Our Guide to September in Portland: Events, Resources, and Community Updates

Welcome to (almost) Fall! And welcome to our Guide to September -- featuring community events, our favorite activities in District 3, updates from our office in the community, resources, and our mid summer reads. Use the table of contents above to jump to whichever section you'd like. Thanks for being here!

Upcoming Events From Team Morillo

Constituent Coffee

It's time for our monthly Constituent Coffee! Join us at beloved District 3 gem Bar Carlo on Monday, September 28th for a casual conversation with Councilor Morillo from 4:00-5:30.

View full size image of graphic for a constituent coffee

Team Morillo Office Hours

Every 2^nd and 4^th Tuesday, from now until the end of the year, members of Councilor Angelita Morillo's staff will be posted up at Worker's Tap in Southeast Portland, ready to answer your questions from noon to 2:00 pm.

View full size image of Graphic promoting Team Morillo office hours, every 2nd and 4th Tuesday at Workers Tap from noon to 2:00

Whether you need help with a permit or want to pitch a policy idea, Team Morillo Office Hours is the place for you to come make a face-to-face connection with our staff and get plugged into your local government. We want to hear from you!

Walk With Your Councilor

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Our friends at Oregon Walks are once again hosting one of our favorite constituent events of the year – Walk With City Councilors – on Friday, September 25^th. Join us for a casual, easy-paced walk through one of District 3's most iconic spots, Laurelhurst Park. Meet us at 12:00 near the bathrooms for a 1.5 mile walk-and-talk. Read more info here.

Welcoming Week is September 9th through September 19th

We invite all community members, partners, organizations, and City employees to join us for Welcoming Week 2026, a citywide celebration recognizing the contributions, cultures, and leadership of immigrants and refugees who help make Portland a vibrant and welcoming place to live, work, and thrive. 

View full size image of Calendar of events for Welcoming Week 2026.

Throughout the week, residents will have opportunities to engage with local leaders, connect with community organizations, learn about available resources, participate in educational workshops, and celebrate the diverse cultures that strengthen Portland. Click here for a full list of events.

Our District 3 Picks for September

Back to School in Portland is packed, but here are our top picks for activities and community events in District 3 for this time of year.

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🤓 GET GEEKED

• The big kick off party for Geek Week is happening Thursday, September 10^th at Hey Love. Join geeks from all over to let your freak flag fly! 9/10 kick off party at Hey Love from 4-7 Activities | GeekWeekPDX
• On Friday, September 11^th, get your glam on for Dungeons and Drag Queens live at Holocene starting at 5:00 pm. Get tickets here. Dungeons & Drag Queens - EARLY SHOW! – 21+ | Holocene
• Saturday, September 19^th it's the Oops All Nerds comedy show, happening at Covert Café (803 SE 82^nd Ave) from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. More info here.

🏋🏽‍♀️ FIND RESILIENCE

• It's Gonna Be Okay is a long running comedy show in Portland that showcases the best professional comedians, offers prizes for the audience, and strives to create a fun, safe, positive, chill, joyful community vibe. Check it out on Saturday, September 5^th, at Peacock starting at 8:00 pm. 
• Join Basic Rights Oregon and Friendly House Elder Pride Services for Intergenerational Dialogues: Storytelling as Resistance: a virtual event happening on Monday, September 14th, from 5:30-6:30 pm. Folks will gather trans and gender-diverse elders and youth to share their stories and build community.
• Our friends at Quest Center are hosting a community day and fall festival on Saturday, September 26^th from 11:00 to 2:00. Enjoy face painting, tarot readings, crafts and more. 

🌈 HAVE PRIDE

• Lace up your tennis shoes for Dyke Field Day, happening Saturday, September 5^th, at Glencoe Elementary starting at 11:00 am. Get ready for basketball, soccer, crafts, pickleball, volleyball, BIG ROPE tug'o'peace, and other such fun!
• On Friday, September 11^th, the Clinton Street Theater is hosting an X-Files drag show starting at 7:00 pm. Support your local cryptids!
• Oregon Pride in Business is hosting their very first annual rainbow expo on Saturday, September 26^th. This expo will feature a Portland queer marketplace and business hub where you can shop LGBTQ brands, connect with businesses, and discover community resources. Happening from 10:00 to 6:00 at Social Good Place.

🤑 SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS

• The Indigenous Marketplace at Electric Blocks is back! On Saturday, September 12^th, you can shop local makers from 10:00 to 4:00 in Southeast Portland. More info here.
• The Clinton Division Business District is hosting The Clinton Street Fair on Saturday, September 12^th, from 10:00 to 5:00. Shop from over 200 vendors and community organizations while you stroll down beautiful Clinton Street! And save some room in your tote bag for the annual Belmont Street Fair, happening Saturday, September 19^th from 10:00 to 5:00.
• Now through September 20^th, it's Fried Chicken Week! Our favorite picks for District 3 dishes during this sacred Portland holiday are the fried tofu sandwich at Basilisk, the ayam geprek from Indonesian gem Wajan, and the gluten free chicken sandwich at Salvi PDX.

🫶🏼 VOLUNTEER

• On Saturday, September 12^th, join Foster-Powell neighbors for a Foster Road clean up from 10-12 at Laurelwood park.
• This time of year is perfect for park tending! Grab a pair of gloves and head on down to your neighborhood park. September 23^rd is Hazeltine Park tending day, and September 26^th is Mt. Tabor's annual volunteer event. 

🏡 GET NEIGHBORLY

• The Rose City Park garage sale is back on Saturday, September 12^th and 13^th!! Find one‑of‑a‑kind treasures at great prices at this annual neighborhood-wide yard sale. 
• It's time to say goodbye to summer at Rainbow Road. Join neighbors on Saturday, September 12^th from 3:00-8:00 for the Kernside Goodbye Summer Party. They'll have 6 great live acts on stage including Lone Fir Hot Club, Jacqueline Hyde, The Remnants Window and DJs LolaJak, Paisley and Tümás.
• Join Oregon Walks and Portland's Pedestrian Coordinator, Gena Gastaldi, for a 1.5 mile slow-paced stroll around Montavilla on Saturday, September 24^th.  Meet at 79^th and Stark Plaza at 4:00 pm, event wraps at 5:30. More info here.

🙌🏼 GET INVOLVED

• Next Up is hosting Portland City Council watch parties! Join other young leaders in Portland on Wednesday, September 16^th to watch the Night Council meeting together. Learn more here. 
• As we approach the Jewish High Holy Days, our friends at Jewish Voices for Peace are hosting a Tashlich event at Sellwood Park on Sunday, September 20^th. Together, community members will practice the Tashlich ritual and raise money for the Gaza Soup Kitchen. More info here.
• If you live, work, or spend time in the Inner Eastside, join Portland Planning and Sustainability for a casual, drop-in event to learn about the Inner Eastside Zoning Project and to help shape the future of the neighborhood. Meet at Colonel Summers Park on Saturday, September 26^th :between 11:00 to 3:00. More info here. 
• Want to learn more about social housing? Join a panel of experts including Councilor Mitch Green on Thursday, October 8^th for a Social Housing Panel at Bora Architecture and Interiors. Reserve a spot and learn more here. 

Team Morillo in the Community

The best part of this job is getting out of the City Hall and among the people of D3. Here's a snapshot of where we've been the past month:

• Drivers Union community picnic: Dozens of drivers and their families came together to break bread and strategize around their vision for worker power in Portland. Shoutout to Nathaniel for performing his Drivers Union rap with the group!

  View full size image of photos of Councilor Morillo in the community
• PAT's Back to School celebration: We visited with organizers and advocates working to make Portland a more affordable and supportive place for all families to thrive. Thanks PAT for offering resources to our community!
• Artists Against Exploitation gathering: Portland artists are coming together to advocate for better funding systems for artists. We met artists of all kinds from stagehands to clowns who are fighting to make Portland's art scene sustainable long term.
• Division Clinton Business Association meeting: We joined the DCBA for a presentation on their Enhanced Service District (ESD) proposal to learn more about how we can invest in one of District 3's most promising business districts. Shoutout to our new favorite bar, @rhinestone.pdx for hosting!
• Portland Businesses For All meet up: We joined dozens of community-driven business owners who share our progressive values to chat about how we can build a Portland where everyone has what they need to thrive. Thanks to District 3 gem @dearsandypdx for hosting!
• The City of Portland kicked off its annual Welcoming Week with an opening celebration that featured performances, food, and community conversation around how we can live out our Portland values of openness and belonging.
• Legin Commons grand opening: Legin Commons is a brand new affordable housing community right here in District 3's Montavilla neighborhood, near the Jade District. It's named after the Legin Restaurant – once one of Portland's largest Chinese restaurants and a cultural hub for community and celebration. Congratulations to APANO and other partners who have made this development possible. 
• IRCO Community Resource Fair: we joined neighbors at IRCO to meet service providers and other community leaders to connect on resources for District 3. 
• City Parent clothing swap: Our office volunteered at the Fall clothing swap hosted by Portland City Parent at the Portland Building. Thanks City Parent for hosting!
• Latinas Shape the Future: Xcelerate Women hosted an evening of Latina community leaders and entrepreneurs sharing their stories of connection and resilience.
• Bike Happy Hour: Thanks to Oregon Walks for hosting a great conversation at Bike Loud's happy hour about what we can do to build safe bike and pedestrian infrastructure in Portland. 
• Immigrant Town Hall: The City of Portland hosted an immigrant town hall in Downtown Portland where lawmakers and community members discussed the needs of Portland immigrants.
• El Grito: we loved getting to celebrate the Mexican community of Portland at this annual event!
• PCCEP Community Engagement meeting: We joined the Portland Committee on Community Engaged Policing for a conversation about how to make our streets safer for all.
• Equal Pay Day Womens Empowerment Summit: Councilor Morillo joined Beaverton City Councilor Nadia Hasan for a Welcoming Week panel to celebrate our work as immigrant women in Portland.
• DSA Womens Mixer: We were so delighted to meet fellow comrades in our movement for justice in Portland at the DSA Womens Mixer. 

Recent Reads

It's hard to follow everything that's happening in our city, region, state and country right now. Here are some of the most interesting reports that we've been noodling on lately:

• Oregon Center for Public Policy: Oregon, Beware: North Carolina Shows Where This Tax Road Leads
• The Portland Mercury: Knee-Jerk Reactions to Councilor Green's Tweets Are Hypocritical and Dangerous
• WBUR: Is your driver's license on the dark web?
• OPB's The Evergreen: Beyond the Beats: A short history of Portland hip-hop
• Last Week in Hell: The Ongoing "Silent" ICE Surge in Oregon
• Rewire: Olivia Rodrigo's Music Festival Raises $20 Million for Abortion, Gender Equity
• Oregon Journalism Project: Left and Right Unite as Oregonians Turn Against Flock Camera Network

Thanks for reading! As always, reach out any time at councilor.morillo@portlandorego…