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 15

Tips For Getting the Most Out of Summer

The City Cast Portland team shares their favorite Portland summer hacks — tips for cooling down on hot days, favorite patios, the perfect...

People biking through an arch-shaped water mister on a street lined with cars and trees on a clear day.
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

The latest in Portland

The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandJune 21

Your Guide to Sellwood-Moreland

Sellwood-Moreland is the twin neighborhood in Portland that just sticks with you. You can breathe in nature at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refug...

Kids race to paddle their creative watercraft made from milk cartons across a shallow pond. A large crowd stands on the bank to cheer them on.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandJune 21

Side Quest: Sweat It Out

The health and wellness practice of the sauna experience is gaining momentum in the Pacific Northwest. In the Portland area, you can find...

A floating sauna called Ebb & Ember is moored to a dock on the Columbia River beneath a cloudy sky.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandJune 14

Side Quest: Streetcar Stories

One of its most notorious stops was at the White Eagle Saloon, now a potentially haunted rock ‘n’ roll hotel operated by McMenamins in pr...

Alternating images show different iterations of streetcars throughout Portland’s history. The first sepia-toned photograph shows horse-drawn trolleys along tracks. The second black-and-white image shows a conductor and other people posing on an electrified car. The final image shows the modern Portland Streetcar coming over the Broadway Bridge.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandJune 14

Your Guide to Eliot

In 2021, the AMT debuted Albina Soul Walk (now Soul Walk South), a self-guided walking and listening tour that highlights the significanc...

A scene from 1977 in Northeast Portland shows a crowded street made up predominantly of Black people. The sun shines brightly and people are jubilant with smiles on many faces following the Portland Trail Blazers’ NBA championship.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandJune 7

Side Quest: You Can Play These Games

Just a few hundred feet from Pioneer Courthouse Square (and one story below ground), you’ll find Glowing Greens Indoor Mini Golf, the per...

A retro style bowling alley with four lanes. Above the pins on each lane sits a retro Western painting in a golden frame.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandJune 7

Your Guide to Pioneer Courthouse Square

When it comes to Downtown Portland, there’s almost too much to tackle in one visit, so we’re keeping this week’s wander focused on places...

A crowd of people raise their hands in the air with Pioneer Courthouse in the background. A flock of pigeons are flying by in the sky.
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.