Best Things to Do in Fall in Portland

Brooks Wines is a gorgeous winery with stunning views deep in the Willamette Valley specializing in Rieslings. The tasting room is a cozy space and you will want to stay awhile. It opens up into a large patio where you can see multiple mountains or play a round of darts. They offer a variety of wine flights perfectly paired with charcuterie boards. Also available are seasonal sandwiches, salads, and appetizers all with a recommended glass of wine to be paired with. It is family-friendly. Kids will enjoy seeing the chickens, playing corn hole, and enjoying popcorn and root beer.

Much of the border between Oregon and Washington is formed by the Columbia River, the fourth-largest river in North America. Designated as a National Scenic Area, the Columbia River Gorge is known for its breathtaking scenery, including a multitude of waterfalls and the steeply rising hills on both sides of the river. Fittingly, the fall colors here are suitably dramatic. A healthy mix of conifers and hardwoods makes for a spectacular show of cool greens perfectly complemented by bright reds and oranges. Maple, cottonwood, ash, and oak are the species responsible for the multi-chromatic panorama.

The Pumpkin Patch over on Sauvie Island is a popular family farm offering a seasonal produce market and gift shop, cafe, a massive corn maze, hayrides & pick your own pumpkins during the month of October. For little ones, they have an adorable cow train that will delight them. There's also a large hay pyramid that kids have fun climbing all over. They have a big red barn that was built in 1929 and filled with animals. Kids can see turkeys, goats, and more. You can pack a lunch and enjoy it on one of the picnic tables covered by a large awning.

Lan Su Yuan, the garden's official name, means "Garden of Awakening Orchids," and is considered the most authentic Chinese garden outside of China. Having opened in 2000, the garden was a joint project between Portland and its Chinese sister city Suzhou. Set behind a wall, the garden is a tranquil, urban oasis that fills a full city block. Like a living work of art, the garden contains a balance of the five traditional garden elements: rocks, water, plants, architecture, and literary inscriptions. Paths wind through the courtyards, pavilions, and bridges. The Tao of Tea offers visitors a chance to experience a traditional tea service in recreated Ming Dynasty tea house.

Liepold Farms is a sustainable family-owned farm operating in Boring, Oregon since 1952. For years, they have offered one of the most enjoyable pumpkin patches in the Portland area. Their pumpkin patch is always packed with family fun. They have a corn maze, hay maze, hayrides, pumpkin slingshots, and more. On the weekends they offer food options and alcoholic beverages for adults. You can purchase a ticket to participate in just one activity or you can purchase a bundle to save a few bucks. This is a great activity for groups, families, and couples as well as a perfect setting for photos.

Overlooking the Tualatin River Valley, Cooper Mountain Nature Park is located on the edge of Beaverton. The 230-acre park offers visitors 3.5 miles of trails that traverse the park and pass through each of its distinct habitats, from conifer forest to prairie to oak woodlands. Visitors will be rewarded with grand views of the Chehalem Mountains, close-up looks at Oregon white oaks, and a small prairie that has sat relatively undisturbed for hundreds of years. This is a great place to go for a walk. For kids, there is a little play structure near the parking lot. There are also restrooms there.

Anne Amie Vineyards specializes in Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc. The winery is located in the rolling hills of the Yamhill-Carlton District with incredible views of the Willamette Valley. You can enjoy wine tastings, tours of the vineyard and cellar, picnic tables, umbrellas, a bocce ball court, and corn hole at the tasting room and winery. They charge $15 for a wine tasting but waive the fee with a $100 purchase. They host exquisite wine dinners on their property that are just incredible and a must if you can. These sell out quickly, so watch their website for dates.

The Kitchen at Middleground Farms is a recreational cooking school located on a family hobby farm just south of Portland in Wilsonville, Oregon. Cooking classes explore fundamental skills in the kitchen and garden, as well as some of the lost arts of handcrafting and preserving food like our grandmothers did. The Kitchen focuses on the traditional methods of cooking, from making the perfect pie, to learning the basics of cheesemaking, to putting up fruits and vegetables for the winter. They will guide you through basic knife techniques and the science behind food and why it behaves the way it does in different situations, helping to instill confidence when cooking in your own kitchen.

Our Table is a cooperative of farmers and producers working together to create handcrafted, thoughtful, and delicious food for the local community. They harness the power of collaboration to create shared value through all stages of food growth and production. Our Table is a new paradigm for a more localized food system based on a new form of agriculture that blends the wisdom of the past with the science of the present. In addition to their store full of local fresh goods they also offer classes, dinners, and farm camps for adults. During the fall they have a pumpkin patch. They also offer tours of the farm for groups.

One of the many attractions in Washington Park, the Japanese Gardens is a one of Portland's brightest gems. Designed by renowned landscape architect Professor Takuma Tono, the site opened in 1967. Five separate gardens comprise this collective: Strolling Pond, Tea, Natural, Flat and Dry Landscape. Each one offers a unique environment and design comprised of elements such as water, stone and vegetation. The garden's elevated location in Portland's West Hills offers a quiet escape above the city. The Japanese Garden is always a lovely, but it the fall it is stunning. There is an admission fee to get in and be sure to get there early enough to spend at least an hour and a half.