The Oregon State Fair Returns This Month With 11 Days of Rides, Concerts and Deep-Fried Everything
There’s a point every August when Oregon starts trying to squeeze every last drop out of summer. The evenings get a little shorter, school supplies start appearing everywhere, and then the Oregon State Fair rolls into Salem with glowing carnival rides, packed livestock barns, big-name concerts and enough fried food to make you forget fall is right around the corner. The 2026 Oregon State Fair runs August 28 through September 7 at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem, giving Oregonians 11...
THINGS TO DO & EVENTS
Festivals, concerts, seasonal celebrations, and memorable Oregon adventures worth putting on your calendar.Fresh ideas for getting out and enjoying Oregon, from upcoming community events to unforgettable places and experiences around the state.
Get Ready to Do the Truffle Shuffle! The Goonies 40th Anniversary Bash Is Coming to Astoria
Hey you guuuuys! Fire up your Data-style gadgets, pull out your map to One-Eyed Willy’s treasure, and grab a Baby Ruth because it’s time to head to Astoria, Oregon, for one of the most epic...
Lincoln City Launches Drone Show in First Firework-Free Fourth of July on the Oregon Coast
If you’re anything like me, the Fourth of July has always meant one thing: fireworks. The rumble in your chest, the sulfur in the air, the oohs and ahhs from the crowd as brilliant explosions light...
Ride This Coastal Train In Oregon For A Spring Break Adventure You’ll Never Forget
If you're looking for the perfect spring break activity on the Oregon Coast, this is it. Sun, sea air, coastal charm—and the nostalgic click-clack of a historic train. The Spring Break Excursion...
Kotek Approval Ratings Skyrocket After Powerful 20-Minute Litter Pickup Caught on Camera
SALEM, Ore. — In what political analysts are already calling “a turning point for the entire state,” Oregon Governor Tina Kotek’s approval ratings reportedly surged overnight following a deeply...
New Portland Eatery Lets Guests Cook Their Own Meal Over Shared Barrel Fire For Added Authenticity
PORTLAND, Ore. — In what city officials are calling “a bold step forward for Portland’s ever-evolving culinary scene,” a new open-air dining concept has officially launched this week, offering...
Local Couple Celebrates Buying Dream Fixer-Upper For Only $649,900
EUGENE, OR — After months of tireless searching, dozens of rejected offers, and what they describe as “a full emotional breakdown in a Safeway parking lot,” local couple Ryan and Melissa Carter say...
FOOD & DRINK
Explore Oregon’s food and drink scene – from locally sourced ingredients to craft brews and award-winning wines. Plan your culinary adventure now!
The Old School Oregon Steakhouse That Kept John Wayne Coming Back
There’s something magical about discovering an Oregon restaurant that instantly feels timeless. Not trendy. Not polished. Not trying too hard to impress anyone. Just authentic. That’s exactly the...
This Historic Oregon Tavern Dating Back To 1922 Is Still A Local Favorite Today
If you blink, you might miss it. Tucked away along a quiet country road outside Hillsboro, surrounded by open farmland and a slower pace of life, sits a red building that has been feeding Oregonians...
This Charming Log Cabin Café in Oregon Is the Pizza Stop You Didn’t Know You Needed
There’s a stretch of Highway 26 on the way to Mount Hood where the air feels a little fresher, the trees grow a little taller, and if you time it just right, you’ll stumble onto one of the coziest...
Bright Yellow Sky Thing Lingers For Third Day, Officials Urge Residents To Stay Calm
PORTLAND, OR — State and local officials held a brief but tense press conference Wednesday morning to address growing public concern over a bright yellow thing that has remained visible in the sky for a third consecutive day. “This is not an emergency,” officials...
Researchers Admit They Still Don’t Understand Why Portland Residents Look Like This
PORTLAND, OR — After years of observation, analysis, and quietly judgmental note-taking, researchers have formally admitted they still do not understand why Portland residents look the way they do. The announcement came Tuesday from a multidisciplinary research team...
Portland Is Tearing Down Lloyd Center, and It Feels Like the End of an Era
Growing up in Oregon, Lloyd Center wasn’t just a mall. It was a landmark of childhood. It was where weekends happened. Where your parents took you when you were bored. Where Christmas felt bigger somehow. Where the echo of your footsteps mixed with the smell of...
Can You Actually Sell An Iconic Waterfall? Oregon Is About to Find Out
One of the Pacific Northwest’s most photographed waterfalls is officially on the market, and it’s setting off alarm bells across the state. That Oregon Life has been writing about this beloved spot since 2016, and ten years ago, I couldn't have imagined that I'd be...
16 Oregon Towns Where You Never Leave, Develop a Drinking Problem, and Hit on the Same People at the Same Bar for Eternity
There are Oregon towns you pass through.There are Oregon towns you stay in for a bit.And then there are Oregon towns that quietly enroll you in something permanent. Nobody ever announces they’re staying forever. They say things like “just for now,” or “until I figure...
After a Brutal Start, Oregon’s Mountains Could Finally See Real Snow
Winter in Oregon is usually defined by momentum. Snow builds steadily through December and January, storms reinforce one another, and by February the mountains are locked into a rhythm that carries them through spring. This year, that rhythm never materialized. As...
After 57 Years of Vinyl, Portland’s Most Beloved Music Store Is Looking For A Buyer
For generations of Portlanders, Music Millennium hasn’t just been a place to buy records. It has been a classroom, a sanctuary, a launchpad, and a second home for anyone whose life tilted toward music the moment the needle hit vinyl. This week, longtime owner Terry...
The Legendary 50,000-Square-Foot Oregon Fabric Store Crafters Have Loved Since 1918
There’s a moment when you step inside Mill End Store when your eyes need a second to adjust. The space opens wider than expected, the ceiling lifts, and suddenly you’re surrounded by fabric in every direction. Rows stretch farther than your brain anticipates, color...
There’s a Beach in Oregon You Can Only Reach by Walking Through a Cliff
There’s something deeply compelling about a beach you have to earn. And on the Oregon Coast, few places capture that feeling quite like Tunnel Beach. Though it’s no longer a total secret, Tunnel Beach still feels like one. Reaching it requires stepping away from the...
Eugene Police Declare Riot Outside Downtown Federal Building During Anti-ice Protest
Eugene Police declared a riot Friday outside the federal building in downtown Eugene after a day of demonstrations tied to a nationwide protest against federal immigration enforcement. The demonstrations were part of a broader “National Shutdown” effort opposing U.S....