Portland Holidays Kick Off with a Bang
If you want a big ol’ dose of the holidays, you’re in the right place. Downtown Portland has a 75-foot Christmas tree, a 12-foot-high menorah, 63 blocks strung with twinkle lights and roughly 300 people tooting carols on tubas—but who’s counting?
Speaking of numbers, more than 30 new retailers have opened in Downtown Portland this year. Compound Gallery sells both new and collectible streetwear from sneakers to hoodies; Baseballism keeps the dream alive for a PDX MLB team with its caps, t-shirts and a briefcase made from the same kind of leather as baseball gloves.
If you work up a thirst while shopping, the Portland Beer Museum treats craft brew like the artform it is—an artform you can buy and drink; and you can take a break from browsing Japanese bookstore Kinokinuya’s paper goods by sipping matcha at its Book of Tea Café.
What’s more, the PDX Pop-Up Shops are back—but this Portland tradition is in its final year. Hit up the collection of independent, local designers and artists before they’re gone for good. You’ll find their tote bags, handmade soap, blown glass, ceramicware, original art and much more on the ground floor of Pioneer Place.
PDX Pop-Ups have served as a launchpad for fledgling businesses that transformed into Portland mainstays (think Crafty Wonderland and Boys Fort), so you know the goods there are worth a look.
When you’re ready for a break from shopping, zip over to Pioneer Square for Portland’s annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. On November 29, Portland’s Living Room will fill with holiday revelers as local celebs lead the crowd in a spirited sing-along, then flip the switch on 14,000 colorful bulbs bedecking a 75-foot-tall Douglas fir. Whether it’ll be your first tree lighting or your 31st, you can bet on feeling a jolt of joy at the sight of the city’s biggest Christmas tree.
The holidays are just beginning, and you’re in the best spot to enjoy every single day of them. Downtown Portland has planned weeks and weeks of festive fun, so get ready to don your holiday best and head to the heart of PDX.
For more information on downtown events and happenings this season, please visit downtownportland.org
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