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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:

  1. strolling through crunchy leaves in Forest Park
  2. enjoying The Tao of Tea from the Lan Su Chinese Garden
  3. looking forward to a second season of Portlandia (arriving in January)
  4. rocking colorful rain boots and a Columbia rain jacket
  5. lazy weekend mornings nursing a cup of Stumptown in bed
  6. meandering about Powell’s books
  7. making use of Multnomah County library, (now that you have more free time to stay indoors)
  8. chocolate chip cookies at Courier Coffee
  9. annual apple tasting festival at Portland Nursery
  10. it’s officially soup cart season again, Savor Soup House and SoupCycle if you need your soup fix delivered.
  11. buying fun socks and tights (stripes, argyle, polka dot!) at Sock Dreams
  12. southern comfort (hello, mashed potatoes and gravy!) at Screen Door
  13. it’s finally scarf season again, shopping for vintage scarves at Lodekka Dress Bus
  14. Portland Zombie walk
  15. steaming hot pitas with your veggie mezza at Ya Hala
  16. biscuits at Pine State Biscuits
  17. chilling to live music at the cozy Doug Fir Lounge
  18. rainy season is drinking season. Catch up on speak-easy style cocktails at Central and Secret Society
  19. the Tug Boat Brewing alley seems way more old-timey (and fun) in the rain
  20. patio fire at Rontoms
  21. rediscovering your favorite riding boots for fall’s first First Thursday
  22. Saturday breakfast (nope, not Sunday brunch) at Multnomah Falls Lodge
  23. trading in your summer shorts for new yoga pants at Lululemon in the Pearl
  24. eco-conscious fashion week production? Portland Fashion Week
  25. science + beer = awesome. OMSI Science pub at Mission Theater
  26. tiny cups of drinking chocolate at Cacao
  27. staying indoors with OMSI After Dark
  28. navigating the corn maze at Sauvie Island
  29. sampling seasonal brews at Holiday Ale Fest
  30. catching a musical at Keller
  31. indoor workouts that hurt so good, Bar Method
  32. Backfence PDX
  33. cooking classes — for food and fun, In Good Taste
  34. shooting hoops and watching a game at Spirit of 77
  35. swimsuit shopping at Popina Swimwear for a winter getaway
  36. fall hikes in Columbia River Gorge
  37. staking out a spot at Crema with your laptop, bread pudding, and coffee on a rainy day
  38. cozing up with a new book at Oui Presse
  39. chai lattes
  40. scoping out copious amounts of plaid on NE 28 Ave (& the appreciating the seemingly more fall-appropriate Portland bearded folk)
  41. movie, beer and popcorn at Laurelhurst Theater
  42. trying new wines from the safety of the weather at Kir
  43. antique and vintage shopping in Sellwood
  44. learning something new, Intro to Letterpress at IPRC
  45. making pumpkin pie
  46. appreciating that a hoodie and jeans can pass for dinner appropriate in PDX
  47. having 250ish Thai restaurants to choose from. Among the best: Nong’s Khao Man Gai, Pok Pok, Chai Thai, Pad Thai Kitchen, Jade Teahouse.
  48. it’s sweet potato fries season at Burgerville
  49. whiskey (& whiskey beer backs) at Produce Row
  50. dreaming over the latest deals for a winter escape from Portland
  51. food carts with heated seating areas, Pyro Pizza at Cartopia
  52. bright, colorful bags and accessories to stand out from the grey
  53. homemade apple sauce and canning
  54. massive weekend breakfasts at Jam and Besaw’s
  55. kissing your honey in our poorly lit streets
  56. riding the train from Portland to Seattle
  57. Oregon college football (and the rivalries)
  58. taking pictures of the changing leaves at the Japanese Garden
  59. end of season cabin camping at Stub Stewart State park
  60. discovery new Portland music (& cute local goods) at Tender Loving Empire
  61. long dinners at Toro Bravo and Tasty n Sons
  62. pasta at Genoa or Accanto because rain is always an excuse for more carbs
  63. the view and watching a rain storm for the lookout at The Grotto
  64. writing in your journal at Ristretto Roasters
  65. Happy hour seeming like dinner because it’s already so dark out @ Clark Lewis
  66. flannel sheets
  67. perusing comics and Japanese toys at Guapo Comics & Coffee
  68. playing boards games at coffee shops, Settlers of Catan at Floyds Coffee
  69. carbs, glorious carbs — see Ken’s Artisan and Pearl Bakery
  70. hot toddies at The Observatory
  71. visiting the Museum of Contemporary Craft
  72. because when it’s raining, it seems perfectly reasonable to stop at your 3rd coffee shop of the day, Barista
  73. crowded cocktail sipping at Clyde Commons
  74. shopping for new sweaters in the Pearl
  75. Cuban breakfast at Pambiche
  76. hot chocolate at Timberline Lodge
  77. preparing for the coming winter activities with a trip to REI
  78. escaping to the Oregon Coast, as there’s nothing like watching a storm right on the ocean
  79. photo booting at The Standard
  80. karaoke and sake at Voicebox
  81. walking over the Hawthorne bridge in the rain, and looking back at our beautiful rainy city (or any Portland bridge for that matter)
  82. catching up on Willamette Week or Portland Mercury (pick your poison) over weekend coffee, while ignoring the rain outside
  83. smirking at people standing in line in the rain, with umbrellas, at Voodoo Donuts
  84. foot massages with friends at The Barefoot Sage seems so much more deserving when the sun isn’t shining at 5pm
  85. harvest in Oregon wine country
  86. scoping out cute little zines or books at Reading Frenzy
  87. 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