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Fortuitously located at the confluence of the mighty Columbia and winding Willamette, Portland has quite a lot of riverfront. So it only makes sense that we have so many great events along the water.
The big ones include Portland Pride (portlandpride.org; July 18–19), the Waterfront Blues Festival (waterfrontbluesfest.com; July 2–4) and the carnival-like Rose Festival CityFair (rosefestival.org/events/2026/cityfair; May 22–June 7), all at Tom McCall Waterfront Park.
But there are many others that will get you even closer to the river. Check out some of our favorite happenings making a splash this summer. Just remember your sunscreen!
Splashdown beach parties
Hear me out: Just opposite of Tom McCall Park sits arguably one of the best beaches in Portland. Audrey McCall Beach, named after the former governor’s environmentalist wife, is the unsung gem of the city’s waterfront. If it’s news to you that the eastside not only has a beach, but that it is accessible—and even floatable—thank the Human Access Project.
The nonprofit has worked tirelessly since 2010 to shift local perception and, ultimately, the treatment of the Willamette River. Through a combination of advocacy, riverside development, and sweaty cleanup days, HAP has helped change how we see and interact with our river.
For the uninitiated, the HAP-organized Splashdown beach parties (Audrey McCall Beach at Eastbank Esplanade south of the Hawthorne Bridge, humanaccessproject.com; select Tuesdays and Fridays; free) are weekday pop-up events that bring DJs, food trucks, and a general vibe to a pocket of riverfront sand that might otherwise be dismissed as a great spot for ducks to hang out. These parties not only promote river access; they also make for a banging good time. Bring your floaties, your sunnies, and your civic pride, because no matter what you heard, thought, or were raised to believe, Portland is indeed a beach town. River shoes recommended!
Mermaid Parade & Festival
Portland’s pageantry is unique, to say the least, and whimsy remains a pillar of our city’s identity. Case in point: Our annual Mermaid Parade & Festival (starts at the Japanese American Historical Plaza in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, portlandiamermaidparade.com; noon–4 pm Saturday, July 25). is an intergenerational femme fever dream that plays with more than just our affection for DIY celebrations and made-up holidays. Now in its 11th year, this parade is a platform for brackish lore, social justice, and equity. It attracts diverse sirens of all ages in handmade, glittered and sequined fins.
The 2026 theme is Awakened Deep, which aims to honor overlooked and stigmatized communities now becoming visible on their own terms. This is a very on-brand way for mermaids to parade, if you ask this Portlander. While the festival occurs at varied locations around town, the Mermaid Parade marches through the downtown waterfront. Come for the uplifting messaging and stay for the hundreds of Portlandia mermaids catching river sparkles in the summer sun. Because parading as a mermaid might not be for everyone, but everyone loves a parade.
Kiteboard 4 Cancer
Celebrating its 20th year, this event in Hood River raises funds and awareness to fight cancer via a six-hour wind endurance race on the Columbia. Started by just three local kiteboarders to support people battling the disease, Kiteboard 4 Cancer (Riverfront Park, 650 Portway Ave., Hood River, kb4c.org; Friday–Sunday, July 10–12) has since raised over $1.5 million for various regional cancer initiatives over the years.
The 20th Annual Derby is open to kiteboarders, kitefoilers, wingfoilers, parawingers and windsurf foilers. If you don’t know what any of those activities are or prefer to be in the water rather than on it, there is also a 1-mile open water swim. You’ll need to register for the competitions, but there is also music, games, raffles, auctions and more along the Hood River waterfront.
Little Float Milwaukie
Just upriver from Portland proper, Little Float Milwaukie (Milwaukie Bay Park, 11211 SE McLoughlin Blvd., little-float.com; 10 am–4 pm Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 1 and 2; donation to register)
is what happens when a quiet suburb decides the best way to celebrate summer is to float on water to support restoration efforts for nearby Elk Rock Island. No arguments here—that’s solid logic. And with Milwaukie’s charming center as the backdrop, the premise could not be more idyllic: Go with the flow and meet your neighbors on a day when the city backs up the whole affair with big block party energy.
You’ll need to make a small donation to register if you want to float and be towed over to Elk Rock Island. Portlanders used to a DIY affair of inner tubes, kayaks and the occasional wildly overengineered raft should appreciate that the float might feel a bit more organized in Milwaukie. But you can also just enjoy the riverfront filled with food carts, live music, sailboat rides and even an on-land water fight.
Portland Bridge Swim
The Portland Bridge Swim (Sellwood Riverfront Park, south of the Sellwood Bridge, portlandbridgeswim.com; 7:30 am Sunday, July 12; free registration) poses the question: What if you crossed under the bridges rather than over them?
Swim participants slip into the Willamette and follow an 11-mile course beneath Portland’s 12 bridges, turning familiar infrastructure into a series of mile markers. From the banks, it might appear a quiet procession, with a delightfully color-coordinated collection of swim caps bobbing and arms cutting clean lines through the shimmering water—but there’s a more intimate negotiation the swimmers must make with the river. Swimmers must prove their fitness by showing they’ve swam long distances before. It takes a serious effort to make it all the way to the finish at Cathedral Park at the St. Johns Bridge.
Cathedral Park Jazz Festival
Speaking of those iconic gothic arches of the St. Johns Bridge, the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival (Cathedral Park, 6635 N Baltimore Ave., jazzoregon.org; Friday–Sunday, July 17–19; free) takes place in almost unbelievably picturesque settings. But with the stage tucked into the park’s surroundings, the shade, water and steel converge to create one of the city’s most beloved riverside events. The music lineup runs from traditionalists and boundary-pushers to local legends, each set carried on a breeze that seems designed for exactly this purpose.
Blankets unfurl across the wide verdant summer lawn, kids dance and twirl in loose circles, and people from across the city share charcuterie and jazz club recs. And even though the festival historically attracts a distinctly relaxed crowd, there’s a palpable listening—a collective agreement to meet the musicians where they are. And once the sun fades and the bridge lights above flicker on, the scene settles into something vividly transcendent.
This story is part of Oregon Summer Magazine, our annual guide to refreshing destinations, cool escapes, and the best ways to stay hydrated all summer long. See more stories from Oregon Summer Magazine here, or check this map to see where you can pick up a free copy of the magazine.
