Exclamations made after visiting: "That was insane!" "That was crazy!" "I can't believe that!"…read more Yes, we went on the 3rd of July and we expected it to be busy, but holy cow! It was shoulder to shoulder people. Our party was separated several times and we were often blocked and unable to move because of the crowd. I have been in mosh pits with less touching. Pros: Parking monitors were on point. Fully staffed in all areas Employees knew everything and offered up answers without having to be asked. As we were talking amongst ourselves about trying to find an item, we were always directed to the correct item by the closest employee who overheard us. 10 cashiers who knew how to use the registers quickly meant that there was NO line for checkout even though the store was packed! Cons: Lots of people Parking lot was filled with anarchists who were excited to ignore traffic laws (customers; not attendants) Could be a pro or a con: No special gimmicky deals like "buy 3 get 1 free" means you get what you get. Clearly the crowds are not enough to keep the crowds away. Unfortunately, our family won't be back. Not because we were wronged or dissatisfied in any way, but because it was too much sensory input for our neurodivergent family members.

We always make the drive to Blackjack Fireworks 2x a year because not only are they super friendly…read moreand literally have the best prices, but they also are knowledgeable about which fireworks work best for the show you would like to put on no matter the size of the audience.

Well I drove down 13th ave originally heading to Bomber Bros but it was their sign holders that…read morelost my business. They were slouched over their signs, on their phones, and giving thumbs down hand gestures towards to the TNT sign holder. Meanwhile the TNT sign holders had big smiles and positivity so made a switch and went with TNT having the nice crew!

This place was super cool. I had never been to a firework permanent building before, just pop up…read moretents and plywood stands. The staff was super friendly and immediately offered us a wagon. The selection was insane! When I checked out they offered to help us out to the car even though we had parked pretty far away. Best 4th we've ever had. Thanks!

Great fireworks for a great price! And it also supports a local youth group. Would recommend!!!read more

Kindest people out of any tent! No pushy salesmen, they were actually easy to work with. Also, TAX…read morefree! I'm a Washington resident, and it was nice to pay listing price with no extra fees, great bargain here.

We come every year and it never disappoints! So many bogo items that you can stock up, profits a…read morelocal church, invest in your community, dinner for neighborhood on July 3rd at 7 with raffle for a kid to sprint 30 seconds and grab fireworks!

As a native Portlander, it's incredibly insulting to have the prime 4th of July location for the…read moreCity of Portland taken over by this festival, which was free with donations for DECADES but now charges $55 and won't allow families to bring outside food. THIS WAS WHERE PORTLAND FAMILIES HAD THEIR PICNICS AND WATCHED FIREWORKS! This festival should be made free with donations again or move to a different weekend. The festival is nice, BUT Portlanders have a right to use their own huge, central park location for a 4th of July celebration EVERYONE can attend, like any other city. I have no idea why people have not stood up to this outrage the past several years.

Back after a 2 year absence (pandemic) the Blues Festival did not disappoint. They always have a…read morefantastic lineup consisting of some of the best blues artists around and also some jam bands and folk music that crosses all genres. This high energy event attracts people from Portland and all over the country. Dancing, chilling, people watching - it's perfect for all of that. The festival takes place on the waterfront lawn in front of RiverPlace Marina with views of the Williamette River and bridges. There is not any shade so definitely come prepared with a hat and sunblock. This year the weather was perfect, low 70s and some days overcast, but other years it's been high 90s with blazing sun and lots of sunburned people. There are four stages, two showcase the more well known bands. You can purchase seats or bring your own chair and blanket and sit in the lawn, which is what we do. But get there early or be prepared to squeeze into a spot. Those lucky enough to own or have a friend with a boat, dock in the Marina adding to the ambiance. Even kayaks and paddle boarders flock to this area to enjoy the music. The smell of weed permeates; smoking pot is common, even before it was legal, so just be aware if the smell turns you off. It's everywhere, not limited to specific seating areas. There is an area dedicated to local venders selling music memorabilia, jewelry, clothing (including tie-dye and embroidery), artwork, crafts and local services. Also food carts with varied cuisines, definitely something for everyone. Prices range from $8-15. You can also buy beer, wine and cider. Water stations are throughout and there are lots of portable bathrooms underneath the Hawthorne Bridge. The Festival culminates on July 4th with a phenomenal fireworks display on the river. They shoot them from a barge situated right in front of the Hawthorne Bridge and the fireworks reflect on the water. It's spectacular! Trucks and cars often stop on the various freeways overlooking the river and families gather on the lawns of the surrounding park, esplanade and residential area to picnic and watch the display. The Blues Festival used to be free with a donation of canned goods but now they charge a fee. You can purchase single day tickets or passes for the entire festival. Early bird prices are the way to go. Check their website for details.

Thanks to a Yelp friend, learned about this paved walking path along the Columbia River and had to…read morecheck it out. The walkway is paved, flat and wide - which I love and require - and it runs parallel to the Columbia River so there are gorgeous views the entire way. In nice weather, sailboats, boats and kayaks add to the charm. Something about walking along the water that always elevates the experience for me so this trail is a winner! There is a lot of sun, and some smaller shady area, so if you are sun sensitive wear a hat. I wear a baseball cap and sunglasses to keep the sun from wearing me down. if you do want to rest, there are several inviting benches along the way. Even views of the beach areas and for those wanting to venture closer to the water, the path down is rocky. And beaches not too inviting but people do use them. Would definitely be safer if there were stairs. The trail is five miles and you can park anywhere along the way. Walk, bike or skateboard as far you want and are able. In some areas there are a few restaurants and even an ice cream place. At the east end is Tidewater Cove with the Marina just past the stretch of condos. Depending on the season, there are flowers blooming or in full bloom or trees turning their fall colors. As many have pointed out, there aren't any bathrooms except down at the west end near the newer part of the Vancouver Waterfront. Plan or time accordingly or stop in a restaurant to purchase something and use the restroom.

Such a beautiful trail along the Columbia River. So many birds and flowers to see. The trail is an…read moreeasy walk, not too hilly. Many beautiful photo opportunities. Multiple boat docks along the trail. There are benches scattered along the path as well as restaurants...The Cove, Beaches and McMenamins. All restaurants have beautiful views of the Columbia River and outdoor seating. Wintler Community Park at the end of the trail has a decent beach to relax on, and restrooms are available there as well. They have about 20-25 parking spots. This park is free in off-season, but otherwise charge $5 for vehicles and $3 for motorcycles. Overall highly recommend enjoying this wonderful trail along the beautiful Columbia River.

It is not called Ron Tonkin Field anymore, and good riddance to that automile branding: It's now…read moreHillsboro Ballpark, and it's now likely as good as it's going to get. Vacated by its A-level minor-league team earlier this year, Hillsboro Ballpark jumped right to the pros and signed a deal with the Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) and their new Portland Cascade. This professional league brings ESPN and CBS Sports to town multiple days a week, puts national champion and Olympic players on the field on a nightly basis, and, oh yeah, actually sells out the place. I married into softball (spouse of a scholarship athlete and DII strikeouts leader), so I jumped at the opportunity not to trek to Eugene, Corvallis or Seattle (at least for softball) and watch games here. As it turns out, the previous tenants were underusing the building, if anything. The Cascade came in and immediately rolled in food carts including Mister Tacos, Rosa's Churros, and Papa Murphy's (still not sure how that works) and set up an outpost of The Sports Bra. They also seemed to institute city pricing, as concessions costs look largely in line with what you'd see at restaurants on Imbrie. The gameday experience is even vastly improved. At the pro level, there are still nightly autograph sessions for the kids. Pitchers still give away game balls, and fans are quickly booting stale baseball standbys like "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" for the more Cascade-range appropriate "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." And it isn't "a game of fathers and sons": All of Hillsboro is here. Yes, there are still the suns-out-guns-out dads in hunting shirts and Omega Morgan caps, but they're bringing daughters who can do the Hot To Go Dance. There are hair colors beyond brown, black, blonde and grey. There are jerseys, but there are rows of friends dressed for the club. There are rows of friends who were on softball teams in the '70s and '80s, and pairs killing time before karaoke night at HBG. Pride night here wasn't a promotion: It was a vibe. I genuinely used to hate coming to this park because the crowd treated it like a baseball library that required silence and seriousness at nearly all times. The largest crowds were for fireworks and fireworks-adjacent holidays (the 4th, Father's Day), and the whole experience seemed joyless and overlong. If anything, seven innings of the Cascade seems too short, and Cascade management deserves a ton of credit for transforming this mausoleum into someplace memorable and minimizing the amount of time the poor folks in the left field seats spend staring into the sun.

Catchers camp we went to that was HELD here. So let me clarify. We had an okay time at camp but…read morelove this field. I love seeing our Hops and I LOVE the Berm and the summer fireworks. This place is great. The logistics of the field SUCK though. Getting in and out after an event is a nightmare. Wtf were they thinking in traffic management and flow?! I sure hope that the new field is going to be much smarter in that. Until then, we will keep on battling the traffic and loving summer baseball nights!

The Willamette River is a heck of a river. I ride next to it almost every single day. It's…read morebeautiful and has lots of sexy bridges. Roughly 187 miles long, it is home to a plethora of wildlife including but not limited to: 31 native species of fish, beavers, river otters , snakes (EEK) and more birds than you can shake a stick at! Also notably the longest river in the United States to flow in a northward direction. Oh how lucky we are to have this beautiful body of water in our daily lives. Three cheers to you Willamette River, hip hip Hooray! Hip hip Hooray! Hip hip Hooray!

Portland is "Bridge City" and the Willamette river is the rive all those bridges cross. It is a…read morefocal point if the City. The river is beautiful .... and the continual trips up and down the river by the Sternwheeler, Portland Spirit and all the dragon boaters is so Portland. During Christmas time the lighted/decorated Christmas ships is something I always look forward to. Love it! There have been some concerns in the past few years that it is becoming more contaminated and I know there are talks of how to clean it up and stop the continuation of the contamination. There are a few parks that are located on the shores of this prominent river and Willamette Park is one of them that also has a boat ramp. The sailing school is close by as well. Roll on Willamette!