What to Do in Oregon in July
In Corvallis, the annual Graand Kinetic Challenge is a Da Vinci–inspired, all-terrain race between human-powered contraptions.
July is a glorious month in Portland. You know where else it’s glorious? Across much of the rest the state. So listen to what’s luring you out of town, whether it’s seabirds in Cannon Beach, hazelnuts in Donald, tin whistle workshops in Corvallis, or chain saw races in Toledo.
Great Cannon Beach Puffin Watch
TUE–Fri, July 1–4 | Cannon Beach
Puffins! Need we say more? The nonprofit Friends of Haystack Rock sets up birding scopes on the beach near their favorite sea stack from 8–11am each day of the long holiday weekend to give beachgoers a closer look at the breeding colony of birds who make Haystack Rock their home for the spring and summer. The group hopes to raise awareness of threats to the species, who have been returning to Haystack Rock in smaller and smaller numbers in recent years.
The rodeo circuit lights up St. Paul.
St. Paul Rodeo
TUE–Sat, July 1–5 | St. Paul
Oregon has many rodeos. (The most famous, the Pendleton Round-Up, runs Sept 10–13.) This one, in the tiny Willamette Valley town of St. Paul, is under an hour from Portland and draws nearly 1,000 competitors for bull riding, barrel racing, and the like. New as of last year is women’s breakaway roping, in which winning times are less than two (!) seconds.
Newberg Lavender Trail
July 1–31 | Newberg
Lavender lovers convene in Newberg for the Willamette Valley town’s monthlong celebration of the fragrant flower. Numerous U-pick farms allow you to harvest your own sprigs, and local restaurants and shops get in on the action, too, with an abundance of lavender-focused treats on offer, pastries to ice cream to cocktails. Level up July 12 and 13 at the annual (and free) Willamette Valley Lavender Festival & Plein Air Art Show, which features art and craft booths, food trucks, and paintings by artists created “en plein air” during the Northwest Lavender Paint Out.
What else to expect at the Oregon Country Fair? Extravagant costumes, giant puppets, and a tofu palace.
Oregon Country Fair
Fri–Sun, July 11–13 | Veneta
A little hippie, a little woodsy, a little witchy, and a lot Renaissance fair, this very only-in-Oregon weekend campout/concert/party/consciousness-raising circle is now in its sixth decade.
Lost River Bluegrass Festival
Fri–Sun, July 11–13 | Merrill
Bluegrass bands and aficionados descend upon tiny Merrill (population under 1,000), located just a few miles north of the California border, for a family-friendly weekend of picking, camping, and quilting.
Toledo Summer Festival & Logging Show
Fri–SUN, July 11–13 | Toledo
The biggest attraction at Toledo’s summer fest is the logging show, an all-amateur timber skills competition. Think axe throwing and a chain saw race, with an all-around champion crowned “Bull of the Woods.”
Donald Daze Hazelnut Festival
Sat, July 12 | Donald
Oregon’s state nut gets the star treatment in the Marion County town of Donald. On deck: a parade, a classic car show, live music, and hazelnut treats in abundance.
Oregon Coast Music Festival
July 12–26 | In and Around Coos Bay
Expect two weeks of music—jazz, orchestral, bluegrass—in stunning coastal locations around Coos Bay, including Mingus Park, the Oregon Institute for Marine Biology, and Shore Acres State Park.
Cathedral Park Jazz Festival
FRi–Sun, July 18–20 | Portland
There’s no better way to take in jazz than in July, on a blanket on the grass, under the swooping arches of the St. Johns Bridge, for free. The venerable fest turns 45 this year; arrive early and leave the umbrellas and tents at home.
Dory Days
FRI–Sun, July 18–20 | Pacific City
The flat-bottomed, beach-launched fishing boats known as dories have been a staple of Pacific City since the early 1900s, and since 1959 they’ve been at the center of a weekend-long fete. Catch them decked out for the parade, this year themed “Christmas in July.” Plus: a fish fry, artisan market, live music, dancing, and holiday-themed kids activities.
FairWell Festival
Fri & Sat, July 18 & 19 | Redmond
Deschutes County Fairgrounds hosts a robust lineup of performers—among them Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, Dwight Yoakam, Sierra Ferrell, and Ludacris (yes, Ludacris)—for a weekend of music and camping.
The annual Tamkaliks Celebration serves as a reunion for descendants of the Nez Perce.
Fri–Sun, July 18–20 | Wallowa
Since its ’90s origins in a school gym, this annual gathering has grown into three days of song and dance that serve as a reunion for descendants of the Nez Perce, the first inhabitants of the area. The event, open to the public, culminates on Sunday in a walasit worship service in the longhouse and a potluck.
Miners Jubilee
Fri–Sun, July 18–20 | Baker City
In the late 1800s, gold turned this Eastern Oregon settlement into a bustling hub; by 1900, it was the third-largest city in the state. This summer fest pays homage to that history, with mining demos and gold panning contests for both kids and adults. A parade, sidewalk fair, and rodeo events round out the weekend.
Graand Kinetic Challenge
Sat & Sun, July 19 & 20 | Corvallis
Human-powered contraptions—very DIY, and decorated in all sorts of fanciful ways—take on an all-terrain course in this two-day race, with prizes awarded for engineering, art, speed, and pageantry.
Nez Perce tribal members host traditional dance contests as part of Chief Joseph Days.
Chief Joseph Days
TUE–Sun, July 22–27 | Joseph
The rodeo is the main event in this annual small-town fest near Wallowa Lake in Eastern Oregon, but there’s also a parade, a junior parade, live music, and a Nez Perce gathering with a Friendship Feast and traditional dance contest.
Corvallis Celtic Festival
Thu–Sun, July 24–27 | Corvallis
This newish fest, now in its third year, puts an emphasis on participation; workshops include Celtic knot-tying and beginning tin whistle. And, of course, lots of live music and dancing, all centered around downtown Corvallis’s Central Park.
Portland World Naked Bike Ride
SAT, July 26 | Portland
Get your body paint ready: After a year’s hiatus, one of the biggest events on the cycling calendar returns. It’s a protest against oil dependence, a celebration of bodies, and a quintessential Portland experience, even if that just means getting stuck waiting for thousands of your naked, smiling neighbors to pass.
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