15 Best Fall Activities in Portland, OR [Local’s Guide]
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Fall in Portland is bittersweet. If it didn’t remind me that the long months of winter drizzle are just around the corner, it would be my favorite season. Summer crowds dwindle in the most popular places despite the beautiful weather on many September and October days. Empty parking spots return to the Columbia Gorge. Colorful leaves in the forests replace the spent wildflowers. Farm stands celebrate the harvest with games and festivals. Art and cultural events fill up every weekend. It’s a great last hurrah before the sun disappears for the next six months. Here are the best things to put on the calendar this fall in Portland.
1. Farm stands, pumpkin patches, and fruit picking
Gourds at Topaz Farms
When to go: September and October
Cost: Free and up
The farm stands around Portland are at their best in the fall. Check out the harvest celebration events on Sauvie Island at farms like Bella Organic Farm and Topaz Farm to find pumpkin patches, corn mazes, haunted corn mazes, cow trains, and hayrides. Many apple and pear orchards have U-pick fruit in September and October. One of my favorites is Kiyokawa Orchards in the Hood River Fruit Loop. This family-owned farm hosts an annual apple tasting every fall, when you can sample over 100 apple varieties from the orchard.
Farms south of Portland are also great visits in September and October. Frog Pond Farms has a fall festival with tons of games and farm animals you can feed. When I visited, the farmer handed me a baby goat to hold because I looked like I would like one. Correct. Bauman’s Farm and Nursery has an excellent greenhouse, kid-friendly activities, and adult-friendly cider tastings. You can order a flight of cider made with fruit from the orchards. For more of a challenge, try out the 21+ cider maze, where cider and beer stands are hidden within a corn maze.
2. Visit a flower farm
Swan Island Dahlias
When to go: August and early September for sunflowers. August and September for dahlias.
Cost: Swan Island Dahlia Festival is free. Sunflower farms vary from free to around $20.
Early fall is the perfect time to catch the last of the flower festivals around Portland. Crows flying over sunflower fields on Sauvie Island at the beginning of September make you feel like you’ve fallen into a Van Gogh painting. The end of their bloom season overlaps with the start of the pumpkin patches. If you miss the sunflowers, one of my favorite flower farms is Swan Island Dahlias, about 40 minutes south of Portland. The last great flower festival of the season, dahlias are at their peak from around mid-August to mid-September. Unlike most sunflower farms, the 40 acres of dahlia fields are free to visit. Next to the fields, look for food carts and live music on weekends and a farmer’s market on Sundays.
Learn more about the Swan Island Dahlia Festival.
3. See the Vaux Swifts
Vaux swifts
When to go: Late August to early October
Cost: Free
Each September, thousands of Vaux swifts roost in the decommissioned chimney of Chapman Elementary School as part of their annual migration. One of the best fall activities in Portland is to watch them hunker down for the night. Arrive at the school a little before sunset with a picnic dinner and a blanket to spread on the lawn. Choose a spot with a view of the chimney. As the sun gets low, you’ll see the swifts start to circle. Just before the last of the light fades, they begin diving down into the chimney with incredible speed and coordination. Wait for good weather for this one. Enjoying one of Portland’s beautiful fall nights is as much of the experience as the birds.
4. Watch the Pumpkin Regatta
Pumpkin boats for the regatta
When to go: Events throughout October. Check out the schedule for dates.
Cost: Free
The Pumpkin Regatta is a cherished fall tradition held every October just outside Portland. It’s a free event that offers the perfect amount of silliness, which is maximum. On the morning of the regatta, crowds descend on a little lake in a suburban shopping center to watch people race in giant hollowed-out pumpkins. And yes, there are costumes. Near the lake, food carts sell hot drinks and snacks like apple cider donuts. The main thing to know going in is that it’ll be crowded. I’d suggest arriving at least 20 minutes before the event to have time to park and get to the lake. If you want a good spot, go earlier. When I went, I was about 30 minutes early, which was too late for the best views. If I went again, I’d go earlier and bring a lawn chair. Otherwise, you’re just standing on concrete waiting for the race to start. Besides the Pumpkin Regatta, check out events throughout October, like the giant vegetable weigh-off and the 5K race.
5. See the maples at the Portland Japanese Garden
The Tree at the Portland Japanese Garden
When to go: Late October and early November
Cost: $22.50/adult
Fall is hands down my favorite time to visit the Portland Japanese Garden. Cherry blossom season gets more attention, but the changing leaves on the Japanese maples put on a bigger show, when vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds make the trees look like they’re made of fire. The colors tend to peak around the time when the rainy season begins in earnest. Unlike most outdoor activities in Portland, a moody drizzle adds to the atmosphere of the garden and brings out the richness of the colors. Rainy fall days are also a great time to visit the Umami Cafe, the Portland Japanese Garden’s tea house, which I’d call the best in the city. Have a pot of tea and a dainty snack while you watch the rain fall on the maple leaves.
Learn more about visiting the Portland Japanese Garden.
6. Watch the salmon migrate at Bonneville Dam
Fish viewing window at Bonneville Dam
When to go: Best in September
Cost: Free
Hundreds of thousands of salmon and steelhead swim past Portland every fall during their migration up the Columbia River. Since most of the action happens underwater, the best place to see them is at Bonneville Dam’s underwater fish viewing windows. About 45 minutes east of Portland, the dam is open to the public and free to visit. The viewing windows are inside, so you’ll stay dry on rainy fall days. Exhibits and videos provide information about hydroelectricity and river ecology. The highlight is the lower level, where you can watch fish navigate the dam’s fish ladders. Migrating salmon start passing through the ladder in August and continue into October, peaking in September. You might see more than salmon. Once, I watched cormorants dive while lampreys clung to the viewing windows. On your way out, it’s worth stopping by the fish hatchery to see the display ponds of rainbow trout and the enormous prehistoric-looking white sturgeon. On the drive back to Portland, check out one of the waterfalls around Multnomah Falls. The crowds are a lot less intense in the fall than in summer.
Learn more about visiting Bonneville Dam.
7. Go for a fall color hike
Maple Trail in the Hoyt Arboretum
When to go: October and early November
Cost: Free to $10
Catching the best of the fall color season around Portland can be hard. It doesn’t last long, and the short season is mostly rainy days. If you get lucky with the weather or come prepared with rain gear, fall is a beautiful time to visit the forests in and around Portland. One of my favorite places to see the changing leaves is the Hoyt Arboretum, Portland’s museum of living trees. Unlike the conifer-heavy native forests around the city, the arboretum has tree species with showy fall colors, especially along the Maple Trail. The larches on the Redwood Trail are also a treat in November, when their green needles turn bright yellow. Other great fall color destinations around Portland are Forest Park, Silver Falls State Park, the Columbia Gorge, the Banks-Vernonia Trail, and the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
Learn more about the best fall color hikes near Portland.
8. Haunted houses, bars, and ghost tours
Raven’s Manor
When to go: October
Cost: $20+
Portland embraces Halloween wholeheartedly, perhaps more than any other holiday. Even outside of October, it’s easy to find activities that lean into the macabre and the uncanny. Portland’s best themed bars are great visits at any time of year. If you’re planning on stopping by the haunted house-themed bar, Raven’s Manor, in October, it’s a good idea to make a reservation to avoid a long wait. Honorable mentions for spooky ambiance are Coffin Club, a bar and music venue, and Creepy’s, Portland’s clown-themed bar.
For a unique night out with an eerie twist, Portland Ghost Tours leads haunted tours and pub crawls all year. On these walking tours, a guide takes you to the spots in downtown Portland that are most infamous for paranormal sightings and events. On the way, you’ll get all the tea ranging from widely accepted history to rumor, hearsay, and, of course, ghost stories. Tours happen rain or shine, so be sure to dress for the weather.
Learn more about haunted tours of Portland.
Then, there are the haunted houses. Lovers of the terrifying and the jump scare should check out these spots:
Oaks Amusement Park in Sellwood becomes Scare Grounds in October, combining rides, games, and three haunted houses.
The Fear is one of Portland’s largest haunted houses, with actors, animatronics, and escape room experiences.
The Davis Graveyard is a super-elaborate display in the yard of a Milwaukee home that grew out of the owners’ love of Halloween. Today, it’s a community effort. This one you don’t walk through. Just admire from the sidewalk. It’s free to visit.
9. Halloweentown in St Helens
Town square in St Helens
When to go: Late September through October. Check out the events calendar on the Spirit of Halloweentown’s website.
Cost: It’s free to see the decorations in town. Tickets for events start at $15. General admission is $40.
Why stop at a haunted house when you could go to a haunted town? About 45 minutes north of Portland, St Helens was the filming location for the 1990s classic movie Halloweentown. The town has embraced its ghostly identity ever since, recreating scenes from Halloweentown every fall. Unlike some of the more intense haunted houses, Halloweentown is designed to be more spooky than scary. Think family-friendly scarecrows and Jack-o-lanterns instead of axe-wielding monsters and jump scares. Between parking and admission, the cost of visiting adds up fast. For a budget-friendly outing, head to downtown St Helens on a weeknight to see the decorations in the town square and the shops. I was also impressed by the yard displays in the neighborhoods.
10. Greek Festival
Dance performance at the Greek Festival
When to go: October. Check the festival’s website for dates.
Cost: $5 for ages 12+
I went to Portland’s annual Greek Festival for the first time on a whim without knowing much about it beforehand. I had a great time and would happily go again every fall. The three-day event celebrates Greek culture with a pleasing emphasis on food. After trying the spanakopita, dolmas, and baklava, check out one of the dance performances held throughout the day. Inside, wander through the museum with traditional Greek clothing and art exhibits. Before you attend the festival, I suggest looking up the (admittedly tedious) cashless payment system so you aren’t struggling to figure it out when you arrive.
11. Go for a mushroom walk
Mushrooms in the Leach Botanical Garden
When to go: After the rains start
Cost: Free and up
You can find mushrooms in the gardens and forests around Portland all year, but fall is a boom time. After the rains set in, it’s peak season for chanterelles. Of course, don’t harvest anything unless you know the regulations and are 100% sure about identification. Also, stick close to trails to avoid getting lost in unfamiliar areas. Even if you’re not a foraging expert, searching for mushrooms (for admiration purposes) is one of Portland's best fall activities. The cheapest way to see them is just to head to a hiking trail in the woods and start looking. To deepen your knowledge of the local fungi, guided tours are a great resource. The Leach Botanical Garden and Hoyt Arboretum are a couple of places in Portland that offer guided mushroom walks in the fall.
12. Oktoberfest in Mount Angel
Mt Angel
When to go: September. Check out the schedule on the event’s website.
Cost: Free and up
I tend to forget there’s a Bavarian-themed town within an easy drive of my house until Oktoberfest rolls around. Visiting the charming and quirky Mt Angel, Oregon, during the four-day festival is one of the best fall activities near Portland. This huge event featuring German and Swiss-inspired food, drinks, dancing, music, and vendor booths draws more than 300,000 visitors each September. Expect to see lederhosen and dirndls everywhere you look. Many buildings in town resemble ski chalets in the Alps. One contains the largest glockenspiel in the country. The festival is free, with a fee to visit the biergarten and weingarten.
13. Día de los Muertos altars and events
Altar at The Armory
When to go: Late October and early November
Cost: Free and up
Rooted in Mexican indigenous culture, Día de los Muertos is a time to celebrate the memory of departed loved ones. Events in Portland draw the community into the holiday’s practices and traditions, like the creation of beautiful altars decked out with marigold chains and filled with offerings to the dead. One of the best ways to celebrate is to see the altars and attend a production at the Milagro Theater in southeast Portland. Or, visit Zenger Farm to enjoy the food, performances, and marigold harvesting. For budget-friendly options, check out the elaborate altar in the lobby of The Armory Theater. A family in southeast Portland also does an amazing front yard display on the corner of SE Lincoln St and SE 60th Ave near Mount Tabor.
14. Art, film, and fashion events
Portland Open Studios
When to go: Events throughout the fall
Cost: Free and up
Portland hosts some of its best art events in the fall, from fine art to clothing design.
Art in the Pearl is a fine art fair held over Labor Day weekend, the largest of its kind in Portland. Head to the North Blocks Park in the Pearl District to check out the paintings, sculptures, jewelry, and blown glass. Visiting is free.
Artists throughout Portland open their galleries and workspaces to the public during weekends in October during Portland Open Studios. All are free to visit.
The Portland Film Festival happens in October, showcasing films by independent filmmakers across multiple theaters in the city.
Portland’s most notable fashion events are in the fall, like Portland Fashion Week, billed as the world’s most sustainable fashion week, and FashioNXT Week. Unlike the art and film activities, these events aren’t the most wallet-friendly, but can be a fun night out if your budget allows.
15. Pop-up markets
Portland Night Market
When to go: Mostly late November and December
Cost: Usually free
Since I’m a bad planner, one of my annual traditions is to miss most of Portland’s holiday markets and pop-ups because I forget about the holidays until around December 22nd. If you’re more organized (almost guaranteed), you can find tons of cool events featuring local vendors and makers, beginning with Snack Fest in September. The fall Portland Night Market happens in October. From the end of November through December, look for specialty pop-up markets, like the Sustainable Holiday Market, My People’s Market, the Holiday Vegan Night Market, and Naya Native Made Winter Marketplace.
Best things to do in Portland in the fall, the summary:
Farm stands, pumpkin patches, and fruit picking
Visit a flower farm
See the Vaux Swifts
Watch the Pumpkin Regatta
Maples at the Portland Japanese Garden
Watch the salmon migrate at Bonneville Dam
Go for a fall color hike
Haunted tours, bars, and houses
Halloweentown in St Helens
Greek Festival
Go for a mushroom walk
Oktoberfest in Mount Angel
Día de los Muertos altars and events
Art, film, and fashion events
Pop-up markets
Enjoy your fall day in Portland!
With love,
Emma
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