Local Activities

The Best Summer Activities in Portland

School’s almost out, so it’s time to start thinking about what you want to do this summer. Portland has something for everybody to do during the summer months, so I thought I’d round up some of the best activities for you. Go ahead and get that calendar out and start planning!

Visit a Splash Pad

It’s a little surprising to realize just how many splash pads we have here in Portland. There’s certainly no need to go to the same one twice! They’re such a great way to beat the heat with little (and bigger) kids.

Here’s a comprehensive list of the splash pads in our area. A couple of highlights: the Grant Park splash pad has a Ramona-themed water feature (thank you, Beverly Cleary), the Khunamokwst Park has an interactive water feature, and the Blue Lake Regional Park has several whimsical devices to play with.

Pick Some Berries

We have such delicious berries here in Oregon, and it’s so much fun to go pick your own and then, of course, eat them. They honestly taste so much better than the berries from the grocery store do.

Some of the best spots to pick berries:

Sauvie Island: This no-frills family-owned farm has some of the best berries around. Pick your own strawberries or buy pre-picked strawberries from the farm.

Hillside Blueberries: This spot has chemical- and pesticide-free berries, with blueberries better than you can imagine. This is another family-owned, no-frills spot.

Rowell Bros: Ready for some delicious raspberries? The Rowell family has farmed this land for over 170 years, and they know their stuff. They have three different varieties of raspberries, and different ones are perfect for freezing, cooking, or just eating. They can help you pick the right ones!

Concerts in the Park

Are you ready for Portland’s Concerts in the Park series this summer? This tradition has been going on for over 110 years, if you can believe that. There really is something for everyone in this series—classical to rock and everything in between.

Concerts usually begin at 6:30 p.m. and there is often free popcorn to go along with the show. If you want to stick around, most of the concerts are followed by a movie (many of them are family friendly, too). See the complete 2019 schedule here.

Leach Botanical Garden

Leach Botanical Garden is a stunningly beautiful place for people of any age to enjoy—adults and kids alike. John and Lilla Leach, prominent members of the Portland community in the 1800s, specified that this property was to be given to the City of Portland and used for a botanical garden.

It serves as a horticultural resource for both the casual and the serious gardener. It’s also a place that encourages people to be hands-on and learn about the world around them. Plus, it’s just an incredibly beautiful place that encourages people to spend time together in nature.

Mount St. Helens

If you’re looking for a day trip, you should definitely take a little drive to explore Mount St. Helens. This national monument in southwest Washington was the site of a volcanic eruption in 1980. The most popular tourist route into the area is Washington State Route 504.

There are a couple of visitors’ centers at Mount St. Helens—one at Silver Lake and one at Hoffstadt Bluffs (this one offers helicopter tours). There’s also a Forest Learning Center, and the Johnston Ridge Observatory has excellent views of the north face of the volcano. This is easily a full-day adventure.

Oaks Amusement Park

Oaks Amusement Park is in Portland’s historic Sellwood neighborhood. It’s one of the oldest amusement parks in the country that’s still in operation. The park is the perfect outing for a family, and it’s a great blend of modern amusements and nostalgic ones. You can’t beat that old-fashioned charm!

The park has over 20 rides for you to enjoy, including a Ferris Wheel, Go Karts, and roller coasters. Oaks Amusement Park also has other activities, including miniature golf, arcade games, roller skating, and more fun activities for everyone.

Regal Express Movies

This is short and sweet, but you can see kids’ movies all summer at Regal for just $1 a ticket. Check out the movies here.

World Forestry Center

The World Forestry Center is all about creating a sustainable future. This nonprofit hopes to inspire you to help in the cause. The 20,000 square foot Discovery Museum is here to change how you see trees in a truly engaging way.

Check out the many exhibits at the museum, including a raft ride, an aerial view of the forest, and more. The museum also has many programs throughout the year, so be sure to check out that schedule here.

Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation

Portland has a rich industrial heritage that’s intertwined with the history of rail. The Brooklyn Yard is one of the last roundhouses with a turntable, which is a pretty awesome piece of history itself. There are all kinds of railroading treasures to enjoy at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center.

The best part, though, might be visiting the vintage locomotives. If you have any interest in Portland history or in trains, this is the spot for you.

Ground Kontrol

Head to Ground Kontrol to get your fill of classic arcade games (is such a thing even possible)? This is the west coast’s premier classic arcade center. They have over one hundred classic arcade games, plus around 40 pinball machines. Kids are even welcome here until 5:00 p.m.

There’s also a full-service bar on the premises, and Ground Kontrol hosts all kinds of events for guests. These include karaoke, comedy shows, gaming tournaments, and more. Here’s a complete list of events for you to look forward to.

PAT & SHELLEY H.

After independently looking for the right house in West Linn for several years, a few things became very clear to us. First, we wanted a house in a specific neighborhood and on a particular street. Second, this was going to be extremely challenging due to the high demand in West Linn and this neighborhood. The third, and most essential learning was that we needed the right person to help get what we were looking for.

Fortunately, we had several friends who referred us to Jennifer and Andrew Weinhart and miraculously, within a month of meeting them, we had an offer on the house, in the neighborhood, and on the street we had been seeking! The rest of the process went quickly and smoothly and as a result, we highly recommend both Jen and Andrew Weinhart.

Kia and Kristy K

We’ve worked with Jennifer for both purchasing and selling multiple properties over the years, and have benefited greatly from her professionalism, diligence, and market savvy. In a dynamic real estate climate, her support has been invaluable in navigating the complexities of executing expeditious transactions, while helping us focus on what’s most important: finding the best home(s) to fit our family’s needs!

JOHN & MICHELLE D.

From the moment we met Jennifer Weinhart, we felt extremely comfortable with her. Jennifer is very knowledgeable about the West Linn area and helped us find the right home to fir out family’s needs. I would recommend Jennifer to anyone who is looking for a home; she will give you her honest opinion and is very professional. I would use her if we ever wanted to sell our house.

MIKE & TRACY F.

We are a military family and have worked with many realtors all over the country. Jennifer by far exceeded any expectation we had. She understood, and was sensitive to our needs, from start to finish. Her patience and professionalism, coupled with her warm and caring demeanor, made for a smooth relocation and home buying experience. I would recommend Jennifer Weinhart to anyone.

LT. COL. SEAN & JENIFER S.

We worked with Jennifer and Andrew for over a year, viewing dozens of homes before ultimately deciding to build new. While we were seasoned home owners, we had never been through the building process. The Weinhart team did a fantastic job of navigating each milestone and preparing us for the next.

Jennifer’s reputation within the West Linn community proved instrumental in getting things accomplished and therefore reducing our stress levels immensely. Her expertise in the local market was also vital in the timing of listing our house to get the maximum value and attract the right buyers in a matter of weeks, which was integral to our timeline. We’ll be buying and selling again and we wouldn’t work with any other team.

Carli and Kela

Working with Jennifer to sell our home was a dream. I can’t adequately describe how amazing she is. She was on top of every detail, always made sure things went smoothly and went far above and beyond the normal duties of a real estate agent. She made the entire process so easy on us and I truly can not recommend working with Jennifer highly enough.

Steve & Kristen B

I HIGHLY recommend you interview Jennifer Weinhart of The Hasson Company Realtors. She sold our house in West Linn a few years about. Our first Realtor did not work out, so we knew exactly what we did and did not want the seconds time around. Jennifer is extremely knowledgeable, organized, easy going, has great relationships with MANY area Realtors (which we found is VERY important), knows how to market a home, is a great listener and very flexible. I could go on and on…. Bottom line, we were very glad we made the switch and Jennifer exceeded our expectations!

BRAD & KRISTIN F.

Jennifer made the process of listing our house so easy and straight-forward. She knew our neighborhood very well and could easily recommend a listing price and provide council in terms of a selling strategy. We were confident from day 1 that we were in good hands! It wasn’t a surprise when our house sold in just a few days and negotiations flowed easily. We are very thankful that we were able to work with Jennifer.

NATE & BECKY D.

I’ve known Jennifer Weinhart for many years and have found her to be a great business person and counselor to me. We couldn’t have been more impressed with her professionalism, patience, knowledge of the market and follow up skills. She was absolutely great to deal with and we’d use her every time.