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City Cast Portland

Rachel Monahan.jpg

Rachel Monahan

Rain has ended early. The sun is out. It’s time to think about how to enjoy the summer ahead.

Find yourself a pint of Hood strawberries (right now). Pick 

 (July). Visit the Portland Farmers Market at PSU or your local neighborhood spot (all summer long).

 Festival (July 14-16), or find your favorite musician at 

), ride over the bridges during Bridge Pedal (

 anytime — and eat some curly fries or elephant ears.

How are you planning to enjoy this summer?

What’s Your Favorite PDX Summer Plan? Email Me 

How are you going to keep cool this summer? (

City Cast Portland staff

May is such a lovely month. Here are some ways to make the most of it:

The City Cast Portland-inspired holiday to celebrate our city is back — on Sunday, May 3 (5/03), in honor of the area code. This year, Ankeny Alley and the Portland Bureau of the Transportation are 

 — like what we had last year. Karaoke From Hell as well as City Councilor Jamie Dunphy are among the performers. The mayor’s going to be there 

to ceremonially light up the new Pink District

 will have a brunch cocktail — called a Think Pink Martini — for $5.03 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

 is going to offer two Voodoo Dolls for $5.03 (regularly priced at $5 each); they’ll have a 503 Day message on them. At 

, tap beers and well drinks will cost just $5.03.

🌷 Mother’s Day Brunch | Sun., May 10

If you’re looking to treat Mom mom right, there are some fancy options available for brunch:

 has a three-course Mother’s Day weekend brunch ($55).

 with the chef of a classic New England diner — 

run-down of other tasty ways to treat Mom.

. There are competitive primary elections in some Oregon statehouse races as well as some judgeships. As always, it’s a good idea to consult the state 

 (it’s more like a book — you learn a surprising amount). And there are county specific ones (

Newspaper’s editorial board endorsements:

 I recommend a read of the endorsements — even if you don’t necessarily agree with who they picked, you’ll learn something. The Oregonian has already 

published their endorsement issue yesterday

Look for a newspaper box around town, since their website can be buggy.

Also happening this month are the downtown 

centennial celebration of the Burnside Bridge

events listings for more events throughout the month

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

Your Guide to May 2026 in Portland, Oregon

Your Guide to May 2026 in Portland

Find the best of everything that Portland has to offer.

Portland’s Best

Portland's Best

For the last year, Stumptown Savings’ Bryan M. Vance has been tracking where to find the cheap groceries in Portland. His one-person media operation, founded last April, is designed to help us all save some money at the grocery store and understand our local food systems (outside of restaurants). He shared a few of 

 earlier this week. [City Cast Portland 🎧]

 is cheapest. They can offer low prices, because they don’t advertise or take credit cards. (But you can find Bryan M. Vance on social media for 

.) No, Costco isn’t the most budget-friendly. “ Where Costco's gonna save you money is not really in groceries unless you're someone who's like, I want 60 eggs a week, or I'm raising a family of baby cows who just guzzle milk,” says Vance.

If you go in with a shopping list of staples, this isn’t your best bet. But you can find the random deal (say, Irish butter) that’s cheaper than anywhere else.

And the stores are owned by independent operators, so there’s variety at different locations. For example, the Hollywood neighborhood location carries 

Here’s some simple facts: "You are going to pay more for the exact same products if you shop at QFC over Fred Meyer. It's just the way it is. They're the same company, same store products. You're gonna pay significantly more,” says Vance.

 is actually not as expensive as you may think it is. It’s in the name: They pride themselves on offering you choice," he says.

,” says Vance. “This is like a premium grocery store that is not that much more expensive than like Safeway or Fred Meyer, but you're getting substantially better produce and substantially better meat and dairy. It is kind of a hidden gem, and I actually wish we had one in Portland proper.”

Stumptown Savings newsletter has a weekly 

Where To Buy the Cheapest Groceries, Forest Service Shakeup, and Some Fun Event Picks

For the last year, Stumptown Savings’ Bryan M. Vance has been tracking where to find the cheap groceries in Portland. His one-person media operation, founded last April, is designed to help us all save some money at the grocery store and understand our local food systems (outside of restaurants).

Where To Find the Best Deals for Portland Groceries

The latest on the best and newest restaurants and bars in Portland. We'll help you find where to eat, drink, and socialize.

Portland Food & Drink

Food & Drink

Out on the Oregon Coast, April means it’s time to 

celebrate the puffin’s seasonal return to Cannon Beach

It’s also time to pay taxes (including the 

local ones for arts, homeless services, and preschools

Here’s some other happenings this month:

There are plenty of reasons to be excited about food and drink this month, starting today:

This afternoon, you can sample sourdough bread from the best bakers around. It’s the second annual celebration of National Sourdough Day. (We’re so into sourdough, shouldn’t this be an official city holiday?)

There are plenty of bagel shops around town (I like 

), but everyone seems to hope for even better options. Baker Madilyn Gibbons has been 

selling her bagels at farmers markets and Puff Coffee

, but now will have her own shop in the Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood.

most anticipated restaurant and bar openings

 coming this spring and summer — including one that opened in the last several days: 

Get yourself some crab at this local festival on the Oregon Coast. (Hat tip to our contributor Brianna Wheeler for this one.)

There are a couple chances to make sure your voice is heard this month:

The city is preparing for its next budget year by hearing from Portlanders. (Hat tip to senior creative producer Giulia Fiaoni for this one.)

Catch the one in your district (District 2 already hosted one this past month):

 | April 4 | Portland Building (Downtown)

 | April 8 | Marysville Elementary School (Foster-Powell)

 | April 13 | Sacramento Elementary School (Parkrose Heights)

 for the May primary. If you’re new to town, it takes just a few minutes. And the May primary is scheduled to include 

Other Fun and Quirky Happenings Around Town

Of course, we’ll have more things to do in our daily events listings. But here are a few particularly intriguing ones to start filling in your calendar for the month.

 | Starting April 5 | Portland Art Museum

 80s Video Dance Attack 21st Anniversary Party

For more ideas for the month, check out the 

City Cast Portland podcast’s guide to the month

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 Puffin Welcome Ceremony on April 13. It’s also time to pay taxes (including the local ones for arts, homeless services, and preschools). And watch out for April Fools Day!

Your Guide to April 2026 in Portland, Oregon

Your Guide to April 2026 in Portland

Giulia Fiaoni

, I've been thinking a lot about our city's hotel bar scene. For me, the best of the best make you feel as though you're transported through a secret portal to another world. Here are a few I think are some of the most extraordinary:

This is my go-to for a spontaneous Monday night out because of their all-day happy hour. Their $11 cheeseburger does it for me, but I wouldn't hesitate to throw in an order of their extra crispy skinny fries with a side of fancy sauce. You'll have to walk past the hotel's front desk to find the bar — it's discreetly tucked away in the back of the lobby, making it extra cozy.

If you like raw fish, this place is a dream. Run by executive chef Adán Fausto of celebrated pop-up 

, they serve delightful coastal Mexican seafood dishes with a fabulous array of cocktails to pair. You'll access the bar from a side door off of Northwest 5th Avenue, descend an unassuming flight of stairs, and enter into an intimate basement-level space with kind and attentive servers. I am obsessed with this place.

Tucked away to the left in the hotel lobby, Driftwood Room has been serving expertly crafted cocktail classics since 1954. If you're looking for something especially luxurious, I highly recommend ordering their absinthe served from a fancy French fountain — yes, they bring the entire fountain to your table, so that you can enjoy the alluring drip. The environment makes me feel like everyone should be wearing delicate gloves and smoking long cigarettes from holders. Like their website claims, it's truly magic.

? Please share yours with us. And we’ll share your picks in a future newsletter.

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, the best of the best make you feel as though you're transported through a secret portal to another world. Here are a few I think are some of the most extraordinary:

Where to Find the Best Hotel Bars in Portland, Oregon

Where to Find Downtown Portland's Best Hotel Bars 

You can tell whether you’re a real Portland resident by how you pronounce local names.

Or can you? Today’s quiz tests your Portland street cred — pun intended.

, who inspired today’s questions by sending me a copy of his book “

The ABC’s of Portland’s Alphabet and Pearl Districts

.” Thank you again, Harvey —I hope you enjoy how I’m (finally) putting it to good use for all the newsletter readers.

Test your Portland knowledge with these other quizzes:

How well do you know famous Oregon businesses?

How well do you know the Portland fiction is based on?

How well do you know Portland restaurants?

How well do you know Portland in December?

How well do you know Oregon's oldest institutions?

How well do you know Portland's rainy weather?

How well do you know the Willamette River?

How well do you know Oregon wine country?

How closely were you reading Portland news?

How well do you know Portland origin stories

Which local government takes care of these overlapping responsibilities

You can tell whether you’re a real Portland resident by how you pronounce local names. Or can you? Today’s quiz tests your Portland street cred — pun intended.

How Well You Know Portland, Oregon?

How Well Do You Know Portland?

What Portlanders have been wondering. We break down why things in Portland are the way they are and how they work.

Portland, Explained

Tax season is coming up! In addition to the federal and state taxes everyone pays, there's a number of additional local taxes that are due next month.

Here’s a reminder you may may owe some local taxes too:

Everyone in Portland age 18 years or older who lived some part of the last year in Portland and made at least $1,000 pays this tax. There are exemptions for people who 

don’t have taxable income; low-income exemptions are also available

$112 million in the program's first 11 years

 Mostly it goes to fund art and music teachers at Portland elementary schools, but it also helps to fund local arts nonprofit organizations.

 New City Council President Jamie Dunphy wants to 

 maybe charging high-income Portlanders more and instituting a fee on streaming services.

 or more have to pay this one. For couples filing jointly, the income threshold is $200,000. 

inside the Metro region (within the growth boundary, and not in rural areas; you can 

 above $125,000 (or $200,000 for couples)

 It’s for helping fund services for people experiencing homelessness or for services to keep people housed.

 The tax is in place till 2030, but last year’s 

effort to extend it to 2050 was abandoned

🎒 Multnomah County Preschool for All Tax

The same income bracket as the Metro tax ($125,000 for individuals and $200,000 for couples filing jointly) have to pay up. It applies to anyone who lives or works in Multnomah County.

 $125,000 for individuals) and 3% above $200,000

 — about $60 million more than expected.

It pays for free preschool education for 3- and 4-year-olds in Multnomah County. The program is phasing in, prioritizing children who may need it most.

 After first working to repeal the tax, Gov. Tina Kotek is now launching a commission to 

Here’s a reminder on all our local taxes due today: The Portland Arts Tax, Metro Supportive Housing Services, and Multnomah County Preschool for All Tax.


What's the Deal with Local Income Taxes in Portland, Oregon

The Portland Area’s Local Income Taxes, Explained

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 (well, aside from the weekend line-up at 

 in the fall). The blossoms are typically their most beautiful around mid-March to early April, but with the unexpectedly warm weather this season, there's a chance for 

. Here are some spots to take in the puffy pink magic this year:

The cherry blossoms lining the riverfront at 

 in Tom McCall Waterfront Park are likely the most popular place to enjoy the bloom. Although crowded, that doesn't mean it's not worth a visit. Did you know the trees were a gift from the Japanese Grain Importers Association back in 1990 

to remember those forced into internment camps

Cherry blossom trees can be found all around the University of Portland campus, but you'll want to head to the 

 to get an extra special view. The grassy green quad is lined with trees and looks like the perfect place to enjoy a lunch outside this spring.

The cherry blossoms at the Portland Japanese Garden tend to bloom later than those down at the waterfront, due to their higher elevation and forested environment. There is a cost of admission, so check out their 

 to see when the best time to visit will be.

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 (well, aside from the weekend line-up at your favorite brunch spot or watching the Vaux's swifts roost in the fall). The blossoms are typically their most beautiful around mid-march to early April, but with the unexpectedly warm weather this season, there's a chance for an earlier bloom. Here are some spots to take in the puffy pink magic this year:

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

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

Oregon's brilliant wildflower season is set to begin later this month. Here are three local wildflowers to seek out on your next adventure in nature:

Also known as the Pacific trillium, this iconic flower has three distinctive white petals framed by three green leaves. As they age, the 

. A member of the lily family, trillium grows in shady moist soil, so it thrives around these parts.

 (in Lake Oswego), including along the Trillium Trail.

The common camas, another member of the lily family, is often spotted among company, creating fields of blue and blue-violet. The bulbs were 

 (including the Blackfoot, Cree, and Nez Perce) because they can be cooked down and turned into a sugar.

This versatile flower, with bluish-white petals, grows on slopes, plateaus, and even vertical cliffs, in sun as well as shade.

 in Beaverton has this flower, but wait probably till May to visit.

 If you’re going in search of the spring bloom, 

There are blooms all around us in spring. But here are three local wildflowers to seek out on your next adventure in nature.

3 Oregon Wildflowers To Check Out This Spring

Get to know the natural side of Portland: the plants, animals, weather and more that make our city unique.

Portland Urban Almanac

Urban Almanac

Visit the Portland Farmers Market at PSU or your local neighborhood spot (all summer long).