Oregon’s Essential Summer Festival Guide
In the summer, Oregonians basically live outside. But that doesn’t mean they’re just sitting around whittling. Okay, there’s probably a whittling club somewhere. But for the rest of us, summer means music, food, and a ridiculous amount of beer. Here are the essential summer fests in the Beaver State.
Check in to Hotel Thrillist this September!
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Portland Fruit Beer Fest Continuing its quest to re-masculate fruity beers, this year's PFBF includes one-offs by some of Portland’s best brewers. One year, there was even a beer made with fresh strawberry pie. Gauntlet, dropped.
7th and NE Burnside, Portland
Portland Fruit Beer Fest 7th and NE Burnside, Portland Continuing its quest to re-masculate fruity beers, this year's PFBF includes one-offs by some of Portland’s best brewers. One year, there was even a beer made with fresh strawberry pie. Gauntlet, dropped.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Portland Pride Fest Pride’s back and bigger than ever, taking over the Waterfront, bars, clubs, streets, and more for two days of love.
Portland
Portland Pride Fest Portland Pride’s back and bigger than ever, taking over the Waterfront, bars, clubs, streets, and more for two days of love.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
4 Peaks Music Festival Jam bands and Bend go together like string cheese and overlong solos, and this festival is the region’s biggest music event.
4 Peaks Music Festival Rockin A Ranch Jam bands and Bend go together like string cheese and overlong solos, and this festival is the region’s biggest music event.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Bite of Bend Central Oregon’s biggest celebration of gluttony returns with food, barrel-aged cocktails, beer, music, and more. Extended guitar solos are not expected.
Bite of Bend Bend Central Oregon’s biggest celebration of gluttony returns with food, barrel-aged cocktails, beer, music, and more. Extended guitar solos are not expected.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Cider Summit Portland Offering a break from the bazillion beer fests this summer -- or, you know, just a change of pace -- the Cider Summit returns to show you what apples are truly capable of.
Cider Summit Portland The Fields Neighborhood Park Offering a break from the bazillion beer fests this summer -- or, you know, just a change of pace -- the Cider Summit returns to show you what apples are truly capable of.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
What the Festival Part Coachella, part Burning Man, WTF has become Oregon’s go-to event for bugging out to EDM while partying in the woods until the sun comes up -- then continuing to party in the woods.
What the Festival Wolf Run Ranch Part Coachella, part Burning Man, WTF has become Oregon’s go-to event for bugging out to EDM while partying in the woods until the sun comes up -- then continuing to party in the woods.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Oregon Garden Brewfest Silver Falls is a good reason to go to Silverton. Drinking 130 different beers at a small-town brewfest is an even better reason.
Oregon Garden Brewfest Oregon Garden Silver Falls is a good reason to go to Silverton. Drinking 130 different beers at a small-town brewfest is an even better reason.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
The Portland International Beerfest Holladay Park turns into the most debaucherous version of Mock UN possible, with 200 beers repping 16 countries, and at least one instance of struggling to pronounce a beer’s name.
The Portland International Beerfest Holladay Park Holladay Park turns into the most debaucherous version of Mock UN possible, with 200 beers repping 16 countries, and at least one instance of struggling to pronounce a beer’s name.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Waterfront Blues Festival It’s a tradition, dammit. One that includes fireworks, plus classic blues (Buddy Guy) and very liberal interpretations of “blues” (Macy Gray).
Waterfront Blues Festival Tom McCall Waterfront Park It’s a tradition, dammit. One that includes fireworks, plus classic blues (Buddy Guy) and very liberal interpretations of “blues” (Macy Gray).
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
The Portland Craft Beer Festival Amid all the recurring festivals, it’s easy for new ones to slip through the cracks. The PCBF doesn’t want to let that happen, so it’s bringing 57 of its brewer buddies along to make sure it makes an impression in its first year.
The Portland Craft Beer Festival Fields Neighborhood Park Amid all the recurring festivals, it’s easy for new ones to slip through the cracks. The PCBF doesn’t want to let that happen, so it’s bringing 57 of its brewer buddies along to make sure it makes an impression in its first year.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Oregon Country Fair Less of a music festival and more of a hippie hangout, Country Fair is as the closest thing you can get to Burning Man without going to Black Rock City, complete with roving musicians and weird art.
Oregon Country Fair Veneta Less of a music festival and more of a hippie hangout, Country Fair is as the closest thing you can get to Burning Man without going to Black Rock City, complete with roving musicians and weird art.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Puckerfest Belmont Station unleashes a week’s worth of sour beers during its annual celebration of barrel-aged madness.
Puckerfest Belmont Station Belmont Station unleashes a week’s worth of sour beers during its annual celebration of barrel-aged madness.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Northwest String Summit Sorry, this isn’t three days of classical quartets. But for anyone with even a passing interest in hippie-tinged bluegrass, it’s a must-see spectacle led by the great Yonder Mountain String Band.
Northwest String Summit Horning's Hideout Sorry, this isn’t three days of classical quartets. But for anyone with even a passing interest in hippie-tinged bluegrass, it’s a must-see spectacle led by the great Yonder Mountain String Band.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Project Pabst Last year, PBR brought Portland a giant unicorn, GZA, and Violent Femmes. This year, it’s Blondie, Weezer, and probably a unicorn at Zidell Yards, plus pop-up shows throughout the city.
Project Pabst Zidell Yards Last year, PBR brought Portland a giant unicorn, GZA, and Violent Femmes. This year, it’s Blondie, Weezer, and probably a unicorn at Zidell Yards, plus pop-up shows throughout the city.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
The Oregon Brewers Festival The state’s biggest beer fest returns to the Waterfront, with 90 different craft beers, live bands, food carts, and stimulating conversation with weirdos in line.
The Oregon Brewers Festival Tom McCall Waterfront Park The state’s biggest beer fest returns to the Waterfront, with 90 different craft beers, live bands, food carts, and stimulating conversation with weirdos in line.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
International Pinot Noir Celebration For the past 29 years, wine lovers from all over the world have hit the Valley to sample its trademark pinots. For the past 11, they’ve really beaten Sideways quotes into the ground.
International Pinot Noir Celebration Linfield College For the past 29 years, wine lovers from all over the world have hit the Valley to sample its trademark pinots. For the past 11, they’ve really beaten Sideways quotes into the ground.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
PDX Pop Now! Portland’s nonprofit music fest returns with three days of free shows by Portland’s finest bands, plus a Calvin and Hobbes-esque basketball tournament dubbed Rigsketball.
PDX Pop Now! Under the Hawthorne Bridge Portland’s nonprofit music fest returns with three days of free shows by Portland’s finest bands, plus a Calvin and Hobbes-esque basketball tournament dubbed Rigsketball.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Oregon Jamboree Oregon’s not all hipster indie rock. Half the state’s pure country. And in Sweet Home, Keith Urban and Big & Rich are here to show the state how to truly rock plaid shirts and goofy hats.
Sweet Home
Oregon Jamboree Sweet Home Oregon’s not all hipster indie rock. Half the state’s pure country. And in Sweet Home, Keith Urban and Big & Rich are here to show the state how to truly rock plaid shirts and goofy hats.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Pickathon Crunchy? Well, yeah. The whole thing runs on renewable energy. But the name Pickathon belies a fest that’s less a bluegrass explosion than a sweet, cross-sampling mashup of every musical genre imaginable.
Pickathon Pendarvis Farm Crunchy? Well, yeah. The whole thing runs on renewable energy. But the name Pickathon belies a fest that’s less a bluegrass explosion than a sweet, cross-sampling mashup of every musical genre imaginable.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
The Elephant Garlic Fest This funky little rural fest includes garlic ice cream, garlic beer, and probably absolutely no make-out sessions for about a week afterward.
The Elephant Garlic Fest Jessie Mays Community Park This funky little rural fest includes garlic ice cream, garlic beer, and probably absolutely no make-out sessions for about a week afterward.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
North American Organic Brewer's Festival It’s like the Oregon Brewers Fest, but with a lot more hugs, a lot fewer shoes, and considerably more hula hoops.
North American Organic Brewer's Festival Overlook Park It’s like the Oregon Brewers Fest, but with a lot more hugs, a lot fewer shoes, and considerably more hula hoops.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Willamette Country Music Festival The Jamboree’s big brother, this country music festival consistently brings in top talent that attracts visitors from across the state and into Washington and Idaho. Said talent this year includes Rascal Flatts.
Brownsville
Willamette Country Music Festival Brownsville The Jamboree’s big brother, this country music festival consistently brings in top talent that attracts visitors from across the state and into Washington and Idaho. Said talent this year includes Rascal Flatts.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Nano Beer Fest Small-batch beers make a huge-ass impact at this gathering celebrating one-off beers from around the region.
Nano Beer Fest Tigard Small-batch beers make a huge-ass impact at this gathering celebrating one-off beers from around the region.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
MusicFest NW MFNW returns for a second round of Waterfront domination with headliners like Danny Brown, Foster the People, and Modest Mouse.
MusicFest NW Waterfront Park MFNW returns for a second round of Waterfront domination with headliners like Danny Brown, Foster the People, and Modest Mouse.
Date
Event
Location
Dec 31 Wed
Festa Italiana Pioneer Square becomes Little Italy, complete with grape stomping, opera singers, and enough Italian food to feed, like, half a Dom DeLuise.
Festa Italiana Pioneer Courthouse Square Pioneer Square becomes Little Italy, complete with grape stomping, opera singers, and enough Italian food to feed, like, half a Dom DeLuise.