When to Visit

Portland’s small business community is coming together to put the fun back into holiday shopping. The annual Portland tradition, Win Big! returns for the 2023 holiday season with more than 100 participating independent retailers and pop-up shops. To participate, download the Win Big Shop Small app to discover participating retailers or pick up a Discover…

Pittock Mansion transforms into a Winter Wonderland for this year’s Christmas display. Experience this beloved Portland tradition and celebrate the season with the festive and fantastical displays created by volunteer decorators. A Pittock Mansion Christmas: Winter Wonderland will be on view November 19, 2023, through January 4, 2024, at Pittock Mansion (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day…

Announcing the exciting unveiling of the lineup for this year’s holiday PDX Pop-Up Shops. This program transforms vacant retail spaces in downtown Portland into vibrant, temporary destinations for local designers and artists. It is a wide range of businesses, from streetwear, ceramics, and gourmet dog treats to a spooky-themed coffee bar. Black Santa and his…

Recognized throughout the Pacific Northwest as the “Largest Holiday Light Show West of the Mississippi”, Winter Wonderland will grab your attention with glimmers and glows around every corner. Since 1993, a journey through Winter Wonderland has become a holiday tradition for many families, friends, and social organizations to celebrate the spirit of the holiday season….

Kids and adults agree: it wouldn't be the holidays in Portland without a visit to ZooLights. Enjoy an immersive and dazzling display of millions of lights. Not able to commit to a timed-entry ticket? This year features the ZooLights Any Night ticket, which can be purchased in advance and used spontaneously for any night and…

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…

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.

Roll out with your friends and loved ones to the monthly Gay Skate Session, held the 1st and 3rd Monday night of the month. Everyone is welcome at this all-ages event at this all-ages event. Admission tickets allow the Oaks Park Roller Rink access for the selected Gay Skate Session date/time. Includes standard skate rental.

Mark your calendars with the following dates for 2023. The Indigenous Marketplaces will be held in various locations in Portland, so double-check locations before heading out. The Indigenous and Black Artists and Entrepreneurs this organization serves through the Indigenous Marketplace programming are the greatest partners and contributors to this work. This amazing community of vendors…

PassinArt: A Theatre Company presents Black Nativity by poet and playwright Langston Hughes. Based on the traditional Nativity story, the spirit-filled, inspiring gospel songplay features traditional Christmas carols performed in a gospel style with a few new songs specifically for the show. Directed by Jerry Foster

Portland’s biannual art and craft fair boasts unique handmade wares from 225+ local vendors.

A treasured holiday tradition continues as Oregon Ballet Theatre returns George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker® to the Keller Auditorium. Brave toy soldiers battle mischievous mice, snowflakes dance, and we are carried away to a magical Land of Sweets, all to Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable score! This year, make Oregon Ballet Theatre’s production of Balanchine’s Nutcracker a part of…

It’s the day of the show, y’all, and the Portland Gay Men's Chorus has set out to put on “the gayest holiday concert of all time”. Inspired by classic variety and sketch shows — with a modern twist — enjoy as PGMC presents a joyous and humorous extravaganza filled with holiday cheer. One of Portland’s…

Cinnamon Bear and his friends from Maybeland are back this holiday season to spread holiday cheer. The whole family will enjoy reserved seating and a plated breakfast while a cast of fanciful characters entertains the kids with storytelling, music and magic. Tickets include a picture with Cinnamon Bear atop his magical throne. Cinnamon Bear has…

ScanFair brings Scandinavia to Portland through traditional food and drink vendors, an entertainment program focused on cultural heritage, games, activities, and crafts, and welcoming local community organizations. This year’s offerings include local vendors and organizations, a kids’ craft area, live entertainment, a Finnish Santa, a Viking ship, and Nordic food and drink, including aquavit and…

The season of gifting is upon us. Get your holiday shopping done and support local Native artists at the Native American Youth and Family Center’s (NAYA) Native Made Winter Marketplace. You’ll find beautiful jewelry, clothing, crafts, prints and much more. There will be upwards of 50 makers joining for this special event. NAYA Marketplace is…

The PORTLAND BAZAAR is the city’s finest holiday gift showcase and sale. Started in 2011, their mission is to create an exciting event highlighting the skilled artists, makers and small businesses of Portland, Oregon. When you shop small, you are putting your dollars directly back into the community by supporting someone’s small business and their…

Bring joy to your holiday season with the 24th annual performance of this beloved concert, featuring the region’s premier gospel singers alongside your Oregon Symphony. Experience the joy and spiritual uplift of gospel music, performed with passion and feeling by some of the finest musicians in the region.

Each house in this quaint southeast neighborhood has been decorating for Christmas for decades. Mostly Tudors, the houses are adorned with not only beautiful sparkling lights but also nativity scenes, rotating Christmas trees and stunningly life-like replicas of Santa and Frosty. Come see the lights on Peacock Lane and you’ll find nothing but good, old-fashioned…

People from all over come to the Oregon Coast for Whale Watching Week, where they can learn about the gray whales that migrate past the Oregon coast each year. For more than 30 years, trained volunteers have helped visitors watch whales at 24 sites in three states along the Pacific Northwest coast. The Oregon Parks…

After 20 spectacular years at the Hilton Portland Downtown, the Champagne Ball has leveled up and moved to the Portland Art Museum for the next edition. This year’s event features 16,000 square feet of good times, including beautiful ballrooms and high-energy midnight countdown productions. There’s plenty of room for reserved seating and bars, with facilities…

Enjoy an INSPIRING NYE WEEKEND: TOGETHER TROPITAAL Stage ________________ *Genre/s: Global Bass *Sound: L’Acoustics DJ ANJALI THE INCREDIBLE KID BASSWITCH Stage ________________ *Genre/s: Witchy Bass *Sound: KV2 Audio AMRITAJI (SLC) MEESHROOM (Tahoe) DJ SPITFIRE HAZEL WOLF LIQUID LOVE DROPS SHEENA MEDICINA REVERIE Stage _______________ *Genre: B2B Deep Hypnotic House *Sound: KV2 Audio BIZIO BLAKE RUDOLPH…

Join in on the Portland Japanese Garden’s O-Shogatsu celebration. O-Shogatsu is a time of celebration for the start of a new year and hopes for happiness and prosperity to come. Portland Japanese Garden honors this special festival twice: once in appreciation for members only on New Year’s Day and then again on January 7, with…

Portland Old Time Music Gathering is thrilled to announce our 2024 artist in residence: Hubby Jenkins. He’ll be featured at the Saturday night concert (January 13) along with Foghorn Stringband. The concert takes place at the Alberta Abbey. Other highlights include Cajun/Honky Tonk Night at Mississippi Pizza on January 11, the Friday Night Square Dance…

Portland's Folk Festival began in 2018 at McMenamin's White Eagle as a way for Portland musicians to come together to celebrate the burgeoning local scene and enjoy each other's craft. It was a 12-hour love fest that started at noon and continued until early in the morning with 24 local and regional artists performing. Since…

FAN EXPO Portland (formerly Wizard World Portland) is the ultimate place to celebrate fandom. Join tens of thousands of fans just like you and experience the ultimate playground for comics, sci-fi, horror, anime, and gaming. Three days of citywide events, family-friendly attractions and world-renowned celebrities await. Attendees can shop at hundreds of vendors and exhibitors,…

Oregon Cider Week Special Edition is happening with CiderCon 2024, hosted in Portland, Oregon. The Northwest cider community will welcome visiting conference attendees, media, buyers and cider fans at a wide variety of not-to-be-missed events. Save the day and stay tuned.

Northwest Reptile Expos is the largest reptile expo in the Northwest and the longest-running reptile show in Oregon. Come and see the largest selection of reptile vendors in the Pacific Northwest. Northwest Reptile Expos is the only captive-bred reptile show in America. The shows feature a venomous reptile display, an educational display, free raffles and…

Since 1976, Keep Alive The Dream has celebrated Oregon’s African-American community. This annual event honors pioneering activists, community leaders, artists, musicians, and youth whose efforts have impacted Oregon’s African-American community. The event’s Victory Village marketplace houses vendors, regional agencies, and artists. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $5 or 5 cans of non-perishable…

The Rose City Classic Dog Show is one of the largest and most popular dog events in the United States. The all-breed shows feature breed judging, which is also known as conformation. At Rose City Classic, over 170 AKC breeds compete in conformation to earn championships, Best of Breed and Best in Show. In addition…

Brighten your February with glowing sculptures and thousands of twinkling lights at Portland’s annual Winter Lights Festival.

The Portland Night Market showcases many unique businesses that call Portland home. Blending food, culture, music, drinks and retail for an adventurous evening in the Central Eastside. Meet some of Portland's best makers and creators. With almost 200 hundred makers, the Night Market offers food carts, drinks, clothing, lifestyle goods, home goods, body care and…

Join Portland's NBA team, the Portland Trail Blazers, at their annual Celebration of Black History. This event honors the city's Black and African American community and celebrates their contributions nationwide. The night will feature special performances, retail items and multiple fundraising efforts benefiting Imagine Black, a nonprofit whose mission is to build political participation and…

Portland’s legendary dance event, ValenTango, is North America’s largest and longest-running tango festival. Enjoy a friendly community, great teachers, live DJs, professionally-taught classes, thrilling milongas, a fun ambiance and ample opportunities to dance and learn. Best of all, it's open to dancers of all abilities and for a great price.

The Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show is the largest sportsmen’s show west of the Mississippi and undoubtedly the region’s most anticipated annual event for outdoor adventurers and sportsmen of all ages. The show promises to be the biggest, with over 700 fishing, hunting and outdoor recreation-related companies showing and selling newly released products and services. All…

Bigger, blacker, and funnier with more showcases and live podcasts than ever before. ten showcases, two live podcasts, and over sixty Black comics from all over the world will be in town for four days and hours of laughter. The NW Black Comedy Festival Was Recognized By The New York Times As One Of The…

The Portland Jazz Festival returns every February with a stellar series of concerts and events celebrating Black History Month.

Enjoy fresh Oregon seafood (at the peak of Dungeness Crab season) as well as wine, craft beers, cider, and distilled spirits as you browse the myriad of exhibitors. Over 30 of Oregon’s finest wineries (and 20 other beverage makers) offer you tastings of their very best. This is a family-friendly event. Live entertainment, face painters,…

The Worst Day of the Year Ride is a costumed bike ride benefiting the Community Cycling Center. On Sunday, March 24 — regardless of the weather — grab your friends, don your costume, and jump on your bike to honor this historically terrific day. After scoffing at the elements, participants return to the Lucky Labrador…

Local art enthusiasts know Fertile Ground Festival is where you go to see Portland’s newest performance works first. Produced by the nonprofit Portland Area Theater Alliance (PATA), this festival returns to Portland every January. Fertile Ground is distinct from other cities’ “fringe” fests because it only features local producers and non-juried, waving creators through an…

Every May, thousands of visitors flock to the city’s famous UFO Festival, featuring four days of parades, costume contests and expert speakers.

Every summer, the Portland Pride Festival & Parade makes a name for itself — and LGBTQ+ community members — all over town.

Join the Oregon Chinese Coalition for the Chinese Festival in the Square. Celebrate Chinese American culture and enjoy nonstop entertainment, delicious Chinese food, authentic arts and crafts, and much more. For more information visit pdxchinese.org.

The Portland Veterans Day Parade is an inclusive, nonpartisan, family-friendly event honoring all Veterans, past and present, living and deceased. It is officially permitted by the City of Portland and was established in 1974 by Vernon E. Ross, proprietor of Ross Hollywood Funeral Chapel. All community members are welcome to register to be in the…