City Cast Portland logo

Your Guide to Mt. Tabor

Posted on May 10

Ben McBee

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.

Mt. Tabor’s open-air reservoirs were disconnected from Portland’s water supply in 2015. Now they’re purely ornamental. (Mark E. McClure)

For a neighborhood built on and around an extinct volcano, Mt. Tabor is remarkably peaceful. You won’t catch a whiff of fire and brimstone, and miracles may be hard to come by, but there’s one thing for certain — it is a place where people go to find themselves — and this coming Saturday, there’s a reason to go see it.

🎨 Why To Visit This Week: Art From The Heart

This coming weekend, expect a palpable air of creativity as the neighborhood welcomes the annual Mt. Tabor Art Walk (Sat., May 16 - Sun., May 17). It’s an opportunity for the public to meet and support 41 artists who live and work in the area. You’re invited into homes, studios, and other spaces where you can browse ceramics, fiber art, glass, jewelry, mixed-media, painting, photography, sculpture, and more.

🌳 Outdoors: Put It In Park

The sunny May weather is glorious for a picnic on the lawn above Reservoir Number 5 or a stroll up to Mt. Tabor Park’s summit viewpoint for a glimpse of the distant skyscrapers. This side of Mt. Tabor Park is a classic Portland spot to catch the sunset.

On the southern edge you’ll find a sizable off-leash dog area.

At the opposite end of the park, the Caldera Amphitheater hosts live music, dance parties, and theatrical performances throughout the summer.

🍻 Food & Drink: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

The Mt. Tabor menu is on the shorter side but still plenty memorable, whether you’re in search of a fresh brew or a bite to eat.

Coffee comes first: Find it at Taborhood Cafe in a converted fire station, or Rain or Shine Coffeehouse, where the bagels are also bomb.

Taborspace: This community center has it all, from rose lattes (courtesy of Crema Coffee & Bakery) to sign language classes for kids (Tiny Talkers, Thursdays at 9:30 a.m.).

Hinterland Bar & Food Carts: Every ‘hood needs a pod, and this one has some heavy hitters like Matt’s BBQ Tacos and Hunker Down.

Leikam Brewing: Woman-owned, family-run, and kosher are three adjectives that are just the foam on the pint. Small-batch craft beer comes with Klezmer music and appearances from Puck, the resident kitty.

TPK Brewing: If you fantasize about playing tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons inside an actual tavern, dream no more… because it’s happening.

Coquine: James Beard Award-nominated chef Katy Millard prepares seasonal farm-to-table fare alongside a wine menu to make any oenophile weep happy tears. The next-door market offers pastries and sandwiches by day before turning into Katy Jane’s: An Oyster Bar in the evening.

📲 Did we miss some of your Mt. Tabor favorites? Send us a line to share your recs.

📲 Your Mt. Tabor Recommendations
see more:things to do

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.

The Weekly Wander by City Cast Portland

See All
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandJuly 26

Side Quest: Stop and Smell the Roses

Although you’ll now encounter a multi-hued oasis, when the garden opened in 1913, it was planted with nothing but fragrant, pink roses.

Two people walk their bicycles through an ornamental rose garden, popping with vibrant red, pink, and white blooms.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandJuly 26

Your Guide to Piedmont

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

Hundreds of people sit on the lawn in front of the historic gazebo in Peninsula Park.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandJuly 19

Side Quest: Second-Run Stars

Portland’s historic movie theaters are time capsules of cinema-how-it-was, and watching modern films somehow feels less soul-sucking.

Cars are parked on the street outside of Academy Theater in Portland’s Montavilla neighborhood. The blue facade is cylindrical with a marquee lined by blue lights.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandJuly 19

Your Guide to Montavilla

Long a stopover for travelers between Hood River and Portland, Montavilla is a crossroads of cultures and camaraderie, and every summer,...

Crowds of people browse the stalls at the Montavilla Street Fair. Booths can be seen on both sides of the street.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandJuly 12

Side Quest: Drinks with a View? Wine Not

Competition in Willamette Valley is fierce, but Amaterra sets the bar high (on top of the West Hills, in fact). It's 15 minutes from down...

People sit in red adirondack chairs at Amaterra Winery, looking out over the Tualatin Valley and a sloped vineyard. The setting sun peeks through a stand of tall evergreen trees.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandJuly 12

Your Guide to Portland's West Hills

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

Blueberries, some ripe and some not, weigh a branch down.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandJuly 5

Your Guide to Hosford-Abernethy

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

Crowds of people explore the exterior of the Oregon Rail Heritage Center, which has criss-crossing tracks and several locomotives, one of which sits on a working turntable.
The Weekly Wander by City Cast PortlandJuly 5

Side Quest: Tapas? Heck Yes

Meet vya, the Portland, Oregon, Spanish tapas restaurant that opened earlier this year in the former Palomar space, setting the scene for...

A hand squeezes a roasted lemon on top of a pan of paella with shrimp and mussels.