Summer Neighborhood Festival and Block Party Guide

Kenton Street Fair, Courtesy of Historic Kenton

There Are Still a Few Neighborhood Festivals Left!

July is strolling toward a close this year, which means Portland is about halfway through its summer festival and street fair calendar. But with only four of the city’s major neighborhood fairs put to bed, it’s not too late to get out to some of the neighborhoods, listen to some music, get your face painted, and peruse the wares of local artisans and artists while luxuriating in the months of sunshine we have left.

Festivals: May Through Early July

In May every year, two North Portland neighborhoods host street fairs. It’s too late for 2016, but for next year, remember the Kenton Street Fair, and the St. Johns Bizarre parade and street fair.

In late June or early July each year, North Portland’s Mississippi neighborhood hosts the Mississippi Street Fair, and the Southeast neighborhoods along Division and Clinton Streets host the Division Clinton Street Fair.

Montavilla Street Festival

The Montavilla Street Festival is another truly great neighborhood event, but you don't have to live in this part of SE PDX to take part in the free day of fun, which is perfect for the whole family. Stroll the street, listen to music, engage in witty banter with friends and neighbors -- the possibilities are endless. And all of those possibilities take place on July 31, 2016.

Montavilla Street Festival, July 31!

Lents Street Fair

The Lents Street Fair is Sunday, July 31st at Southeast 91st and Foster from noon to five in the afternoon. The Lents Fair brings the farming heritage of the area together with its contemporary trappings. Enjoy live music, food, a beer garden, and vendors of all kinds.

Fremont Festival

One of the city’s smaller street fairs, The Fremont Festival is a celebration of everything that makes this Northeast Portland neighborhood amazing. This year the festival will take place on August 6th from ten to five. The street fair will host more than 100 local artists and other vendors, features a kid and pet parade, and will (of course) feature local live music.

Alberta Street Fair

This is the big one. The Alberta Arts District hosts a monthly art walk and street fair on the last Thursday of every month throughout the year, but on August 13th, from eleven in the morning until six in the evening, more than 300 local vendors will present their wares to more than 20,000 visitors at the Alberta Street Fair, while live bands entertain crowds from three stages along the street.

Multnomah Days

Multnomah Days is actually just one day a year, and this year it will be the 20th of August. The Multnomah Village neighborhood in Southwest Portland will host a neighborhood parade, music from two stages and many vendors.

Hawthorne Street Fair

Southeast Portland’s Hawthorne neighborhood closes once a year for the Hawthorne Street Fair, one of Portland’s biggest, as well as its longest-running street fair. This year, the festivities kick off at eleven on August 28th, with two beer gardens, multiple stages, and roughly twenty blocks' worth of vendors.

Art in the Pearl

Art in the Pearl is more of an art festival than it is a street fair or neighborhood festival. But, with so many great vendors, food stalls, live music and hands-on activities for kits and adults taking over the North Park Blocks over Labor Day Weekend, it certainly merits inclusion on this list.

Belmont Street Fair

Last, but certainly not least, the Belmont Street Fair brings the season to a close with a collection of vendors, local talent, and food stalls lining six closed blocks the Southeast Portland street from eleven to seven on September 7th.

Sunnyside Neighborhood's Photo of the Belmont St. Fair

One for (Almost) Every Weekend

With that, we conclude this year’s wrap up of remaining street fairs in Portland. With so many great events to choose from, you could easily fill up the remainder of your summer weekends eating, shopping, and dancing your way through some great Portland streets.

[Photos Via: HistoricKenton; METBA; Sunnyside Neighborhood]