June is one of my favorite months of the year because it signifies the start of summer! I'm looking forward to spending lots of time outside and taking in as much of the amazing city of Portland as possible. Here are all of the events that I'm looking forward to this month!

F ruit Beer Festival

June 9-11, North Park Blocks. It has taken me awhile to really determine my favorite type of beer, but I've come to the conclusion that I LOVE fruity sour beer. I've also recently gotten into Hazy IPA's, which also tend to be fruity and are becoming more and more popular here in Portland. The Fruit Beer Festival is a great place to experiment with all sorts of different styles of beer, all with a fruity twist, which is great for summer!

D ragon Boat Races

June 10-11, Tom McCall Waterfront Park. I love festivals, and in the summer the waterfront has the best festivals in Portland. Teams train for the weekend of dragon boat racing for months in advance, and seeing them compete, and hearing their chanting, is always so much fun!

Portland Beer & Cheese Fest

June 17, Culmination Brewing. Cheese is great, beer is great. Combine them for one great day of eating and drinking!

Portland Pride Festival

June 17-18, Tom McCall Waterfront Park. I've never before been to a Pride Festival, just because timing has never worked out for me. I'm really hoping to be able to go this year though, because the energy seems so great, and celebrating LGBT rights is so important. This event features food, entertainment, music and more! The parade is Sunday, June 18 at 11am. There is also a Trans Rally and March on the 17th at 1pm.

Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts

June 23-25, Lake Oswego. The Festival includes art exhibits, dances, demonstrations, food booths, music, and fine arts and crafts. There will be hands-on arts activities, demonstrations, educational displays and the popular Happy Hour on the deck at Lakewood on Friday and Saturday afternoon.

Portland Craft Beer Festival

June 30 - July 2, Fields Neighborhood Park. I love the Fields Neighborhood Park, and this is one of my favorite beer events of the year. It is busy but not overly crowded, has lots of fun booths with games and activities, and the beer is obviously amazing!!

Waterfront Blues Festival

June 30 - July 4, Tom McCall Waterfront Park. I'be gone to the Blues Festival almost every single year since I was little. Growing up my parents used to pack up a picnic for us and we would spend the day downtown (there is lots to do for kids!), and now my friends and I make it a point to go and take in the music. If you go on the 4th of July you can spend all day at the festival, find a spot to sit with a picnic, and stay for the waterfront fireworks show!