Month Ahead

What to Do in Oregon in April

Stroll among tulips and trilliums, marvel at migratory birds, and gorge yourself on cheese and seafood. Plus: a new festival devoted to Sasquatch.

By Rebecca Jacobson March 26, 2025

The Harney County Migratory Bird Festival was canceled due to flooding in Burns, but American avocets will still travel through the area this month.

Ah, April! Days grow longer, spirits steadily return, and seemingly everything is in bloom. It's a beautiful (if unpredictable) month for a road trip, and Oregon serves up a long and varied slate of options.


Tulips, Mount Hood, and a wee windmill—truly, does one need anything else?

Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

thrU april 27 | Woodburn

Tulip time is among the best times. Grab a good pair of walking shoes and get your camera ready for this 41st annual fest, where you'll find 40 acres of fields blooming with more than 100 varieties, not to mention cutout boards for silly photo-ops. Other activities include wooden shoe–making demonstrations, duck races for the kids, and hot air balloons (if weather allows). For a tipple among the tulips, join a guided tour of Wooden Shoe Vineyards

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

THRU Oct 26 | Ashland

Technically, the venerable festival kicked off last month. But that just means the actors have had a few weeks to settle into their roles, right? The first four shows to open were Julius Caesar (with a cast of women and nonbinary actors); The Importance of Being Earnest (transported to the Malay Peninsula); August Wilson's Jitney; and Fat Ham, a riff on Hamlet about a queer Black kid in the South. A 1960s-themed As You Like It begins this month, with four more shows still to open.

Trilliums reach their peak this month.

Trillium Festival

Sat, Apr 5 | Tryon Creek State Natural Area

For nearly 50 years, Tryon Creek has celebrated spring with a festival devoted to the pretty white perennial, which starts blooming each year in late February or early March and reaches its peak in April. (It will turn to a reddish-purple by the end of this month or early next.) The fest includes a native plant sale, a gardening resources fair, and classroom and trail nature stations.

Oregon Soar vs. Colorado Alpenglow

Sat, Apr 5 | Portland

Oregon has a new professional women's ultimate frisbee team, just the seventh member in the Western Ultimate League. The team's inaugural home game, against Colorado, takes place at 2pm at the University of Oregon's Portland campus (formerly Concordia), with additional home games on May 4 and 17. Can't make it live? Games will be streamed on YouTube.

Harney County Migratory Bird Festival (Canceled)

Thu–Sun, APr 10–13 | Harney Basin

Every year, thousands of migratory birds representing more than 300 species pass through the Harney Basin of southeastern Oregon on the Pacific Flyway. Started in 1981, this fest celebrates the remarkable phenomenon with a stacked lineup of events, including all variety of tours and workshops (from raptor identification to field sketching to birding by ear), a bird crawl (think pub crawl, but with feathered friends), and bird trivia. 

Mt. Hood Sasquatch Festival

Fri–Sun, April 11–13 | Welches

Mt. Hood Oregon Resort hosts a brand-new festival devoted to everyone's favorite ape-like forest dweller. The event promises presentations on tracking skills, kids activities, and screenings of a documentary called The Sasqualogist

Blazing Paddles 2025

Fri–Sun, Apr 11–13 | Klamath Falls

Calling all pickleball players—the Klamath Basin Pickleball Association throws a three-day tourney, with different events and brackets each day. Proceeds benefit the Assistance League of Klamath Falls, which provides clothing and services to families in the area.

Sauvage: An Exploration of Oregon Sauvignon Blanc

Sat, Apr 12 | Dayton

Durant, the Yamhill County winery and olive mill, hosts a day devoted to sauvignon blanc. Expect offerings from 18 Oregon wineries, grilled oysters, a Mediterranean menu, and live music, all set among the olive groves and herb gardens of Durant's hilltop property.

Easter Weekend at Topaz Farm

Sat & Sun, Apr 19 & 20 | Sauvie Island

The much-loved Sauvie Island farm puts on two days of Easter celebrations: egg hunts for kids 9 and under, animal visits, potato painting, and Ukrainian egg decorating.

Ahoy! Just-caught seafood awaits in Astoria.

Astoria Warrenton Crab, Seafood & Wine Festival

FRI–Sun, Apr 25–27 | Astoria

Sample local bounty and live music at this North Coast tradition, now in its 43rd year. Wine, beer, spirits, and arts vendors join food stalls offering the likes of smoked salmon, ceviche, shrimp melts, crab cakes, and oysters all sorts of ways.

Oregon Cheese Festival

SAT & Sun, Apr 26 & 27 | central point

A trip to Southern Oregon rewards with a bevy of artisan vendors serving up cheese—duh—but also chocolate, jerky, ice cream, hot sauce, pickles, and more. On the adult beverage side of things: beer, wine, mead, cider, and spirits.

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