March Events

The transition from winter to spring brings special seasonal celebrations, arts festivals and plenty of food and drink to The Rose City.

Explore local makers and vendors at the Portland Saturday Market.

Credit: Jamie Francis

Springtime in Portland brings back several of Portland’s favorite events. The month of March plays host to celebrations of St. Patrick’s Day, womxn brewers of beer, cider and mead at the SheBrew Festival, and music events and festivals. Explore our top picks of events in March, or search the events calendar to see everything on offer.

Portland Saturday Market

On any given Saturday from the beginning of March to the day before Christmas, shoppers can tap their heels to bluegrass pickers and jazz musicians and sample ethnic eats like falafel or kielbasa while browsing wares handcrafted by more than 250 vendors. The Portland Saturday Market combines an art show, a live street concert and an open-air bazaar. The riverside market has been a beloved Portland tradition since 1974.

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Portland Golf Show

Find something to help improve your swing at the Portland Golf Show, the longest-running golf show on the west coast. Held at the Oregon Convention Center the golf show features great prices on name-brand equipment as well as swing seminars, expert interviews and tests of skill challenges where participants compete for prizes and golf-getaways.

Portland Seafood & Wine Festival

Scheduled smack dab in the middle of the Dungeness crab season, the Portland Seafood & Wine Festival celebrates both the bounty harvested from the Pacific Ocean and the state’s vineyards. The family-friendly event is held in the Portland Expo Center, where you can browse exhibitors, sample Oregon wines, and enjoy fresh Oregon seafood.

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SheBrew Festival

Every year the Oregon Brew Crew, one of the oldest and largest home brewing clubs in the United States, holds the SheBrew Festival. SheBrews is an event focusing on womxn in the craft beer, cider and mead world and kicks off Women’s History Month in March. The brewer competition is not only a celebration of female brewers, but it is also an event for all genders honoring equality, with proceeds going to the Human Rights Campaign and the Oregon Brew Crew.

Mardi Gras Parade

Grab your beads, head to Mississippi Neighborhood, and dance in the street at the Portland Mardi Gras Parade. This free, family-friendly event invites everyone to dress up and join the Carnival celebration. There is also a kids’ costume contest before the parade starts. For more adult-themed revelry, the Mardi Gras Ball keeps the celebration going well into the night.

Music Festivals in and Near Portland

Looking for a tuneful way to enjoy your time in Portland? Get your tickets now for these exciting annual celebrations.

Winter Music Festival

With two stages, seven bands and a large dance floor, the Winter Music Festival showcases performers from all over the United States while supporting local charities. Held in the Milwaukie-Portland Elks Lodge, this festival has evolved from hosting mainly blues performances to encompassing honky-tonk, singer-songwriters and rock, as well.

St. Patrick’s Day

It’s no surprise that always-green Portland has plenty of St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Led by Paddy’s Irish Pub, the annual St. Patrick’s Festival includes plenty of live music, Irish dance performances, corned beef and cabbage and plenty more inside the pub and a special festival tent outside. Bring the whole family to the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, where you can cheer on bagpipers and local organizations marching together to celebrate all things Irish.

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You might also catch locals and visitors — around 35,000 — taking to the street for the Shamrock Run, the second-largest running and walking event on the West Coast and a Portland tradition since 1979. If running (or walking) isn’t your thing you can join the spectators in cheering on the participants and stay for a pint and live music for the after-party.

Ticket to Dine

Explore Portland restaurants with the annual Ticket to Dine event sponsored by Travel Portland. With every entrée purchased at a participating restaurant, patrons will receive one Ticket to Dine — a scratch-off ticket that could reveal one of several big prizes.

Ticket to Dine

Portland’s “Ticket to Dine” offers patrons scratch-off tickets and a chance to win big prizes for the whole month of March.

Bricks Cascade

Experience the Northwest’s biggest Lego convention at Bricks Cascade, the annual celebration of the artful makings of Lego creations. The convention is family-friendly, with thousands of amazing and artistic creations on display and is held in the Oregon Convention Center. Attendees can build something, or buy from specialty vendors with custom-made items, mini-figures, and even vintage Lego sets.

Worst Day of the Year Ride

Though locals love biking around Portland at anytime of the year, in any weather, thousands of bike lovers take to the streets during the brisk days of late winter to celebrate that love in the annual Worst Day of the Year Ride. Riders have a choice of joining a 15-mile (24 km) urban course or a 42-mile (67 km) hill climb challenge course. There are prizes for best costume, a halftime party and an after-party with a hot soup bar to warm you up after your chilly ride.