Downtown
Explore diverse shopping, dining and cultural offerings in downtown Portland.
Know Before You Go
Downtown Portland is well served by TriMet, the city’s public light rail, Portland Streetcar and bus system.
Portland’s compact, walkable downtown offers easy access to great food, green spaces, cultural offerings, tax-free shopping and seemingly endless things to do. Browse the Rose City’s most diverse mix of retail brands, see a show and grab a bite at a food cart or fine restaurant — all conveniently located in downtown Portland.
Where to Stay in Downtown
The city center offers easy access to shopping, entertainment, culture —and other districts, making downtown Portland a natural jumping-off point for visits to the city. Downtown is home to more than 35 hotels, from independent boutiques to big-name shopping brands. With a direct MAX light rail connection to Portland International Airport, Portland Streetcar service, and short, walkable blocks, downtown is great for a car-free stay.
Where to Eat and Drink in Downtown
Coffee connoisseurs select from a hand-written menu of single-origin, house-roasted beans at Courier Coffee Bar. Once you’ve made your choice, baristas grind the beans right in front of you to prepare a perfect pour-over into a steaming mason jar. Never short on local-roasted coffee, for award-winning single-origin coffee, visit the green wall at Coava Coffee for an urban escape after wandering the city center.
Flying Elephants, a Portland-local chain across from Director Park, offers deli fare from a fresh salad or sandwich with classic pastries to sate the sweet tooth. For a modern and romantic experience, head to Q Restaurant & Bar with electric menus featuring dishes inspired by Pacific Northwest cuisine.
As the evening winds down, relax into a leather armchair at Multnomah Whiskey Library, where expert staff offers recommendations from 1,500 available spirits. Count on a line to get in; downstairs, The Green Room serves as a sophisticated (and thirst-quenching) waiting area.
Explore Downtown Portland
Eat, shop and play in the lively central city.
Downtown and Central City Shopping
Downtown Portland boasts a wide array of shopping options, from major national and international retailers to locally owned boutiques and specialty shops.
Downtown Restaurants
Downtown Portland restaurants run the gamut — you'll find everything from budget lunch options at a multitude of food carts to delicious fine dining at acclaimed dinner spots in central city.
Central City Activities
Walk to a wide range of entertainment in central city and downtown Portland including theaters, museums and parks that play host to festivals and farmers' markets.
Things to Do in Downtown
Museums, parks, sports arenas, shopping, and theaters; these attractions in downtown Portland are enough to keep any traveler busy for days. Known as Portland’s living room, Pioneer Courthouse Square is a gathering space where most days, you can see people enjoying their lunch breaks or taking a beat from exploring the city. From food carts to art installations and performances, The Square is a must-see.
Walk along the South Park Blocks, a green strip spanning 12 city blocks ending at the campus of Portland State University, to discover public art, the Portland Art Museum, Oregon Historical Society, and seasonally, the Portland Farmers Market at PSU, in the heart of Downtown’s cultural hub.
Take in some music -folk, jazz, a hundred flavors of indie rock, soul, singer-songwriter- at McMenamins Crystal Ballroom, a historic Portland music hall that remains among the most vital and central venues in the city. It features high ceilings, a balcony, grand chandeliers, wide, arched windows, and “floors that bounce.” The ballroom complex includes Lola’s Room, a much smaller venue and bar on the second floor beneath the ballroom. Ringlers Pub is on the street level, featuring beer from the Crystal Brewery. And the Crystal Hotel is nearby, with its own restaurant and music venue.
Favorite Theaters
This neighborhood offers a thriving theater community with major venues within a few city blocks.
Downtown Shopping Highlights
Parisian-style shopping at Union Way provides only in-Portland shopping. This sleek arcade houses iconic local brands like Danner, the iconic Oregon boot brand, which has opened its first-ever stand-alone retail shop in the alley. Also, find trendy denim boutique Self Edge and if you need a sweet treat after shopping, try Wailua Shave Ice.
Nearby boutiques Frances May, Pinkham Millinery, and Tender Loving Empire feature local designers and artisans, while Woonwinkel offers a curated selection of housewares and jewelry from local and international artists.
Step into WILDFANG, a bastion of tomboy fashion, beloved by celebrities like Janelle Monae and Kristen Stewart for its feminist T-shirts and gender-binary-breaking collection of blazers, bow ties, and button-ups.
Central city’s premier shopping center, Pioneer Place boasts more than 75 stores, including H&M, Apple, and J. Crew. (Did we mention that all shopping in Oregon is tax-free?)
Things To Do Outdoors
Visit verdant parks and outdoor attractions nestled amid downtown's hustle and bustle.
Portland's Central City
There's a lot more to Portland's urban core than Downtown, a center for retail, restaurants and cultural attractions. Goose Hollow is home to Providence Park soccer stadium, while the Pearl District is famous for upscale bars, boutiques and galleries. Old Town Chinatown offers streetwear shops, Saturday Market and Lan Su Chinese Garden and Northwest/Nob Hill boasts shopping, dining and access to Forest Park and the historic Pittock Mansion. East of the Willamette River, the Central Eastside offers family-friendly attractions, shopping and nightlife, while Lloyd is home to the Oregon Convention Center and the Portland Trail Blazers.
Downtown Events
Explore Downtown Portland and all that it has to offer at these upcoming events.
Ticket to Dine
Portland’s “Ticket to Dine” offers patrons scratch-off tickets and a chance to win big prizes for the whole month of March.
Arlene Schnitzer Visual Arts Prize
The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at Portland State University is pleased to present the Arlene Schnitzer Visual Arts Prize exhibition. A public reception will be held on Wednesday, March 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. The School of Art + Design and the College of the Arts celebrate the eleventh year of the Arlene…
Labor of Love
The artists featured in Labor of Love produce work that aims to expose and highlight labor practices that have been historically and systematically concealed from the public sphere. Working across a wide variety of media and using a range of conceptual approaches, the eight artists exhibited here seek to explore that which is often hidden just under…
Neave Trio
“Neave” is a Gaelic name meaning “bright” and “radiant,” which certainly describes this trio’s performances. Since forming in 2010, the Neave Trio has earned enormous praise for its engaging, cutting-edge performances. “The performances balance passion with sensitivity and grace.” BBC Music Magazine Program: Mon, Mar 18 “Color Scape” Jennifer HIGDON Piano Trio DEBUSSY La Mer…
Throughlines: Connections in the Collection
Throughlines embraces wonder and curiosity, bringing together artworks from across the Museum’s collections to explore the range of artistic innovation. From diverse geographies, cultures, and time periods, artists have consistently created images, objects, and experiences that ask us to consider ourselves and the world from different perspectives. Visitors will encounter playful groupings that reveal how artists…
Black Artists of Oregon
Black Artists of Oregon, highlighting and celebrating the work of Black artists in and outside the collection, will deepen awareness of the talented artists that have shaped and inspired artists regionally and nationally. The exhibition is the first of its kind to consider the work of Black artists collectively in Oregon, often underrepresented and unacknowledged….
PSU Laptop Ensemble Winter Concert
Come experience PSU Sonic Arts Music Production Laptop Ensemble, SAMPLe, as they give a collaborative winter concert showcasing original compositions exploring computer-mediated instruments, sound synthesis programming, and live interactive performance.
Japonisme and Francophilia: A History of Clothing and Cultural Exchange
Dating back to the 1850’s, French and Japanese cultural exchange has allowed for a flourishing of shared aesthetics in clothing, art, and more. Both France and Japan have a long history of idealizing the beauty of each other’s cultures, resulting in a transfusion of aesthetics that bridge the gap of geography. This talk will consider…
Slamlandia
Poetry Open Mic and Slam in Portland, Oregon. It is the mission of Slamlandia to provide an open mic and poetry slam that is creative, fun, and welcoming to all literary communities in Portland. They strive towards a safer space for poets to share work, witness others, and participate in the community.
Kinky Boots
Kinky Boots is the big-hearted musical extravaganza that won six Tonys, including Best Musical, the Grammy for Best Musical Theatre album and London’s Olivier Award for Best Musical. Kinky Boots features a joyous, Tony-winning score by pop icon Cyndi Lauper and a hilarious, uplifting book by four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein. Billy Porter won the Best…
Briston Maroney
A rootsy Nashville-based singer/songwriter, Briston Maroney mixes an earnest folksiness with a '90s-style indie rock melodicism. Following a handful of singles, he gained acclaim at the end of the 2010s for a pair of EPs before making his major-label debut with 2021's full-length Sunflower. Live and deluxe versions of the album followed over the next…
BeerQuest Haunted Pub Tour
Uncover Portland’s dark side on this spine-tingling walking pub tour. In the early 1900s, unsuspecting sailors were often ruthlessly abducted and whisked away through the notorious Shanghai Tunnels. Tour guides will tell you how notorious criminals kidnapped thousands of people and why their ghosts still haunt Portland today. This is Portland’s longest-running ghost tour with…
Portland Opera presents Thompson's The Snowy Day
Smiling snowmen, snow angels, and warm bubble baths: experience the magic of Ezra Jack Keats’ beloved children’s book come to life on the opera stage. The Snowy Day follows the adventures of young Peter as he explores his neighborhood on a snowy day, making new friends and encountering unexpected wonders along the way. With music by Joel Thompson and…
Portland Saturday Market
Open every Saturday from March–December, Portland Saturday Market is the largest arts-and-crafts fair in the U.S.
Textile Hive Guided Tour
Come take a tour of Textile Hive and experience the beauty of the Andrea Aranow Textile Design Collection. Located in the heart of downtown Portland, Textile Hive houses over 40,000 textile & design objects. The collection represents over 50 countries and 200 years of design history. Each tour last approximately an hour and fifteen minutes and covers…
Mandy Patinkin
Before he was an Emmy-winning TV star, Mandy Patinkin was already a Tony-winning Broadway legend. Mandy Patinkin in Concert: BEING ALIVE, presents the acclaimed actor / singer / storyteller in his most electrifying role: concert performer. “MandyPatinkin is in the business of showstopping,” raves The New Yorker, and that’s exactly what he does in this…
Portland Black Vendors Market
The Portland Black Vendors Market is a market to showcase underrepresented Black businesses in PDX and provides space and access for Black businesses to not only vend but to also get more access in the downtown area. Teaming up with the Cartblocks which is a well known location that provides opportunities for many communities….
Alan Ostrow Memorial Talk: Black Photographers in Portland
In honor of the historic Black Artists of Oregon exhibition, The Alan Ostrow Memorial talk closes the show with a panel discussion that centers Black photographic practices in the Portland area. Join curator and photographer, Intisar Abioto, for a moderated discussion that examines the importance of Black image-making in rectifying historic narratives and affirming Black communal legacies…
Black Artists of Oregon: Ceremony Of Our Black Continuance, Perpetuity
Marking the closing of Black Artists of Oregon, visitors are invited to the Stott Gallery platform for a closing ceremony and artist performances celebrating the perpetuity of Black arts lineages, of Black livingness, of Black arts life.
Go On and Love
Centered on Joel Thompson’s compelling choral masterpiece, Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus sings in solidarity with all oppressed peoples.Go on and Love explores the real, tangible ways that thoughts, words, and deeds have the potential to fight against violence, racism, and brutality in helping build towards a better world.
Los Huracanes Del Norte
With more than 40 years at the top of the regional Mexican music market and a discography boasting better than 50 titles, Los Huracanes del Norte are commonly known as one of música norteña's most influential groups. Though the group's musicians originated from the state of Michoacán, it was in San Jose, California that they…
Alkaline Trio
Since the mid-'90s, punk trio Alkaline Trio have delivered urgent punk blasts with a dark, driving edge that helped them remain commercially viable without sacrificing their raucous spirit. Slowly ascending through the Warped Tour ranks into the early 2000s, they reached the Billboard Top 20 with 2003's mainstream breakthrough Good Mourning. They hit a peak…
West End Wednesdays
West End Wednesday exists to ignite new energy and define a common vision for downtown SW Portland. Building relationships with neighbors and business partners is not just organizing a once-a-month event… it is actively creating, together, a neighborhood everyone can love to live, work and play in. West End Wednesdays is the West End's signature celebration…
NW Dance Project – Secret Stories
Halfway through NW Dance Project’s 20th anniversary season and celebrating 20 years and over 350 original dance works made and premiered in Portland. True to form, Portland’s award-winning contemporary dance company brings a diverse and delightful triple bill evening featuring inspired and inspiring new dance works to the Newmark stage. NW Dance Project presents:Secret Stories…
Sonic Symphony
Sonic Symphony is an immersive live experience that celebrates more than three decades of music from SEGA’s iconic mascot. From the classic 8-bit and 16-bit tunes to rock bands and EDM, this concert will take you on a musical journey through the colorful world of Sonic the Hedgehog. Relive your favorite Sonic moments, brought to…
Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks
Future Now: Virtual Sneakers to Cutting-Edge Kicks is a groundbreaking new exhibition that features nearly 60 futuristic footwear designs pushing the boundaries of what art can be. Featuring an incredible mix of fashion, design, gaming, new media, architecture, and material arts as well as sustainable and collaborative practices, the exhibition features work by designers as diverse…
The Dinner Detective Murder Mystery Show
America’s LARGEST interactive comedy murder mystery dinner show is now playing in Portland, Oregon. Solve a hilarious mystery while you feast on a fantastic dinner. Just beware! The culprit is hiding in plain sight somewhere in the room, and you may find yourself as a Prime Suspect before you know it.
Batman (1989) in Concert
Celebrate the 35th Anniversary of Warner Bros. Pictures’ iconic 1989 DC Superhero film, Batman, live in concert. The Dark Knight, the defender of law and order in Gotham City, treads the shadow zone between right and wrong, fighting with only his skill in martial arts and his keenly honed mind to defend the innocent and…
Ned Blackhawk
The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History Ned Blackhawk (Western Shoshone) is a professor of history and American Studies at Yale University and was on the faculty from 1999 to 2009 at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. A graduate of McGill University, he holds graduate degrees in history from the…
John Cleese
The (Barely) living comedy legend, JOHN CLEESE, is coming to Portland for a live and truly memorable evening of comedy and conversation. With all-new routines shaped by his impeccable timing, trademark eccentricity and clever wordplay, John Cleese demonstrates through observational humor and gifted storytelling how he has achieved nothing short of comedy royalty. This multi-hyphenate…
Everybody Reads: Gabrielle Zevin
Celebrate the power of books to create a stronger community by attending the 2024 Everybody Reads author event with Gabrielle Zevin. In partnership with Multnomah County Library and The Library Foundation, Literary Arts is proud to present a lecture by bestselling author Gabrielle Zevin as the culminating event of Everybody Reads 2024. Everybody Reads is…
Wooden Dimes
OBT Artistic Director Danielle Rowe’s dramatic one-act ballet Wooden Dimes launches audiences into the tumultuous relationship of 1920’s-era chorus girl Betty Fine and her husband Robert, a passion ultimately ripped apart by resentment and jealousy. Originally produced as a film during the pandemic for San Francisco Ballet’s digital season, Wooden Dimes will be brought to life on stage in…
A Year with Frog & Toad
Wake up from hibernation with this delightful musical based on Arnold Lobel’s treasure characters. Join best friends Frog and Toad as they hop, sing, and dance through a year of adventure. As the seasons change from spring to fall, the cheerful Frog and the more timid Toad plant a garden, go swimming, fly kites, and…
Mozart's Requiem
Shrouded in the mystery surrounding the composer’s death, Mozart’s Requiem is a work of comfort that speaks to the resilience of the human spirit. William Grant Still’s Darker America explores the power of hope and redemption in a fusion of classical, jazz, and African American spirituals. Program Still: Darker America James Wilson: Remnants for Poet…
The Biggest Clothing Swap in The Northwest
The BIGGEST Clothing Swap in the Northwest. Two full floors of swapping fun. The Ballroom on the 3rd Floor: The main swap area with tons of clothing sorted into non-binary categories as well as a plethora of shoes and accessories.Plus, a bar. Lola’s Room on the 2nd Floor: Plus-size swap sponsored by Chub Hub with more…
Ilan Morgenstern Trombone Masterclass & Recital
Bass trombonist of the Vancouver Symphony (B.C.) Ilan Morgenstern holds an artist-in-residence at Portland State University School of Music and Theater. Hailed by the International Trombone Association Journal for his “rhythmically driving, technically flawless, and unfailingly dynamic and exciting" playing, Ilan Morgenstern is a unique voice in his field. Ilan will present a masterclass and…
Gregory Allison & Slow Meadow
The Old Church and Holy Volcano present a night of transportive neoclassical soundscapes by two visionary composers. Gregory Allison creates a sound that travels across great landscapes with a single violin. He has toured the world with violin in hand and is endlessly inspired by the instrument’s journey around the globe, especially its use in…
Beetlejuice
It’s showtime. Based on Tim Burton’s dearly beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. With an irreverent book, an astonishing set, and a score that’s out of…
Sydney Dance Company
Sydney Dance Company is Australia’s leading contemporary dance company. Led by Spanish-born choreographer Rafael Bonachela, the Company has cemented its reputation as a creative powerhouse, performing new work by Bonachela and other major choreographers. One of Bonachela’s most acclaimed full-length works, ab [intra], meaning ‘from within’ in Latin, is a dazzling exploration of our primal…
The Music of Pink Floyd With the Oregon Symphony
Immerse yourself in the timeless tunes of one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Performed by your Oregon Symphony and amplified with a full rock band and the vocals of Randy Jackson, this unique concert invites you to experience the music of psychedelic rock legends Pink Floyd and celebrate the 50th anniversary of…
A Bridge to the Promised Land: 1968
In 1968, as UC-Berkeley students were outside protesting the Vietnam War, a young music professor, Milton Williams, was in his office, laying down the origins of his story about Hubert Turner, the Black mayor of a Southern city. Drawing upon his own experience, Williams explores the challenges and expectations faced by a ‘successful’ Black politician…
Sampha
Sampha's artful and emotive mix of R&B, pop, and electronic music isn't easily categorizable, and is further distinguished by a heartfelt vocal style that tends to sound as if it's on the brink of choking back tears. The artist established himself as a valued remixer and studio collaborator sought by emergent underground talents and mainstream…
Storytime
Join Storytime with Latoya Lovely. Inspired by JSMA at PSU’s current exhibition Labor of Love, Lovely will read stories celebrating workers and exploring culture and community to children and their guardians. This program is geared towards pre-K through early elementary students. Children must be accompanied by a guardian throughout the event. This program is free and…
Annual School Performance
OBT School’s Annual School Performance celebrates the technical and artistic achievement of its students including the OBT2 preprofessional ensemble. Many of the advanced dancers are on the cusp of a professional career. Past ASP programs have featured full length ballets such as Coppélia, Paquita, and Napoli, excerpts from the Balanchine repertory, as well as contemporary…
Wands and Wizards
A spell has been cast on your Oregon Symphony, and we need young wizards and magic enthusiasts to help reverse it! With spellbinding performances and mystical music like Dukas’ Sorcerer’s Apprentice, music from Harry Potter, and more, it’s the perfect event for fans of fantasy and magic. Artists Deanna Tham, Conductor Oregon Symphony This concert…
Bianca Del Rio
Everyone's favorite "clown in a gown", Bianca Del Rio, is returning to the stage with a new comedy show, aptly titled "Dead Inside". This will be the seasoned comic's sixth, worldwide stand-up comedy tour. Bianca will be entertaining the masses with her iconic lightning-fast wit and razor-sharp tongue. Her new show will cover politics, pop…
Set It Off
Set It Off is an American rock band formed in 2008 in Tampa, Florida. The band comprises lead vocalist Cody Carson, guitarist and bassist Zach Dewall, and drummer Maxx Danziger. The band initially gained a large following through singer Cody Carson's YouTube channel. Set It Off was signed by Equal Vision Records after releasing a…
Drum Tao
Experience the power and grace of DRUM TAO, a world-renowned Japanese percussion group, and be mesmerized by their synchronized drumming, martial arts, and acrobatic performances. *The Oregon Symphony does not perform
Portland Arts & Lectures: Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author of World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments, a New York Times bestseller and a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and the Southern Book Prize. She is an award-winning poet, and her most recent collection is Oceanic. She is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize,…
One Moto Show
Every year, the One Moto Show draws thousands of bikers and enthusiasts to Portland to celebrate all things motorcycle.
Portland's Central City
There's a lot more to Portland's urban core than Downtown, a center for retail, restaurants and cultural attractions. Goose Hollow is home to Providence Park soccer stadium, while the Pearl District is famous for upscale bars, boutiques and galleries. Old Town Chinatown offers streetwear shops, Saturday Market and Lan Su Chinese Garden and Northwest/Nob Hill boasts shopping, dining and access to Forest Park and the historic Pittock Mansion. East of the Willamette River, the Central Eastside offers family-friendly attractions, shopping and nightlife, while Lloyd is home to the Oregon Convention Center and the Portland Trail Blazers.
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