pickathon playlist to get you tuned up for the annual festival.

07/27/2015 By Fiona McCann With Allison Jones

Music Festivals

Guide to 2015 Summer Concerts and Festivals

From Edgefield to Pickathon, Sasquatch to the Zoo, book your summer concert calendar with our 2015 guide!

05/04/2015 By Ramona DeNies

IN THE MAGAZINE

Arts Stories in PoMo's July Issue

Three new Portland TV shows, Pickathon redefines the concert video, Oregon Shakespeare Festival wins at the Tonys, and a PDX artist builds a monster, fire-breathing ship.

08/07/2014 Photography by Aaron Scott

Top Things to Do This Weekend: July 31–Aug 3

Pabst sells tickets to Modest Mouse on the cheap, Pickathon rocks out, and the Great Horror Campout terrifies thrill-seekers for 12 straight hours.

07/31/2014 Edited by Aaron Scott By Portland Monthly Staff and Schuyler Keenan