Pacific Northwest Summer Fairs & Festivals Looking for some summer fun ideas? Check out our huge list of Pacific Northwest Summer Fairs & Festivals. In this post, I have listed fairs and festivals in Western Oregon and Southwest Washington. Head to Thrifty Northwest Mom for a list of Puget Sound Fairs & Festivals. Post updated for 2018. PORTLAND METRO June Tigard Festival of Balloons, June 21 - 23, Tigard Portland International Beerfest, June 28-30, Portland (Pearl District) July Molalla Buckeroo, July 1-4, Molalla St. Paul Rodeo, July 2-6, St. Paul Waterfront Blues Festival, July 4-7, Downtown Portland Keep Reading

Newberg 99W Drive-In (Newberg) Looking for an amazing night with the whole family? Even the dog! How about a good old fashion trip to the drive-in? Yes, there is a drive-in here in the Portland Metro area. Well, Newberg to be exact, but worth the drive. The cost is super low at $9 for adults and $5 for kids 6-11, kids 5 and under are free. That is for TWO recently released movies! We have seen everything from Harry Potter to Transformers to Wall-E on opening day. Also you can bring your own food in! You're hooked now huh? But before the movie even starts, there's the pre-show party. Let your kiddos run wild. All the kids run up in front of Keep Reading

Summer Reading Programs 2019 Summer vacation is here and it’s a great time to start planning different activities for your kids. Summer reading programs hosted by local public libraries and businesses are a fantastic way to encourage your children to read (or be read to) and earn prizes for doing it! In this post, I have listed national summer reading programs as well as local programs in Western Oregon and SW Washington. Find summer reading programs in the Puget Sound (Seattle) area over at Thrifty Northwest Mom. National Summer Reading Programs Barnes & Noble Summer Reading "Book Your Summer" Kids earn a FREE book when they read eight Keep Reading

Frenchman's Bar Regional Park (Vancouver, Washington) “Frenchman’s Bar, really? They let kids in?” No, not that kind of bar.  More like a “sand bar," a great strip of beach located along the north bank of the Columbia River in Vancouver, Washington. Nestled between Vancouver Lake and the Columbia, north of Hayden Island where the river takes the big turn northward, lies the family-friendly Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park. The wide, sandy beaches are a fun substitute for the coast when your family craves sandcastles but not the two or three hour drive to the Pacific. A 15-20 minute drive from I-5 just across the bridge in Vancouver will take you Keep Reading

Portland Staycation Ideas Updated for 2019 Looking for ways to enjoy Portland without breaking the bank? The following is a list of fun and frugal activities, events, and attractions to get your imagination started! This list can be enjoyed by vacationers, newly transplanted Portlanders, and those who have lived in Portlandia for decades. Each listing includes a general pricing guide: FREE -- won't cost you penny! $ -- Under $5 per person $$ -- Under $10 per person $$$ -- Over $10 per person SWIM Portland Parks & Rec Swimming Pools (Portland, $): Enjoy a dip in a public indoor or outdoor pool! Be sure to also check out the Keep Reading

A Day in the Pearl District (Portland) Portland’s Pearl District is a fun place for a day trip with your family. Some “must do” stops include Jamison Square, Tanner Springs, and The Fields Park -- all for free! There are also tons of shops & restaurants to keep you busy for an entire day! GET THERE I think your best option is to take the Portland Streetcar to the Pearl District and then travel by foot. (You can get to the Streetcar easily from Tri-Met's MAX Train if you're traveling from the suburbs or your hotel.) Everything is walkable once you arrive in the area. Parking is available, but it’s limited and it’s metered. Like Keep Reading

Molalla Train Park (Molalla) If you have a train enthusiast under your roof, you know there are lots of fun (and sometimes pricey) train outings both in and outside of Portland. We found the Molalla Train Park to be a hidden gem among those options and is FREE (donations are welcome and encouraged). It is volunteer run and only open Sunday afternoons from noon to 5 PM, May through October (starting May 5th for the 2019 year), but well worth the 50+ minute drive for an enjoyable afternoon with your family. The trains are 7.5 inch gauge (for those of us not steeped in train trivia, this refers to the space between the rails) so it is more Keep Reading