Ready for sweater weather, Portland? From pumpkin patches and corn mazes to apple picking and German beer celebrations, fall is when Rose City thrives.
Get ready to come alive — or play dead at a fall-tastic haunted house — with this guide featuring fall events happening now through November.
Festivals
Rose City Comic Con | Friday, Sept. 6-Sunday, Sept. 8 | Times vary | Oregon Convention Center | $15-$775 | Worlds collide for family-friendly fun at this annual pop-culture convention.
The Portland Polish Festival | Saturday, Sept. 14-Sunday, Sept. 15 | Times vary | 3900 N. Interstate Ave. | Free | Enter the polka contest, enjoy traditional polonez, mazurek, and krakowiak dances, and of course, dig into pierogi and other dishes of the country.
Portland Latin American Film Festival | Wednesday, Sept. 25 | 7 p.m. | Hollywood Theatre | Prices TBD | See various perspectives of Latin American culture through a variety of films.
FashioNXT Week | Thursday, Oct. 3-Saturday, Oct. 5| Times vary | United States National Bank Building | $35-$6,000 | Peep collections by international and local designers and mingle with industry pros at runway shows.
H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival | Friday, Oct. 4-Sunday, Oct. 6 | Times vary | Hollywood Theatre | Price TBD | Peer into the unknowable at this cinematic showcase of new voices in cosmic horror.
Portland Greek Festival | Friday, Oct. 4-Sunday, Oct. 6 | Times vary | Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral | $5 | For more than 70 years, this bazaar has attracted crowds, earning it an Oregon Heritage Tradition designation.
Fall Sukiyaki Bazaar | Sunday, Oct. 6 | 12-3:30 p.m. | Oregon Buddhist Temple | Free+ | Shop for omiyage (small gifts) and other crafts, plus eat chow mein.
Cedar Mill Cider Festival | Sunday, Oct. 6 | 12-4 p.m. | John Quincy Adams Young House | Free | Learn about local pioneers and sip cider made with antique, hand-cranked presses — there will also be barbecue and bluegrass.
Portland Open Studios | Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 12-13 + Oct. 19-20 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Locations vary | Free | Artists across the city will open their workspaces to demonstrate their creative process and present their pieces.
Autumn at Fogelbo Tours | Friday, Oct. 18-Saturday, Oct. 19 | Times vary | Nordic Northwest | $5-$35 | Step into this Henry Steiner-built cabin, recognized on the National Register of Historic Places, that is also home to one of the country’s largest private collections of Nordic antiques and folk arts.
Howloween | Saturday, Oct. 19-Sunday, Oct. 20, Saturday, Oct. 26-Sunday, Oct. 27 | 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.| Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd. | $19-$24 | Bring the kids trick-or-treating around the animal enclosures, where keepers will give special talks and magicians will perform.
Portland Book Festival | Saturday, Nov. 2 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Locations vary | $5-$100 | When the weather’s nasty, nothing is better than curling up with a good book — or getting to meet the author of some of your favorites.
Kumoricon | Friday, Nov. 8–Sunday, Nov. 10 | Times vary | Oregon Convention Center | $80-$500 | Attend this annual anime convention that brings artists and fans together from all over the PNW.
QDoc Film Festival | Friday, Nov. 15- Sunday, Nov. 17 | Times vary | Hollywood Theatre | Price TBD | Grab some popcorn and settle in for the only film fest in the US devoted entirely to queer documentaries.
Are you a kölsch kind of person or a dunkel? All are welcome at Edgefield’s Oktoberfest.
Photo courtesy of McMenamins
Oktoberfest
German Haus Oktoberfest | Saturday, Sept. 7 | 11 a.m.-9 p.m. | German American Society of Portland | $7-$25 | All the hospitality of Deutschland is on display at this celebration featuring games, music, and of course, bier.
Occidental Oktoberfest | Saturday, Sept. 7 | 12-9 p.m. | Occidental Brewing Co. | $15 | Have a hefeweizen with views of St. Johns Bridge and tasty eats from Urban German Wursthaus.
Mt. Angel Oktoberfest | Thursday, Sept. 12-Sunday, Sept. 15 | Times vary | Locations vary, Mt. Angel | $10-$15 | What started as a way for the town’s Swiss and German immigrants to preserve their cultural ties has become an extravaganza that attracts 300,000 visitors a year.
Portland Oktoberfest | Friday, Sept. 20-Saturday, Sept. 21 | Times vary | Pioneer Courthouse Square | $10-$30 | Where better to drink beer than Portland’s Living Room? Don’t forget to wear your lederhosen.
Zoiglfest | Friday, Sept. 20-Saturday, Sept. 21 | Times vary | The Zed | Free | On top of the keg tapping and stein holding contest, you’ll also find kid-friendly activities like face painting, a bouncy castle, petting zoo, and more.
Oaks Park Oktoberfest | Friday, Sept. 20-Sunday, Sept. 22 | Times vary | Oaks Amusement Park | $4-$44 | Wiener dog races. If that’s not enough for you, there will also be rides, cooking demonstrations, and imported beer.
McMenamins Oktoberfest | Sunday, Sept. 22 | All day | Edgefield | Free | All of the business’ locations will have promotions for the occasion, but out in Troutdale you’ll find beer and live music as well as a plant sale and a golf tournament.
Zootoberfest | Friday, Sept. 27-Saturday, Sept. 28 | 5:30-9:30 p.m. | Oregon Zoo | $30-$60 | Say prost to 45+ local breweries and cideries as keepers give animal talks.
Dogtoberfest Dog Wash | Saturday, Sept. 28 | 12-4 p.m. | Lucky Lab Brew Pub (Hawthorne) | Free | Sip on a brew or two while your pup gets pampered with a wash, all in support of DoveLewis Blood Bank.
Olympia Provision Oktoberfest Celebration | Saturday, Sept. 28 | 12-9 p.m. | Alpenrausch | $15 | Don your finest dirndl and drag your friends to this day of games like the pretzel toss and hammerschlagen, food, and drink.
Oak-tober Fest Harvest Block Party | Oct. 12 | 12-6 p.m. | Bauman’s on Oak | Free | Have fun in the street with a baby goat petting zoo, small pumpkin painting, a pumpkin pie baking contest and judging, plus cider (in a glass and in donut form).
To find the center of the maze, find the end of the rainbow.
Photo by @bellaorganicfarm
Orchards, pumpkin patches, and corn mazes
Bella Organic Farm | Saturday, Aug. 31-Thursday, Oct. 31 | Times vary | 16205 NW Gillihan Rd. | Free, $10-$45 for corn maze | It’s always worth a fall trip out to Sauvie Island, whether you’re picking a pumpkin or a bottle of blackberry wine.
Plumper Pumpkin Patch and Tree Farm | Saturday, Sept. 14-Thursday, Oct. 31 | 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. | 11435 NW Old Cornelius Pass Rd. | $16-$31| Take a hay ride, pet some farm animals, launch a pumpkin cannon, and more.
Frog Pond Farm | Friday, Sept. 20-Sunday, Oct. 27. | Times vary | 2995 SW Advance Rd., Wilsonville | $12-$100 | Visit 60+ farm animals, play games, and snap special photos while hunting for a gourd.
Lee Farms | Saturday, Sept. 21-Thursday, Oct. 31 | Times vary | 21975 SW 65th Ave., Tualatin | Price TBD | Take a photo in front of what’s quite possibly the cutest harvest backdrop for 100 miles.
The Pumpkin Patch | Saturday, Sept. 28-Thursday, Oct. 31| Times vary | 16511 NW Gillihan Rd. | Free, $8-$10 for corn maze | Grab a coffee at the Patio Cafe, pet some goats, get lost in The Maize, and take home some farm produce.
Topaz Farm | Saturday, Sept. 29-Sunday, Oct. 27 | Times vary | 17100 NW Sauvie Island Rd. | $10 | Climb to the top of the hay pyramid and celebrate your achievement with a tasty caramel apple during Fall Harvest weekends.
Roloff Farms | Friday, Oct. 4-Sunday, Oct. 27 | 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. | 23985 NW Grossen Dr., Hillsboro | $20-$26 | Take a stroll on the scenic trail, play tons of kid-friendly games, and of course, find the perfect pumpkin.
Halloween happenings
Spirit of Halloweentown | Saturday, Sept. 28-Thursday, Oct. 31 | Times vary | 471 Plymouth St., St. Helens | Free+ | Visit the place where “Halloweentown” and “Twilight” were filmed, where the magic of the season comes to life each year with decorations, haunted history, and special ticketed attractions.
Portland Oddities and Curiosities Expo | Saturday, Oct. 5-Sunday, Oct. 6 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Oregon Convention Center | $10-$225 | From tattoos to taxidermy, you’ll find all sorts of vendors at this show.
West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta | Sunday, Oct. 20 | 10 a.m.-4 p.m. | Lake of the Commons, Tualatin | Free | Watch costumed cruisers paddle their gourd around an aquatic course.
Titanic Masquerade: Portland Halloween Party Cruise | Friday, Oct. 25 | 10 p.m.-1 a.m. | Salmon Street Springs Dock | $22-$55 | Embark on a terrifyingly fun voyage on the Portland Spirit Yacht-turned-Titanic — just watch out for icebergs.
The Great Pumpkin Run | Saturday, Oct. 26 | 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Sellwood Riverfront Park | $25-$95 | Get a sweat going on 5K, 10K, and half marathon courses — costumes are encouraged.
Rest in pieces.
Photo by @caminantecaminoalandar
Haunted houses
The Fear PDX | Friday, Sept. 13-Friday, Nov. 1 | Times vary | 12219 NE Glisan St. | $25-$35 | You’ll find four scare zones for thrill seekers to check out.
Davis Graveyard | Tuesday, Oct. 1-Thursday, Oct. 31 | Times vary | 8703 SE 43rd Ave., Milwaukie | Free | View this animatronic attraction from the street — the passion project of Jeff and Chris Davis, a married couple who loves Halloween, since 1996.
Underhill Haunted House | Friday, Oct. 4-Saturday, Nov. 2 | Times vary | Veterans Memorial Coliseum | $9-$50 | Season of Screams packs a triple threat of experiences: Underhill Manor, Terror Ship, and Witches Bog.
Oaks Park ScareGrounds | Friday, Oct. 4-Saturday, Nov. 2 | Times vary | Oaks Amusement Park | $23-$113 | There’s nothing amusing when this theme park gets a spooky makeover, featuring three main attractions, side shows, and food and beverage options.
Cinema of Horrors Drive-In | Wednesday, Oct. 9-Thursday, Oct. 31 | 7-10 p.m. | Clark County Event Center, Ridgefield | $49-69 | The monsters lurk on the screen... and around your car.
Thanksgiving events
Portland Holiday Market | Friday, Nov. 15-Sunday, Nov. 17 | Times vary | Portland Expo Center| $12, kids are free | Start your search for stocking stuffers early at this premier craft, food, and gift show.
Wine Country Thanksgiving | Friday, Nov. 22-Sunday, Nov. 24 + Friday, Nov. 29-Sunday, Dec. 1 | Times vary | Locations vary | Prices vary | Wineries across the Willamette Valley invite guests to try special tastings, food pairings, live music, holiday discounts, and more.
Ha Ha Harvest Comedy Festival | Thursday, Nov. 28-Sunday, Dec. 1 | Times vary | Locations vary | Prices TBD | Chuckle and chortle your way into the holiday season with hilarious shows across town — a comedy cornucopia, if you will.
