13 Fun and Cheap Things to Do in Portland

Summer is the best time to be in Portland. It’s warm (we say hot when temperatures get above 80, which I know is weird for most of you out there), it’s clear, and it stays sunny well past 9pm. You visit in the summer and think, okay, jerks, you are all lying about how crappy your weather is, and you start thinking about living in Portland.

I call it “move to Portland weather” and it’s real. It’s like when you’re first dating someone and you’re on your best behavior all the time, trying not to show the other side of you. Or when you take your sick kid to the doctor and all of a sudden they seem fine and want to play on the structure in the office. Portland in the summer is like that.

If you’re visiting this time of year, hello! Welcome! You can move here, too, it’s cool. Just remember, the weather isn’t always like this. But that’s actually good. It means us Portlanders are WAY better about appreciating a good thing when we have it. When the sun’s out, we’re out.

What are we doing? So glad you asked! Here are 13 fun and cheap things to do in Portland when you come to visit.