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

June 28, 2023

Last Updated: December 28, 2023

July in Portland is peak summer! It’s one of the best months of the year, for good reason. Summer is in full swing, berry season is here, and the rivers, lakes, and hikes are calling our names. And it’s usually before the heatwave and smoky season of August and September. Ah, the sweet spot of summer!

The weather in Portland in July has an average high temp of 80°, and average low of 57°. And remember that’s average. While there isn’t usually much rain in July, the beginning of the month can still be a bit cooler some years in the low to mid-70s. And we always have some heatwave weekends in the 90s/100s. So here’s more info about visiting Portland in July – weather, events and my favorite things to do in Portland in summer, as a local! Jump to:

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

Portland July Events

July has some great summer events. Downtown and the Waterfront stay busy all summer long!

Pedalpalooza Bike Summer – While previous years, Pedalpalooza was the month of June, starting in 2021 and onward it is all summer long. So there’s still time to get your group ride on! July has a Wayne’s World ride, Spice Girls Ride, World Naked Bike Ride, and tons more.
WNBR – Moved to August for 2023! The World Naked Bike Ride is usually in June or July.
Waterfront Blues Fest – July 1-4, 2023. 4th of July weekend brings the annual waterfront Blues Fest to Tom McCall Waterfront park. Which brings all the boats to the Willamette! This year, the festival is back at waterfront park!
Portland Craft Beer Festival – June 30 – July 2, 2023. Previously at The Fields Park, this year Portland Craft Beer Festival is in South Waterfront at Elizabeth Caruthers Park. A beer festival celebrating all Portland beer brewed within the Portland city limits!
Jazz Fest at Cathedral Park – July 14-16, 2023. In mid-July, there’s Jazz Fest at Cathedral Park in St Johns, in North Portland. It’s a pretty picturesque location and really fun weekend in the park and under the majestic bridge. And a family friendly event.
Portland Pride Week – July 15-16, 2023. Previously a June event, Portland Pride is a weeklong series of events with the grand finale of the Pride Parade downtown and waterfront park.
Bastille Day Festival – July 15, 2023. The Alliance Française de Portland presents the 20th Annual Bastille Day Festival in celebration of the French National Holiday in the Pearl’s Jamison Square Park. With music, food, and fun.
Oregon Brewers Festival – Canceled 2023. July 28-30, 2022. The Oregon Brewers Festival is one of the bigger summer Portland brew fests. If you’re visiting or love trying different beers, it’s a good time to check out tons of different NW beers. It definitely has that big festival vibe though, so if big crowds aren’t your thing, just hit up a favorite Portland brewery with an outdoor patio if you’re looking for a more low-key time.
The Big Float – RIP. 2022 was the final year for The Big Float – an organized float on the Willamette River by Human Access Project every July for the last ten years! It’s a pretty fun event. If you’re looking to do a DIY float, you can also float the Clackamas River and Sandy River.
Portland Sketch Comedy Festival – July 20-22, 2023. Back after a couple year break, the Sketch Comedy Festival offers single tickets or passes to comedy shows at Siren Theater.
Nacho Week – TBD 2023. July 11-17, 2022. Another of Portland Mercury’s food and drink events. This one is celebrating $6 nachos at participating restaurants and bars.
Summer of Slushies – All of July 2023. Another of Portland Mercury’s food and drink events. This one is for $8 slushies for the month of July at participating bars.

Things to Do in Portland in July

Get your summer on! July is full of outdoor activities to enjoy in Portland and the rest of Oregon. Beyond all the summer events, July is a great season for berry picking (blueberries and blackberries are July crops) on Sauvie Island. Farmers markets are also full of amazing crops. July is also a great time to hike, camp and get out on our rivers near Portland – paddleboarding and kayaking or visit a Mt Hood lake. Take a day trip to the Oregon coast, Mt Hood, and gorge are all on my summer bucket list. July is also the start of many city-wide activities like Movies in the park, music in the park, and Sunday Parkways. Along with concert series at Oregon Zoo called Zoo Concerts and at McMenamins Edgefield’s Concerts on the Lawn. And other neighborhood events like Mississippi Street fair, Hawthorne Street Fair and more.

Waterfront Blues Fest 4th of July Portland

Portland Weather in July

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 July is pretty hot. Daytime highs average in the 80s, with nighttime in the high 50s. July also averages only 2 days of rain, with just 0.5″ total rainfall. We also have a lot of daylight in July to make use of the nice weather – 15.5 hours of total daylight. Sunset moves from around 9pm to 8:40p by the end of the month, and sunrise around 5:30-6am.