87 Reasons to Love Fall in Portland

As Portland bids adieu to another glorious season of sunshine, here are 87 reminders of why Portland is still a great city to be in autumn. Since the transition back to rainy season can be tough for even the most seasoned Pacific Northwesterners, we’ve put together a list of reasons to embrace ~~the rain~~ fall yet another year. In no particular order, here are 87 things to do in puddle season. You may notice this list has a slight eating and drinking bend to it — it’s a good way to pass the time — and while not everything on this list can only been done in fall, it’s a pretty good time to try a few new things. And we’re off…

87 Reasons to ♥ Fall in Portland:

strolling through crunchy leaves in Forest Park

enjoying The Tao of Tea from the Lan Su Chinese Garden
looking forward to a second season of Portlandia (arriving in January)
rocking colorful rain boots and a Columbia rain jacket
lazy weekend mornings nursing a cup of Stumptown in bed
meandering about Powell’s books
making use of Multnomah County library, (now that you have more free time to stay indoors)
chocolate chip cookies at Courier Coffee
annual apple tasting festival at Portland Nursery
it’s officially soup cart season again, Savor Soup House and SoupCycle if you need your soup fix delivered.
buying fun socks and tights (stripes, argyle, polka dot!) at Sock Dreams
southern comfort (hello, mashed potatoes and gravy!) at Screen Door
it’s finally scarf season again, shopping for vintage scarves at Lodekka Dress Bus

Portland Zombie walk
steaming hot pitas with your veggie mezza at Ya Hala
biscuits at Pine State Biscuits
chilling to live music at the cozy Doug Fir Lounge
rainy season is drinking season. Catch up on speak-easy style cocktails at Central and Secret Society
the Tug Boat Brewing alley seems way more old-timey (and fun) in the rain
patio fire at Rontoms
rediscovering your favorite riding boots for fall’s first First Thursday
Saturday breakfast (nope, not Sunday brunch) at Multnomah Falls Lodge
trading in your summer shorts for new yoga pants at Lululemon in the Pearl
eco-conscious fashion week production? Portland Fashion Week
science + beer = awesome. OMSI Science pub at Mission Theater
tiny cups of drinking chocolate at Cacao
staying indoors with OMSI After Dark
navigating the corn maze at Sauvie Island

sampling seasonal brews at Holiday Ale Fest
catching a musical at Keller
indoor workouts that hurt so good, Bar Method
Backfence PDX
cooking classes — for food and fun, In Good Taste
shooting hoops and watching a game at Spirit of 77
swimsuit shopping at Popina Swimwear for a winter getaway
fall hikes in Columbia River Gorge

staking out a spot at Crema with your laptop, bread pudding, and coffee on a rainy day
cozing up with a new book at Oui Presse
chai lattes
scoping out copious amounts of plaid on NE 28 Ave (& the appreciating the seemingly more fall-appropriate Portland bearded folk)
movie, beer and popcorn at Laurelhurst Theater
trying new wines from the safety of the weather at Kir
antique and vintage shopping in Sellwood
learning something new, Intro to Letterpress at IPRC
making pumpkin pie
appreciating that a hoodie and jeans can pass for dinner appropriate in PDX
having 250ish Thai restaurants to choose from. Among the best: Nong’s Khao Man Gai, Pok Pok, Chai Thai, Pad Thai Kitchen, Jade Teahouse.

it’s sweet potato fries season at Burgerville
whiskey (& whiskey beer backs) at Produce Row
dreaming over the latest deals for a winter escape from Portland
food carts with heated seating areas, Pyro Pizza at Cartopia
bright, colorful bags and accessories to stand out from the grey
homemade apple sauce and canning
massive weekend breakfasts at Jam and Besaw’s
kissing your honey in our poorly lit streets
riding the train from Portland to Seattle
Oregon college football (and the rivalries)
taking pictures of the changing leaves at the Japanese Garden

end of season cabin camping at Stub Stewart State park
discovery new Portland music (& cute local goods) at Tender Loving Empire
long dinners at Toro Bravo and Tasty n Sons
pasta at Genoa or Accanto because rain is always an excuse for more carbs
the view and watching a rain storm for the lookout at The Grotto
writing in your journal at Ristretto Roasters
Happy hour seeming like dinner because it’s already so dark out @ Clark Lewis
flannel sheets
perusing comics and Japanese toys at Guapo Comics & Coffee
playing boards games at coffee shops, Settlers of Catan at Floyds Coffee
carbs, glorious carbs — see Ken’s Artisan and Pearl Bakery
hot toddies at The Observatory
visiting the Museum of Contemporary Craft
because when it’s raining, it seems perfectly reasonable to stop at your 3rd coffee shop of the day, Barista

crowded cocktail sipping at Clyde Commons
shopping for new sweaters in the Pearl
Cuban breakfast at Pambiche
hot chocolate at Timberline Lodge
preparing for the coming winter activities with a trip to REI
escaping to the Oregon Coast, as there’s nothing like watching a storm right on the ocean
photo booting at The Standard
karaoke and sake at Voicebox
walking over the Hawthorne bridge in the rain, and looking back at our beautiful rainy city (or any Portland bridge for that matter)

catching up on Willamette Week or Portland Mercury (pick your poison) over weekend coffee, while ignoring the rain outside
smirking at people standing in line in the rain, with umbrellas, at Voodoo Donuts
foot massages with friends at The Barefoot Sage seems so much more deserving when the sun isn’t shining at 5pm
harvest in Oregon wine country
scoping out cute little zines or books at Reading Frenzy
organizing a weekend pub crawl to catch the seasonal ales, including Deschutes

What’s your favorite thing about fall in Portland?

Let us know in the comments!

Photos by Geecy, sirgious, Darin Barry, Nick.Fisher, rupak anto, gabriel amadeus, star5112