Community, Code, and Columbia Gorge Views: PNW Drupal Summit 2025 Recap
Seventy-one people from Portland, Seattle, California, Georgia, and British Columbia gathered in Troutdale, Oregon, for the Pacific Northwest Drupal Summit 2025—two days of engaging sessions, community discussions, and spontaneous adventures through the Columbia River Gorge.
The summit took place October 18–19 at McMenamins Edgefield, a quirky, art-filled venue suggested by local organizer Ryan Price. Attendees praised the setting for its character, walkable grounds, and exceptional hotel catering. Full breakfasts and lunches were served both days, creating a communal atmosphere that enhanced the experience.
Organized by Price and Heather Wozniak, the event delivered 24 sessions across two days—many of which filled rooms to capacity, with some becoming standing-room only. Topics ranged from FrankenPHP and Core Web Vitals to onboarding and self-awareness. Recordings of all sessions are available thanks to Bob McDonald, Chad Hester, and the Drupal Recording Initiative.
Saturday afternoon featured an unconference where attendees proposed topics using sticky notes. Small groups formed around selected themes, rotated after 30 minutes, and sparked lively discussions—some with just two participants, others with up to twelve.
This year lacked a formal social event due to budget constraints, but the venue's variety of bars and lounges allowed smaller groups to self-organize. Many found their way to the pool hall by the end of the evening. The organizing team acknowledged the desire for a more unified social gathering next time and hopes to restore that experience in future editions.
After the final sessions on Sunday, informal outings continued the community-building. One group took a scenic drive to Vista House and Latourell Falls before stopping at the Sugarpine Drive-In, while another headed into downtown Portland. These small moments helped reinforce the relationships that keep regional communities thriving.
The event was supported by eight business sponsors and 17 individual contributors. While it brought in over $14,000 in sponsorships and ticket sales, costs exceeded revenue for the second year running—a common challenge for grassroots Drupal events.
During the final lunch, attendees brainstormed ways to attract broader participation and grow regional engagement. As one attendee noted: "Almost everyone loves our Drupal events once they get to them." The question now is how to better reach those who haven't yet arrived.
Plans are already forming for a 2026 edition in Vancouver, BC, continuing the summit's rotation across Seattle, Portland, and British Columbia. Organizers invite new volunteers to get involved via info@pnwdrupalsummit.org or the event Slack workspace.
Attendee feedback underscored the summit's positive impact—from session quality to community warmth and venue delight:
"I've attended the PNW Drupal Summit for the last two years and have had a great experience both times. It attracts such talented, nice people to learn from and connect with."
"You did great. Thanks for making this happen and bringing us all together. Drupal has the BEST community!"
"The venue was fun and unique. The rooms were a bit small for some of the more popular sessions though."
"Sessions were great overall. I loved how conversational and intimate they were. I got a lot out of them."
"Excellent venue, great contributors, good weekend for the event. Tech facilitators were on-point, and the food was INCREDIBLE."
"The unconference was a good idea and could have been extended for Sunday rather than site-seeing as most people seemed to just go home afterwards."
"It was great to meet old friends and make new ones, and explore the grounds. The talks were informative and worth discussing."
"I really enjoyed the conference and walked away with new ideas to bring back to my team and lots of great connections in the Drupal community."
Watch session recordings, view the photo album, or visit the event website to learn more. Interested in helping with next year's summit? Contact the team at info@pnwdrupalsummit.org.
Heather Wozniakblends curiosity, craft, and community spirit to make open-source technology more human and accessible.
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