Free Cider Fest: Fresh-Pressed Cider, Music and More

Photo by Josephina Kolpachnikof.

Portland Fruit Tree Project’s annual Cider Fest returns to Northeast Portland on Saturday, October 3. The community harvest celebration is free, all ages and packed with hands-on activities, from apple pressing and kids crafts to live music and community workshops.

You can even bring apples or pears from your own backyard and add them to the press.

2026 Portland Cider Fest

Cider Fest is Saturday, October 3, from noon to 4 p.m. at Leaven Community Center, 5431 NE 20th Ave. in Portland. Admission is free.

The centerpiece of the event is exactly what the name promises: cider.

Portland Fruit Tree Project will press apples collected from Portland’s urban fruit trees, including B-grade fruit that might otherwise go unused. Attendees with apple or pear trees can bring their own fruit to contribute, too. Just leave the windfall fruit at home—the organization asks that you bring only fruit picked from the tree, not anything collected from the ground.

Some of the cider produced during the event will also be pasteurized and donated to Portland Fruit Tree Project’s pantry partners.

Don’t have a fruit tree? No problem. You don’t need to bring anything to participate.

Live Music, Food and Free Activities

Flyer courtesy of Portland Fruit.

The cider pressing is only part of the afternoon. Live music starts with family favorite Red Yarn at 12:30 p.m., followed by the Webfoot Brass Band at 2 p.m. with a lively New Orleans-style set.

Throughout the afternoon, you’ll also find:

• Tacos from La Merced.
• Free take-home crafts from Vegan Scouts.
• Crafts with SCRAP PDX.
• Skate rentals from Rose City Rollers.
• Affordable winter garden plants from The More You Grow.
• A tea cafe, toddy bar and bake sale from Cascadia Wild.
• A darning class with Repair PDX.
• Tours of the Northeast Portland Tool Library.
• Caesar the no-drama llama, who is scheduled to make an appearance.

Admission to Cider Fest is free, but bring some spending money if you want food, drinks, plants, skate rentals or other items available for purchase.

A Festival Built Around Portland’s Urban Harvest

There’s a practical purpose behind all the apple pressing.

Portland Fruit Tree Project works to harvest and share fruit growing throughout Portland while keeping usable produce from going to waste. The organization also helps Portlanders care for fruit trees and coordinates harvested fruit with community partners. 

That makes this event a little different from the typical fall festival. You can come for an afternoon of cider and music, but you’re also getting a look at just how much food is growing in Portland neighborhoods—and what can happen when that surplus gets shared instead of wasted.

Cider Fest Event Details

Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
Time: Noon-4 p.m.
Cost: Free
Ages: All ages
Location: Leaven Community Center, 5431 NE 20th Ave., Portland, OR 97211
Bring: Apples or pears picked from your trees, if you’d like. Do not bring fruit collected from the ground.

For event updates, visit the Portland Fruit Tree Project website.

Want to lend a hand during the festival? You can also sign up for a volunteer shift.

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