City Cast Portland
🍒 Portland’s best summer produce
July 7, 2025 · — Rachel Monahan
Good morning, Portland! There are so many iconic Portland summer events to choose from this week — a ZooNights concert, an OMSI Star Party, and Bike Summer’s Coffee to Books to Beer social ride 🚲 Or check out the mall crawl at the Lloyd Center 🏬
If you love having all of Portland’s most intriguing events selected for you each week, join City Cast Portland Neighbors. Our members get this curated roundup every Monday — plus other great perks that help you feel even more connected to your city.
Today on City Cast Portland
Summer’s Peak Produce: The Good, the Overrated, and the Surprisingly Delicious
Countless varieties of fruits and vegetables are hitting farmers markets and grocery stores over the next few months, but just because they're local, that doesn't mean we love them all.
You don't like eggplant? Maybe try kohlrabi, which I had never even tried until last year. It's the ugliest vegetable I've ever seen, but it can be quite tasty.
Today, Bryan Vance of Stumptown Savings debates the best and worst of Oregon's summer produce. Plus, he's got plenty of tips on when to find local fruits and vegetables at peak season.
What To Do
Monday, July 7
- 📷 Reflections on Twentieth-Century Lesbian Feminism through the Photography of Donna Pollach | Oregon Historical Society (Downtown)
- 🚲 Mellow Mondays (Bike Summer ride) | Abernethy Elementary (Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood)
- 🍅 Come Thru Market | The Redd (Buckman neighborhood)
Tuesday, July 8
- 🎹 Ryota Yamazaki Solo Piano | Portland State (Downtown)
- 🤓 Last Call Trivia Night | Hillsboro Downtown Station Food Carts
- 🎨 Free Art in The Park | Pioneer Courthouse Square
Wednesday, July 9
- 🚲 Bike to Swim in the Willamette River | Crema (Buckman neighborhood)
- 🥽 Lloyd Live: At the Dock | Duckworth Dock (Eastbank Esplanade)
- 😆 Lady Killers | Show Bar (Revolution Hall, Buckman neighborhood)
Thursday, July 10
- 🎥 Guardians of the Galaxy | Elizabeth Caruthers Park (South Waterfront)
- 🎵 Son de Cuba | Mt. Tabor Park Amphitheater
- 🎤 Bigfoot Poetry Festival | various locations (Downtown)
- 🫛 Rockwood Community Market | Rockwood Market Hall (Rockwood neighborhood)
- 🎵 The SteelDrivers with Haley Johnsen | Topaz Farm (Sauvie Island)
Friday, July 11
- 🎵 The Norman Sylvester Band, with Lenanne Miller | Jamison Square Park (Pearl District)
- 🎬 The Sandlot | Overlook Park
- 😆 You Are Not Alone | Kickstand Comedy (Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood)
- 🎤 Bigfoot Poetry Festival | various locations (Downtown)
- 🐘 ZooNights: Kalimba | Oregon Zoo
- 🎭 The Merchant of Venice | Portland Playhouse (King neighborhood)
Saturday, July 12
- 🎵 Edna Vazquez (East Portland Summer Arts Festival) | Ventura Park (Hazelwood neighborhood)
- 🎤 Bigfoot Poetry Festival | various locations (Downtown)
- 🛍️ Lloyd Mall Crawl | Lloyd Center (Lloyd District)
- 🎭 The Merchant of Venice | Portland Playhouse (King neighborhood)
- ⭐ OMSI Star Party: Summer Night Sky | L.L. Stub Stewart State Park (Buxton)
- 🛍️ White Lotus Summer Market | Shun Fat Supermarket (Southeast 82nd Ave.)
- 🚲 Coffee to Books to Beer Social Ride (Bike Summer) | Ankeny Rainbow Blocks (Buckman neighborhood)
- 🌲 Family Forest Days | Hoyt Arboretum (Washington Park)
Sunday, July 13
- 🥁 Portland Taiko and Friends (East Portland Summer Arts Festival) | Ventura Park (Hazelwood neighborhood)
- 🛍️ White Lotus Summer Market | Shun Fat Supermarket (Southeast 82nd Ave.)
- 🎭 The Merchant of Venice | Portland Playhouse (King neighborhood)
- 🚲 The Alley Ride (Bike Summer) | Alberta Park
Monday, July 14
- 🎻 Timeless Works by Mozart, Bach & Messiaen | Reed College
- 🎵 Macy Gray | Crystal Ballroom (Downtown)
- 🪻 Lavender U-Pick | Wayward Winds Lavender Farm (Newburg)
- 🎤 Karaoke From Hell | Dante’s (Old Town)
🎟️ We’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow with your regular edition of Hey Portland, but if you want this exclusive events roundup next Monday, become a City Cast Portland Neighbor today. You’ll get a preview for planning your week ahead in Portland every Monday.
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