This Summer, everybody is on a mission to make up for two years of shutdowns. But jam-packing those weekends with all that “Summertime, Fun-time” can get kind of expensive. So, this weekend we’re sharing fun and exciting things to do around town that won’t break the bank.  Check it out!

Music, Movies, Swimming, and More!

Portland parks offer plenty of free fun anytime of year, but Portland Parks and Recreation’s Summer Free for All program ups the ante, offering hundreds of free events from June to August, including free movie screenings and concerts, or swimming and lessons.  

Comedy

Kickstand Comedy and Portland Parks and Rec to bring you Comedy in the Park, every Friday! The show starts at 6 pm with Kickstand Comedy and another one of their outstanding lineups that make them Portland’s home for local comedy. Kickstand’s Comedy in the Park shows have drawn huge crowds, so be sure to bring your blankets, chairs and laughs and secure a spot early.

Soapbox Derby

Put down your video game controllers and step away from your Mario Kart. The best way to race isn’t on a screen, it’s down an extinct cinder cone volcano in Southeast Portland. The PDX Adult Soapbox Derby at Mt. Tabor Park pits grown-up kids against each other every August in pursuit of speed and laughs. Dozens of teams build cars to zip down the course, a great mix of curves and straightaways, lined with picnicking onlookers. Prizes for speed, engineering, fan favorites, and lifetime achievement are handed out to deserving daredevils, but the cheers may be more valuable than any award. Everything from streamlined, lacquered, wooden one-man bombers to fully-packed Scooby Doo Dream Machine doppelgängers zoom down the hill, making this a great day in the park for kids and the young-at-heart alike.