5 Things to Do in Vancouver WA This Weekend — Fry Bread, Roses, Baseball & More (May 29–31, 2026)

This one is unlike anything else in the region — and that's not an exaggeration. Cedar Creek Grist Mill is a working 1876 water-powered grist mill tucked into a forested river basin near Woodland, Washington. It runs entirely on the energy of rushing water — no gas, no electricity. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of only two remaining grain-grinding mills in all of Washington State that has kept its original structural integrity, grinds with stones, and is still water-powered. Volunteers run the whole operation, welcoming visitors from around the world every Saturday.

On the last Saturday of May, they host Fry Bread Day — one of their beloved monthly food events where fresh bread is made right on-site using flour milled that very day. You walk in, watch the giant pulleys and belts whirl above and below as a volunteer explains how a 150-year-old mill still turns grain into flour, and then you eat fresh fry bread made from that same flour. It is free. All of it. The mill is also set next to a hand-rebuilt covered bridge spanning Cedar Creek, making it one of the most photographed spots in southwest Washington. If you've lived in this area for years and never made the drive, this is the weekend to go.

The Fort Vancouver Rose Society has been nurturing this community tradition for 73 years, and the 71st Annual Rose Show — A Rosy Affair — is their signature event. This is not a small garden club gathering. This is the largest rose show in the entire state of Washington, held at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds in Ridgefield. If roses are your thing, this is a bucket-list afternoon. If roses aren't your thing, give it a chance anyway — the visual impact of a competition-level Pacific Northwest rose show in peak spring bloom is genuinely stunning.

Visitors can walk through a spectacular competition display covering hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, old garden roses, shrub roses, climbers, miniatures, minifloras, micro-miniatures, floral arrangements, and photography. Judging follows current American Rose Society standards. New this year is a Garden Market where local vendors sell rose care products and gardening supplies, and rose care experts from the Society will be on hand to answer questions. The award and trophy ceremony is at 3 PM. Both parking and admission are completely free, and novice exhibitors and youth under 18 are welcome to enter.

There is very little in Clark County that beats a summer evening at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreational Complex watching the Raptors play wood bat baseball under the open Pacific Northwest sky. The Ridgefield Raptors are a collegiate summer wood bat team, meaning the players are college athletes who compete during the summer using traditional wood bats instead of aluminum — the same format that the pros use. It produces a completely different sound and style of game, and the caliber of play is genuinely excellent.

The RORC is a beautiful, purpose-built outdoor facility in Ridgefield that is one of the best small-venue baseball experiences in the Pacific Northwest. This weekend kicks off a home series with three consecutive home games — Thursday, Friday, and Saturday — all starting at 6:35 PM. If you've got kids who play baseball, if you're a sports fan looking for an affordable, relaxed evening out, or if you just want to sit in the fresh air and watch good baseball, there is no better way to spend a May evening in Clark County.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month wraps up in May, and Vancouver Mall is closing it out with a showcase that is genuinely worth your afternoon. The Martial Arts & Culture Showcase brings together live demonstrations from martial arts traditions rooted in Hawaii, Okinawa, and northern China — Kajukenbo, Kung Fu, and multiple Karate styles — alongside cultural performances and community entertainment celebrating the AAPI community throughout Clark County.

The featured guest is Sifu Malia Cropper, owner and head instructor of Camas Martial Arts & Fitness — a new female-owned martial arts gym opening in Camas, Washington. She holds a 5th Degree Black Belt in Kajukenbo, is a 2X World Champion, an athlete member of the United States Martial Arts Team, one of the head coaches of Team Pacific Reign, and a 2017 USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame inductee. Watching a competitor of her caliber demonstrate in a free, walk-in setting is genuinely rare. Also representing are the United States Martial Arts Team (USMAT), Pacific Reign Martial Arts Team, and Eternal Kung Fu of Vancouver. The whole event is free and open to anyone, family-friendly throughout.

The Portland Rose Festival is now in full swing, and this weekend — the second CityFair weekend of May 30–June 1 — is one of the best times to go. The opening night crowds from last weekend have settled, the full lineup of carnival rides, food vendors, and waterfront entertainment is running smoothly, and Portland's waterfront in late May is about as good as it gets. Thirty minutes south of Vancouver on I-5, it is one of the most accessible major festivals in the country for Clark County residents.

Running since 1907 — 119 years of tradition — the Rose Festival draws more than two million visitors over its three-week run. This weekend features CityFair at Tom McCall Waterfront Park with the full carnival experience along the Willamette River, plus the surrounding events that make the festival more than just a carnival: the Dragon Boat Races, Fleet Week Navy ship tours, art shows, and the buildup to the Grand Floral Starlight Parade on June 6. Walking the waterfront on a sunny late-May afternoon in Portland is a reminder of why this region is so remarkable.