• Upcoming Plaza Partner Events
• Want to throw an event at a PBOT Public Street Plaza?
• Lounge Lab Invites You to Get Comfy in Portland Public Spaces
• Setting the Stage: Community Comes Together to Build at Rainbow Road
• Thank you for your Feedback!
• Where can you find PBOT's Street Plazas?
• What is the Portland Public Street Plaza Program?

Get Cozy and Lounge in Plazas this Fall 🍂

While the bustling summer plaza season may be wrapping up, our street plazas continue to offer vibrant spaces for you, your friends, and your family to enjoy year-round. Fall is the perfect time to embrace the cooler weather and watch the leaves change as you relax in your favorite local plaza. There’s still plenty to enjoy, including Lounge Lab—a showcase of potential new furniture for plazas—along with new plaza build-outs, events, and more.

As we transition into the quieter months, the Street Plaza Team will be hard at work, preparing for next year’s programming. We'll be incorporating valuable feedback from our partners and the broader Portland community to create even more engaging and inclusive spaces.

Upcoming Plaza Partner Events

There are countless events at the plazas each month. Need help finding them? Check out the Plaza Directory. Events are also frequently posted on the PBOT Instagram page.

Thursday, October 3

• First Thursdays, NW 13th Plaza 5-9 PM. Join us in the Pearl District for First Thursday. Experience the work of local artists and makers along NW 13th Plaza on NW 13th Avenue between Everett and NW Irving streets. This event is sponsored by the Urban Art Network.
• Lounge at the Lab, NW 13th Plaza 5-9 PM. Enjoy music selections from local DJs ranging from jazz, lounge, ambient, and more. Lounge Lab will be the spot to soak in sound and try out potential new furniture for PBOT Plazas during the final First Thursday of the year.

Friday, October 4

• Celebrate National Seafood Month,  SW Salmon & 9th Seasonal Plaza, 4-6 PM. Free live music, cornhole, and more. Hosted by Southpark Seafood

Thursday, October 24

• Halloween Celebration, McClellan & Denver 2025 Test Pilot Plaza, 5:30-8 PM. Trick or Treat on Denver Street! Join the Kenton Business Association for a festive "Tent or Treat" in the heart of downtown, where kids of all ages can collect treats from local businesses and catch a sneak peek of McClellan Street as a potential future plaza. Don’t forget to dress up your furry friends—Fang is hosting a special dog costume contest!

Saturday, October 19

• Dance Night, Pride Plaza, 7-10 PM. Put on your dancing shoes or get a pair at Fluevogs for this night of music at Pride Plaza.

Want to throw an event at a PBOT Public Street Plaza?

Plazas are for Portlanders and we love to see them thrive! Want to throw a performance, dance party, craft market, seed swap, game night, neighborhood meet and greet, or something else? Reach out and email us at PortlandStreetPlazas@portlandoregon.gov and we can help you navigate throwing an event.

The Small Plaza Activation process is intended to remove barriers for small-scale neighborhood-based activities that build social and community connections in PBOT plazas. Best of all, permits under Small Plaza Activation are 100% FREE.

Lounge Lab Invites You to Get Comfy in Portland Public Spaces

PBOT is testing out new furniture for public plazas and Lounge Lab invites you to take a seat and share your feedback. This initiative is part of a larger effort to develop PBOT's Public Street Plaza toolkit, which will also include planters, canopies, lighting, and more. As we work to formalize the plaza program, your input is essential. Signage near the exhibit will guide you to a short survey where you can share your thoughts: Do you like the furniture? Does it capture the spirit of Portland? Is there anything missing?

Megan Doherty, the Plaza coordinator who organized the installation shared her thoughts on the project:

"We believe it’s essential for plaza visitors to have a voice in shaping the future of our public spaces. This installation offers a chance to experience sample seating being considered for Public Street Plazas and provide your valuable feedback on the designs."

-Megan Doherty, Plaza Coordinator

Lounge Lab is up and active now at NW 13th Ave Plaza. Take a seat and let us know what you think!

Setting the Stage: Community Comes Together to Build at Rainbow Road

Since it's inception, Ankeny Rainbow Road has been a vibrant community hub for the Buckman neighborhood. Anchored by Ankeny Tap & Table, Gorge Brewing, Moonshot Tavern, and Crema. The plaza has hosted a dynamic series of performances by MusicPortland and the well loved weekly Wednesday Bike Happy Hour. In a show of community spirit and dedication to street music, last month local businesses, volunteers, and city programs came together to construct a brand-new stage. Born and Raised Construction, a local family-owned, sustainable construction company, generously donated free labor and volunteer management valued at $10,000 to lead the stage-building effort. Ankeny Tap & Table, Gorges Brewing, and two builders from Born and Raised spearheaded the project. Alongside them, Ten community volunteers from City Repair, PBOT outreach, the Plaza Ambassador Program, and Strong Towns PDX, helped bring this vision to life.

This new stage on Rainbow Road sets the scene for next year, offering performers from across Portland a platform to share their music with the community.

Volunteers work to build the stage at Rainbow Road.

Scenes From the Plaza: Shadow Puppet Theater

Photo Credit: Elle Hygge

Last month, Depave's 7th & Sandy Seasonal Plaza featured an engaging performance byString and Shadow, a theater company from Olympia, Washington. Their show, "Or So It Would Seam: A Giant Puppet Voyage into the Hidden Universe," combined fairy tales, space adventures, and slapstick comedy, creating a fun and memorable experience for the audience.

Photo Credit: Elle Hygge

String and Shadow brings communities together through outdoor puppet shows, using creative puppetry styles and a DIY aesthetic. They aim to evoke wonder and joy, making their performances accessible to all. The event was donation-based, ensuring no one was turned away due to lack of funds, making it a true celebration of art, inclusivity, and creativity.

Photo Credit: Elle Hygge

Performers get ready backstage. Photo Credit: Elle Hygge

Do you have a great Public Street Plaza Photo?

We'd love to feature it!  Share your best PBOT Street Plaza photo with the world by tagging @PBOTinfo on Instagram, Facebook, or X (formerly Twitter).  You can also email them directly to our team at PortlandStreetPlazas@portlandoregon.gov

Thank you for your Feedback!

This summer, we launched our 2024 Plaza Survey to gather valuable community feedback and guide future program development. We’re excited to share that we received responses from over 1,300 community members—a sixteen-fold increase from last year!

As we diligently analyze the data and compile it for our 2025 Plaza Report, we wanted to highlight a few exciting insights from this year’s survey:

How do you normally get to plazas? Check all that apply.

People largely get to plazas via active transportation methods such as walking, rolling, or biking.

Even more exciting was the outpouring of love and support for Plazas:

• 96% of respondents agree that plazas provide substantial benefits to the community.

• 97% of respondents feel that plazas contribute to a safer and more vibrant atmosphere.

Stay tuned for more findings and updates as we shape the future of our public spaces.

Where can you find PBOT's Street Plazas?

PBOT has numerous active plazas that are ready for you, your friends, and family to enjoy. They are great places to grab a bite to eat, relax, enjoy live music, meet up with friends, and so much more. Check out our directory to find out about plazas near you!

What is the Portland Public Street Plaza Program?

Originally started during the Covid-19 pandemic to assist businesses and Portlanders, PBOT's Public Street Plaza program-built partnerships with community and local businesses to transform select streets into public spaces for cultural events, street fairs, pop-up markets, relaxing, lounging, and more. The program uses PBOT's Livable Streets Strategy, adopted by Portland City Council in 2017 as its policy foundation to turn streets into inclusive public spaces that foster public life.

What started as a temporary solution is now becoming a permanent fixture in our city. The Street Plaza program reflects PBOT's commitment to climate action, mobility for all, and community building by creating spaces that everyone in Portland can use and enjoy.

Portland Public Street Plazas Funded by the American Rescue Plan

This project is funded by the American Rescue Plan, a federal economic stimulus bill designed to help communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession. The City of Portland is receiving $208 million of local recovery funds. Investments focus on three key priorities: houselessness response and household stabilization, business and commercial district stabilization, and community health and safety.

The City of Portland ensures meaningful access to city programs, services, and activities to comply with Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II laws and reasonably provides: translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, auxiliary aids and services. To request these services, contact the Portland Bureau of Transportation at 311 (503-823-4000), for Relay Service & TTY: 711.