Portland's biggest July events: Pride, blues and street fairs

Kale Williams

Nighttime city skyline beside a dark river as multicolored fireworks explode across the sky. Pink, white, red, and gold bursts illuminate tall buildings, a bridge, and the water below with reflections. — There's no shortage of ways to fill up your calendar this month. Photo: Thye Gn/Contributor/Getty Images

The clock just struck summer and Portland events are in full swing, whether you're looking to bop to some tunes, watch some explosions or celebrate Pride.

The big picture: With long days and (mostly) dry weather, July packs some of Portland's biggest annual festivals into one month. Here are some of our top picks.

🎸 Blues on the river

The Waterfront Blues Festival takes over Tom McCall Waterfront Park Thursday through Saturday, with 50 acts across three stages, fireworks and music that organizers promise will "break the algorithm."

Tickets start at $55 for a one-day pass, or $150 for all three days.

🧨 Speaking of fireworks …

Saturday's waterfront show will be the big attraction in Portland proper, but there will also be explosive aerial displays at Oaks Park in Southeast, Happy Valley and Tigard, where last year's drone light show will revert to traditional pops and bangs.

A little further from the Rose City, there will be fireworks displays on Friday in Battle Ground, on Saturday in The Dalles, Hood River and Salem, as well as an America 250 celebration at Fort Vancouver.

🛍️ Portland's biggest street fair

North Mississippi, one of the city's most eclectic shopping districts, will play host to Portland's biggest street fair. Think live music, hundreds of vendors and a "Grandfather's Rib-Off barbecue competition."

The fair kicks off July 11 at 10am on North Mississippi. Admission is free.

🎷 The sounds of summer

The East Portland Summer Arts Festival returns to Ventura Park for two evenings of music, with LaRhonda Steele and Conjunto Alegre playing Latin and soul on July 11 and the Portland Cello Project paying tribute to Stevie Wonder on July 12.

🏳️‍🌈 So much Pride

Pride Month comes a little later in Portland, but the Rose City shows up for its LGBTQIA2S+ community with a waterfront festival, a parade and a month full of more events than we can list here.

The parade gets underway July 11 at 11am starting at Northwest Broadway and Couch.

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