Portland Summer Date Night Ideas

We are all about parent-kid dates. But this post isn’t all about that. This is for that magical, elusive, nobody’s sick, sitter’s secured, get out on the town with your significant other date.

When it’s summer, Portland comes out to play. We’ve got ideas to take full advantage of the season, with everything from the romantic night out, to the just plain old fun outing. Happy date night!

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Play Mini-Golf. Check out the summer’s hottest pop-up at Hotel deLuxe’s 19th hole. Offering a nine-hole mini-golf course, outdoor patio dining, cart food and an extensive wine and beer menu, it’s a grown-up twist on the kids’ classic game. Hotel deLuxe, 729 SW 15th Ave, Portland

Have a Picnic. Load up your basket with locally-made goodies (and wine! Don’t forget the wine!) and head to one of these scenic places for a special summer outing.

Check out a Baseball Game. Check out the collegiate team The Portland Pickles in Lents. You can take part in this quintessential summer activity, snack on hot dogs and enjoy the antics of Dillon (okay, just got that), the Pickles’ mascot. Another option – check out a minor league game with the Hillsboro Hops.
Portland Pickles: SE Holgate and SE 92nd Ave, Portland
Hillsboro Hops: 4460 NE Century Blvd., Hillsboro

Get Your Groove on at a Free Outdoor Concert. Portland Parks & Rec hosts free summer concerts most weekdays throughout the summer at parks across down. Looking for jazz? Got that. Somali dance music? You betcha. Groove-heavy Mexican folk? Why yes, yes they do. Check out their summer schedule here.

Be Cultured with Shakespeare in the Park. Portland Actors Ensemble is traveling to parks across Portland to present Shakespeare this summer. Check out their schedule here. All shows are free!

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Get Arty with First Thursday in the Pearl. Art galleries in the Pearl stay open late (most until 9 pm) for receptions and new show openings, usually with wine to taste and food to snack on. During the summer months, there’s also a street gallery, packed with artists, musicians and art-lovers.

Get into the Spirit(s). Portland’s distillery row is the place to go for tasting locally-made spirits. Get a behind the scenes look and taste of vodkas, whiskeys, brandies and more. Check out where to go here.

See the Sunset. For sunset and people watching, there’s no place quite like Mock Crest Park on the Skidmore Bluffs. From the Bluffs, you can catch views of the Willamette, the West Hills, the rail yard, and the city skyline. But the real fun is what you might see in the park – unicycles (probably), hula hoops (almost definitely), a wedding on stilts (it’s been rumored to have happened). A great spot to feel reconnected to Portlandia. 2206 N. Skidmore St., Portland

And some year-round classics:

Explore OMSI After Dark. You’re away from the kids, so where else to go but… OMSI? Okay, okay. Hear us out. OMSI After Dark is just for adults. That means you may actually have a chance to look at the exhibits. Plus every month, they have a theme – like astronomy, or even beer or spirits. They have vendors, artisans, science experiments and presentations around that theme. And – they serve alcohol. The event is held monthly on the last Wednesday of the month from 7 pm-11 pm. Tickets are $7.50 for members, $15 for nonmembers.

Class it up with Friday Nights at the Portland Art Museum. An affordable and sophisticated way to party like an art star. The museum offers a more relaxed and social atmosphere, pizza and beer in the art pub, and occasional art and music programs. The event occurs every Friday from 5 pm-8 pm, and tickets are just $5.

Do an Urban Wine Tasting. It’s a pretty short drive to wine country – but did you know you don’t actually need to leave Portland to have a true wine tasting experience? With over a dozen in town, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get those palates working. Here’s a list of wineries and hours.

Play. Get your game face on at Quarterworld. They’ve got an extensive array of pinball games (Guns n Roses anyone?) along with classics like Donkey Kong, plus a big selection of rare games. An eclectic menu rounds out the experience. 4811 SE Hawthorne, Portland

Okay, Watch a Movie. We know we’re looking beyond the dinner and a movie theme, but this one is too good not to include. Academy Theater offers onsite babysitting on weekends for $9.50 for the length of the movie (you must reserve a spot beforehand). The movies themselves are super affordable ($4 for an adult ticket) and even more affordable if you come on Tuesday, when you can buy one ticket and get one free. 7818 SE Stark, Portland 

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