Our monthly festivals celebrate seasonal products with tastings, children’s activities, contests, recipes, and educational information — all focused on the festival theme. The festivals also educate consumers about the many benefits of supporting regional agriculture and “eating local”.

Don't forget to check out: Kid's Cook, Taste The Place, and
Chef In The Market


It’s Garden Month! – Saturdays throughout April
This month features a series of events centered on gardening, sustainability and land stewardship. Each weekend brings special speakers: landscape designers, authors and garden experts who will share the latest information on growing healthy and bountiful gardens. Local Community Booths will feature activities and information about earth-friendly growing techniques.

GrazeFest – Saturday May 24
This annual event features the market’s grass-fed and pasture-raised meat and poultry products. This festival will provide the perfect opportunity to educate market shoppers about the health, environmental, and culinary benefits of pasture-farmed foods. Samples, tips and recipes gathered at our on-going chef demonstrations will provide a tasty kick-off to the BBQ season.
Generously sponsored by
Henry Weinhard's Premium Beers

Dig & Dine - Thursday, June 5
We’ll join the Pearl District’s First Thursday celebration on June 5th when we kick-off the Ecotrust Market in the Pearl with a book signing event featuring local author and cooking instructor Ivy Manning and our first “Dig & Dine” book exchange. Start this First Thursday evening with a stroll through the market for a light dinner on-the-go, and stay to watch Ivy Manning share a recipe from her new book, The Farm to Table Cookbook: The Art of Eating Locally. Then, peruse the piles of gently used cookbooks and gardening books to discover a new favorite or find a treasured classic. Help make the June 5th Dig and Dine book exchange a success by donating your gently used cookbooks and gardening books to Portland Farmers Market any Saturday during the months of April and May. Only cookbooks and gardening books, please!

Red, White & Blueberry Festival – Thursday June 19 (Ecotrust Mkt.) & June 26 (Eastbank Mkt.)
It’s a known fact, Oregon has the best berries to be found anywhere – and this special day at the market will celebrate these state jewels! The Red, White and Blueberry Bash will take place at both of our Thursday markets. The festival will highlight the bounty, flavor, health benefits and diversity of berries grown in our region. More than 1,000 complimentary fresh berry shortcakes will be dished for appreciative customers with a minimum purchase of $5 from any vendor. Bluegrass music, kids craft activities and chef demonstrations featuring sweet creations with berries compliment the activities. 

Melon Madness & Corn Roast – Thursday August 21 (Ecotrust Mkt.) & August 28 (Eastbank Mkt.)
What says summers more than a slice of mouth watering local melon or fresh roasted corn on the cob? We will have plenty of both on hand for customers to enjoy. Ears of corn are offered free with a minimum purchase of $5 from any vendor. Kids are invited to construct veggie-roadsters to race in the annual Zucchini Derby Competition while live music keeps everyone's toes tapping.

Tomato Fiesta – Saturday August 30
A south-of-the-border theme will spice up this year’s tomato festival with a “Hot Stuff” salsa making competition and live latin music. The ever popular Tomato Turn-On will give customers a chance to enjoy a tasting featuring over 50 varieties of heirloom tomatoes grown by market farmers. Urban gardeners can bring their biggest tomato and best dahlias to the market to compete for top prize in Portland Community Garden’s “City Garden Fair.”

The Wedge: A Cheese Festival - Saturday October 4
A brand new festival debuts in 2007 with a focus on the market's artisan cheese crafters. Market attendees can sink their teeth into tables piled high with the nation's best handcrafted goat, sheep & cow's milk cheeses proffered by more than 25 of the region's best artisan cheese makers from Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho & Utah.

The Great Pumpkin Event – Saturday October 25
A true Halloween harvest celebration, the 10th annual Great Pumpkin Event will kick off with a pumpkin carving contest from 9:00-12:00 sponsored by Typhoon! and Food Services of America. Pick up a cup of complementary hot chocolate from Market sponsor Organic Valley before stopping by Taste the Place for a hazelnut pancake. The day will be highlighted by a children's costume parade through the market at 12:00.

Thanksgiving Feastival – Saturday November 22
This pre-holiday market has become the premier shopping destination for all the ingredients for a homemade holiday feast. In addition to shopping for all the Thanksgiving meal necessities– from turkeys to cranberries to the sweetest pumpkin for pie–customers enjoy an entire day of chef demonstrations offering holiday cooking tips and seasonal recipes. The Feastival makes a festive beginning to the holiday season.

Thanksgiving Reunion– Tuesday November 25
The Thanksgiving Reunion Market brings shoppers and vendors together one last time before the holiday to encourage a farm-to-table feast!  Stop by and enjoy complimentary hot cider and roasted chestnuts while shopping for winter produce, baked goods, artisan cheeses, and holiday decor.

Winter Solstice – Saturday December 20
The final market of the season offers customers a last chance to stock up on winter keepers like squash, potatoes and beets while shopping for unusual and delicious holiday gifts. Ideas abound and the market makes purchasing presents easy by providing a gift boxing service. Strolling carolers and hot chocolate add to the fun.

Thank you festival sponsor


Market School and Group Tours– Prearranged basis
Market Tours are a fun, educational program where small groups of students, tourists, and civic groups take guided tours of the market complete with talks from local producers and product tasting.  Tours create the perfect opportunity to learn about how food is produced, why it is important to make good food choices, and to meet the farmers and artisan food producers from the market