Chinese American Portland: Events

Festivals

Chinese New Year

Around the New Year (usually in late January or early February), there are lots of activities organized by various local Chinese organizations.

The Chinese New Year Cultural Fair, organized by the Portland Chinese Times and Portland Art & Cultural Center, is the largest celebration. Each year, the fair is held at the Oregon Convention Center on the weekend closest to the first day of Chinese New Year. This event features an entire day of cultural performances, including the lion dance and the highly skilled wushu demonstration. Attendees can enjoy the exciting shows, sample exotic delicacies from local Chinese restaurants, visit booths from local and national businesses and shop for gifts and crafts.

Lan Su Chinese Garden hosts two weeks of Chinese New Year celebrations, including lion dances and cultural performances and demonstrations. Other traditional celebrations are held throughout the year at Lan Su; check their calendar for details.

Almost every Chinese organization in Portland has its own New Year celebration. For schools, it’s a good time to demonstrate what they learn during the year. The tongs and other organizations hold their own celebratory dinner parties throughout this season.

Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival)

The Mid-Autumn Festival is held every year around the second half of September. In recent years, this festival has been held in the New Chinatown area. In September 2011, the festival will move back to the original Chinatown, where it first started in 2002. This is the only big outdoor celebration in Portland featuring different Chinese cultural performances. Lion dances, lanterns and moon cakes are highlights of the event.

Portland Rose Festival

The Rose Festival, Portland's signature event, is held annually in May-June. In 2011, Chinese organizations in the greater Portland area formed a group to participate in the Rose Festival Parade. About 70 members from various local organizations work together to present the local Chinese community and its culture to the public.

The dragon boat race is a tradition of the Chinese Duan-Wu festival. Every year, more than 100 local, national and international teams compete in the Dragon Boat Race at the Rose Festival using majestic boats provided through the Portland-Kaohsiung Sister City Association.

For details on these and other events, visit www.portlandchinesetimes.com.