City Cast Portland
🧹 Why we’re the cleanest city in America (Surprise!)
May 1, 2025 · — Rachel Monahan
Good morning, Portland! May is starting off with a very warm, sunny day ☀️ It’s a good time to get outside, but also there’s a reason to wish for a lot more rain 🔽
What's CITY Talking About?
Forest Park Faces Wildfire Risk
Parts of Forest Park have a high or extreme risk of wildfire. The 5,200 acres that make up the park have seen 1,000-acre wildfires as recently as 1951, but while Portland Fire & Rescue is trying to prepare nearby residents, there are still outdated emergency plans for what the city needs to do in the event of wildfire. [Oregonian 🔒]
The Impact of Low Rainfall This Spring
You may have enjoyed all the sunny days this spring. But less rainfall means a greater risk of wildfires — and higher prices for groceries as the state faces drought conditions. [KOIN]
The Cleanest Metro Area in the Country
Portland has the lowest prevalence of cockroaches and vandalism, and does well on rankings for water, air quality, and policies supporting sustainability. That makes it the cleanest metro area in the country, according to rankings compiled from the U.S. Census data by the carpet cleaning company Oxi Fresh. [Oregonian]
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What To Do
Thursday, May 1
- 🖼️ Free First Thursday | 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. | Free | Portland Art Museum
- 🪵 What the Log Saw: The Log Lady | 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. | $8 | World Forestry Center Discovery Museum
- 🚶 First Thursday Street Gallery | 5 - 9 p.m. | Free | Pearl District
- 🎙️ The Film That Blew My Mind (live podcast) | 7 p.m. | Free | PAM Cut’s Tomorrow Theater
Friday, May 2
- 🪅 Portland Cinco de Mayo Fiesta | 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. | $19.08 | Tom McCall Waterfront Park
- 🖼️ Crafty Wonderland Spring Art + Craft Market | 5 - 9 p.m. | $20 | Oregon Convention Center
- 🎨 First Friday Art Walk | 5 - 11 p.m. | free | East Side
- 🎭 The Brothers Size | 7:30 p.m., ongoing | $25 | Portland Center Stage
- 🎭 The Storyteller | 7:30 p.m., ongoing | $50 | Artists Repertory Theatre
- 🛼 Rose City Rollers: High Rollers vs. Guns N Rollers | 8 p.m. | Oaks Amusement Park
Saturday, May 3
- 🎉 503 Day Block Party | 1 - 6:03 p.m. | Free | Downtown
The local graphic novelist and former teacher Aron Nels Steinke is well-known among elementary students for his “Mr. Wolf’s Class” series.
Now he’s graduated to a middle-school audience with his new book: “Speechless,” inspired by his own experiences at school, chronicles a student experiencing anxiety who's unable to speak at school.
Free · Daily