Portland is in the middle of its most eclectic arts month, and if you have not yet dipped into ADX Fest, there is still plenty left. The festival runs all the way to October 31, so you have the rest of the month to pick and choose what fits your schedule. It is put on by Art Design Xchange (ADX), a woman-founded, woman-owned and Latino-owned creative collective that is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, having been around since 2011. The festival itself is huge — more than 60 events, workshops and performances spread across multiple venues — and it only takes in locally owned and independently operated creative businesses and organizations.
Every week we pick 🏆 the 5 best 🏆 things to do in Portland and send them to your inbox. Just one weekly email, no spam.
By submitting your email, you accept our Privacy Policy
One of the easiest ways to do the festival is to start at ADX headquarters, a 14,000-square-foot collaborative maker space in the Central Eastside at 417 SE 11th Avenue. Events there are free, while other venues around town have their own admission. The space is run by founder and creative director Kelley Roy and community manager and head curator Syd Spencer, and it serves as a home base for a lot of the festival's workshops and gatherings.
Looking at the next couple of weeks, there is a good mix of things to do. On Saturday, October 10, Portland Open Studios runs from 10:00 to 16:00 — that is a free, self-guided city-wide tour of artist studios that is celebrating its own 25th anniversary this year. That same day, Tender Loving Empire has a Nightwork Candle pop-up at its West End store from 13:00 to 15:00, Monkey With A Hat On holds The Long After album release party at ADX from 19:00 to 21:00, and DANCE is on at BodyVox from 19:30 to 21:00. Over at St. John's Twin Cinema, HorrOregon screens a Stapled sinema double feature from 20:00 to 23:59.
Sunday, October 11, keeps the Open Studios going in the morning and adds a few more stops: Crafty Wonderland hosts custom pet portraits with Ryan Berkley from 11:00 to 17:00 ($50 for one, $100 for two), PNCA holds Did We Sell Out? from 12:00 to 17:00, Sketchbook Society meets at ADX from 17:00 to 19:00, and Tell It In 400 Words is at the East County Library from 18:00 to 19:30.
Mid-month leans into the hands-on side of things. On October 14, COFFEE & CRAFTS with Sarah Kirwin runs 10:00 to 13:00 at ADX, and Grave Raiment Studio holds an It's Not A Phase workshop from 18:00 to 20:00, where you can add goth or punk style to your wardrobe for $40. The 17th is a busy one: the PNW Miniature Show at the Sheraton by Marriott from 10:00 to 17:00, Franklin Foto pop-ups from 13:00 to 17:00, a watercolor texture workshop at ADX from 13:00 to 15:00, and MOSMA, the Museum of Stop Motion Animation, at ADX from 18:00 to 21:00. The 18th adds the Portland Radio Project open mic night at B-Side Records from 17:00 to 20:00 and Puppetry in Process with Tim Giugni at ADX from 18:30 to 19:30.
As October winds down, the festival keeps the variety going. October 21 brings a wood or linocut printmaking workshop at Atelier Meridian for $145 and Pints & Palettes watercolor at Baerlic Brewing Alberta from 18:00 to 20:00. The 23rd pairs a Sip & Clay session with Makerspace Sellwood, Tunnel Vision: Battle of the Battle Jackets at Brujos Brewing, and the Woolly Sweaters show at ADX. The 24th has Music Craft Northwest at the Jupiter Hotel from 14:00 to 19:00, and the 25th closes out with a film screening and walking tour of The Elk at PAMCUT's Whitsell Auditorium. A few more events follow on the 26th, 27th and 29th, before the festival wraps up with Synth Library Portland on October 31.
Between the free events at ADX and the paid workshops and shows elsewhere, there is enough here to build a creative weekend or a month of drop-ins. The full calendar is online, so it is worth a look before you commit to a day.
Published Date
9 October 2026
