September is here, the kids are back to school, and everyone is soaking up these last summer days. This is such an amazing time of year in our beautiful city. As the season starts to change, business districts are alive with fantastic community events and small businesses offering Portlanders everything they could possibly need. When you shop local, your dollars stay in your community, making Portland a better place to live and work. Check out some of these activations and special events this month:

  • City-Wide: September 6-15, the Geeks of Portland are uniting to bring you the world’s largest pop culture festival, Geek Week PDX! The event will feature fantasy, sci-fi, superheroes, and supernatural events. Each quadrant of the city will be transformed with cosplay events, film festivals, and discounts at local businesses. Welcoming Week is a free, week-long event that builds strong community support for immigrants and refugees. From September 13-22nd participate in events all over the city featuring art, performances, information, and community discussions. Here is the lineup of events!
  • Beaumont: Tomorrow, Sept 5th, is the last First Thursday of the summer and Fremont Street will be bustling with activations. Celebrate Secondhand September by popping into Pacific Holiday, a neighborhood consignment boutique, celebrating 5 years of quality secondhand clothing and accessories.
  • Central Eastside: This Sunday, Sept 8th check out WOW (Wood & Other Wonders) Market at Urbanite! Not only can you shop 54 local artists and vendors at this amazing shop, but this special event elevates wood and hand works of every kind.
  • Foster: It is time for another Meet Your Maker Market on SE Foster Ave. On Sept 7th, 20+ vendors will be located between SE 65th – 68th amidst the business district’s many shops, bars, and cafes.
  • Hillsdale: With 20+ candidates on the ballot just for District 4, along with a new ranked choice voting system that will be used to select three reps for each district, it is important for Portlanders to be educated. Confused about how ranked choice voting works? Meet the Candidates Ice Cream Social is happening on Sept 23rd from 5:30-7:30 and is the perfect place to get info about the new ranked choice voting.
  • Lents: This Sunday, Sept 8th head over to The Zed for the Lents Cultural Fair and Farmer’s Market! This second annual event features a day filled with thrilling performances, including an awe-inspiring dragon and lion dance that you won’t want to miss!
  • NW Industrial: Tomorrow morning, Sept 5 from 11:30am-1:30pm, check out this Mayoral Candidates Forum happening at Cine Rent West and not only educate yourself on the big changes happening in Portland’s government, but also meet Mayoral Candidates and network.
  • Soul District: The 13th annual MLK Dream Run, on September 21-22, at the Portland Community College Cascade Campus is a favorite event each year in PDX. This year’s theme, “Dreams in Motion,” captures the Soul District’s collective stride towards embodying Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of justice and progress through community action and unity.
  • St. Johns: Enjoy the changing of the season with The Fall Fling! Enjoy art, activities, and music from 11 AM to 2 PM in the St. Johns plaza, at this district-wide celebration with specials from local businesses all day! Pick up a drawing entry form for a chance to win hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards and merchandise from St. Johns businesses.
  • Williams District: September 6th is the First Friday Art Walk and digital tour of one of Portland’s most walkable and artsiest districts! Meet local artists, network and enjoy activations throughout the event.

This list is non-exhaustive. Show us what you are up to this month by tagging us on Instagram and Facebook.