Portland and Area Weekend Activities Planner - May 3, 2024

PORTLAND CINCO DE MAYO FIESTA
For more than 30 years, the Portland Guadalajara Sister City Association has hosted a Cinco de Mayo Fiesta that has become one of the largest multicultural celebrations in Oregon. The fiesta boasts three full days packed with festivities and culturally immersive programming at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland. During the event, festival-goers can experience the spirit of Mexico through music, arts, dance and sport.

Portland’s Cinco de Mayo Fiesta began in 1983, the same year Guadalajara, Mexico, became one of Portland’s nine international sister cities. As a direct result, a strong sense of cultural exchange continues to drive the activities and nonprofit collaborations of the festival.

STAR WARS WEEKEND AT WASHINGTON SQUARE
Join us for May the 4th Be With You: Star Wars Weekend at Washington Square. View Star Wars LEGO creations from PortLUG, meet LEGO Masters Season 4 Contestant Kelly Bartlett, experience a live LEGO building demonstration, Build a LEGO Spacecraft* and take it home with you, Meet members of the Cloud City Garrison (501st Legion) and Kashyyyk Base (Rebel Legion), and more.

Whether you are from the Dark Side or the Light Side of the Force, join us to celebrate Star Wars!

McMENAMIN'S CORNELIUS PASS ROADHOUSE MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU
You don't have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to celebrate Star Wars Day! Head to Cornelius Pass Roadhouse for a Star Wars themed Passport Discovery Hunt to get your just-for-fun May the Fourth stamp. You can start your quest here, and May the Fourth be with you!

CINCO DE MAYO BAR CRAWL: DOWNTOWN FOREST GROVE
Join Ridgewalker Brewing on May 4th for Downtown Forest Grove’s Cinco De Mayo Bar Crawl happening from 7 p.m. to Midnight. Some businesses close earlier than others, so start planning your route accordingly.You can start at Ridgewalker Brewing or Waltz Brewing when picking up your stamp cards/maps. Each business will be offering fun drinks and food specials.

PORTLAND DERBY
The 17th installment of the Portland Derby is back. Celebrating the greatest two minutes in sports, the “Run for the Rose City” is the social event of the spring. A day for fashion, mint juleps, roses, ponies and dancing.

Imagine sundresses, big hats and seersucker suits. The Portland Derby organizers are excited to bring The Portland Derby back to inner Southeast Portland at the Redd for the celebration. 

SPRING UNVEILING ARTS FESTIVAL - CANNON BEACH
Each spring, Cannon Beach art galleries collect the latest works from their featured artists to showcase at the Spring Unveiling Arts Festival. That tradition continues this spring over the weekend of May 3-5, 2024. The galleries will welcome some of their most popular artists as guests in the galleries during the weekend or will curate special exhibitions of their latest works. 

BRIDGETOWN BLUEGRASS AND FOLK FESTIVAL
This Saturday kicks off the one-day, all-day festival in the heart of Portland's downtown arts district at the First Congregational Church. The festival is dedicated to preserving traditional music and foster the growth of supporting local talented artists and offering educational programs to the public. There will be 15 bands, classes, live performances and a selection of beverages, along with delectable options from food carts.

Koi symbolize courage and determination as they swim upstream and through powerful waterfalls. In Japan, koinobori, or cloth carp streamers, flown outside homes and public buildings, create a festive atmosphere. Portland Japanese Garden’s koinobori will be displayed in the Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Foundation Courtyard and Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center.

LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL
A fabulously fun award-winning musical based on the adored movie, Legally Blonde The Musical follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Action-packed and exploding with memorable songs and dynamic dances – this musical is so much fun it should be illegal.

SHOWDOWN
The Hunger Games of Comedy. Six players enter the stage. Only one will survive. Curious Comedy Showdown pits Portland’s finest comedians against one another in competitive improv comedy cage matches that will make you laugh until you cry. Armed with only razor-sharp wit and your suggestions, the players must create fast-paced and hilarious scenes on the spot to win audience votes — round after round — in hopes of living to see another day. Finally, you decide which player is left standing. If you like Whose Line Is It Anyway, you’ll love this show.

WOODEN SHOE TULIP FESTIVAL
The annual bloom of cherry blossoms at downtown Portland’s Waterfront Park is impressive, but an even more colorful burst of flowers appears every spring just 32 miles (51 km) south of the city, in Woodburn. The Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival blossoms each spring, drawing thousands to come and see 40 acres (16 ha) of tulips in bloom, rain or shine.

Tulip bulbs are classified as early to mid-season flowers. This means that in the Portland area, their bloom season runs from March through May. Likewise, the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival runs from mid-March to early May, with the most flowers in full bloom around mid-April. Blooms only last for about two weeks, so don’t wait too long to frolic in these fields!

NANO BEER FESTIVAL
The World's Largest Nano Beer Festival!

Started back in 2008, the Nano Beer Fest began at Max's Fanno Creek where the owners were looking for a way to showcase the local small brewers who were coming on the scene. 9 years later it has grown to a bi-annual event featuring small batch beers, ciders and mead made by some of the most inventive and newest members of the local craft industry! Join us to celebrate (and meet) these rising stars!

SCI-FI FILM FESTIVAL
For eight weeks this spring, OMSI’s 2024 Sci-Fi Film Festival will showcase over 40 of science fiction’s most memorable films on the Empirical Theater’s giant four-story screen.

From genre classics such as 2001: A Space Odyssey to more recent favorites like Everything Everywhere All at Once, the festival’s offerings are sure to appeal to science fiction fans of all ages and interests.

AANHPI HERITAGE MONTH
Join Lan Su to celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month! In partnership with more than 20 local cultural organizations, performers, and artists, we explore the history, traditions, and arts that make up the rich cultural tapestry of AANHPI.

From May 4th - 31st, we highlight the stories, the culture, and the expressions of our AANHPI communities. Enjoy a display of traditional outfits, cultural performances, vendors from local AANHPI communities, educational talks and demonstrations, and learn all about these different cultures and traditions. 

CRAFTY WONDERLAND
When: May 3-4
Where: Oregon Convention Center, 831 Southeast Salmon Street, Portland, OR
What's going on: Are you an artistic person? A fan of all things arts and crafts? Well, here is your craft heaven: the Crafty Wonderland event will be hosting over 225 booths of homemade goods. The two-day event is one not to miss! 

BEST HIKE FOR KIDS: SWEET CREEK FALLS TRAIL
In this Coast Range valley, the Sweet Creek Falls Trail follows the scenic cascading waters of Sweet Creek.  Hikers will encounter 11 waterfalls in all, each framed by mossy rocks and ferns and under a canopy of Douglas-fir, Alder and Big leaf maple. There are no bridge crossings of Sweet Creek. This trail consists of four segments. The Homestead Trailhead to Sweet Creek Falls is 1.1 miles. The Sweet Creek Falls Trailhead to Sweet Creek Falls is 0.4 mile. Sweet Creek Falls to the Wagon Road Trailhead is 0.8 mile. Wagon Road Trailhead to Beaver Creek Falls is 0.6 mile. Beaver Creek Falls is a 0.1 mile from the Beaver Creek Trailhead.

See it before you hike it! Use Travel Lane County’s Google-Trekked Trails to see Google's "trail view" of this trail. Click on the "trail details" for more information on the trail itself. Sweet Creek Falls / trail details

HIKE - MULTNOMAH FALLS TRAIL
Experience this 2.3-mile out-and-back trail near Bridal Veil, Oregon. Generally considered a moderately challengi...ng route, it takes an average of 1 h 30 min to complete. This is a very popular area for hiking, so you'll likely encounter other people while exploring. The trail is open year-round and is beautiful to visit anytime. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash.