Portland in the News: Wacky Cat Names, Drag Hiking, New Botanical Garden & More | April 16, 2026

Samantha Swindler/Samantha Swindler/ The Oregonian

Portlanders love drag and hiking. It was only a matter of time before the two pastimes met at Drag Me Outside.

A Portland cat is in a fierce feline competition for wackiest pet name.

And a new Portland botanical garden could sprout from once-poisoned land along the Willamette Greenway.

Here’s a roundup of the goings-on in Portland this week:

• OPB: How Oregon became such a pet-friendly state
• Portland Mercury: BikePortland at 21 years
• OPB: Portland elk statute returns to downtown
• WWeek: Botanical gardens could grow from once-poisoned land
• Here is Oregon: Portland birder spotted 299 rare bird species without ever using their car
• KPTV: Introducing Portland Fire’s play-by-lay announcers
• KPTV: Portland cat competes in wackiest pet name contest
• Here is Oregon: TedXPortland co-founder unveils plans for sneaker museum
• Travel Oregon: Wacky family road trips in Oregon
• Here is Oregon: Drag artists with biology backgrounds lead local hikes