Portland is a hub for creativity, hosting a myriad of music and arts festivals throughout the year that celebrate its rich cultural tapestry and vibrant artistic community.
Rose Festival Events
For the annual multi-week
Rose Festival,
a Portland tradition since 1907, the Kimpton Hotel Vintage is a great home base. Nearby, catch the opening-night fireworks spectacular, the
City Fair,
the
Grand Floral Float Showcase,
and more.
PDX Live
Kimpton Hotel Vintage is the perfect spot to catch the outdoor concert series
PDX Live
from, located only 2 blocks away in Pioneer Courthouse Square (and one of the sponsors to boot).
Portland Comic Con
Rose City Comic Con
is returning to Portland. Join this pop culture film, comics and more three-day extravaganza hosted at the Oregon Convention Center, only minutes from the hotel. Let your geek flag fly.
Waterfront Blues Festival
Listen to this: Four days of guitars, bass, harmonicas, trumpets, and hi-hats blaring the sounds of the blues from morning to night over the Fourth of July weekend. That’s what you’ll hear at
this festival,
which brings multiple stages to Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
Over the years,
those stages have featured legendary crooners such as
John Lee Hooker,
Paul deLay,
Blind Boys of Alabama,
and many others, and better yet, it's all for a great cause.
Pickathon Music Festival
Located on
Pendarvis Farm
in nearby Happy Valley, Oregon,
Pickathon
is what
Willamette Week
calls “Portland’s biggest little music festival.” It’s evolved hugely since its start in 1999, growing from a tiny folk and roots show to a major event that attracts eclectic artists like
Jeff Tweedy,
Thee Oh Sees,
and
Feist.
PDX Jazz Festival
Every February, the
Portland Jazz Festival
gets the city’s toe tapping with upward of 100 performances over the course of 11 days. Internationally recognized icons play alongside local musicians in this celebration of Black History Month, which also involves outreach programs into the city’s neighborhoods and schools. Past performers include the
Sonny Fortune Quarter,
pianist
Aaron Goldberg,
rock-influenced ensemble
Moongriffin,
and harpist
Brandee Younger.
Portland Pride Festival
Tom McCall Waterfront Park is the backdrop for the LGBTQ community and friends to enjoy a festival of acceptance, celebration, and inspiration. At this weekend event, there are tons of vendors, food, and beverages. Downtown, you can’t miss the
Portland Pride Parade,
a colorful affair with more than 100 festive groups marching.
Portland Film Festival
Celebrate good storytelling at the
Portland Film Festival,
organized by filmmakers for filmmakers. There’s plenty for the public, too, both on the entertainment and education fronts. A mix of outdoor screenings and films shown inside some of the oldest historic theaters in Oregon make this much more than just your typical movie night.
Portland Winter Light Festival
Free and open to the public, the
Portland Winter Light Festival
is an outdoor celebration along the Willamette River’s Eastbank Esplanade. Over four days, light-based art installations, engaging performances, and interactive activities for both kids and adults bring people together outside during a time of the year when many retreat indoors.
