City Cast Portland logo

What To Do in Portland This May

Posted on May 1, 2024   |   Updated on September 30, 2025
City Cast Portland staff

City Cast Portland staff

Rows of green plants, carrot tops, onions, and a tomato in the background, in Portland, Oregon

Get your garden started! (Rachel Monahan / City Cast Portland)

City Cast

Your Guide to May in Portland

00:00:00

It’s May, and the rain should start slowing down soon 🤞 Here’s what else is happening in Portland this month:

💐 Find Local Flowers for Mother’s Day

If you’re looking to bring your mom the traditional Mother’s Day bouquet, consider some locally grown flowers from a market stand like Hav Paj at PSU’s market or a florist like Hilary Horvath. Or maybe Mom would enjoy being brought to the flowers at Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden or International Rose Test Garden. Or maybe she’ll take herself on an amazing wildflower hike. (At least don’t forget to call Mom on Sunday, May 12.)

🥬 Plant Your Summer Veggies

May is a key month in gardening. You can start planting your tomatoes and eggplants, though Portland Nursery advises keeping them covered until it’s consistently 50 degrees out. And it’s not too late to plant broccoli, kale, cabbage, and other leafy greens. (We have advice on how to start a garden, with picks for good local gardening shops.)

✅ Don’t Forget To Vote

The primary is May 21. This election may decide who the next Multnomah County district attorney will be, along with whether Portland gets gas tax money for road maintenance. Your ballot should arrive by the second week of May. (Stay tuned; we’ll have more election coverage in the coming weeks.)

🪦 Visit the Oldest Mausoleum in the West

On Memorial Day, Wilhelm's Portland Mausoleum opens its doors to the public. It’s been around since 1901 and is the final resting place of 97,000 people. It has stained glass and Italian sculptures — in its eight miles of hallways. You’ll learn a bit of Portland history along the way if you go for a tour.

For more ideas of what to do this month, check out the City Cast Portland podcast’s Guide to May in Portland.

May Is Here

Share article

Hey Portland

Stay connected to City Cast Portland and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

Portland's Best

See All
Portland's BestJune 2

What To Do in Portland in June 2026

City Cast Portland contributor Alex Frane has a couple picks:

cyclists out for a group ride on a leafy street in Portland, Oregon
Portland's BestApril 30

Your Guide to May 2026 in Portland

From Mother's Day brunches to 503 Day celebrations to the Primary Election, there's going on in Portland this month.

People on a podium having shot off confetti.
Portland's BestApril 1

Your Guide to April 2026 in Portland

Out on the Oregon Coast, April means it’s time to celebrate the puffin’s seasonal return to Cannon Beach, which will host an annual Puffi...

A closeup of a tufted puffin.
Portland's BestMarch 16

Where to Find Downtown Portland's Best Hotel Bars

With the opening of Damian Lillard's shiny new bar at the Benson Hotel, I've been thinking a lot about our city's hotel bar scene. For me...

people sitting curved banquettes and tables, at Abigail Hall, Portland, Oregon
Portland's BestMarch 9

Where To Indulge in the Cherry Blossom Bloom This Year in Portland

The yearly cherry blossom bloom along the waterfront is one of the rare times you'll see a crowd in our city outside of a scheduled event...

cherry blossoms at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon, park bench foreground
Portland's BestMarch 2

What To Do in Portland in March 2026

There’s plenty to look forward to in March in Portland. But to start, here’s something you may not be looking forward to. This Sunday, at...

view from Mt. Tabor onto an empty reservoir, Portland, Oregon
Portland's BestFebruary 23

Portland Neighborhood Bars That Are Worthy of the Love

What makes a bar a true neighborhood bar?! The City Cast Portland team recently got together to explore why we love our local digs and wh...

cocktail on a table in the foreground, counches, bar in background, Dear Sandy, Portland, Oregon
Portland's BestFebruary 19

Portland Has the World's Best Gluten-Free Food Scene

Is Portland the best gluten-free city in the world? Travel writer Matt Hansen thinks so. He bases that on the relatively large number of...

Three varieties of corn dog in their paper dish at Honey Butter Country Fare, Portland, Oregon

The latest in Portland

The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandMay 31

Where to Get Crafty in Portland

These craft workshops in Portland will certainly help stoke your artistic energy — just make sure to plan ahead, as classes can fill up q...

A top down view shows hands with red painted nails holding a blue triangle-shaped piece of stained glass. In the background there is a cluttered worktable with other multi-colored pieces of stained glass and beads.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandMay 31

Your Guide to Portland’s Laurelhurst Neighborhood

Ornate sandstone arches and palatial century homes announce your arrival to the Laurelhurst neighborhood, one of Portland’s earliest parc...

Hundreds of people sitting on blankets and lawn chairs are packed together beneath the trees of Laurelhurst Park.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandMay 24

Your Guide to Concordia

Wander the Concordia neighborhood, and you’ll always learn something new — like how one of Portland’s iconic gay bars found a new home in...

A colorful mural with a saxophone, rose blossom, coffee cup, and a bridge is emblazoned with the word Concordia. On the right edge, a tree’s swirling roots write the words transformation, integrity, and community on the pages of a book.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandMay 24

Side Quest: Hit the Bricks

It can be mind-boggling to witness how much Portland has changed in just a few years — over decades, that transformation is even more dra...

Water cascades down the angular steps of Ira Keller Fountain.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandMay 17

Side Quest: Porch Power

There’s something magical about gathering on the front steps and jamming with friends. If you’re looking for a way to meet new people or...

People sit in camp chairs underneath pop-up canopies in a driveway while listening to musicians play guitar in the front yard.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandMay 17

Your Guide to St. Johns

Despite being located on the city's periphery, St. Johns is a neighborhood built on connection; to the past — its iconic green-arched bri...

Cars and trucks cross the St. Johns Bridge on a sunny day. Traffic is flowing toward the viewer, and in the distance you can see Forest Park.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandMay 10

Side Quest: Inner Peace

The Vedanta Society of Portland, founded 100 years ago, is based in Mt. Tabor, but the group also oversees the Vedanta Retreat — 289 acre...

A large wooden eagle structure made in a Native American style is nestled among soaring evergreen trees at the Vedanta Retreat outside of Scappoose, Oregon.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandMay 10

Your Guide to Mt. Tabor

For a neighborhood built on and around an extinct volcano, Mt. Tabor is remarkably peaceful. You won’t catch a whiff of fire and brimston...

Looking west from Mt. Tabor, grass and yellow flowers sit in the foreground with evergreen trees and a filled reservoir beyond. Portland’s distant skyline can be seen on the horizon under an overcast sky.