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Portland Holiday Events
Revel in the city’s holiday spirit with these events and activities.
Visiting Portland for the holidays? From Thanksgiving through year’s end, Portland offers an abundance of celebrations, from the traditional to the unexpected. Celebrate the holiday season with special shopping events, light displays, and festivities, then ring in the New Year at one of the city’s many Dec. 31 events.
The city’s official holiday season kicks off the day after Thanksgiving with the hugely popular Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony held in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Top-notch performers like Pink Martini help lead the festivities and count down to the moment the towering tree is set aglow.
Holiday Events and Festivals
Looking for more tree inspirations? Stroll through a yuletide forest comprising dozens of uniquely adorned Christmas trees at Providence Festival of Trees at the Oregon Convention Center, or visit the Portland Winter Ice Rink and Woodsy Winter Village for family-friendly entertainment at the west end of the Morrison Bridgehead on the waterfront.
High above the city, the historic Pittock Mansion creates an equally enchanting scene. Each year, for the holidays, the mansion’s 16 rooms are filled with a breathtaking display of lights, trees and decorations revolving around a chosen theme.
For more holiday cheer, head downtown to Pioneer Courthouse Square for the Portland Holiday Brew Fest. Taste an array of winter beers and ciders under heated tents in Portland’s living room. If you’re still thirsty, join the Stumptown Santacon, which takes over Portland with hundreds of jolly St. Nicks making the rounds to local bars, spreading holiday cheer over holiday beers.
In December, train fans can hop aboard the Holiday Express, a vintage steam locomotive that carries Santa and his elves on a yuletide ride from the Oregon Pacific Railroad in Southeast Portland at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center.
Last but not least, if there’s one can’t-miss seasonal event, it’s the Oregon Ballet Theatre presentation of The Nutcracker — the George Balanchine-choreographed production of the holiday classic.
Holiday 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. (In November, for the kid-free and 21-and-over crowd, the zoo also hosts BrewLights, an evening to enjoy ZooLights and sample dozens of local beers, ciders and seltzers for an adult-only evening at the zoo.)
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 with a rock cave carved into the base of a 110-foot cliff.
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 dozens of festively decorated boats floating on the area’s waterways almost 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.
Holiday Shopping
Portland offers unique shopping for the Holidays.
Crafty Wonderland
Portland’s biannual art and craft fair boasts unique handmade wares from 225+ local vendors.
A Local’s Guide to Buying Portland Gifts
These local shops offer consistently cool made-in-Portland gifts and products, from fashionable apparel and accessories to leather goods and tempting treats.
Shop Small Win Big
Shop Small Win Big is a holiday sweepstakes that lets you support local businesses, find awesome buys and earn raffle entries for more than 100 exciting prizes.
Holiday Shopping
Check off everyone on your gift list while taking advantage of tax-free shopping at these holiday shopping events, including festive craft fairs, bazaars and artisan markets.
Formerly known as Little Boxes, Small Shops Big Hearts is a city-wide shopping scavenger hunt held from Nov. 16th through Dec. 10th. Shoppers visit or make purchases from participating stores to earn raffle tickets and unlock prizes over the course of the three-week event.
My People’s Market started in 2017 as a collaborative event organized by Travel Portland and Prosper Portland. This welcoming marketplace is re-imagined twice yearly as a gathering of Portland’s diverse and vibrant entrepreneurs, artists and community members.
The Oregon Buddhist Temple Holiday Craft Fair features handmade goods from local artisans. You can find an authentic German nutcracker or sip on traditional German mulled wine at the Silverton Christmas Market. Showcasing Scandinavian Holiday traditions, the annual ScanFair boasts traditional Nordic musicians and dancers, food and drink and gift vendors.
Crafty Wonderland is now the city’s biggest arts and crafts market, drawing hundreds of vendors and tens of thousands of visitors to the (nice and dry) Oregon Convention Center.
First held in 2011, the Portland Bazaar brings together over 160 local makers, designers and artists. The market has continued to create a space for vendors to showcase and promote their businesses directly to the community. Find a special something for everyone, support the local economy and get everything wrapped up on-site at the gift wrapping booth.
Get your holiday shopping done and support local Native artists at the NAYA Native Made Winter Marketplace. You’ll find beautiful jewelry, clothing, crafts, prints and much more. Enjoy delicious Sisters’ Frybread with your family, get those unique gifts and make a day of it. Hosted by the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), a family of numerous tribes and voices rooted in sustaining tradition and building cultural wealth.
Mike Bennett’s Holiday Gift Shop & Giving Tree combines a unique shopping opportunity with a chance to give back. Shop thoughtfully curated gifts for your loved ones and choose an ornament from the giving tree featuring the wish of a child in need from Central City Concern shelters. Purchase and return the gift to Director Park and help put a smile on the face of a child in need this Holiday Season.
Portland’s small businesses are the soul of the city. Shop Small PDX is ringing the holiday bells and sounding a clear message: Now is the time to support local businesses, which is easy to do with the site’s small business directory.
Thanks to Portland’s vibrant maker community, holiday shopping here is like sifting through an overflowing treasure chest.
Holiday Music
A Portland annual tradition for over 30 years is the Tuba Christmas Concert. This big brass spectacle packs in spectators at Pioneer Courthouse Square as they play holiday favorites with 200 tubas.
Anyone who appreciates a good carol will love Portland’s Singing Christmas Tree, an annual showcase of both traditional and contemporary holiday music performed by more than 350 singers, dancers, local actors and a live orchestra.
Choir lovers should also catch Merry Everything by the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus. Get ready to clap and shout along with the region’s premier gospel singers at Gospel Christmas, another annual Oregon Symphony production.
Traditionalists may prefer to ring in the season with more classical fare, such as Comfort and Joy, a concert of classical Christmas music presented by the Oregon Symphony, or Handel’s Messiah presented by the PSU Chamber Choir and the Oregon Symphony.
More Festive Feelings
Celebrate the season with these annual holiday events in and around Portland.
Wine Country Thanksgiving
During Oregon’s premier tasting and cellar-stocking event, many local wineries open their doors to the public, offering samples of favorite selections.
Christmas Ships Parade
The Portland Christmas Ships Parade is a beloved tradition — find the best spots to watch, explore special events and learn about the parade’s unique history.
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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