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  • Attractions
    • women dances with large fans outside on a city street surrounded by people in colorful dragon costumesView All Attractions
    • Museums
    • Parks & Gardens
    • Family Friendly
    • Shopping
    • On a Budget
    • EVEN MORE THINGS TO DO
  • Culture
    • people dining at picnic tables in front of a food cartView All Culture
    • Arts
    • Beer
    • Biking
    • Cannabis
    • Cultural Communities
    • Craft Spirits
    • Food
    • Makers
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Outdoors
    • Sports
    • Weird
    • Wine
    • MORE CULTURE
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    • aerial view of downtown area with buildings and roadways, bridges crossing a river to a smaller set of buildings that expand into the distanceView All Neighborhoods
    • Alberta Arts District
    • Belmont
    • Central Eastside
    • Division/Clinton
    • Downtown
    • Hawthorne
    • Lloyd
    • Mississippi
    • Northwest / Nob Hill
    • Old Town Chinatown
    • Pearl District
    • St. Johns
    • Sellwood-Moreland
    • Williams
    • ALL NEIGHBORHOODS
  • Region
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    • Near the City
    • Columbia River Gorge
    • Mount Hood
    • Oregon Coast
    • Willamette Valley
    • ALL REGIONS
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  • Events
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Building entrance decorated with festive lights at night time Building entrance decorated with festive lights at night time
i
The Christmas Festival of Lights at the Grotto.
Credit: Jamie Francis
Portland Events / Winter in Portland / Portland Holiday Events

Holiday Light Displays in Portland

As the days grow darker, Portland glows with eye-popping light displays.

Portland is full of bright ways to embrace the shorter days of winter: hundreds of thousands of lights in our neighborhoods, our waters and plenty of spots in between. Read on for some of the stars in the city’s constellation of holiday light displays.

The first twinkles come as Winter Wonderland at the Portland International Raceway kicks off the season with one of the largest holiday light shows in the Northwest. Grab some hot chocolate and drive (or walk or bike) through the more than 250 spectacular light pieces set up along the racetrack.

Next, the Oregon Zoo switches on ZooLights. This family favorite is a unique opportunity to see the zoo after hours and all aglow. ZooLights features carolers, bright trees and all sorts of animals (real and animatronic) — all illuminated with 1.5 million LED lights. (For the 21-and-over crowd, the zoo also hosts BrewLights, a kid-free evening to enjoy ZooLights and dozens of local beer, cider and seltzer vendors to sample from.)

At The Grotto in Northeast Portland, the Christmas Festival of Lights uses more than 500,000 lights and 150 choral performances to share the spirit at the internationally renowned Catholic shrine. People of all faiths are welcome to the 62-acre park that features a rock cave carved into the base of a 110-foot cliff.

The Grotto

This serene woodland sanctuary in Northeast Portland features 62 acres (25 hectares) of lush botanical gardens. No matter what time of year you visit, the Grotto offers calm, peace and introspection, transcending boundaries.

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Some of Portland’s other natural wonders, the Columbia River and the Willamette River, also shine during the holiday season with the Christmas Ships Parade. This long-running tradition sees around 60 festively decorated boats floating on the area’s waterways nightly, delighting shore-bound onlookers in local hotels and restaurants. The entirely volunteer-run event has been lighting smiles since 1954.

The residents of Southeast Portland’s Peacock Lane have had the holiday glow since the 1920s. Every year from Dec. 15-31, houses on the street break out the twinkle lights and welcome onlookers with the season’s brightest greetings. The first three nights are pedestrian-only nights, the lane is closed off to car traffic — because nothing makes the season bright like a well-lit holiday stroll.

Attractions, For Kids, Winter Holidays

Holiday Lights

Bask in the glow of the season at these upcoming Holiday Light Events.

Editor's Pick
Silverton Christmas Market
Nov. 17–Dec. 31, 2023

Silverton Christmas Market

The Oregon Garden $0 – $20

Join an awe-inspiring light display and market at the Oregon Garden Resort. This annual event offers a joyous and magical holiday experience for all ages. Stroll along immersive paths draped in more than one million lights. Explore the authentic German Christmas Market for gifts from artisan vendors and imported German nutcrackers, smokers and ornaments. Visit…

Editor's Pick
Outdoors
Shopping
Editor's Pick
Christmas Festival of Lights
Nov. 24–Dec. 30, 2023

Christmas Festival of Lights

The Grotto TBA

Presenting the sights, sounds and sensations of the season, The Grotto’s Christmas Festival of Lights is the largest Christmas choral festival in the world. The festival features nearly 160 indoor holiday concerts performed by many of the region’s finest school, church and civic choirs. Offering a family-oriented blend of traditional celebration and serene reflection, the…

Editor's Pick
Festival
Editor's Pick
Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony
Friday, Nov. 24, 2023

Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony

Pioneer Courthouse Square Free

Portland’s Tree Lighting will be live in person at Pioneer Courthouse Square the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 24th. Featuring a joyful sing-along with Portland’s own Thomas Lauderdale from Pink Martini, local musicians and chorale singers, this event is the highlight of the holiday season downtown. Join in the celebration as Santa Claus flips the…

Editor's Pick
Outdoors

More Portland Events

Visit our events calendar to discover even more things to do in Portland. Search by date, event type and more.

See All Events

Happy Portland Holidays

Revel in the city’s holiday spirit with these events and activities.

hanging teacups and saucers on display for sale

Holiday Shopping Events

Do your holiday shopping for locally made gifts at hip parties, makers' fairs, sprawling sales and garden grounds filled with handcrafted items.

a large tree decorated with lights in front of a statue of a person holding an umbrella

Portland Holiday Events

Like an Advent calendar loaded with sugary treats, the days leading up to Christmas in Portland hold an abundance of sweet memories.

Two boats adorned with Christmas lights

Christmas Ships Parade

What started as a lone ribbon-clad sailboat from the Portland Yacht Club in the 1950s became a decades-long nautical Christmas tradition with dozens of boats lighting up the riverfront.

New Year’s Eve Events in Portland

When the clock strikes midnight, you could be dancing to bhangra beats, cruising on the Willamette River or indulging in chocolate and Champagne.

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