Best Of Portland

January's Best Festivals and Events in Portland, Oregon...

Japanese New Year

January 15, 2020 (6 to 9 p.m.)

Japanese New Year Celebration (Shinnenkai) includes New Year’s foods (osechi), sushi, dessert, beer, sake, and traditional music at Ecotrust.

 

 

Rose City Classic Dog Show

January 15 - 19, 2020

Rose City Classic is a large dog show at Portland Expo Center. Spectators will find the all-breed shows that are held Thursday to Sunday the most interesting.

 

 

Wait Until Dark 

January 16 - Feb. 16, 2020

Based on the classic film starring Audrey Hepburn, Wait Until Dark is a psychological game of cat and mouse that will keep you on the edge of your seat at Lakewood Center for the Arts in Lake Oswego.

 

 

Professional Bull Riding 

January 18, 2020 (7 p.m.)

Professional Bull Riders take on the fiercest bucking bulls at the Moda Center.

 

 

Willamette Week’s Ramen + Whisky

January 19, 2020 (12 & 3 p.m.)

Seven Portland chefs compete to bring you “the best ramen taster paired with a Japanese whisky cocktail” during Willamette Week’s Ramen + 

Whisky at Leftbank Annex.

 

 

MLK Breakfast

January 20, 2020 (8:30 to 10:30 a.m.)

Hear a keynote speaker at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast at the Oregon Convention Center.

 

 

Truffle Festival

January 23 - Feb. 16, 2020

Eugene & Newburg

Hear speakers, shop a marketplace, and enjoy fine dining during Oregon Truffle Festival. Events sell out.

• Jan 23 to 26 - Eugene
• Feb. 14 to 16 - Newberg

 

 

First Taste Oregon

January 24 - 25, 2020

First Taste Oregon features local art, beer, food, music, spirits, and wine at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.

 

 

Wizard World Portland

January 24 - 26, 2020

Wizard World Portland is about comic books, science fiction, fantasy, film, horror, animation, anime, manga, and card games, at the Oregon Convention Center.

 

 

Winter Music Festival

January 24 - 26, 2020

Winter Music Festival features performances, jam sessions, a pie-baking contest and sale, and an artisan fair with 20 vendors (Sat. & Sun.) in Florence.

 

 

Reel Music Festival

January 24 - Feb. 16, 2020

Downtown Portland locations

Reel Music Festival screens new films and timeless classics with a music theme at Portland Art Museum.

 

 

Lunar New Year Dragon Dance Parade 

January 25, 2020 (11:30 a.m.)

The Lunar New Year Dragon Dance Parade begins at 315 NW Davis Street and ends at the Oregon Historical Society where there is free admission plus 1 p.m. dance performances. Free.

 

 

Chinese New Year Cultural Fair 

January 25, 2020

Chinese New Year Cultural Fair includes folk dance, instrumental music, martial arts, and Chinese food at Oregon Convention Center.

 

 

Portland International Cat Show

January 25 - 26, 2020

Watch top cats compete at the International Cat Show Portland at Holiday Inn Portland-Airport.

 

 

Chinese New Year

January 25 - Feb. 9, 2020

Celebrate Chinese New Year with lion dances, martial arts, cultural performances, and children’s activities at Lan Su Chinese Garden. Schedule.

 

 

Japanese New Year

January 26, 2020

Mochitsuki has entertainment, hands-on activities, ikebana, calligraphy, games, rice pounding, mochi, and Japanese foods at Portland State University in the Viking Pavilion.

 

 

Blizzard

January 26, 2020 (7 p.m.)

0.6 miles south

Filled with trampolines, juggling, live music, a playful sense of humor, and stunning stage design, Blizzard is a winter-themed spectacle performed by Flip Fabrique at Keller Auditorium.

 

 

Omsi After Dark

January 29, 2020 (6 p.m.)

Explore the wonders of OMSI with no kids in sight, and drink beer or wine while learning about robots, tornados, and fossils at OMSI After Dark for age 21+. This event repeats many times per year.

 

 

Mamma Mia

January 30 - Feb. 16, 2020

Set at a Greek wedding and full of Abba songs, Mamma Mia! is a rousing musical about a young bride in search of her true father, at Winningstad Theatre.

 

 

Portland Seafood & Wine Festival

January 31 - Feb. 1, 2020

Portland Seafood & Wine Festival features “fresh Oregon seafood and wine, craft beer, cider, and distilled spirits” plus 175 exhibitors and kids’ activities in the Oregon Convention Center.

January's Best Festivals & Events In And Around Portland, Oregon....

ZooLights

January 1 - 5, 2019

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.

 

Free Days At The Portland Art Museum (evening)

January 3, 2019

Visit the Portland Art Museum on Free Days the first Thursday of every month, including this evening.

 

Favorite Light Classics

January 5 - 6, 2019

Favorite Light Classics is “a light-hearted tour of classical music’s most popular hits, including Barber’s Adagio for Strings, the “William Tell” Overture, and select movements from Beethoven’s beloved symphonies” performed by the Oregon Symphony at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

 

$2 Days at OMSI

January 6, 2019

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry offers $2 Days at OMSI the first Sunday of the month. Add $5 for an optional submarine tour or planetarium show.

 

Portland Boat Show

January 9 - 13, 2019

See the latest sailboats, sport boats, fishing boats, personal watercraft, and boating accessories at the Portland Boat Show at Portland Expo Center.

 

In My Life’s Journey  /  A play about writer C.S. Lewis

January 10 - 13, 2019

London-born actor David Payne brings the witty author to life in his one-man show My Life’s Journey: An Evening with C.S. Lewis. Hear about his friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien, why he nearly abandoned the Narnia Chronicles, how he came to embrace Christianity, and how an American woman turned his life upside down, at Winningstad Theatre.

 

No Pants Max Ride

January 13, 2019 (2 to 9 p.m.)

No Pants Max Ride mimics the annual “No Pants Subway Ride” in New York, but it takes place on the Max with an after party.

 

Portland Old-Time Music Gathering

January 16 - 20, 2019

Hear traditional Appalachian-style string-band music at Portland Old-Time Music Gathering, mostly at the Tiffany Center.

 

Rose City Dog Show

January 16 - 20, 2019

Rose City Classic is a large dog show at Portland Expo Center. Spectators will find the all-breed shows that are held Thursday to Sunday the most interesting.

 

Reel Music Festival

January 18 - Feb. 16, 2019

Downtown Portland locations

Reel Music Festival screens new films and timeless classics with a music theme at Portland Art Museum.

 

PBR - Professional Bull Riding Velocity Tour

January 19, 2019 (7 p.m.)

Professional Bull Riders take on the fiercest bucking bulls at the Moda Center.

 

MLK Jr. Breakfast

January 21, 2019 (8:30 to 10 a.m.)

Hear a keynote speaker at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast at Red Lion Hotel on the River.

 

Clark College Jazz Festival

January 24 - 26, 2019

Middle and high-school instrumental jazz ensembles compete at Clark College Jazz Festival each day, and you can hear the three semi-finalists each evening.

 

Winter Music Festival in Florence

January 25 - 27, 2019

Winter Music Festival features performances, jam sessions, a pie-baking contest and sale, and an artisan fair with two dozen vendors in Florence.

 

Portland International Auto Show

January 24 - 27, 2019 (preview Jan. 23)

See new, classic, exotic, and eco-friendly vehicles at the Portland International Auto Show at the Oregon Convention Center.

 

Fertile Ground Art Festival

January 24 - Feb. 3, 2019

Portland locations

Fertile Ground is a citywide festival of new works in theater, music, dance, comedy, film, and visual art.

 

Oregon Truffle Festival

January 24 - Feb. 17, 2019

Eugene & McMinnville

Hear speakers and enjoy fine dining at the Oregon Truffle Festival. Some events sell out, buy Sept. 1+.

• Jan. 24 - 27 in Eugene
• Feb. 15 - 17 in McMinnville

 

Sesame Street Live “Let’s Party” show

January 25, 2019

Families love watching their favorite characters sing and dance onstage in Sesame Street Live: Let’s Party! at Moda Center.

 

First Taste Oregon - Art, food, and drink

January 25 - 26, 2019

First Taste Oregon features local art, beer, food, music, spirits, and wine at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.

 

International Cat Show

January 25 - 27, 2019

7.1 miles north

Watch top cats compete at the International Cat Show at Portland Expo Center.

 

NW Coffee Beer Invitational 

January 26, 2019 (12 to 7 p.m.)

breweries at NW Coffee Beer Invitational, with live music and food in a tent at Goose Hollow Inn.

 

Japanese New Year

January 27, 2019

Mochitsuki has entertainment, hands-on activities, ikebana, calligraphy, games, rice pounding, mochi, and Japanese foods at Portland State University.

January's Best Annual Festivals & Events In And Around The Portland Metro Area...

                                                                                               *Oregon Truffle Festival

 

Free Art Evening

January 5, 2017 (5 to 8 p.m.)

0.4 miles SW

Visit the Portland Art Museum on Free Days the first Thursday of every month, including this evening.

 

Kids’ Night

January 6, 2017 (4 to 8 p.m.)

3.2 miles SW

The First Friday Night of each month everyone gets free admission to the Portland Children’s Museum.

 

Boat Show

January 11 - 15, 2017

See the latest sailboats, sport boats, fishing boats, personal watercraft, and boating accessories at the Portland Boat Show at Portland Expo Center.

 

Film & Music Festival

January 13 - Feb. 5, 2017

Downtown Portland locations

Reel Music Festival screens new films and timeless classics with a music theme at Portland Art Museum.

 

Bourbon & Bacon

January 14, 2017 (7 p.m., VIP 6)

Sip bourbon and taste bacon treats at the Bourbon and Bacon Fest at OMSI for age 21+.

 

Bridal Show

January 14 - 15, 2017

Portland Bridal Show is billed as the state’s largest. It features fashion shows and wedding-service exhibitors at the Oregon Convention Center.

 

Folk Music Festival

January 14 - 15, 2017

Winter Music Festival features performances, jam sessions, a pie-baking contest and sale, and an artisan fair with two dozen vendors in Florence.

 

MLK Breakfast

January 16, 2017 (8:30 to 10:30 a.m.)

Expect a keynote speaker at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast at the Hilton Hotel.

 

Jazz Band

January 17, 2017 (7:30 p.m.)

Named “one of the best jazz bands in New York” by Forbes Magazine, The Hot Sardines performs jazz-based material with an early 20th century flavor at Newmark Theatre. Discount tickets $18.

 

Dog Show

January 18 - 22, 2017

Rose City Classic is a large dog show at Portland Expo Center. Spectators will find the all-breed shows Thursday to Sunday the most interesting. Discount tickets $4.

 

Japanese New Year

January 19, 2017 (5:30 to 8:30 p.m.)

Japanese New Year Celebration (Shinnenkai) includes New Year’s foods (osechi), sushi, dessert, beer, sake, and traditional music at Montgomery Park.

 

Fertile Ground Art Festival

January 19 - 29, 2017

Portland locations

Fertile Ground is a citywide festival of new works in theater, music, dance, comedy, film, and visual art.

 

Chocolate & Wine Festival

January 20 - 22, 2017

Sample local and international chocolates and wine, and see chocolate presentations at ChocolateFest in the Oregon Convention Center.

 

Truffle Festival

January 20 - 29, 2017

Portland & Eugene

Hear speakers and enjoy fine dining at the Oregon Truffle Festival, in Portland Jan. 20 to 22 and in Eugene Jan. 26 to 29. Some events will sell out.

 

Auto Show

January 26 - 29, 2017

See new, classic, exotic, and eco-friendly vehicles at the Portland International Auto Show at the Oregon Convention Center.

 

Art, Food, and Drink

January 27 - 28, 2017

First Taste Oregon features local art, beer, food, music, spirits, and wine at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.

 

Homeowners Show

January 27 - 29, 2017

Meet vendors of home products and services, see exhibits, and drink beer at Portland Renovation and Landscaping Show in Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

 

Cat Show

January 27 - 29, 2017

Watch top cats compete at the International Cat Show at the Holiday Inn on Columbia Blvd.

 

Antiques Show

January 28 - 29, 2017

Shop for antiques and collectibles at Portland’s Rain of Glass at Washington County Fair Complex in Hillsboro.

 

Chinese New Year

January 28 - Feb. 6, 2017

Celebrate Chinese New Year with lion dances, martial arts, cultural scenes, and kids’ activities, plus lantern viewing beginning the evening of Feb. 7 at Lan Su Chinese Garden. See schedule.

 

Japanese New Year

January 29, 2017

Mochitsuki has entertainment, hands-on activities, ikebana, calligraphy, games, rice pounding, mochi, and Japanese foods at Portland State University.

 

January Festivals and Events ln And Around The Portland Area

 

Japanese New Year

January 14, 2016 (5:30 p.m.)

Japanese New Year Celebration (Shinnenkai) includes New Year’s foods (osechi), sushi, dessert, beer and sake, and traditional music at the Ecotrust Building.

 

Boat show

January 14 - 17, 2016

See the latest sailboats, sport boats, fishing boats, personal watercraft, and boating accessories at the Portland Boat Show at Portland Expo Center.

 

 

Dog show

January 20 - 24, 2016

Rose City Classic is a large dog show for more than 175 breeds at Portland Expo Center.

 

 

Chocolate & Wine Festival

January 22 - 24, 2016

Sample local and international chocolates and wine, and see chocolate presentations at ChocolateFest in the Oregon Convention Center.

 

 

Homeowners’ show

January 22 - 24, 2016

Meet vendors of home products and services, see exhibits, and drink beer at Portland Renovation and Landscaping Show in Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

 

Truffle Festival

January 22 - 24 and 29 - 31, 2016

Hear speakers and enjoy fine dining at the Oregon Truffle Festival, in Portland the first weekend and then in Eugene the second weekend. Sold out last year.

 

Auto Show

January 28 - 31, 2016

See new, classic, exotic, and eco-friendly vehicles at the Portland International Auto Show at the Oregon Convention Center.

 

 

Cat Show

January 28 - 31, 2016

Watch top cats compete at the International Cat Show at the Holiday Inn on Columbia Blvd.

 

 

Japanese New Year

January 31, 2016 (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

Mochitsuki has entertainment, hands-on activities, ikebana, calligraphy, games, rice pounding, mochi, and Japanese foods at Portland State University.

 

 

 

February

 

Seafood & Wine festival

February 5 - 6, 2016

Portland Seafood & Wine Festival brings Dungeness crab, oysters, local wine, live music, and a kids’ sand sculpture area to Oregon Convention Center.

 

 

Sausage and Beer Fest

February 5 - 6, 2016

Wurstfest is a celebration of handmade sausage, local and German beer, and German music in Mt. Angel Festhalle, which includes an artisan market and a 5K/10K Wurst Run.

 

 

Chinese fair

February 6, 2016

Chinese New Year Cultural Fair 2016 - Year of the Monkey includes folk dance, instrumental music, Kung Fu and martial arts, a puppet show, and Chinese food at Oregon Convention Center.

 

 

Mardi Gras Ball

February 6, 2016

Portland Mardi Gras Ball is a Louisiana-style costume ball with beads, baubles, king cake, and dancing to live Cajun and zydeco music at the Wonder Ballroom.

 

Chinese New Year

February 8 - 22, 2016

Celebrate Chinese New Year with lion dances, martial arts, cultural scenes, kids’ activities, and lantern viewing at Lan Su Chinese Garden. See schedule.

 

Fishing, Hunting, Camping Show

February 10 - 14, 2016

Pacific Northwest Sportsmen’s Show offers seminars and vendors at Portland Expo Center.

 

 

Garden Show

February 12 - 14, 2016

Visit showcase gardens, watch cooking classes, and wander among 300 exhibitors at the Yard, Garden & Patio Show at Oregon Convention Center.

 

Valentine’s Day At The Winery

February 13 - 14, 2016

Romance in the Cellar is a romantic dinner Saturday or brunch Sunday with wine at Eola Hills Wine Cellars, which is west of Salem.

 

 

Valentine’s Day Dinner

February 14, 2016

Greater Portland area

OpenTable lists restaurants in the Portland area that offer special menus for Valentine’s Day.

 

 

Home and Garden Show

February 25 - 28, 2016

The Portland Spring Home & Garden Show fills the Portland Expo Center with home-improvement vendors, dining-room exhibits, garden displays, and thousands of plants.

January 24-26, 2014 - Perfect timing for Oregon's ultimate Truffle Shuffle!

Tickets go on sale September 1st for all four Weekend Experiences, the à la carte Truffle Dog Training Seminar or Truffle Growers’ Forum, the Friday only truffle dog training audit, the Sunday afternoon cooking class, and the Grand Truffle Dinner.

This year's Ninth annual Oregon Truffle Festival has a range of elegant and unique à la Carte and Weekend experiences to offer you as we bridge the Old and New Worlds of all things truffle.  We’ve added new events and new venues, and are excited about Oregon craft beer and spirits joining the beverage mix this year. 

Click Here for more details.

Your dog may be the key to finding subterranean gourmet treasures - January 24-26, 2014, at events running simultaneously with Oregon's Annual Truffle Festival

 

In its sixth year, OTF’s Truffle Dog Training Seminar has become a unique opportunity to both observe the handling and training of skilled truffle dogs, and to teach your own dog to detect the scent of truffles.

Click Here for more details.

It's A Wrap! TheBestOfPortland's Holiday Bucket List - 2013

Pioneer Court House Square - photo credit dave andrews

Not in any specific order...

Entertainment

Peacock Lane

Polar Express Mount Hood Railroad

Winter Wonderland Light Show at Portland International Raceway

ZooLights

 

Food & Lodging

Gustav's / Rheinlander

Heathman Hotel for High Tea and after? A little 50 Shades of Grey

Huber's for a Spanish Coffee

The Nine's - the "Ultimate Wrap Station" for Mom & Dad has to be a suite at The Nine's with room service from Departures, and valet schlepping of packages to the car.

Salty's on the Columbia for dinner and a front and center seat for the Christmas Ship Parade

Timberline Lodge

 

Shopping

Elephants Delicatessen

Pioneer Place Mall

Washington Square

Lloyd Center Mall

Clackamas Town Center Mall

 

Our favorite Christmas Tree Boutique?  

Drake's 7 Dees

"Diamonds In The Rough" - Sunset Magazine's Ted Katauskas on Oregon's elusive "White Truffle Shuffle"!

Fresh from the earth, the coveted Oregon white truffle can fetch up to $400 a pound.

John Clark

 

"As a general rule, I try to stay away from lumpy brown objects fetched from the jaws of strange dogs. But when you’re in the heart of Oregon mushroom country, every mud-caked ball of earth could be a truffle treasure.

I’m standing at the edge of a dense fir forest in the Willamette Valley with 18 foot-stomping, hand-clapping gourmands and their pets—shepherds, poodles, a Chihuahua in a knit sweater. We’re huddled together on a chilly Saturday morning to learn how to hunt one of the state’s most prized culinary ingredients: the elusive Oregon truffle."

“Today we’re going after the Oregon white,” says Jim Sanford, a 6-foot-4 former elephant handler turned dog trainer and the leader of our expedition. Beside him, sitting at attention, is Tom, a 35-pound Lagotto Romagnolo with tight white and tan curls, a trained truffle hunter who in one season sniffed out 200 pounds of French Périgords, the second-most expensive mushroom in the world at around $900 a pound. “The only place we’ve ever hunted Oregon truffles is right here. Exactly this weekend every year.”

"The last full week in January, to be precise, when Oregon truffles tend to reach their musky peak of perfection and hundreds of enthusiasts from around the world come to Eugene for the Oregon Truffle Festival—three days of unrestrained fungal madness that includes workshops, cooking demos, seminars, wine tastings, and elaborate multicourse dinners built around the mud-caked balls of earth that Tom and his pack of four-legged foragers hope to uncover."

Click Here to read Ted Katauskas full article on Oregon's truffles featured in January's issue of Sunset Magazine.

Click Here to learn more about Oregon's next Truffle Festival Janury 24-26, 2014.

 

Dog lovers unite for the January 15-20, 2013 Rose City Classic Dog Show at The Exo Center!

See man's best friend in all their finest.  This is your chance to see who should win best of show!

Click Here for more details.

ChocolateFest January 18-20, 2013 - promises the opportunity to sample, taste, savor, and delight in some of the finest chocolate from the Northwest and beyond.

Where? OREGON CONVENTION CENTER
Portland, Oregon

Friday Premiere Party 6:00-9:30pm, Saturday 11am-6pm, Sunday 11am-5pm

Click Here for more details.