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Ah spring! April is the start of a comfortable shoulder season in Portland. Some warmer spring weather, but still not as busy as summer gets. And April brings loads of spring events from tulip festival to beer fests and runs. April can still feel a little rainy and cold, but with an average of 12 days of rain and only 3.5 total inches of rain for the month, things are drying off and spring is in full effect. And with 13.5 hours of daylight, April is a great month to get out and explore the Pacific Northwest. So here’s more info about visiting Portland in April – weather, events and my favorite things to do in Portland in the middle of spring! Jump to:
- April Events
- Things to Do
- Weather – what to expect & historical averages
Portland April Events
- Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival – April through May 5, 2024. (April 28 is the last week for 2024 due to early bloom season). These tulip fields and festival in Woodburn, OR runs all of April. With blooms usually being at peak color and bloom by mid April, the best time to visit for flowers. With 40 acres of tulips, Mt Hood views, and all kinds of add-on fun like rides and hot air balloons, The Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival is a fun annual tradition. (Note: it can be super crowded on weekends!)
- Cherry Blossoms around Portland – While this isn’t an official event, it’s usually blooming mid-March to first week of April, depending on the year. And not just at Waterfront Park, but all around the city!
- Pizza Week – April 15-21, 2024. A Portland Mercury food and drink event. $3 special pizza slices from 30 Portland pizza shops!
- Fertile Ground Festival – April 12-21, 2024! Usually in January, this annual arts festival features creative work from theater to dance to comedy and more.
- The Ladds 500 – April 13, 2024. 500 Laps around the Ladd Circle in Ladd’s Addition. This silly event is a fun one for the bike community.
- Bridge to Brews 10k – April 21, 2024. The Bridge to Brews 10k run is back! Run over 4 bridges and finish with beer!
- The One Motorcycle Show – April 19-21, 2024. The 14th annual One Moto Show at Zidell Yards is for motorcycle enthusiasts to celebrate racing, custom motorcycles and biker culture with the community. Hosted by the folks at See See Motor Coffee Co.
- Portland Concerts – the best resources for live music listings is WWeek’s Music Calendar (they also have art/performance/show listings), and Portland Mercury’s Music Calendar now by EverOut (and if it’s too cluttered, tap the star “Recommended” to see fewer listings).
Portland Design Week – Design Week is another event that has hopped around over the years. It’s a great series of events all around the city – including workshops, speakers, and tours. Most recently this has been an April event. FYI 2021 was the last event!
Things to Do in Portland in April
April is a great time for waterfall hikes in the gorge. It’s a little early for spring blooms, like the Dog Mountain hike on the Washington side (best in May)! Or an Oregon coast visit like the North coast (Manzanita, Cannon Beach) or central coast – Pacific City or Newport. It’s also the beginning of some fine patio weather to try a new restaurant or brewery. April and May is also the unofficial start to fair-weather cycling season. And a great time to start thinking about your spring garden with a visit to a Portland area nursery.
Portland Weather in April
Note: If you want to know about the weather you can always visit a weather website. But one of the most frequent texts I get from friends about to visit Portland is about the weather. So that’s why I include this weather section. It’s how to interpret Portland weather forecasts by a local. :)
The weather in Portland [Oregon] in April is finally beginning to dry out some! The saying of April showers bring May flowers, doesn’t really work for Portland. We’re more of a March showers bring April flowers kind of city. That said, there are still on average 12 days of rain, with a total 3.4″ of total rainfall for the month. As for daylight hours, April averages about 13.5 hours of total daylight. Starting the month with a 7:30pm sunset and ending the month with a 8:15pm sunset. Sunrise moves from about 6:45am to 6am. Yay to more daylight!
The average April temperatures are highs in the low 60s and lows in the mid 40s. Prime fleece and down vest weather over here folks.
Portland Historical Average April Weather by Day
Here are the High & Low Temperatures by average for April in Portland.
And with that, I wish you a happy April (or planning for spring)!
Read more: Portland in March, Spring in Portland, Portland in May
