Portland in August – Events, Things to Do, and Weather

August 1, 2023

Last Updated: December 28, 2023

August in Portland is the busiest and hottest month of the year. Locals and tourists are out making use of every spare second of nice weather. Hiking, biking, patio dining and drinks – everything moves outside in summer in Portland. August can also bring some too hot weather. Most daily highs average in the low 80s though, but there are always 90-100s days sprinkled throughout the month. So here’s more info about visiting Portland in August – weather, events and my favorite local things to do in Portland in summer. Jump to:

August Events
Things to Do
Weather – what to expect & historical averages

Portland August Events

August has some fun summer events. Downtown and the Waterfront stay busy all summer long!

Pedalpalooza Bike Summer – Pedalpalooza is now all summer long! While August group rides are a bit hotter, there’s still time to get your group ride on!
WNBR – August 12, 2023. The World Naked Bike Ride is usually in June or July.
Pickathon – August 3-6, 2023. While Pickathon started a bit smaller as an “indie roots festival” in Happy Valley, Oregon (just outside of Portland), each year it gets more and more popular and seems to snag bigger acts. It’s usually the first weekend in August, and almost always the hottest weekend of the year! It’s one of Portland’s favorite music festivals.
Sneaker Week PDX – August 3-9, 2023. Sneaker industry and creative fan fest is all about sneakers and sneaker culture, with events ranging from industry stuff, art, design, music and more.
Belmont Station Puckerfest – TBD 2023. August 11-15, 2022. Belmont Station in SE has brought back their 5 day sour beer mini festival! Each day will have a slightly different theme. Check out other beer festivals here.
Bridge Pedal – August 13, 2023. Every year, Portland bridges are shut down for one day for a car-free bike ride. You do have to register for this paid event and there are different course lengths. If you’re looking for a more casual ride, the City of Portland puts on Sunday Parkways throughout summer weekends in different quadrants of town.
Portland Fashion Week – August 14-20, 2023. Portland isn’t the first city that comes to mind when you mention fashion. But this event is pretty cool for a different take on Portland.
Adult Soapbox Derby – August 19, 2023. This annual event in mid August at Mt Tabor is a Portland classic to watch. You never knew what you were missing until you see adults hurtling themselves down the hills of Mt Tabor on their themed “float” like contraptions. Good old fashioned fun.
Portland Criterium Bike Race – August 19, 2023. Bike racing is returning to downtown Portland! After a 10 year break, the Portland Criterium race in the Parks Blocks is back! This is a super fun event to spectate – with lots of cheering, food, beer garden, and of course watching bikes race at high speeds around city streets.
Hood to Coast Relay – August 25-26, 2023. Hood to Coast is literally a relay race from Mt Hood through Portland all the way to the Oregon coast. HTC is so popular now that it’s become more of a destination race. And you know it’s Hood to Coast weekend when you see a constant stream of cargo vans around Portland, carrying the relay crews.
Hawthorne Street Fair – August 27, 2023. Hawthorne Street Fair is back with music, beer gardens, shopping, and more!
Burger Week – August 21-27, 2023. This Portland Mercury food and drink event offers $8(yes, it was $6, but hello inflation!) special burger deals and creations all over town. Tip well and be kind!

Things to Do in Portland in August

August is for camping, hiking, coast trips, and getting out on the water of an Oregon river or lake. Summer events, beer festivals, concerts, berry picking, farmers markets, day trips and enjoying all that a Pacific Northwest summer has to offer! Day trips like the Fruit loop in Hood River and the central Oregon coast are great spots. It’s also the best month to float the river – both the Clackamas and Sandy River are lower, warmer, and slower in August.

Portland Weather in August

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 August is as hot as it gets. Daytime highs average in the 80s, and night in the high 50s. August also averages 2 days of rain, with just 0.8″ total rainfall. Daylight averages about 14 hours, starting the month with an 8:30pm sunset and moving to 8pm. Sunrise moves from 6-6:30am.