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

October 25, 2023

Last Updated: December 28, 2023

November in Portland is full on fall colors and a race to enjoy fall before the rain and wind knock all the leaves off the trees! Because November is one of the wettest months of the year, with almost 6.5 inches of rain. This is the month to have some indoor activities planned and be geared up for rainy and cold weather for any outdoor adventures. That said, there are always some crisp bright days where the leaves are popping! So here’s more info about visiting Portland in November – weather, events, and the best local things to do in Portland, Oregon in the middle of fall. Jump to:

November Events
Things to Do
Weather – what to expect & November averages

November fall leaves in Portland — *fall colors on the sidewalk, downtown Portland*

Portland November Events

Portland Trailblazers Season – regular season kicks off in mid-October. Home games through early April.
Portland Book Festival – November 4, 2023. Previously called Wordstock, get your book nerd on with Portland Book Festival. Author events, writing workshops and more, this event is has been a week long event.
Disney on Ice Road Trip Adventures Tour – Nov 9-12, 2023. This year it’s Frozen & Encanto at Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum.
Snowvana by Mt Hood Film Festival – Nov 3-5, 2023. Get stoked for winter at the Portland Expo Center with films, music, gear ski swap, and more.
BrewLights – Nov 17-18, 2023. Enjoy ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo without any kids! Entry gets you 10 3oz tastings of beer or cider.
Shot & Beer Week – TBD 2023. Another of Portland Mercury’s self-created food and drink events. 1 shot, 1 beer $8 at various Portland bars.
Christmas Tree Lighting – Nov 24, 2023. Pioneer Courthouse Square. The day after Thanksgiving, a 75 foot Douglas Fir Christmas tree is lit up in Pioneer Courthouse Square downtown.
Christmas Tree Cutting Permits available – Nov 9, 2023 – first available date to cut your own tree from US Forest Service
Columbia Gorge Model Railroad Club Show – TBD 2023 Nov 12-27 2022 weekends (for 3 weekends) this annual train show in NE Portland is pretty cool to see – both for train enthusiasts and families.
Christmas Light Displays – ZooLights, Winter Wonderland, Bike the Lights and more start after Thanksgiving.
Give!Guide – annual giving event to donate to local nonprofits in the Portland metro area. Nov 1 – Dec 31, run by Willamette Week. Big Give Days: Nov 1, 8, 15, 22, 28, Dec 6, 13, 20, 27-30.
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).

>>Read more about all the Portland Christmas Events that start the Friday after Thanksgiving.

Things to Do in Portland in November

There are so many great things to do in Portland in fall. And November is prime fall time before the hectic holiday season arrives. Our favorite things to do in Portland, Oregon in November are celebrating the last of fall season – fall hikes in Oregon, hiding out inside drinking coffee, Blazers games starting again, checking out all the different trees at Hoyt Arboretum in Washington Park with a hike to Pittock Mansion, enjoying seasonal beers, and getting takeout from all our favorite Portland restaurants.

And fall drives on the Historic Columbia Highway and waterfall hikes are also wonderful this time of year. Plus, Mt Hood usually gets its first big snow fall in late November. So a visit up to Timberline Lodge for hot chocolate and playing in the snow in Mt Hood National Forest. November 25-27, 2023 also marks the first of this season’s King Tides at the Oregon Coast (followed by Dec 13-15, 2023 and Jan 11-13, 2023). So consider a day trip from Portland, but be cautious with king tides and sneaker waves!

Pittock Mansion in fall — *fall colors at Pittock Mansion*

Portland Weather in November

Note: If you want to know about the weather you can 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 November is cold and wet. Honestly, it feels like Portland winter starts in November! As for daylight, with the time change, November averages 9.5 hours of total daylight, starting the month with a 5pm sunset and ending the month with a 4:30pm sunset. Sunrise moves from about 7am to 7:30am. This means it’s dark when you wake up and dark when you go to sleep. Ahh fall and winter in Oregon. We need to hop on the hygge trend of Scandinavia for winter nesting.

The average November temperatures are highs in the low 50s and lows in the low 40s. Combined with the rainfall, wind, and humidity, November can feel downright wintery. November is the 2nd wettest month of the year and averages 15 days of rain and 6.4″ of rainfall.