Portland in October – Events, Best Things to Do, and Weather

September 27, 2023

Last Updated: December 28, 2023

October in Portland is the start of our rainy season. But there are always a few weekends of sunny warm weather still. One weekend you might be camping in 70 degree weather and the next it pours an inch of rain with fierce winds. You just never know what you’re going to get with the weather in October. So most of my October plans are a bit more spontaneous and last minute – especially when it comes to outdoor adventures.

October is also a nice time to welcome fall and not feel guilty for spending a bit more time inside. Drinking an extra cup of coffee and getting stuff done. Maybe that’s why there’s so much creativity in the Pacific Northwest. So here’s more info about visiting Portland in October – events, weather, and the best things to do in Portland, Oregon at the start of fall. Jump to:

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

Portland October Events

Pumpkin Patches and Corn Mazes on Sauvie Island – opens mid-September. Things can get wildly busy on the weekends, so go early or try a weekday for more low-key fun.
Portland Fresh Hop Pop-Up Beer Fest – through October 1, 2023. Catch the tail end of Fresh Hop Fest pop-up at the Prost! Marketplace on N. Mississippi. Every day featured new rotating taps from area breweries. The final day always offers deals on growler and mason jar fills!
Hood River Hops Fest – Oct 7, 2023. This annual festival in downtown Hood River, is all about fresh hops! It’s a fun weekend to visit Hood River.
Greek Festival – October 6-8, 2023. Usually first weekend of October. The Greek Festival is back!
Portland Marathon – October 1, 2023. The Portland marathon is usually the first weekend in October and as the route runs all around the city and Willamette River, even if you’re not running, it can be a fun race to watch and cheer on the runners. This is Portland Marathon’s 50th year!
Portland Cocktail Week – October 1-5, 2023. Usually mid-November, for 2023 it’s in October. This event is all about celebrating the Portland cocktail scene. And with cocktail specials at area bars it’s a not just for industry folks.
Portland Flea – Oct 28-29, 2023. Catch one of the last Portland Fleas for the year. Sundays, April through October.
Portland Night Market – Oct 6-7, 2023. Fall night market in SE industrial distric, where you’ll find shopping, food, music and more.
Wing Week – Oct 2-8, 2023. One of Portland Mercury’s self-created food and drink events! 27 participating restaurants in custom-made chicken wings!
West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta – October 21-22, 2023. This annual fall tradition in Tualatin is all about pumpkins.
Portland Film Festival – October 12-16, 2023. This annual festival celebrates storytelling and film making.
Portland Retro Gaming Expo – October 13-15, 2023. A celebration of classic video and arcade games.
Portland Trailblazers Season Starts – October 27, 2023. First Regular Season home game.
Apple Tasting at Portland Nursery – TBD 2023. 2nd & 3rd week of October (CANCELED 2022). While you can also go apple picking in Hood River, a fun in-town event is the apple tasting festival at Portland Nursery where you can taste a ton of different apples.
Zombie Walk – Halloween weekend

Things to Do in Portland in October

I’ve written a lot about my favorite things about fall in Portland. But October is still a great time to get last minute summer fun in. You can still go kayaking or SUP on a warm day or camping. But the best things to do in Portland, Oregon in October are all about the changing seasons – Oregon fall hikes, in-town hikes, still time to indulge in some fresh hop beers and trying all the delicious food and drinks Portland has to offer. Apple picking in Hood River or other Oregon day trips.

Portland in October - pumpkins and fall fun!

Portland Weather in October

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 October is pretty unpredictable. One thing you can count on is less daylight hours from an earlier sunset. By the end of October, we’ve lost over an hour and half of daylight each day, with sunset starting the month around 7pm and ending the month at 6pm. (sunrise starts at 7am and moves to 7:50am). So with that, even if temperatures are warmer, there’s just not the same daylight to keep that warmth with only 11 hours of total daylight.

The average October temperatures are highs in the mid 60s and lows in the low-mid 40s. It’s also the first month of big rains after summer. Which by the time it hits, we’re usually ready for it as wildfire season usually peaks in September. October averages 9 days of rain and 3.6″ of rainfall.