An October in Portland

October is finally here! This month is arguably my favorite in the entire year. I love love love the crisp air, crunchy leaves and gorgeous foliage colors. Growing up and living in Portland has made me grateful for the fact that we truly get to experience a cliche’d October. Whether you’re local or just planning a visit, I’ve compiled a list of all the best October events here in good ol’ PDX.

 

Pumpkin Patches–

Alright, lets start with the obvious: if you don’t think pumpkins when you think October…well you probably are from a different part of the world where October is in a different season. BUT if you are from the Northern hemisphere, I’m going to guess you have pumpkins. Lucky for you, if you are in PDX in the fall, then you pretty much have your pick of great pumpkin patches to visit. My favorites include (fyi these are all U-Pick farms): The Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island, Bauman’s Farm and Baggenstos Farms.

 

Halloweentown–

        image credit: That Oregon Life

If you were obsessed with the Halloweentown like I was as a kid, then you would be pleased to know that they actually filmed the movies in St. Helens, OR (about 45 min North of Portland) and every year in October they recreate Halloweentown for guests to come visit. This year, on October 14th, the town is putting on the “Spirit of Halloweentown” festival and all the original cast is coming back for a pumpkin lighting ceremony and to honor the late Debbie Reynolds, who played Grandma Aggie. But, don’t worry, if you can’t make the lighting ceremony, there are plenty of other Halloween themed events going on all month long. At the very least you can go and get a picture with the giant Jack-O-Lantern in the square 🙂

 

Haunted Portland–

  image credit: McMenamins

Travel Portland actually did an awesome write up about all of the supposedly haunted spots around town, and what better way to celebrate Halloween than to get a little spooked? Check out the article here.

 

Haunted Houses–

If real ghosts aren’t your thing and you are looking to scare yourself sh*tless at a haunted house, then Portland has you covered in that area, as well. There are haunted corn mazes, more “traditional” style haunted houses with themes like killer clowns and toxic waste, and there’s even a “full-contact” haunted house where the actors are allowed to touch and grab at you (yeah that one gets a hard pass from me, but it definitely can be someone else’s cup of tea). The Oregonian compiled a list of this years best haunted houses, check it out here.

 

Fall Foliage Hikes–

One of my favorite things to do in October is hike around Forest Park, as it provides awesome views of Portland, the Willamette River, the Columbia River and surrounding mountains. Checking out the abundance of trails in Forest Park this time of year also has the added benefit of being able to take in all the beautiful leaves changing colors. Check out some of the top rated trails in the park here. I think one of the best parts of Forest Park is that there is a trail for every ability level. Whether you want to go on a leisurely stroll or challenge yourself, there really is a trail for everyone.