Insider Stories
Explore Portland like a local
Neighborhood guides, restaurant finds, events and local tips from people who live here. Whether you are visiting, relocating or just curious, start here.
Featured story
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The Pearl District: Where Urban Living Meets Character
When you think about The Pearl District, you’re thinking about people who’ve made a deliberate choice to live in the city. Not just any city, but Portland specifically. People who chose dense, walkable urban living over suburban space, who want…
More featured guides
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Hawthorne and Belmont: Where Independent Living Meets Community
When I think about Hawthorne and Belmont, I think about people who’ve made a values-based choice about where they want…
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Mississippi Avenue: A Street That Rewards Wandering
A Walk Through One of North Portland’s Most Spirited Streets There is a stretch of North Portland that has its…
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Coffee Shops That Define Portland Culture
A Local Guide to Portland’s Coffee Scene If you want to understand Portland, start with its coffee shops. Coffee here…
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Best Portland Neighborhoods
A Local Guide to Exploring the City One of the easiest ways to understand Portland is through its neighborhoods. Unlike…
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Portland’s Unique Culinary and Cocktail Scene: Must-Visit Spots for Ambience
Settling into a new city or neighborhood is an adventure, and exploring the local dining scene is one of the…
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Portland, OR – Vegan Restaurant Guide
At Dill Ward Group we proudly support vegan lifestyle and businesses. Dill and Nicholas love exploring new vegan restaurants and…
The Weekend Guide · Free every Friday
Be the friend who always knows what’s going on.
The best things to do in Portland this weekend and other gems worth knowing about.
Latest
Latest stories
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Where Portland Actually Trick-or-Treats: 3 Busy Classics, 3 Quiet Goldmines and 3 Trunk-or-Treats
The busiest, the quietly generous, and three trunk-or-treats: where to trick-or-treat in Portland, Beaverton and Vancouver on Halloween 2026.
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Your Costume Deserves More Than One Night: 29 Places to Wear It Around Portland, Beaverton and Vancouver
Costume parades, contests and parties across Portland, Beaverton and Vancouver WA for Halloween 2026, sorted by area and age. Dates and times inside.
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16 Free Halloween Events in Portland (2026)
Free, all-ages Halloween events in Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Vancouver and Clackamas for 2026, with dates, times and addresses. Checked Oct 21.
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Pumpkin Patches in Portland and Vancouver, WA (2026)
A local list of pumpkin patches in Portland and Vancouver, WA for 2026, with hours, prices and dog rules from each farm’s own website.
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Fortune Favors the Buoyant: The 2026 Pumpkin Regatta, From the Wall
A photographer’s view from the wall of the Tualatin Commons lake at the 2026 West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta, where adults race thousand-pound pumpkins and the pickle wins.
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We Went to Halloweentown Without Ever Seeing the Movie. It Didn’t Matter.
A first-timer’s night at Spirit of Halloweentown in St. Helens, Oregon: glowing streets, an alien-themed museum, decked-out shops and a four-foot pumpkin that steals the show. Runs through November 1.
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Sellwood: Oaks Park, SE 13th Avenue, and the River Trail
High above an old wooden roller rink, a pipe organ is warming up. The pipes hang right over the skaters:…
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St. Johns: Main Street, Cathedral Park, and the Bridge
Stand at the top of Cathedral Park on a clear evening and look up: two green Gothic towers, arches shaped…
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Lake Oswego: Luxury Living with Portland Soul
Discover Lake Oswego just south of Portland: lake and waterfront parks, established homes, downtown Millennium Plaza, and a community with its own rhythm.
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Eight Food Carts and a Vegan Bar: Your Night Out on NE Alberta
Alberta Carts at 1027 NE Alberta St has eight food carts, from Filipino to wood-fired pizza to vegan soft serve, and The Bye and Bye vegan bar is right down the block at 1011. Here’s how to do both in one night.
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The Free Haunted House on NE Fremont (and the Artist Behind It)
Drive down NE Fremont near 7th this week and you’ll notice one building going full Halloween. That’s Mike Bennett Studios,…
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Alberta Avenue: Where Portland’s Creative Spirit Lives
A Walk Through One of Portland’s Most Creative Neighborhood Streets If you spend enough time exploring Portland neighborhoods, you’ll eventually…
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Spring in Portland: 8 Ways to Enjoy the City When Everything Starts to Bloom
Spring is when Portland slowly comes back to life. After months of gray skies and steady drizzle, the city starts…
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Roasted By Mom Coffee: A Hillsboro Coffee Roaster Worth Knowing
If you’re exploring coffee beyond Portland’s core neighborhoods, Roasted By Mom Coffee in Hillsboro is one of those places that…
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Portland Winter Markets: Where to Shop Local This Season
Portland winter markets make it easy to shop local even during the colder months. From indoor pop-ups to year-round farmers…
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Glowing Greens: Blacklight Mini Golf, Escape Rooms and Axe Throwing in Downtown Portland
Looking for a fun indoor activity in Portland? Glowing Greens is one of downtown’s best kept secrets. It packs blacklight…
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Orange & Blossom: Portland’s Award Winning Vegan Bakery
If you love pastries, put Orange & Blossom on your Portland list. This fully vegan patisserie on NE Killingsworth makes…
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GiftyKitty: Portland’s Cat Gift Shop on Mississippi Ave
If you love cats, put GiftyKitty on your Portland list. This cat-themed gift shop sits on N Mississippi Avenue and…
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Making the Right Move: A Checklist for Homebuyers
Whether you are a A Case of Cold Feet: How to Handle the First Time Homebuyer or an experienced homeowner,…
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Make It Sparkle: Eight Tips for Adding Instant Curb Appeal
When home buyers drive your neighborhood, or when Realtors are previewing for their clients, what do they see? You never…
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Ready, Set, Sell: Checklist for Home Sellers
You want to sell your home in the shortest possible time for the highest possible price, right? Of course that…
