Fall brings with it a wealth of local outdoor harvest festivals and delightful pumpkin patches ensuring that we can enjoy the crispy fall weather Portland has to offer before it gets too cold. Whether you relish the tradition of selecting the perfect pumpkin with your family at the patch or savoring diverse cuisines while enjoying live dance performances, PDX offers a wide array of enjoyable choices. To make your planning easier, we’ve curated a list of the top five fall activities in and around the city for you and your family to attend.
Swing By a Fall Festival
The PNW loves a good fall festival, with an abundance of seasonal produce and crisp fall days what’s not to love? Here are a few of our favorites .
Portland Greek Festival
This festival has been going on every October for over seven decades in Portland, becoming one of the biggest festivals in the area, featuring traditional food, music and dance performances. The festival is a delightful way to support the community as a portion of the proceeds from the festival go to local charities in the Portland Metro area. Click here to see the dates for this year.
Hood River Valley Harvest Festival
More than 40 years of celebrating Hood River’s bountiful harvest. Local farms and orchards in Hood River provide an abundance of fresh produce, flowers, honey, and jam for the festival. Additionally, you can savor some of the finest local treats from food trucks, enjoy live music throughout the entire weekend, and explore numerous booths featuring handcrafted items from local vendors. If you’re interested in a leisurely stroll while admiring unique locally made goods and stocking up on fresh produce, this event is perfect for you. The event is typically held in October each year, click here to see this year’s dates.
Triskelee Farms Fall Festival
The best stop for fun fall activities. Each October this festival offers a bounce house, hay pyramid, carnival style games, pumpkin decorating, trick or treat walk and lots of great treats and drinks. Pumpkins will also be for sale to decorate or bring home, and there will be tours of the farm available for purchase. Click here for more information on this year’s dates for the festival.
Pop-by a Pumpkin Patch
One of our teams favorite fall activities is heading out to a pumpkin patch to pick out the best pumpkin for our porches. There are so many amazing pumpkin patches to choose from these are just a couple of our favorites:
Plumper Pumpkin Patch & Tree Farm
For the past 25 years, this family-owned pumpkin patch has been a cherished fixture in the Portland area. It offers a wide range of enjoyable activities for the entire family, including the classic corn maze and hayride, a pumpkin patch offering dozens of different types of pumpkins, a petting zoo, pony rides, an exciting obstacle course, and a one-of-a-kind playground. The pumpkin patch season opens in September and typically goes through the end of October each year. Click here to see the dates and hours the farm is open this year.
Bella Organic Farm Pumpkin Patch & Corn Maze
Starting in October, you can hop on a hayride to pick out a pumpkin at the patch before checking out some of the other fun activities the farm has to offer. Bella’s has a corn maze, cow train, duck races, and a haunted corn maze that is directed at older kids and adults. In addition, there is also a winery and provides wine and cider tastings at the pumpkin patch. Whether you are looking to get spooked in the haunted maze, or simply pick out a festive pumpkin, Bella’s Farm is worth a stop click here for more information.
The Columbia Gorge Fruit Loop
This self guided tour takes you on a 35-mile scenic drive through farms and orchards where you can pick your own fruits and vegetables, and stop at vineyards that offer a delightful selection of wine, beer, and cider, and taste specialty products from local vendors. While the beauty of blooming flowers and a wider range of fruit choices make summer an ideal time to visit, October offers its own unique charm; apple picking! Apples, pears, stone fruits, and even some late season berries, there are u-pick options galore and each farm has it’s own unique offerings. For a remarkable selection of apple varieties, make sure don’t miss Kiyokawa Orchards.
Even if you’re not interested in picking your own fruit, a drive along the Fruit Loop is still well worth it. Don’t forget to stop by some of the local farm stands along the route to explore and purchase their offerings. Click here for the current events along the Hood River Fruit Loop.
Take a Hike
Fall hikes are one of the many perks of living in the PNW. While we don’t have east coast levels of fall foliage to boast about that doesn’t mean we don’t get our fair share of seasonal colors. Check out our list of 7 hikes within 90 minutes of Portland.
Or for a more guided/social experience consider Adventures Without Limits weekly hiking group. Throughout the month of October, there will be a series of hiking group meetups taking place at various locations in Portland. These meetup events are free and will commence in the first week of October, running until the week of the 26th. Click here to see their scheduled events.
Portland Open Studios
Portland boasts a vibrant and diverse art community that spans various mediums. Since 1998, every October, the public has been warmly invited to step inside the studios of local artists and witness their creative processes firsthand. The event promises to showcase over 100 talented artists, offering self-guided tours of their studios. To maintain fairness, artists are selected through a blind jury process each year, ensuring an unbiased selection. Artists eagerly anticipate guests’ inquiries about their work and welcome them into their creative worlds. Many artists will have their artwork available for purchase, and some may even encourage visitors to explore their own artistic talents within the studios. This event offers an exciting opportunity to gain insight into the minds and creative processes of our local artists. For more details on this event, click here.
Fall in the PNW is such a magical time. Whether you are enjoying crisp sunny days or a light drizzle there is so much to see and do in the Portland Metro and beyond. Have a favorite fall activity? Let us know in the comments!
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