Enjoy the best Portland events, festivals, and things to do with this calendar of events.
Distance is from Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland, Oregon.
Comedy festival
May 4 - 7, 2017
multiple location
Bridgetown Comedy Festival showcases hilarious local and nationally known comedians in bars and theaters.Jimmy Buffet party
May 5, 2017 (6 p.m.)
2 miles NW
A ticket to Buffet Bash gets you a drink coupon, appetizers, and dance music by a local Jimmy Buffett cover band at Castaway.Cinco de Mayo
May 5 - 7, 2017
0.5 miles east
Enjoy live entertainment, authentic food, carnival rides, an artisan village, and family fun at Cinco de Mayo Fiesta at Tom McCall Waterfront Park.Bicycle film festival
May 5 - 7, 2017
3.3 miles NE
See short films about bicycling at Filmed by Bike at the Hollywood Theatre, which on opening night has both films and a free street party.Train day
May 6, 2017
1.4 miles SE
Portland Train Day includes games, live music, a free museum visit, steam trains on display, train rides, and food carts at Oregon Rail Heritage Center. Free.Obstacle race
May 6, 2017 (9 a.m. to noon)
8 miles north
Feel like a kid again at The Great Inflatable Race, which includes at least eight blow-up obstacles you must get over, under, around, or through at Portland International Raceway.Garden fair
May 6 - 7, 2017
25.8 miles south
Shop for plants and garden decor, eat at the food court, ask a master gardener questions, and choose from 10-minute classes at the Spring Garden Fair at Clackamas County Fairgrounds in Canby. No pets.Rock and roll show
May 6 - 21, 2017
1.8 miles east
Rock, Roll and Remember is a tribute to “American Bandstand” hosted by Dick Clark, featuring songs from the show’s span of the 1950s to 1980s at Mister Theater.Run along the river
May 7, 2017
1 mile SE
Cinco de Mayo Run/Walk includes a half marathon, 10K, 5K, and half miler that begin and end at OMSI, followed by a party with prizes.Animated film festival
May 10 - 14, 2017
4 miles NE
NW Animation Fest celebrates the best work from independent animators in many countries by screening nearly 200 hilarious, dramatic, strange, and inspiring films at Hollywood Theatre. Repeats later in Eugene.Ground-breaking mental-illness film
May 11, 2017 (3 and 7 p.m.)
0.3 miles SW
A local filmmaker documents her brother’s decline into late-onset paranoid schizophrenia in That Way Madness Lies, premiering at the Portland Art Museum. You can meet the filmmaker at the 6 p.m. reception.Quilt show
May 12 - 13, 2017
7 miles north
Admire hundreds of quilts, see demonstrations, and shop at A Festival of Quilts in Portland Expo Center.Czech film festival
May 12 - 14, 2017
0.3 miles SW
See five innovative films from the Czech Republic at New Czech Cinema at the Portland Art Museum.Move with the dogs
May 13, 2017
0.5 miles east
Doggie Dash is a 1.5 or 2.5 mile untimed walk/run that begins and ends at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, including breakfast, a beverage, a pet festival, vendor booths, food carts, and canine contests.Vampire’s Masquerade Ball
May 13, 2017
1 miles east
Vampire’s Masquerade Ball is a formal gala at Melody Ballroom with gothic and industrial music, a classic midnight waltz, an included buffet, and a no-host bar.Street fair & parade
May 13, 2017
8 miles NW
Kick off the summer street fair season at St. Johns Bizarre, with local music, 70 juried craft vendors, food, a beer garden, and kids’ activities the same day as the noon St. Johns Parade in North Portland.Women’s run in Hillsboro
May 13, 2017 (8 a.m.)
13.7 miles NW
Hippie Chick Quarter Marathon, 15K & Half Marathon at Ron Tonkin Field is preceded by a kids’ race and followed by a breakfast.Plant fair
May 13, 2017 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
21 miles NE
Camas Mother’s Day Plant & Garden Fair features plants, trees, garden art, kids’ activities, live music, and food vendors in pretty downtown Camas, WA. Free.Seaside wine tasting
May 13, 2017 (3 to 7 p.m.)
78 miles NW
Taste wines in local shops with your ticket to Spring Downtown Wine Walk in Seaside. Repeats in Nov.Mother’s Day cirque show
May 13 - 14, 2017
4.7 miles NE
Wanderlust Circus & 3 Leg Torso perform a a wickedly wild show that mixes vaudeville, acrobatics, juggling, aerial dance, and contortion at Alberta Rose Theatre.Mother’s Day flower show
May 13 - 14, 2017
5 miles SE
Mother’s Day Show and Sale is a rhododendron show and sale at Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden.Mother’s Day cruise
May 14, 2017
two locations
Portland Spirit offers brunch and dinner river cruises boarding in Portland or Cascade Locks in the Gorge.Mother’s Day restaurants
May 14, 2017
Portland area
OpenTable lists restaurants that offer special brunch, lunch, and dinner menus on Mother’s Day.Mother’s Day walk
May 14, 2017
1.5 miles NW
Attend a reception at Castaway at 10 a.m., and then take the 5K Reigning Roses Walk through NW Portland at 11 a.m. to honor women and support charity.Mother’s Day zoo brunch
May 14, 2017 (9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
3 miles west
Take Mom to the Portland Zoo for a sweet and savory Mother’s Day Brunch, which does not include or require a zoo ticket.Mother’s Day race
May 14, 2017
13 miles SW, or 5 miles east
Run Mama Run! is a 10K, 5K, and kids’ run in forested Mt. Tabor Park, which is preceded by a light breakfast.Battle of the Bands
May 17, 2017 (6:30 p.m.)
0.6 mile NW
Watch nine bands from local companies and organizations compete for awards at the Battle of the Bands at McMenamins Crystal Ballroom for charity.Queer documentaries
May 18 - 21, 2017
3.5 miles east
QDoc is billed as the only U.S. festival devoted exclusively to Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) documentaries, at Hollywood Theatre.UFO Festival
May 18 - 21, 2017
38 miles SW
The UFO Festival honors two locals who spotted UFOs, with a costume parade Saturday at 2 p.m., speakers, a movie, live music, a 5K, and kids’ fun at McMenamins Hotel Oregon in McMinnville. Schedule.Bakery sale for depression
May 19, 2017 (6 p.m.)
5 miles NE
Just like people sometimes, cakes, cupcakes, and cookies at the one-day Depressed Cake Shop Portland are gray on the outside but great inside. Sales at The Little Church support Baby Blues Connection.Oregon City festival
May 19 - 21, 2017
12 miles south
Pioneer Family Festival has a carnival, food vendors, entertainment, a police K-9 demonstration, and a Saturday teddy bear parade in Oregon City. Free.Craft show
May 20, 2017
1 mile NW
Shop from 200 artists and craft makers at the Crafty Wonderland Spring Art + Craft Market at the Oregon Convention Center. Repeats in Dec. Free.Wear a red dress
May 20, 2017 (9 p.m., VIP 8 p.m.)
2.2 miles NE
Men and women wear red dresses, drink red cocktails, and dance at the Red Dress Party for charity at the Old Freeman Factory.Tour historic homes
May 20, 2017 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
8.5 miles south
The Lake Oswego Historic Home Tour features four historic homes within walking distance, starting at Oswego Heritage House.Armed Forces Day
May 20, 2017 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
12 miles SE
See historic and current military vehicles, uniforms, and equipment, and meet historians at Living History Day at Camp Withycombe. Adults require ID. Free.Rum Run
May 20, 2017
13 miles SW
The Rum Run includes a 10K, 5K, and kids’ run with awards and a tropical party at Big Al’s in Beaverton.Art walk
May 20 - 21, 2017 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
5 miles east
Visit local artists at two dozen locations on Mt. Tabor Art Walk, following the map on their website. Free.Steam-powered festival
May 20 - 21, 2017 (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
39 miles south
Powerland Heritage Park Celebration includes admission to 14 historic museums, a craft fair, a farmer’s market, and kids’ activities near Salem. Free.People in the street
May 21, 2017
Located 1.7 miles SE
Walk, bike, or roller-skate on 7 miles of streets when most cars are banned for Southeast Portland Sunday Parkways. Nearby parks offer activities & music. Free.Wildflower Festival
May 21, 2017
115 miles south
Wildflower and Music Festival has flowers on display, plants for sale, experts to answer questions, food, arts and crafts, music, guided walks, and kids’ activities at Mount Pisgah Arboretum in Eugene. No dogs.Silent-film festival
May 22 & 24, 2017 (7:30 p.m.)
4 miles NE
Watch silent films recently made by Northwest kids under age 21 and accompanied by live music at the International Youth Silent Film Festival at Hollywood Theatre. (See June 7 for global awards.)CityFair & fireworks
May 26 - June 11, 2017
0.5 mile east
CityFair has fireworks on May 26, carnival rides, exhibits, beer, a food fair, and live music on the second weekend at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. No pets. Dates: May 26 - 29, June 2 - 4 and 9 - 11.Meteorite festival
May 27, 2017
16 miles NW
Meteorite and Family Fun Day includes seeing and touching meteorites from outerspace, kids’ games, scavenger hunts, and talks by a meteorite expert at the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals in Hillsboro.Wine country weekend
May 27 - 29, 2017
34 miles SW
More than 150 wineries in the Willamette Valley are open for tastings and tours on Memorial Weekend in the Wine Country.Biblical rock musical
May 28 & 31, 2017
9.2 miles south
Godspell tells the story of Jesus and his disciples through a series of charming and hilarious scenes with a musical score ranging from ragtime to rock and rap at Lakewood Center for the Arts in Lake Oswego.
