City Cast Portland logo

What To Do in Portland This July

Posted on July 1, 2024   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
City Cast Portland staff

City Cast Portland staff

overlooking Mt. Tabor reservoir from a grassy hill, Portland, Oregon

Summer in the sun. (Rachel Monahan / City Cast Portland)

City Cast

Your Guide to July in Portland

00:00:00

Here’s my big tip for the month: Get outside. You already knew that, though. So here are some fun things to do once you get out the front door. There are so many possibilities right now:

📽️ Go See a Movie in the Park or at the Drive-In

Hollywood Theatre is hosting summer movies at state parks. The city of Portland and Vancouver also have evening movies in the park. And of course, there’s the 99W Drive-In — if you want a throw-back adventure.

🎵🎭😆 Or How About a Outdoor Concert, Play, Comedy Set, or Festival?

If you’re looking for music, there’s the Waterfront Blue Festival, starting Thursday. There’s the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival later this month. But there’s no shortage of concerts in the park. Your options for musically accompanied picnics are almost endless.

But wait, there’s more: You could also check out a free comedy set or unrehearsed performance of a Shakespeare play.

And then there are some more niche opportunities: La Strada dei Pastelli Chalk Art Festival, Tea Fest PDX, and the Fuji to Hood: Japan/Oregon Beer, Cider & Culture festival.

🏳️‍🌈 It’s Also Portland Pride Month

The Rose Festival takes up downtown waterfront real estate in June, so look for July Pride celebrations in Portland, including the Pride parade.

🌲 And It’s Never the Wrong Season for a Hike

Now is a particularly good time to find a place to get out into the woods. But you don’t even have to go far.

Reminder:Forest Park and Mt.Tabor are gems; so is Tryon Creek.

Your Guide to Portland in July

Share article

Hey Portland

Stay connected to City Cast Portland and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

Portland's Best

See All
Portland's BestJune 2

What To Do in Portland in June 2026

cyclists out for a group ride on a leafy street in Portland, Oregon
Portland's BestApril 30

Your Guide to May 2026 in Portland

From Mother's Day brunches to 503 Day celebrations to the Primary Election, there's going on in Portland this month.

People on a podium having shot off confetti.
Portland's BestApril 1

Your Guide to April 2026 in Portland

Out on the Oregon Coast, April means it’s time to celebrate the puffin’s seasonal return to Cannon Beach, which will host an annual Puffi...

A closeup of a tufted puffin.
Portland's BestMarch 16

Where to Find Downtown Portland's Best Hotel Bars

With the opening of Damian Lillard's shiny new bar at the Benson Hotel, I've been thinking a lot about our city's hotel bar scene. For me...

people sitting curved banquettes and tables, at Abigail Hall, Portland, Oregon
Portland's BestMarch 9

Where To Indulge in the Cherry Blossom Bloom This Year in Portland

The yearly cherry blossom bloom along the waterfront is one of the rare times you'll see a crowd in our city outside of a scheduled event...

cherry blossoms at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon, park bench foreground
Portland's BestMarch 2

What To Do in Portland in March 2026

There’s plenty to look forward to in March in Portland. But to start, here’s something you may not be looking forward to. This Sunday, at...

view from Mt. Tabor onto an empty reservoir, Portland, Oregon
Portland's BestFebruary 23

Portland Neighborhood Bars That Are Worthy of the Love

What makes a bar a true neighborhood bar?! The City Cast Portland team recently got together to explore why we love our local digs and wh...

cocktail on a table in the foreground, counches, bar in background, Dear Sandy, Portland, Oregon
Portland's BestFebruary 19

Portland Has the World's Best Gluten-Free Food Scene

Is Portland the best gluten-free city in the world? Travel writer Matt Hansen thinks so. He bases that on the relatively large number of...

Three varieties of corn dog in their paper dish at Honey Butter Country Fare, Portland, Oregon