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May in Portland can feel downright summery and great shoulder season, travel-wise. Depending on the year, it feels like a summer preview with way less spring rain and growing daylight hours. The average high temperature in May is 68°, but there are always a few 80° days scattered throughout the month. But be warned, it can still drop down to freezing at night! May is a month to be ready for all weather in Portland. So here’s more info about visiting Portland in May – weather, events and my favorite things to do in Portland at the end of spring! Jump to:
- May Events
- Things to Do
- Weather – what to expect & historical averages
Portland May Events
May brings the start of summer event season. Portland starts to get busier, and Waterfront Park is usually event-central during this time, in “normal” years.
- Cinco de Mayo Fiesta – May 2-5, 2024. This three day event at Waterfront Park takes place the weekend closest to May 5 and brings music, food, and festivities.
- Rose Festival – June 1-8, 2024. The next big event at Waterfront Park is the Rose Festival which starts at the end of May and goes into June. With events, music, rose court, CityFair and finally the Grand Floral Parade with floats.
- Rose Festival Fireworks / Opening Night – June 1, 2024.
- Baker’s Dozen Coffee, Beer, Doughnut Festival – May 11, 2024. This beer fest melds three things Portland does best: coffee, beer, and doughnuts. Admission includes all 13 coffee beers, morsels of all 13 doughnuts, and a souvenir glass.
- Reach the Beach – May 18, 2024. This annual cycling event is a century ride from Portland to Pacific City, Oregon. New for 2023, the route will start at Sauvie Island and end in Astoria, Oregon!
- Crafty Wonderland – May 3-4, 2024. Crafty Wonderland is back with their spring market at the Oregon Convention Center.
- Hillsboro Air Show – May 17-19, 2024. This annual event by the Oregon International Air show is at the Hillsboro Airport.
- Sunday Parkways – East Portland Neighborhoods – May 19, 2024. Sunday Parkways is a car-free bike ride on various routes throughout the city. It’s a much-loved City of Portland program in different quadrants of the city to highlight neighborhood greenways and bikeways and is a family-friendly event!
- Oregon Wine Month – May 2024. Celebrate wines from around Oregon with wine events and happenings, mostly around the Willamette Valley.
Things to Do in Portland in May
One of the best things about May, is that all throughout the city roses are blooming. It’s a great time to check out one of Portland’s rose gardens. The International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park is flooded with roses, and my local favorite is the Peninsula Park rose garden in North Portland.
Another bonus, most of the Portland tourist crowds haven’t descended upon the city yet for summer. So there are a lot of fun Portland things to do without having to wait in line. So get out on the trails, get ice cream, go biking, do a coast day trip, smell the roses. Enjoy the last bits of springtime and the beginning of prime farmers market season!
Portland Weather in May
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 May is like the light at the end of the winter and spring tunnel. Days are in the high 60s, and nights around 50. And only 30% of May days will rain! For a total of only 2.5″ of total rainfall. May also brings 15 hours of total daylight, starting the month with a 8:15pm sunset and ending the month with an almost 9pm sunset. Sunrise moves from about 6am to 5:30am. Hello, daylight.
Portland Historical Average May Weather by Day
Here are the High & Low Temperatures by average for May in Portland.
Happy May friends!
Read more: Portland in April, Spring in Portland, Best Time to Visit Portland, Portland in June
