Holiday Ale Festival
December 1 - 4, 2016 (begins Nov. 30)
Enjoy 50 bold winter ales at Holiday Ale Festival in heated tents, with a root beer garden and food vendors at Pioneer Courthouse Square for age 21+.Winter Wonderland Drive-through Light Show
December 1 - 25, 2016 (begins Nov. 25)
Billed as the largest holiday light show west of the Mississippi, Winter Wonderland has 250 displays at Portland International Raceway. Special nights:- Nov. 28 - closed
- Nov. 29 - bicycles only
- Dec. 6 - dog walkers only
A Christmas Christmas Carol
December 1 - 30, 2016 (begins Nov. 30)
Portland Playhouse performs Charles Dickens’ holiday classic A Christmas Carol about the miraculous transformation of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge.Lights at The Grotto
December 1 - 30, 2016 (begins Nov. 25)
Christmas Festival of Lights features 500,000 lights, choirs, carolers, a petting zoo, puppet shows, and hot chocolate at The Grotto. Closed December 25.Christmas Lights Trail
December 1 - 31, 2016 (4 to 9 p.m.)
Follow colorful lights through the woods to a viewing platform on the Willamette River at Lighting of Maddax Woods, 5785 River Street in West Linn. Free.ZooLights
December 1 - 31, 2016 (Nov. 25 - Jan 1)
ZooLights uses 1.5 million LED lights to transform the Oregon Zoo into a winter wonderland of lighted trees, animal silhouettes, and moving sculptures. Closed Dec. 24 & 25.Christmas in the Garden
Dec. 1 - 31, 2016 (Nov. 25 - Jan. 1)
Christmas in the Garden features 500,000 lights, festive music, warm fires, a Christmas market, ice skating, snowless tubing, and Santa at Oregon Garden in Silverton. See schedule. Closed Dec. 24 & 25.Christmas Tree Lighting
December 2 - 3, 2016
See a free tree-lighting ceremony this month. (Also see Pioneer Courthouse Square on Nov. 25.)- Dec. 2 - Beaverton
- Dec. 2 - Tualatin
- Dec. 3 - Milwaukie (and Umbrella Parade)
- Dec. 3 - Oregon City
- Dec. 3 - Alberta Main Street
Christmas Trees in Portland
December 2 - 3, 2016 (gala Dec. 1)
Wander among dozens of decorated trees, visit Santa, make crafts, and watch entertainment at the Festival of Trees at Oregon Convention Center.Christmas Bazaar
December 2 - 4, 2016 (begins Nov. 25)
America’s Largest Christmas Bazaar has 400 booths of juried handcrafted items plus 500 booths of commercial holiday products at Portland Expo Center. Open Nov. 25, 26, 27; Dec. 2, 3, 4.Christmas Ship Parade
December 2 - 18, 2016
Watch 50 boats with Christmas lights cruise the Columbia River and the Willamette River during the Christmas Ship Parade. Free.Christmas Fantasy Trail
December 2 - 30, 2016
Families love the lighted Christmas Fantasy Trail and bonfire at Wenzel family farm in Oregon City. Closed Sundays and Dec. 24 to 25.Hood River Holidays
December 2, 2016 - Jan. 1, 2017
Hood River Holidays has lit Christmas trees along Main Street, decorated buildings, unique shops, restaurants, microbreweries, and wine-tasting rooms plus a Last Chance Holiday Bazaar Dec. 10 - 11.Build a Gingerbread House
December 3, 2016
Build a gingerbread house to take home, visit the hot chocolate bar, and get a photo with Santa Claus at Gingerbread Jamboree at OMSI.Scandinavian Fair
December 3 - 4, 2016
Celebrate the foods, crafts, music, and traditions of a Scandinavian Christmas at ScanFair at the Exhibit Hall in Memorial Coliseum.Santa Pub Crawl (be sure to drese up!)
December 3 - 17, 2016
Portland bars
- Dec. 3 - NoPdxAnticon starts at Paul Bunyan Statue.
- Dec. 10 - Portland Santacon starts at Skidmore Fountain.
- Dec. 17 - You must sign into Facebook to see Stumptown SantaCon, starting at Splash Bar.
Christmas Train
December 3 - 18, 2016 (begins Nov. 25)
Take a one-hour ride along the Willamette River and meet Santa on the decorated Holiday Express train (slow website), which leaves the station at 7805 SE Oaks Park Way.Holiday Bazaar
December 4, 2016 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Shop from 80 local, artisan vendors at Laurelhurst Winter Bazaar at Laurelhurst School.Christmas Ships Trolley Ride
December 5 - 17, 2016 (uncertain)
Reserve a seat on the Willamette Shore Trolley in Lake Oswego to see the Christmas Ships Parade. Tentative dates are Dec. 5, 7, 9, 14, 16, 17.Holiday Marketplace
December 6 - 9, 2016
Shop for holiday gifts from 38 artists at Portland Artisan Festival in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Free.Christmas Carols
December 9, 2016 (5:30 to 7:30 p.m.)
Carolers sing on downtown streets from 6 to 7 p.m. and give a final performance in Pioneer Courthouse Square at 7:15 p.m. for a $1000 prize during The Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition. Free.Beer Festival
December 9 - 11, 2016
Try 20 winter beers and IPAs with food for sale at the St. Johns Winter Beer Fest at 8608 N Lombard Street in St. Johns for age 21+. Free entry.Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
December 9 - 24, 2016
Tuba Concert
December 10, 2016 (1:30 to 3 p.m.)
Hear 250 tubas play in unison at the Tuba Christmas Concert in Pioneer Courthouse Square. Free.Holiday Craft Show
December 10 - 11, 2016
Shop from 200 creative artists and craft makers at the Crafty Wonderland Holiday Art + Craft Market at the Oregon Convention Center. Repeats in June. Free.Nutcracker Ballet
December 10 - 26, 2016
The Nutcracker is a holiday classic with outstanding choreography and dance by Oregon Ballet Theatre at Keller Auditorium. Discount tickets.
Holiday Run
December 11, 2016
Wear festive colors for Holiday Half Marathon & 5K, which begins at the Adidas North America Campus, has carolers along the way, and ends with warm food, hot chocolate, and seasonal beer. Sells out.Christmas At The Mansion
December 11 - 23, 2016
Visit the Victorian Belle mansion and its 2.5-acre grounds to see millions of lights and hear holiday music during The Miracle of a Million Lights.Peacock Lane Christmas Lights
December 15 - 31, 2016
See quaint houses adorned for Christmas at Lights on Peacock Lane, which on some nights is closed to cars and open only to pedestrians. Free.Christmas Spectacular
December 22 - 24, 2016
Whale Watching Week
December 27 - 31, 2016
Volunteers will help you spot whales at 24 sites during Whale Watching Week. Mileage shown is to Depoe Bay Whale Center in Newport. Repeats in March.Early New Year’s Concert
December 30 - 31, 2016 (7:30 p.m.)
Ode to Joy: New Year’s Celebration includes a cabaret act and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.New Year’s Dance Party
December 30, 2016 - Jan. 1, 2017
Vote for Dancing (formerly InspireTruth) is a “playful New Year’s Eve celebration that can inspire us to reach for depth and transform ourselves and our world” at Roseland Theater for age 21+. All ages on Jan. 1.New Year’s Eve Dinner Reservations
December 31, 2016
Find a list of restaurants that offer special menus and celebrations for New Year’s Eve at OpenTable.
New Year’s Eve Gala
December 31, 2016
Count down to the New Year at the spectacular Champagne Ball, which has four dance floors and 17 bars at the Hilton Portland and Executive Tower. No jeans or anyone under 21.New Year’s Eve - Governor’s Ball
December 31, 2016
A ticket to The Governor’s Ball includes reserved seating (7 p.m.), dinner (8 p.m.), dancing to live music (9 p.m.), and a champagne toast at The Sentinel Hotel.New Year’s Eve run/walk
December 31, 2016
Ring in the New Year at First Run with a party at 10 p.m. followed by a 5K run/walk and 10K run at midnight from the World Trade Center Plaza.New Year’s Eve Ball
December 31, 2016
Portland’s Grand Ball features Hit Machine plus a magician, trapeze artists, appetizer buffet, and champagne toast at midnight at Pure Space.November 30 - Dec. 30, 2016
Portland Playhouse performs Charles Dickens’ holiday classic A Christmas Carol about the miraculous transformation of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge.
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