Fun Halloween Events in Portland
Halloween in Portland us such a fun time of year! Shy people have an easy opportunity to come out of their shells, creatives get to showcase their talents and everyone can pretend to be someone different for a day.
Once October hits, houses across the city get outfitted in floating ghosts, straw bales, flickering lights, spider webs and all sorts of other funky and spooky Halloween ornamentation. Fake gravestones with funny sayings placed in front yards just may be our favorite of all the Halloween decorations.
Where to Trick-or-Treat in Portland
Trick-or-treating in your own neighborhood is a fantastic way to meet the neighbors. If you are new to the neighborhood and don’t yet know your neighbors well, consider a costume that doesn’t obscure your face so they can begin to recognize who you are. Consider also bringing along your name and number (business card-style) so you can let people know who you are, which house is yours, and how they can get in touch if they ever need anything. Neighbors are far more likely to reach out when you make it easy to do so.
Many of the neighborhood business districts like Alberta Street have trick-or-treat events where kids are invited to stop by the businesses for treats, Check with the cafes and stores in your area to see if they have a Halloween event. For the littlest of tykes, this is often the most efficient way to visit a lot of trick-or-treat locations in a short stretch. It’s also a fun way to get to know the many businesses in your neighborhood.
If you plan to hand out candy at your house, let your neighbors know. Some neighborhoods maintain a trick-or-treat house map on NextDoor where you can indicate that you’ll be open for business on pumpkin day. If you don’t want visitors, simply turn off your porch light and close the front shades. You might even want to keep the inside house lights low. A few eager candy lovers may still try to come by, but low lights usually helps people know you’re not available.
If you’re in need of a good costume, the Travel Portland costume guide can point you in the right direction.
Halloween Events in Portland
From hay rides to parties, there are plenty of Halloween events in Portland throughout the month of October.
On Sauvie Island, just north of the city, you’ll find farmland fall fun. Pick pumpkins at the pumpkin patch, sip on fresh cider and hunt for gorgeously weird decorative gourds. There’s also a corn maize where you can get playfully lost in the tall rows of corn. Browse the farm stores and stock up on the last of the harvest season produce - like butternut squash and heirloom tomatoes.
There are a variety of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations all throughout the city. This Mexican holiday is celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the Central and South regions, and by people of Mexican heritage elsewhere. You can browse a the many event options here.
Pumpkin beers, pumpkin treats and of course pumpkin lattes are just a small selection of the seasonal treats you to be on the lookout for all season long. If you’re one of those people who likes to go all in with the pumpkin spice, you’re in the right foodie city for tasty options.
Not all of the Halloween events in Portland are candy focused. The Run Like Hell Marathon is a chance to simultaneously be silly while getting fit. Choose from either a 5k or 10k race course as you wind your way around McMenamin’s Edgefield Hotel. This location is said to be haunted - a remnant of the historic build’s past as an insane asylum.
Article thumbmail photo from The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island