Portland in March – 2024 Events, Things to Do, and Weather

February 26, 2024

Last Updated: March 7, 2024

March in Portland kicks off spring, after what always feels like a long winter. The worst of winter drizzle is almost over (or snow, in some cases), spring is arriving and in three months it will be summer! March is also the last month of five months of heavy rain (November through March see about 5-7″ each!). So we’re beginning to see the light of spring in Portland. And with average highs in the mid 50s, it feels like things are warming up and can enjoy being outside for longer jaunts at a time.

With more daylight, spring blossoms, and few crowds, March feels like a fresh start as things blossom and come back to life. So here’s more info about visiting Portland in March – weather, events and my favorite things to do in Portland at the start of spring! Jump to:

March Events
Things to Do
Weather – what to expect & historical averages

Portland March Events

With slightly more predictable weather, more daylight, and at least warming temperatures, the start of spring also sees more events.

Cherry Blossoms at Waterfront Park – While this isn’t an official event, it’s one of the most popular things to do in late March. Every year is slightly different, but mid-March to early April is usually the best time to view cherry blossoms. And not just downtown at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, but all around the city!
SheBrew Festival – March 10, 2024. This annual event focuses on womxn in the craft beer, cider and mead world with a nationwide brewers competition and festival here in Portland.
Shamrock Run – March 17, 2024. The Shamrock Run 5k, 8k, and 15k is an annual fun run around the waterfront and downtown. Some people love the energy of the party atmosphere of the 5k run/walk, if that’s not your scene, opt for the slightly longer routes to still enjoy the race, but have less crowds. Here’s my Shamrock 15k race recap.
Kell’s St Patrick’s Festival – March 17, 2024. Kell’s Irish Festival is back on St Patrick’s Day at the downtown and NW 21st locations. Featuring live music, traditional Irish food and shenanigans.
Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival – March 22 – May 5, 2024. Woodburn, OR. With 40 acres of tulips, Mt Hood views, and all kinds of add-on fun like rides and hot air balloons, The Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival is a fun annual tradition. (Note: it can be super crowded on weekends!)
Brick’s Cascade LEGO Expo – March 23-24, 2024. This weekend event at the Oregon Convention center is for LEGO enthusiasts young and old. Featuring LEGO creations on display, building opportunities, and vendors.
Portland Seafood & Wine Festival – March 1-3, 2024. February and March is Dungeness crab season, and the seafood and wine festival brings vendors to the Expo Center (previously at the Oregon Convention Center), if you’re into seafood and wine.
Portland Brewery Dining Month – March 1-31, 2024. Ask and you shall receive! Nine Portland breweries have teamed up this March to take on the old Portland Dining Month concept. $35 prix-fix meals – appetizer, entree, dessert, a drink (beer, na, wine etc), and $10 voucher for future use. And a friendly reminder to TIP generously!
Portland Dining Month RIP – Portland Dining Month was a popular sprin promo that is sadly no more. Area restaurants offered 3 course meals at a discount. It was a really fun time to try new restaurants! So go support your favorite local restaurants! I wish there was some kind of takeout Dining Month option, that would also make sense financially for restaurants and get foodies excited. RIP Portland Dining Month!
Portland Public School’s Spring Break – March 25-29, 2024. This means everything will be busier this week, and the overlapping weekends (Mar 22-31), because kids will be off school, families will be traveling and just going out more.

Things to Do in Portland in March

One of my favorite things to do in March is admiring all the new blossoms across the city. Cherry blossoms at waterfront park, there are also apple and plum blossoms in many neighborhoods and parks. In Japan, cherry blossom (“sakura”) season is a full on celebration, with watching parties (“hamami” is cherry blossom viewing). In Portland you can get a taste of it too.

March is also a great time for Oregon day trips like the coast, hiking in Portland, biking and enjoying the almost spring weather. As temperatures get a bit more comfortable, it’s also a nice time to get in on some patio weather at local restaurants and breweries.

cherry blossoms in portland oregon — *spring blossoms*

Portland Weather in March

Note: If you want to know about the weather you can always visit a weather website. But one of the most frequent texts I get from friends about to visit Portland is about the weather. So that’s why I include this weather section. It’s how to interpret Portland weather forecasts by a local. :)

The weather in Portland [Oregon] in March is usually still wet and cold, but the warmest we’ve seen since October! As for daylight hours, March averages about 12 hours of total daylight. And with Daylight Savings Time, starting the month with a 6pm sunset and ending the month with a 7:30pm sunset. Sunrise moves from about 6:45am to 7am. This means we’re starting to get more daylight hours for outdoor time, and post-work fun!

The average March temperatures are highs in the mid 50s and lows in the low 40s. So by the end of March, we also have some days of sun and highs in the 60s. March is still about a 50/50 chance of rain though, with 14 days of rainfall for an average monthly total of 4.7″.