Events & Entertainment
January
Chinese New Year Celebration
Held in late January – early February
Location: Classical Chinese Garden
503-228-8131
In keeping with over 4,000 years of Chinese tradition, the Portland Classical Chinese Garden welcomes the New Year with an exuberant and colorful celebration. For two weeks, the Garden showcases a number of activities for the whole family which include: lion dances, knot tying and paper cutting crafts, storytelling, martial arts demonstrations, and an art exhibit featuring David Lee. The Garden’s Annual Chinese New Year Plant Sale, its largest plant sale of the year, delights the senses with fragrant orchids, citrus, witch hazel, quince, Chinese paper-bush and more.
March
Spring Beer & Wine Fest
Held in late March
Location: Oregon Convention Center
503-238-3770
Annual Spring Beer & Wine Fest is one of the nation’s largest “spring-time” alcoholic events held annually at Easter time and encourages responsible drinking.
St. Patrick’s Irish Festival
Held in mid March
Location: Kells Irish Pub
503-227-4057
Kells is host to the annual Portland St. Patrick’s Irish Festival, one of the largest on the west coast; a live music filled event for the entire family.
June
Portland Arts Festival
Held in mid June
Location: South Park Blocks
503-227-2681
The Portland Arts Festival is one of the region’s largest and most significant visual arts events.
July
Oregon Brewers Festival
Held in late July
Location: Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park
503-778-5917
The Oregon Brewers Festival features handcrafted beers from 72 of the top craft breweries from around the country. The festival is considered one of the finest craft beer festivals in the nation. Joining the breweries are industry exhibits, vendors, restaurants and live entertainment.
Waterfront Blues Festival
Held in early July
Location: Tom McCall Waterfront Park
503-973-3378
One of the largest blues festival in the U.S., the Annual Waterfront Blues Festival features four days and nights of top name blues acts, workshops, food vendors and more.
August
Homowo Festival of African Arts
Held in early August
Location: South Park Blocks
503-288-3025
The annual Homowo Festival of African Arts is a two-day community-wide event featuring jubilant African music and dance performances, food, arts and crafts, storytelling and more.
Annual Mount Hood Huckleberry Festival & Barlow Trail Days
Held in late August
Location: Mount Hood Village
503-622-4798
This festival has something for everyone: live music, Native American storytelling, singing, drumming and dancing; salmon bake and many food offerings, all featuring huckleberries. The carpool tour of the Barlow Trail, which became the first toll road over the Cascade Mountain Range, views remnants of the historic wilderness path including ruts and swales of the long gone Prairie Schooners and struggles of the Eden-seeking emigrants.
Annual Festa Italiana
Held in late August
Location: Pioneer Courthouse Square
503-644-5041
An international array of entertainers provides singing, folk dancing, strolling musicians and puppet shows. The festival is complete with authentic Italian food, wine and beer; raffles, kid’s events and merchandise.
Oregon International Air Show
Held in mid August
Location: Hillsboro Airport
503-629-0706
The annual Air show features the nationally renowned U.S. Navy Blue Angels jet team including death defying aerial acts, military fly-bys, historic aircraft, static displays and a spectacular evening of pyrotechnics and fireworks.
September
Cascade AIDS Walk
Held in late September
Location: Pioneer Courthouse Square
503-223-WALK
Annual AIDS walk with family, friends, and co-workers. Thousands of walkers raise urgently needed funds, honor friends and loved-ones lost to AIDS or living with HIV/AIDS and send the message that the crisis is not over and together the course of the pandemic can be changed.
Annual Oregon Polish Festival
Held in late September
Location: St. Stanislaus Polish Catholic Church
503-286-3776
This ethnic celebration is one of the largest Polish festivals in the Western US. Included in the festival are rich, homemade, cream-cheese filled pierogies Polish entrees, soups, pastries and of course kielbasa sausages. The last day concludes with a “Let’s Gdansk” street dance.
PICA Time Based Art Festival
Held in mid September
Location: Portland Institute for Contemporary Art
503-242-1419
PICA’s annual Time-Based Art Festival brings artists and audiences from around the world to Portland’s urban core for 10 days of performance, lectures, workshops, parties and happenings.
October
El Dia de Los Muertos Festival
Held in mid October – mid November
Location: Miracle Theatre, Portland
503-236-7253
Every year, the dead are commemorated in a lively show of dance, music and theatre in Portland’s only annual Day of the Dead Celebration. Join everyone for an extraordinary bilingual journey through the traditions of this colorful Mexican festival.
November
Annual Beaujolais Nouveau Wine Festival
Held in mid November
Location: The Heathman Restaurant
503-292-6871
The French American Chamber of Commerce announces the annual event. The event celebrates the arrival of the first, fresh “new wine vintage” – the famous Beaujolais Nouveau of the Beaujolais region of France, whose ceremonial uncorking announces the end of the harvest season in the countryside and in the cafes of France.
Tiny Treasures
Held in early – late November
Location: Yoshida’s Fine Art Gallery
503-223-9463
In keeping with the spirit of Christmas by providing exquisite, one-of-a-kind creations; Yoshida’s Gallery presents their annual miniature show with work represented by some of the gallery’s top-selling artists.
Meier & Frank Holiday Parade
Held in late November
Location: Downtown Portland
503-241-3900
Kick off the holiday season with this annual event for the whole family.
Christmas Festival of Lights at the Grotto
Held in late November – late December
Location: The Grotto
503-261-2400
Welcoming visitors annually, this ecumenical lighting and music festival is quite possibly the largest Christmas choral festival of its kind in the world. The Festival features 140 holiday music concerts performed in The Grotto’s 600-seat chapel with over 5,000 singers and musicians giving their gift of music during the annual celebration.
December
Annual Holiday Box
Held in early – late December
Location: Portland Window Project
A changing display of desirable art by gallery artists fills the PDX Window Project; the selection rotates frequently.
Handel’s Messiah
Held in mid December
Location: First Baptist Flanagan
503-222-6000
Portland Baroque Orchestra brings audiences home for the holidays with its annual performances of Handel’s enduring Messiah.
Christmas Festival of Lights at the Grotto
Held in late November – late December
Location: The Grotto
503-261-2400
Welcoming visitors annually, this ecumenical lighting and music festival is quite possibly the largest Christmas choral festival of its kind in the world. The Festival features 140 holiday music concerts performed in The Grotto’s 600-seat chapel with over 5,000 singers and musicians giving their gift of music during the annual celebration.
Entertainment:
Artists Repertory Theatre
1516 S.W. Alder St.
Portland, OR 97205
503-241-1278
Call for performance schedule
BodyVox Contemporary Dance Company
1300 N.W. Northrup St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-229-0627
Call for performance schedule
Beyond poetry in motion, BodyVox is freewheeling imagination unbound. A fresh, lively blend of bold athleticism and creative choreography.
Chamber Music Northwest
522 S.W. Fifth Ave.,
Portland, OR 97204
503-223-3202
Call for performance schedule
Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center
5340 N. Interstate Ave.
Portland, OR 97217
503-823-4322
Call for performance schedule
The Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center, a community-based arts center, is committed to creating an environment in which people of every ethnic/cultural background come together as artists and audience to explore, preserve and celebrate their diversity.
Lakewood Center for the Arts
368 S. State St.
Lake Oswego, OR 97034
503-635-6338
Call for performance schedule
Miracle Theatre Group
425 S.E. Sixth Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
503-236-7253
Call for performance schedule
Miracle produces a broad array of programming that includes public performances as well as specialized touring and education projects that currently encompass all of the Western states.
Oregon Ballet Theatre
818 S.E. Sixth Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
503-227-0977
Call for performance schedule
Oregon Symphony
921 S.W. Washington St.
Portland, OR 97205
503-228-4294
Call for performance schedule
Portland Baroque Orchestra
1020 S.W. Taylor Suite 275
Portland, OR 97205
503-222-6000
Call for performance schedule
Portland Center for the Performing Arts
1111 S.W. Broadway
Portland, OR 97205-2999
503-274-6557
Call for performance schedule
Portland Opera
211 S.E. Caruthers
Portland, OR 97214
503-241-1407
Call for performance schedule
Portland Symphonic Choir
921 S.W. Morrison
Portland, OR 97205
503-223-1217
Call for performance schedule
Sports:
Portland Trailblazers
Profession NBA Basketball
Games played at the Rose Garden
503-224-4400
Season runs October – April
Portland Rockies
Minor league baseball
Games played at the Civic Stadium
503-223-2837
Season runs April – October
Portland Fire
WNBA Basketball
Games played at the Rose Garden
503-797-9601
Call for schedule and additional information