Opera a la Cart

Editor's Pick

When

July 11–Sept. 14, 2025

Days vary, Times vary

Free

Where

Portland

Various Locations

Portland Opera is partnering with Portland Parks for their Summer Free for All: Lunch and Play program to bring Building Block of Opera to children and families in select area parks. 

Building Blocks of Opera programs introduce audiences in a fun and interactive way to elements that make an opera! Learn about arias, recitative, ensembles, voice types, and how the orchestra helps tell the story. 

Inspired by Portland’s food cart culture, Opera a la Cart is a mobile performance venue that brings live opera performance directly into the community spaces where people gather. Designed and built by architecture students at Portland State University, the cart features a fold-out stage and a “menu” of operatic specials of the day to be sung by local artists.