INCLUDES GAME-ON VIDEO | Discover what’s new at outer East Portland’s Lents Park stadium this season, from an expanded berm to a 360-degree food experience – and great up-close baseball …
The Eagleton family pauses for a photo with Portland Cherry Bombs FC mascot Mary T. Cherry, Portland Bangers FC mascot Saucy T. Sausage, as well of course with Portland Pickles mascot Dillon T. Pickle, as they arrive for the 2026 Pickles season opener at at the entrance of Charles B. Walker Stadium in Lents Park.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Southeast Portland’s beloved Portland Pickles Baseball Club – now well-known throughout the greater metropolitan area – kicked off its 2026 season on a clear but chilly Friday evening, May 29, in Lents Park’s Charles B. Walker Stadium. Fans packed the stands to welcome back affordable, high-energy summer baseball games.
The independent, collegiate Portland Pickles, who play in the West Coast League, opened their brief-yet-busy season against familiar rivals, the Victoria HarbourCats, in a game that felt as much like a neighborhood reunion as a sporting event.
Portland Pickles co-owner Alan Miller smiles as the 2026 home opener gets underway at Charles B. Walker Stadium in Lents Park.
Co-owner and President Alan Miller reflected to East Portland News about how far the franchise has come since it first took the field in 2015. “It’s pretty incredible. It’s so fun to see how it has grown, and how happy people are to be here, and it’s just something everyone looks forward to now.
“You kind of forget about it in the winter, and then it’s really nice to see everyone back together again, come summer,” Miller said, as fans were shopping for merchandise and getting their refreshments.
Fans begin to fill the bleachers behind the first base line as the Portland Pickles get ready to face the Victoria HarbourCats in Walker Stadium.
Stadium upgrades and a bigger party
Walker Stadium has evolved from a modest city ballpark into one of Portland’s most animated summer venues. Miller pointed out that the improvements went far beyond a fresh coat of paint. “This stadium, in these 12 years, has changed drastically. We’ve put so much into this park to be able to create the environment we have.”
Improved berms give fans great, inexpensive seats at the Portland Pickles’ home field in Lents Park.
One of the biggest off-season projects showed up in left field!
“Over the off season [we were] expanding the left field berm, so we can create a whole new area of shade for people, and that’s what I think we’re most excited about going into this season,” Miller remarked.
That enlarged berm, combined with added shade and informal seating, gave families and groups more room to spread out, picnic-style, while still keeping an eye on the action.
Although he now has mascot partners, Dillon T. Pickle is still the “big dill” at Portland Pickles games.
Mascot Dillon T. Pickle gets some company
This year, the team’s huge green mascot, Dillon T. Pickle, received on-field support from two other oversized characters from teams owned by the same group that operates the Portland Pickles. On opening night, Dillon cavorted with Portland Bangers FC’s Saucy T. Sausage, and Portland Cherry Bombs FC’s Mary T. Cherry – to the delight of kids, and plenty of adults in the crowd.
Between innings, the trio of mascot cheerleaders mugged for photos, danced on the warning track, and kept the energy high even while the chilly outfield wind reminded everyone just how early in the season it still felt.
Get a feeling for what you’ll find at a Portland Pickles game here, in our video:
Game on!
Portland Pickles players prepare for the game in their dugout.
Even with the party atmosphere, serious baseball is on display from these collegiate athletes, as Portland Pickles outfielder Zach Blair slides into home.
“The biggest party in town”
For Miller and his staff, the formula for a Pickles game has never been only about the scoreboard.
“We always say it’s the biggest party in town, and everyone’s invited,” Miller reflected. “If you like baseball, great. Even if you don’t like baseball, there’s definitely going to be other things here for you to check out, and we think you’ll enjoy [them].”
Fans in the stands echoed that idea, some calling a Pickles game “a big party with friends, where a great baseball game is being played.”
At the stadium, guests fuel up with a wide variety of food and beverages while they take in the team’s season opener.
Food, drink, and a ‘360-degree’ ballpark experience
One major focus for 2026 is enhancing what Miller referred to as the stadium’s “360-degree experience” – making sure there is something to eat, drink, or discover around every corner of the park.
“There are a lot of new features. We have many new menu items. We have drink specials, we have food specials. We’ve really worked to create a food experience that people will love, and we’ll always have a lot of variety for,” Miller emphasized. “We’re adding some new areas where you can pop up and get drinks or get food all the way around the park – it’s really a 360-degree experience now.”
Throughout the concourse, fans found familiar ballpark fare alongside more adventurous options, plus craft beverages and family-friendly treats.
It looks like a foul ball off the bat of this collegiate hitter as the Portland Pickles take on the Victoria HarbourCats.
Short season, packed calendar
The 54-game regular season races by quickly. The Pickles’ 2026 campaign runs ends on Wednesday, August 5, with nearly every home date built around a special hook or promotion.
Almost every home game is a theme night, ranging from such playful concepts such as “Moms Gone Wild”, “South Park Night”, “Dilly Wonka and the Pickle Factory”, and “Dilly Horror Picture Show”, to weekly fixtures like “Woof Wednesdays” – when dogs enjoy free entry – plus weekly live music before or after games.
Dressed for the occasion, the McKenzies turn out for the game – he wears a Portland Pickles shirt while she rocks pickle jammies, out on the left field berm at Walker Stadium.
Miller pointed out that the season moves fast. “It’s a short season. We’re kicking off now, and we started playing in June, and we finish in early August. So it is a really quick season, [and] it goes by really fast. We’ve got about 40 games in that time, and we’d love to see everyone out here.”
Before the crowd filed out of the ballpark at the game’s end, the Pickles had trounced the Victoria HarbourCats, 8 to 2, in their 2026 season opener.
Picture yourself here in these grandstands at the next Portland Pickles home game.
Join the party at Walker Stadium
Pickles home games take place in Charles B. Walker Stadium in Lents Park, with most evenings feeling more like block parties than formal sporting events. There are all kinds of food and beverages available for purchase inside the stadium, plus lawn-style seating on the berm and traditional bleachers.
Ticket prices vary, from $7.50 for open seating on the grassy berm to prime bleacher seats at $35.
The club encourages fans to “come to the party” before the 54-game regular season wraps up on Wednesday, August 5, by checking the full schedule and nightly themes – and purchasing your tickets in advance – online: CLICK HERE.
© 2026 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
