Well, there’s not much we can do about your kids throwing up, but we can at least take care of the planning for you. Here are lots of ideas for a Portland-area date night with your honey. And best of all, none of these break the bank.
Play Mini-Golf. Check out the summer’s hottest pop-up at Hotel deLuxe’s 19th hole. Offering a nine-hole mini-golf course, outdoor patio dining, cart food and an extensive wine and beer menu, it’s a grown-up twist on the kids’ classic game. Hotel deLuxe, 729 SW 15th Ave, Portland
Check out a Pickles Game. Hey sports fans, there’s a new game in town. Portland’s Lents area is home to a new collegiate baseball league. You can take part in this quintessential summer activity, snack on hot dogs and enjoy the antics of Dillon (okay, just got that), the Pickles’ mascot – all for only $6-12 a ticket. SE Holgate and SE 92nd Ave, Portland
Get Your Groove on at a Free Outdoor Concert. Portland Parks & Rec hosts free summer concerts most weekdays throughout the summer at parks across down. Looking for honkey tonk? Got that. Funk? You betcha. “Surf tinged blues with a James Bond twist.” Why yes, yes they do. Check out their summer schedule here.
Shakespeare in the Park. Portland Actors Ensemble is traveling to parks across Portland to present Shakespeare’s classic comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” this summer. Check out their schedule here. All shows are free!
First Thursday in the Pearl. Art galleries in the Pearl stay open late (most until 9 pm) for receptions and new show openings, usually with wine to taste and food to snack on. During the summer months, there’s also a street gallery, packed with artists, musicians and art-lovers. Here’s a map of the 2016 galleries.
Drink beer. Portland is known for its beer. You can taste your way through some of the best the area has to offer at one of the many beer festivals going on throughout the summer. Many of the festivals also have live music and local food offerings. Here’s a lineup.
See the sunset. For sunset and people watching, there’s no place quite like Mock Crest Park on the Skidmore Bluffs. From the Bluffs, you can catch views of the Willamette, the West Hills, the rail yard, and the city skyline. But the real fun is what you might see in the park – unicycles (probably), hula hoops (almost definitely), a wedding on stilts (it’s been rumored to have happened). A great spot to feel reconnected to Portlandia. 2206 N. Skidmore St., Portland
Catch a movie – outside. The NW Film Center hosts a summer of classic-ish movies on top of the Hotel deLuxe’s parking structure in downtown Portland. Think movies like Raising Arizona, Hairspray (the 1980s version) and Key Largo. Tickets top out at $12, and food and beverages are available for purchase from local spots like Aladdin’s Cafe and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Here’s the schedule. Hotel deLuxe, 729 SW 15th Ave, Portland
And some year-round classics:
Explore OMSI After Dark. You’re away from the kids, so where else to go but… OMSI? Okay, okay. Hear us out. OMSI After Dark is just for adults. That means you may actually have a chance to look at the exhibits. Plus every month, they have a theme – like astronomy, or even beer or spirits. They have vendors, artisans, science experiments and presentations around that theme. And – they serve alcohol. The event is held monthly on the last Wednesday of the month from 7-11 pm. Tickets are $7.50 for members, $15 for nonmembers.
Class it up with Friday Nights at the Portland Art Museum. An affordable and sophisticated way to party like an art star. The museum offers slow tours, pizza and beer in the art pub, a photo booth and occasional art and music programs. The event occurs every Friday from 5-8 pm, and tickets are just $5 (and the fourth Friday of the month, admission is free!).
Do an urban wine tasting. It’s a pretty short drive to wine country – but did you know you don’t actually need to leave Portland to have a true wine tasting experience? With over a dozen in town, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get those palates working. Here’s a list of wineries and tasting times.
Play. Check out Portland’s newest arcade, Quarterworld. They’ve got an extensive array of pinball games (Guns n Roses anyone?) along with classics like Donkey Kong, plus a big selection of rare games. An eclectic menu rounds out the experience. 4811 SE Hawthorne, Portland
Okay, watch a movie. Okay, we know we’re looking beyond the dinner and a movie theme, but this one is too good not to include. Academy Theater offers onsite babysitting on weekends for $9.50 for the length of the movie (you must reserve a spot beforehand). The movies themselves are super affordable ($4 for an adult ticket) and even more affordable if you come on Tuesday, when you can buy one ticket and get one free. 7818 SE Stark, Portland 
Need a date night sitter? Find one with a $75 credit from our friends at UrbanSitter, where you’ll find Portland’s most trusted babysitters, bookable on-demand.
All opinions and recommendations in this post are the author’s own.