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City Cast Portland

Giulia Fiaoni

Summer in Portland often feels ideal — the weather is 

 moderate, people seem friendlier than usual, and there's an endless list of exciting events and dreamy outdoor destinations to explore. But if we're being honest, not everything on our summer bucket lists ends up hitting the mark. Last week on the podcast, I joined host Claudia Meza and executive producer John Notarianni to debate what we think are 

the most overrated (and underrated) summer to-dos

 in our city. Here's some of what we came up with:

We were all in agreement that a river swim is perfectly rated, but where you swim can make all the difference.

John's hot take: "I think that swimming at 

 is dramatically overrated because it is so crowded. You are always in a traffic jam trying to get there. There's never anywhere to park. Once you get there, there's very little shade."

 is a little overrated. Any other river is infinitely better, less crowded, usually cleaner. I get people love the tubing…but every time I've gone I've been like, 'I wish I was at the Clackamas.'"

I had a suggestion for an alternative: Swimming at 

. " It's so much less crowded, and the terrain is a lot more interesting. It's not just a sandy beachfront; it's this rocky, mossy terrain. There's a little hike in, and a lot of the time you'll see folks driving their remote-controlled robot cars around the rocks. It's the cutest thing." 

 to pick up tortas for lunch — I think they have some of the best in town.

John and I also had suggestions for less traditional, car-centric outdoor fun.

 movie theater in Newberg, Ore. "You can either watch it in your car with your friends or bring lawn chairs and sit right outside your car. It is just such a fun way to make seeing a movie the most social experience possible."

. " It wasn't like this big, macho event. It was family-friendly…it was not only your standard super fast, like Lamborghini race cars, but they also did a vintage race car race where it was like all different kinds of cars, like Mini Coopers."

Even Portland's most tourist-friendly attractions and activities can be fun for locals, so it was not easy to come up with some 

 overrated picks. Here are some of our gripes and recommendations:

 is overrated. It has nothing to do with the nudity…It's just the crowd. It is so crowded that it turns into a world naked bike walk," says John.

 is overrated. "I would suggest going to 

 instead. It's half the amount of roses, but the way that it's laid out in the symmetry of the garden space is so mind-blowingly beautiful." 

 After a visit to the garden, get dinner and drinks a short walk away on North Killingsworth. Plus, to learn more about Peninsula Park, check out yesterday's edition of our 

Claudia has a more general take: " Anything you have to wait in line for already, you're losing. You're losing daylight. You're losing your heat tolerance. Unless that line is like misted and it comes with free drinks, hell no."

 and making a night out of it. " You can go and walk behind these cascading waterfalls that come out of the fountain. It's amazing at night, the way that it's lit up. It's just this wonderful auditory, visual experience." 

 theme park near Salem. " It almost has this kind of outsider art vibe, where everything is just really interesting and meticulously made. You can go see the giant witch with the mouth you can walk into or the life-size gingerbread house. And they do have rides."

Summer in Portland often feels ideal — the weather is mostly moderate, and there's an endless list of events and outdoor destinations to explore.

The Most Overrated (and Underrated) Portland Summer Activities

Summer’s finally here. Here's how to make the most of it in Portland.

Portland Summer Guide

Summer Guide

Ben McBee

, with a deed dating back to 1889, when Edward Quackenbush and The Investment Company platted the area and began marketing it as “The Emerald, Portland’s Evergreen Suburb, Devoted Exclusively to Dwellings, A Place of Homes.” Surviving residences of that era are few and far between, but the 

 was added to the national register in 1997.

Why You Should Visit This Week: ‘To Cross the Face of the Moon’

That’s the translation of “Cruzar la Cara de la Luna,” the 

, which makes its Oregon debut this weekend. Opera in the Park Portland will host this production, free to the public for the first time, at the historic gazebo in Peninsula Park, July 26 at 6 p.m. The 70-minute performance features a bilingual libretto in Spanish and English, a full orchestra, chorus, and seven soloists, all of which sets the stage for a “poignant and timely story of migration, cultural identity, and generational divides within the Mexican-American community.”

This neighborhood, which straddles North and Northeast Portland, leans heavily residential, but there are still a few worthwhile dining destinations to check out in Piedmont. At the top of the list is Casa Zoraya, where you can enjoy 

 like ceviche, papa rellena, anticuchos de pollo (chicken skewers), empanadas, and chicharron de puerco, as well as a few flavorful takes on a pisco sour, all outside on a vibrant patio that sometimes hosts live music.

Off of Northeast MLK Boulevard, you’ll find 

 a food truck pod with menus ranging from Thai and gyros to sushi and boba tea. Electric Rice Company earns rave reviews for its Hawaiian hits and a 

 (the Katsubi, a katsu musubi soaked in hot honey and chipotle adobo has our mouths watering). Hearty and made with heavenly focaccia, 

 range from gabagool to flank steak and are the perfect lunch to get you through the day.

Dessert is hands-on this time; Creo Chocolate offers an 

 where you not only make a custom treat to take home, you also get to learn about where the cacao is sourced and how it’s made into award-winning confections.

Piedmont’s northern section juts into the industrial area along the Columbia Slough. There, you’ll find 

 — a former foundry that now serves as artist studios and an occasional events space — named not for briny cucumbers, but the process of removing surface impurities from cast parts. Get to know creatives like glassblower Evan Burnette of 

, who apart from creating surrealist vases, earrings, ornaments, and sculptures, also hosts 

portland@citycast.fm

📲 Your Piedmont Musts

Piedmont is perhaps Portland’s oldest planned community, with a deed dating back to 1889.

Your Guide to Portland's Piedmont Neighborhood

Your Guide to Piedmont

The Weekly Wander

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The Weekly Wander newsletter is your neighborhood guide filled with hidden gems and unexpected ways to explore Portland, OR. Get it in your inbox every Sunday.

The Weekly Wander by City Cast Portland

The area where Montavilla exists today gets its name from the first subdivision built in the neighborhood, a contraction of 

. Long a stopover for travelers between Hood River and Portland, the farmland increasingly turned to homes after the construction of the 

 in 1892. Today it’s certainly a crossroads of cultures and camaraderie, and every summer, it’s on full display.

Why You Should Visit This Week: Taking It to the Streets

, the Montavilla Street Fair will return for the 13th time on Sunday, July 26, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. More than 200 vendors will line Southeast Stark Street between 76th and 82nd avenues for this family-friendly celebration of community and creativity.

Not only is it a great chance to directly support local community organizations and small businesses — from restaurants and clothing boutiques to artists and antiques sellers — there are also four live music stages to enjoy across the neighborhood’s historic downtown. Catch smaller, intimate performances at the Plaza Stage, larger acts will roll through the Brewery Stage and Main Stage, and the Honk Stage will be your go-to for all-acoustic tunes (think big street-band energy).

Visitors will also be able to peruse the produce, flower vendors, and hot food options at 

This neighborhood was built by immigrants, and today that influence lives on via an incredible local food scene.

🏮 Named after the bustling Bangkok road that anchors the Thai city’s Chinatown, Yaowarat 

. You’ll encounter yellow curry, char siu pork, lemongrass, and Sichuan peppercorn along the way, and the Crispy Bean Curd Dumplings are non-negotiable — order them!

to the breads and pastries at Fressen Artisan Bakery, which implements 

 to make the Swabian-style pretzel, a Franconian rye, vollkornbrot, and more multigrain goodness.

🌮 Mexican cuisine is often covered with broad strokes, but Tierra Del Sol paints 

 with its signature dishes such as tlayuda, tetelas, and mole enchiladas, incorporating the fresh blue corn tortillas as much as possible.

 through delicious mezza and kabob plates, lemon chicken, and delicate baklava. Check out the prix fixe menu and 

communal dining options in the Fairuz Room

🍻Threshold Brewing & Blending certainly pushes the boundaries in several directions, including IPAs, fruity sours, and bourbon barrel-aged beers. Owner Jarek Szymanski shares a taste of his homeland by 

 paired with zapiekanka, toasted open-face sandwiches that are a popular street snack.

Portlanders are creative, and they tend to be good neighbors as well. That translates to lots of 

. In Montavilla in particular, you’ll find plenty of interactive stations that go beyond the usual book swap.

: Find something frisky for your feline friend.

: Rewind the clock for a bit of nostalgia at this movie swap.

: You want a corvid sidekick? These trinkets will help.

: Freshen up your morning brew with new ceramicware.

: Play six free holes of mini golf in the side yard; call the number for the gate code.

We know there’s much more magic to find in Montavilla. Share 

Montavilla recs

📲 Your Montavilla Recommendations

Long a stopover for travelers between Hood River and Portland, Montavilla is a crossroads of cultures and camaraderie, and every summer, it’s on full display.

Your Guide to Oregon's Montavilla

Your Guide to Montavilla

The definition of Portland’s West Hills probably differs depending on who you ask, but for our explorations we’re staying north of Sunset Highway, straying only as far west as Cedar Mill. With easy access to Forest Park and other pockets of nature, it’s a peaceful place to live with plenty of dining appeal, as restaurants and breweries keep heading to the ‘burbs.

Why You Should Visit This Week: Purple-Stained Fingers

 is a u-pick patch with rows of unsprayed bushes growing Blue Crop, Duke, Berkeley, and Elizabeth varieties. The season typically starts in early July (this year’s opened July 1) and runs through the summer, or until the crop runs out.

Farmer John Russell is the voice you hear on the phone when you call for hours and availability — 

it’s best to check ahead of time to see what’s ripe

 that will weigh your harvest on the way out (payment is cash, check, or Venmo). Visitors are invited to bring a picnic blanket and enjoy the scenery; more than likely you’ll also receive a greeting from Ripley, the resident pug who trades companionship for a few scritches and a sneaky blueberry treat here and there. Leave your own pup at home, but remember to bring your own bag or container.

As you’re looking for a bite, you’ll come across familiar names beyond city limits, such as 

 (their blueberry muffin tart ale is both delicious and on-theme), Spielman Bagels & Coffee’s 

, and 808 Grinds, which recently debuted a 

 alongside wines from the country’s Mendoza region. Empanadas come in varieties ranging from the Abuela Chona (beef, egg, potato, sweet pepper, and onions) to the BBQ Pork or Pollo Spicy, with rotating daily specials.

Cornell Farm’s lush nursery will dazzle even the most experienced gardener; fittingly, its cafe’s 

 appeals to the seasoned gourmand. Enjoy sips of Sleepy Monk Coffee at the espresso bar and tuck into plates such as the Tofu Hash or Elote Salad.

You’ll find there are well-traveled trails and others that are farther off-the-beaten-path as you 

Pose for a panorama pic at Pittock Mansion, 

, and head out on a hike. You can venture down one ridge and over the 

 to Hoyt Arboretum, or wander the other direction to the 

Bird Alliance of Oregon’s Wildlife Sanctuary

). Nearby in Macleay Park, ruins of a former bathroom live on in infamy as the Witch’s Castle, a stone structure stained with graffiti and 

 is the Willamette Stone, a point that was used to demarcate all land surveys and properties in Oregon and Washington. Today, the wooded area is protected by the state as a heritage site.

Did we miss something in the West Hills? 

West Hills recs

📲 Your West Hills Recommendations

The West Hills are a peaceful place to live with plenty of dining appeal, as restaurants and breweries keep heading to the ‘burbs.

Your Guide to the West Hills of Portland, Oregon

Your Guide to Portland's West Hills

 contains several smaller pieces that each have their own flavor, such as Ladd’s Addition, Clinton and Division streets, part of the Central Eastside, and industrial sites along the Willamette River. Although Hosford-Abernethy sounds like a pompous butler (

), its name actually comes from two schools: Hosford Middle School and Abernethy Elementary School.

Why You Should Visit This Week: Choo Choo

, so it’s a fitting home for the Oregon Rail Heritage Center and its mission to preserve historic locomotives and other relics of Pacific Northwest transportation, including a 

102-foot turntable used to redirect steam engines

It all comes to life on the nonprofit’s 

, which are offered Saturday and Sunday, now until Oct. 11. With your ticket, you’ll enjoy passage along the waterfront to Oaks Park and back, soaking in views of the skyline and wildlife from open-air or air-conditioned cars. Departures happen on the hour from 1 to 4 p.m. and once you return, you can browse the 

Food & Drink: Elevated Eats and Frozen Treats

By now, tummies might be grumbling, so cross the street for a beer and slice of wood-fired pizza — made with red sauce, white sauce, or garlic oil — in the 

 at Mt. Hood Brewing Co.’s Tilikum Station. Now let’s track down the other top spots at high speed — GO!

 goes big with Texas-style beef franks — the H-Town comes with red salsa, fried shallots, pepperoncini, and teriyaki sauce — inside a working motorcycle shop. Grab a drink at 

 has cold and hot subs made on signature Dutch crunch bread. Both are delicious (especially The Godfather).

. There’s a reason why the wine-forward restaurant L’Orange landed 

🥘 Akadi transports you to a better place with 

; try a bit of everything, from the wings to the jollof rice, for a memorable family-style meal.

For many, OMSI is a well-trodden path. Perhaps less explored is the USS Blueback, the U.S. Navy’s last active duty diesel-electric submarine, which is 

 come to town, Helium Comedy Club is more than likely where they’re at (James Austin Johnson and Michael Che of “SNL” fame have shows this month).

Maybe you’re meant to take the stage? Well, 

 at Baby Ketten Club, or if you like tunes with more twang, The Showdown 

Did we miss something in Hosford-Abernethy? 

Hosford-Abernethy recs

📲 Your Hosford-Abernethy Recommendations

The history of this Portland, Oregon, neighborhood is rooted in the railroad industry, so Hosford-Abernethy is a fitting home for the Oregon Rail Heritage Center.

Your Guide to Portland's Hosford-Abernethy

Your Guide to Hosford-Abernethy

Rachel Monahan

A quarter millennium ago, the United States got its start. Since then, we've experienced all the promises and disappointments of our country's lofty rhetoric about freedom — and mixed results in delivering on that. And yes, Portland will celebrate this year with the 

There’s also the option of enjoying the 

small-town atmosphere of the city within Portland

, including a parade. [City Cast Portland’s Weekly Wander ✏️]

It’s Portland’s Pride Month! To avoid competing with the Rose Festival, organizers moved our local celebrations to July. The 

Plan for Your Summer Food Festival Calendar

Some of the best food festivals are still two months away, but now’s the time to get your tickets. Food writer Brooke Jackson-Glidden 

shared her favorite summer food festivals

 on the podcast earlier this week: [City Cast Portland 🎧]

A quarter millennium ago, the U.S. got its start. Since then, we've experienced all the promises and disappointments of our country's rhetoric about freedom.

What To Do in July

What To Do in Portland in July 2026

Find the best of everything that Portland has to offer.

Portland’s Best

Portland's Best

City Cast Portland staff

Marionberries, blueberries, and blackberries arrive at a farmers market near you this month. You can use the 

Stumptown Savings Farmers Market Directory

 to find a neighborhood market any day of the week (hat tip to Stumptown Savings founder Bryan M. Vance).

🥬 A staple for me all year round is the mixed salad greens from 

💐 Senior producer Giulia Fiaoni recommends 

 — a family-owned fresh flower stand from Molalla, Ore., which, she notes, have “stunning bouquets for as little as $20, the perfect celebratory gift.” You can find them at the 

🥬 Executive producer John Notarianni has a CSA with 

: “But also the farm has been selling this beautiful komatsuna recently at the 

. Think of a cross between bok choy and mustard greens: a little bit spicy, crunchy and fresh, it's perfect mixed into a salad or sauteed with garlic and sesame oil.”

 What’s your favorite thing to get at the farmers market right now? 

, and we’ll share your recommendation with your fellow readers.

, says our podcast host, Claudia Meza. That means you keep your tube, sandals, and towel in your car for a quick dip in the river (or a pool, swimming hole, or the beach even).

In June, Gov. Tina Kotek declared a wildfire emergency in Oregon, in anticipation of what lies ahead this summer. She 

sign up for the state emergency alert system OR-Alert

 — both of which are useful for other kinds of emergencies too.

For information on active wildfires, AirNow has an 

, which I downloaded a couple years back for use when traveling, sends alerts about wildfires. For air quality, there’s the 

. And once the smokey season fits, you can breathe easier with a 

. Hopefully, we need none of these resources this summer.

Find ways to prepare yourself for July in Portland, including tips on farmers markets, swimming, and fire season.

things to do

The Most Overrated (and Underrated) Portland Summer Activities

Your Guide to Piedmont

Your Guide to Montavilla

Latest articles

The Most Overrated (and Underrated) Portland Summer Activities

Your Guide to Piedmont

Your Guide to Montavilla

Your Guide to Portland's West Hills

Your Guide to Hosford-Abernethy

What To Do in Portland in July 2026

Tips for a Better July 2026 in Portland

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