oregon-state-fair_1219716781_hua4d7 What to Do in Oregon in August — The Oregon State Fair brings carnival rides (and monster trucks and rodeo events and fried food galore) to Salem.

August is a surprisingly ambitious month in Oregon. Amid the summer heat, fairs and festivals pop up across the state to celebrate elephant garlic, watermelons, and Scandinavian culture. While there are good ways to pass your time in the city—watching movies in parks, say, or drinking boozy slushies—there are also lots of excellent reasons to travel, including ghost-town parades, bathtub races, and pigs in Fords (it’s a whole thing).

pickathon-music-festival_Bill_Purcell_pp0jzj What to Do in Oregon in August

July 31–Aug 3 | Happy Valley

Sometimes, a KBOO fundraiser grows up to be one of the country’s most beloved music festivals. Find stages set among trees, hammocks strung up for lounging, and a bill featuring Portugal. The Man, Taj Mahal, Reyna Tropical, and Haley Heynderickx.

Annual Dahlia Festival

AUG 1–Sept 30 | Canby

Canby’s family-owned Swan Island Dahlias counts more than 360 varieties in its 35 acres of fields, which open to the public in August and September for strolls, picnics, and plein air painting sessions. Also on offer: classes on dahlia care, daily food carts, and live music on Saturdays and Sundays.

Shaniko Days

Fri–Sun, Aug 1–3 | shaniko

The weird little ghost town of Shaniko (population approximately 30) celebrates its history as the onetime wool capital of the world with live music and dancing, a parade, a costume contest, a variety of vendors, mechanical bull riding, a cake auction, and more.

Wed–Sun, Aug 6–9 | Tillamook

Catch dance performances, cattle shows, carnival rides, a Fleetwood Mac tribute band, and a demolition derby at this coastal county fair. At the very least, go for the famous Pig-N-Ford races—people drive Model Ts while holding pigs, or at least try to.

Thu–Sun, Aug 7–10 | Seaside

Expect teams from around the world at this 43rd annual tourney on the beach in Seaside in divisions from juniors to adults, novice to pro. Want to play? It’s not too late to register, and the event website has a “partner finder” feature.

Fri–Sun, Aug 8–10 | North Plains

“Fun stinks,” as the saying goes at this annual festival on Portland’s northwest outskirts, now in its 27th year. The three-day fest features a variety of food vendors showcasing garlic ice cream, garlic burgers, pickled garlic…you get the picture. Beyond the obvious star of the show, expect a parade, a car show, live music, and vendors. Make sure to say hi to Stinkee, the fest’s elephant-eared, bulbous-bodied mascot.

Thu–Sun, Aug 14–17 | Junction City

The Lane County town, which sits just north of Eugene, has been throwing this celebration of Scandinavian heritage since 1961. Expect music, dance, food, crafts, and storytellers spinning Viking sagas and Nordic myths.

Siletz Bay Music Festival

aug 14–24 | Lincoln City

Chamber, jazz, and orchestral music—plus a variety of other sounds from across the world—descend on Lincoln City for more than a week of concerts. Shows take place at venues throughout the city, including Chinook Winds Casino and Resort, Lincoln City Cultural Center, and Regatta Park, which hosts a free family concert in its bandshell on August 23.

Fri–Sun, Aug 15–17 | Woodburn

This annual celebration began in 1964 as a harvest festival to show appreciation for Woodburn’s many migrant farmworkers from Mexico and Central America. This year’s event includes a parade, live music, food vendors, soccer and pickleball tournaments, and lucha libre wrestling.

PDX Adult Soapbox Derby

AUG 16 | Portland

Every August, an absolute menagerie of homemade derby cars, operated by costumed Portlanders, tear down the extinct cinder cone that is Mount Tabor. It’s goofy and joyous and terribly crowded, and it must be experienced at least once.

Sat, Aug 16 | Hermiston

The Eastern Oregon town grows some of the best melons in the country, renowned for their high sugar content. During peak season, residents celebrate the bounty with bathtub races, a costume contest, and (duh) a seed spitting competition.

oregon-summer-state-fair_714590179_h2qxl0 What to Do in Oregon in August

Aug 22–Sept 1 | Salem

Say farewell to summer with this sprawling affair, where you’ll find carnival rides, monster trucks, horse shows, rodeo events, hypnotists and magicians, music on numerous stages (Sean Paul, Wynonna Judd, the String Cheese Incident), and all the fried food you could ever want.

Sat & Sun, Aug 22 & 23 | Mount Hood to Seaside

This 199-mile team relay race starts 6,000 feet above sea level at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood and ends on the beach at Seaside. The race passes through Portland (the city is an alternate starting point, too) and crosses over the Coast Range through Mist and Jewell. Watch for wildly decorated support vans and sleep-deprived runners. Or get involved yourself by volunteering.

northwest-art-and-air-festival-summer-balloons_704581906_s4o5bi What to Do in Oregon in August

Sat–Sun, Aug 22–24 | Albany

Watch hot-air balloons being launched (or better yet, hitch a ride on one yourself) at this family-friendly event at Timber Linn Memorial Park. The fun kicks off with a Friday night glow event as air balloons illuminate the sky, and continues with arts and craft vendors, live music, an antique car show, cornhole, and a wine and beer garden.

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