Keep Portland Weird: Embracing the Eccentricities of a Unique City! 🌆🤪

WHY PORTLAND IS WEIRD? Introduced in 2003 as an initiative to support local businesses, “Keep Portland Weird” has fast become Portland’s unofficial motto. Portland is proud to be, well, a little bit quirky. Here’s why we think it’s one of America’s strangest but greatest cities. 1. It’s home to the world’s smallest park Guinness world record-holder Mills End Park is just two feet across. Barely larger than a plant pot, the world’s smallest park is difficult to spot. 2. The city takes cycling to extremes A whole host of bizarre bicycle-themed events are held throughout the year in Portland. Every June sees hundreds of people gather in the nude for the World Naked Bike Ride, which may sound silly, but is for a serious cause: to raise awareness for cyclists’ vulnerability on the roads. 3. There’s a selection of strange festivals There’s the Faux Film Festival, which parodies the film industry, creating fake trailers, spoofs, mockumentaries and more. 4. The museums are somewhat unusual Just Google what The Freakybuttrue Peculiarium and Museum is. Yes, it’s a real museum here. 5. There are haunted tunnels running under the city Running under Chinatown and Old Town, the so-called Shanghai Tunnels are said to be haunted by the ghosts of workmen snatched from the passages and sold to shipmen. 6. A clown-themed bar is one of many memorable places to drink The Funhouse Lounge is filled with unnerving images of clowns, including a grinning head that sits as the centrepiece of a corner table. It's all your childhood nightmares come true. 7. Chocolate lovers rejoice: there’s a 21ft-tall chocolate waterfall Visit Candy Basket’s Portland shop to witness chocolate cascading down a 21ft marble and bronze waterfall. 8. Portland has the only vertical street in North America The Oregon City Municipal Elevator, known as “Elevator Street”, connects downtown Portland to the McLoughlin neighbourhood. 9. Portland Timbers’ mascot is a real lumberman with a chainsaw Timber Joey saws chunks off a log every time the football team scores. 10. You can get hitched in a doughnut shop Candy-coloured Voodoo Doughnuts has a marriage license – and the donuts are pretty good too.