Get into the spirit with a visit to Portland’s holiday tree at Pioneer Courthouse Square.

December Events

Celebrate winter with festive performances, holiday shopping, beautiful light displays and other great December events in Portland.

Get into the spirit with a visit to Portland’s holiday tree at Pioneer Courthouse Square.

During the year’s final month, Portland overflows with seasonal events and activities. Whether you want to revel in traditional holiday activities, finish shopping for everything on your list or cheer for your favorite winter sports, December has it all. Read on for some of our top picks for December events in Portland, or search our full events calendar to see everything on offer.

Holiday Traditions

Revel in the city’s holiday spirit with annual Holiday events and activities. Portland gets into the season’s spirit with festive holiday decorations at the Festival of Trees at the Oregon Convention Center. Annual performance traditions include Gospel Christmas by the Oregon Symphony and a moving seasonal performance from the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus.

See the dazzling display of twinkling cheer at ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo, featuring over a million colored bulbs. For more light displays and cozy Christmas scenes, take a stroll down Southeast Portland‘s Peacock Lane, where residents have lit their houses with holiday spirit since the 1920s. A unique twist on light displays, the Christmas Ships Parade features dozens of ships decked out for the holidays, cruising the Columbia and Willamette rivers.

The Portland Winter Ice Rink has brought holiday cheer (complete with concessions, a cozy lounge and plenty of two-foot spins) to downtown Portland since 2023. Prefer your cheer in liquid form? The Portland Holiday Brew Fest boasts a myriad of breweries and cideries pouring 30+ winter beers and ciders in Pioneer Courthouse Square.

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Christmas lights strung on everything in sight, lining trees and buildings as people walk through Zoo Lights — A favorite Portland holiday tradition, ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo features all sorts of animals (real and animatronic) — all illuminated with 1.5 million LED lights.

people shopping for arts and crafts in a bright space with colorful paper lights hanging from the ceiling — A pop-up marketplace at the Oregon Convention Center, My People's Market lets shoppers buy directly from makers.

Decorated Christmas tree in front of a statue of a man holding an umbrella — The holiday tree at Pioneer Courthouse Square is a festive annual Portland tradition.

two boats on a river adorned with Christmas lights, one decorated to look like a blue whale — The Christmas Ships Parade has been a Portland tradition since 1954.

a woman surrounded by Portland tote bags and other Portland clothes and merch holds up a print of a Portland bridge — Cathy Zwicker is the co-founder of Crafty Wonderland, a massive arts and crafts market held at the Oregon Convention Center.

Families walking in the snow enjoying the holiday lights on houses, trees and arches erected over the sidewalks. — Families enjoy the lights and a little snow on Peacock Lane.

Holiday Shopping

With no sales tax and an extensive variety of holiday shopping events, Portland is a great place to find everything on your list for the holidays. Crafty Wonderland, held at the Oregon Convention Center, is one shopping extravaganza you won’t want to miss. A massive arts and crafts market, it brings together over 200 local artists and makers offering handmade goods and gifts.

Scandinavian traditions are showcased at the annual ScanFair, boasting traditional Nordic musicians, dancers, vendors and treats. Find an authentic German nutcracker or sip traditional German mulled wine at the Silverton Christmas Market.

All through the season, the Shop Small Win Big holiday sweepstakes can help you take your shopping experience to the next level. You’ll earn raffle entries for great prizes when you visit and shop at participating businesses — find awesome buys, support local Portland businesses and earn chances to win more than 100 prizes.

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More About Portland in December

What is the average December temperature in Portland?

Winter in Portland (Dec. 21–March 19) is the coolest season of the year, with frequent rain showers and mostly cloudy skies (significant snowfall is rare within Portland city limits). The average high in December is 46 degrees Fahrenheit (8 degrees Celsius), and the average low is 37 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius).

Is December a good time to visit Portland?

Yes, December is a great time to visit Portland! Cooler temperatures provide the perfect excuse to do as locals do and indulge in Portland’s legendary culinary scene, or take advantage of tax-free holiday shopping throughout the city. Also, the drop in temperature makes for great conditions at Mount Hood, where locals love to ski, snowboard and snowshoe (or just cozy up to a fireplace with a warm drink in hand).

What should I pack when visiting Portland in December?

We recommend packing a coat, a fleece jacket and rain-friendly shoes for a December visit to Portland. Old-school Portlanders tend to shun umbrellas, but they can come in handy to shield glasses and faces from heavier showers. And if you’re a skier or snowboarder, don’t forget your gear, since rain in Portland means plenty of snow on Mount Hood.

Catch a Game

Want to take a break from the holidays and experience a different kind of cheer? December in Portland offers many opportunities to get on your feet and root for some of your favorite teams.

Portland loves their Blazers, and if basketball is also your sport of choice, you can catch a Portland Trail Blazers game at the Moda Center throughout December. If you’re more of a winter sports fan, then get yourself a ticket to see Portland’s junior ice hockey team, the Portland Winterhawks, play at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum all winter.

Sitting trackside at the roller derby can be an exciting (and sometimes dangerous) sport in itself, but it’s worth it to see one of Portland’s beloved Rose City Rollers games at Oaks Amusement Park — or, sit up in the bleacher seats and bring the whole family to a Rose City Rollers Juniors game.