Tulip time is among the best times. Grab a good pair of walking shoes and get your camera ready for this annual fest, where you'll find 40 acres of fields blooming with more than 100 varieties, not to mention cutout boards for silly photo-ops. Other activities include wooden shoe–making demonstrations, duck races for the kids, and hot air balloons (if weather allows). For a tipple among the tulips, visit on April 18 for an in-field tasting; Wooden Shoe Vineyards will pour alongside other wineries from around the Cascade Foothills.

Technically, the venerable festival kicked off last month. But that just means the actors have had a few weeks to settle into their roles, right? The first three shows to open were heavy-hitters spanning the centuries: Shakespeare’s blockbuster comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream (this adaptation comes with original music by Justin Huertas), the Tony Award–winning, post–9/11 musical Come From Away, and A Raisin in the Sun, the legendary Black American drama inspired by a Langston Hughes poem. Still to come: a little August Wilson, a little Jane Austen, and of course, plenty of the namesake bard. 

For nearly 50 years, Tryon Creek has celebrated spring with a festival devoted to the pretty white perennial, which starts blooming each year in late February or early March and reaches its peak in April. (The blooms will turn a reddish-purple by the end of the month or early May.) The fest includes a native plant sale, a gardening resources fair, and classroom and trail nature stations.

Every year, thousands of migratory birds representing more than 300 species pass through the Harney Basin of southeastern Oregon on the Pacific Flyway. Started in 1981, this fest celebrates the remarkable phenomenon with a stacked lineup of events, including all variety of tours and workshops (from raptor identification to field sketching), a bird crawl (think pub crawl, but with feathered friends), and a catered bird-watching brunch at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters. 

Sample local bounty and live music at this North Coast tradition, now in its 43rd year. Wine, beer, spirits, and arts vendors join food stalls hawking crab and other seafood, plus treats like fudge, candy, and crepes. And blues bands and DJs will play at two separate stages for a break between tastes.

A trip to Southern Oregon rewards with a bevy of artisan vendors serving up cheese (duh) but also beer, wine, spirits, and other queso companions—last year’s fest included everything from hot sauce to pickles to sausages. Day one is 21+, while dairy devotees of all ages can join the festival on Sunday. Or, join the cheesemaker’s dinner Friday night at the Ashland Springs Hotel, with a cheese reception preceding a three-course meal.