Copyright The Oregonian
Are you a Christmas Ships person or would you prefer the sonorous melodies of Tuba Christmas? Do you flock to the big tree lightings or the drive-thru light displays? Who’s your holiday mascot: Santa Claus, Krampus or Cinnamon Bear? Oregon’s holiday season has a lot to offer, from Jingle Thru Joseph up in the Wallowa Mountains down to Shore Acres Holiday Lights down on the southern coast. This year is no exception, with virtually all of the state’s biggest and best traditions back on the calendar. That includes Portland’s whimsical festivals, the beloved events of eastern Oregon and all the biggest, best light displays around the state. Get out your calendar and put on your best holiday sweater: Here’s what you can look forward to this year. ZooLights The popular ZooLights event at the Oregon Zoo features thousands of lights, dozens of life-size animal lanterns and rides on the beloved zoo train. While many animals will be asleep, some of the nocturnal critters may still be awake during the event. Before Zoolights opens, there are a couple of special events. On Nov. 14-15, there are two adults-only nights during BrewLights. And on Nov. 17, there’s a night for those with sensory processing needs. It offers the features of Zoolights with lighting and sounds modified to provide a sensory-friendly experience. 5-9 p.m. Nov. 21-Jan. 4; 4001 S.W. Canyon Road, Portland; $13-$35 for adults, $13-$30 for kids, discounts for members and low-income families. Silverton Christmas Market Inspired by traditional Christmas markets in Germany, the Silverton Christmas Market is a massive event, with an expansive light display, snowless tubing hill, fire pit, music and lots of vendors. Hosted at the Oregon Garden Resort, the event is a big draw for families around the region, offering German holiday traditions like glühwein, lebkuchen and Krampus. Overnight packages are available at the resort. This year the market will be closed for additional nights: It will not run Nov. 24-25 and 27; Dec. 1-2, 8-9 and 24-25. 5-9 p.m. daily, Nov. 21-Dec. 31; 895 W. Main St., Silverton; $15-$22 for adults, $5-$8 for kids; discounts for Silverton residents. Sunriver Grand Illumination Sunriver kicks of the holiday season in central Oregon with its Grand Illumination event, a one-night celebration centered on a tree lighting ceremony and fireworks show. This year’s event will also include pony rides, train rides, telescope viewings, live entertainment and more. Noon-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22; 17600 Center Drive, Sunriver; free. Shore Acres Holiday Lights The beloved light display at Shore Acres State Park on the southern Oregon coast is back for another year. Visitors must book their day, time and parking space in advance, with half the spots released far in advance and the other half released in a seven-day rolling window. The light display is considered one of Oregon’s best, filling the formal garden built on the cliffs above the ocean. One big change for this year’s event is the price of parking. The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has raised its parking prices across the state from $5 to $10 per vehicle, including at Shore Acres. Park officials are cautioning people to avoid parking at other parking lots and pullouts nearby, which are all officially closed after dusk. Timed entry slots every hour from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. daily, Nov. 27 to Dec. 31; 89526 Cape Arago Hwy., Coos Bay; $10 for parking or free with a valid Oregon State Parks pass, reservations required in advance. Ashland Festival of Light The Grand Illumination kicks off Ashland’s Festival of Light, along with a procession from Santa and seasonally inspired performing arts productions. Music, snacks and games will be set up along the Plaza starting at 3 p.m., with the main event at 5. More music and festivities will follow throughout downtown Ashland. Nov. 28; downtown Ashland; free. Portland Tree Lighting Portland’s big tree lighting event will once again take place in Pioneer Courthouse Square the day after Thanksgiving, with the traditional singalong led by Thomas Lauderdale of Pink Martini. The lighting of the 75-foot Douglas fir officially kicks off the holiday season in downtown Portland. 5:30-6:45 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28; 701 S.W. Sixth Ave., Portland; free. Seaside Parade of Lights The light parade through downtown Seaside comes the day after Thanksgiving, kicking off the holiday season on the north Oregon coast. The procession traditionally includes festive lights, costumes and displays, concluding with a community tree lighting. Seaside’s Holiday Festival & Market will also take place Nov. 28-29. 7-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 28; downtown Seaside; free. Jingle Thru Joseph Northeast Oregon will ring in the holidays with Jingle Thru Joseph, a big celebration in the tourist town at the base of the Wallowa Mountains. Expect to find music, warming fires along Main Street and a holiday bazaar at the Joseph Community Center. Nov. 28-29; downtown Joseph; free. Winter Wonderland Winter Wonderland, the big drive-thru light display at Portland International Raceway, is back for another year, raising money for Sunshine Division’s hunger relief programs. There will be three car-free nights this year: one cycling night on Nov. 30 and two dog-friendly walking nights on Dec. 1 and 2. Nov. 28-Dec. 31; 1940 N. Victory Blvd., Portland; $38-$50 per vehicle; cyclists and walkers $16 per person. Victorian Christmas Jacksonville’s Victorian Christmas celebration takes the southern Oregon town back to the 19th century with belles, beaus, Father Christmas and holiday tours of the historic Beekman House. The highlights of the nearly monthlong event include a tree lighting ceremony Nov. 29, a parade Dec. 6 and Holiday Trolley Lights tours that run regularly on December evenings. Saturdays and Sundays Nov. 29-Dec. 21; downtown Jacksonville; trolley rides $18 per person; Beekman House tours $10 for adults, $5 for kids. Cinnamon Bear Cruise A uniquely Porland holiday tradition, the Cinnamon Bear Cruises aboard the Portland Spirit are now in their 20th year, introducing new generations to the holiday story that began as a Portland radio program in 1937. Families can enjoy a plated breakfast onboard the ship while whimsical characters entertain with storytelling, music and magic. The two-hour cruise will run up and down the Willamette River. Nov. 29-Dec. 27; tickets $70-$85 for adults, $50-$60 for kids, $15 for infants. Christmas Ships Every December, the Willamette and Columbia rivers fill with lighted boats participating in the Christmas Ships event, drawing crowds of people to riverbanks around the Portland Metropolitan Area. The event changes location every night, taking place from Lake Oswego to Camas and the Portland and Vancouver waterfronts, so keep an eye on the schedule posted online at christmasships.org. Dec. 4-21; various locations around the Portland Metropolitan Area; free. Krampus Lauf Celebrating the darker side of the winter holidays is Portland’s annual Krampus Lauf, a parade of people dressed as Krampus (the creepier companion to St. Nicholas, according to Alpine folklore) as well as demons and other winter folk creatures. Krampus has been part of Central European Christmas traditions for hundreds of years, but he has recently become popular in American culture as well. This year’s parade will take place in the Hawthorne neighborhood in Southeast Portland. Dec. 5; exact time and location TBA; free. Portland Holiday Brew Fest Portland’s revamped Holiday Brew Fest continues this year, welcome news to fans of the oft-canceled Holiday Ale Fest that last took place in 2019. The new festival, run by different organizers, promises another slate of holiday beers and ciders in a heated tent under downtown Portland’s big lighted tree. This year’s event will be pared back from three days to two. Dec. 5-6; 701 S.W. Sixth Ave., Portland; tickets $16.45-$36.98. Rogue Winterfest A fundraiser for mental health organizations in southern Oregon, Rogue Winterfest is also a great opportunity to see the Bear Hotel, one of the state’s best under-the-radar attractions. Built inside a warehouse in Grants Pass, the Bear Hotel acts as a winter home for the town’s many bear statues and also houses a series of creative recreations of Oregon landmarks, adding up to a particularly whimsical walk-through experience. In addition to the weekend holiday events, Rogue Winterfest features a gala and silent auction. Dec. 6-7; 2101 N.E. Spalding Ave., Grants Pass; $5 per person. Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition Groups of carolers will fill the streets of downtown Portland in the Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition, singing their hearts to compete for a grand prize. Stroll the blocks around Pioneer Courthouse Square to find groups of carolers, then head back to the square for a “carol-off” pitting the top three groups against one another. 6-8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 12; 701 S.W. Sixth Ave., Portland; free. Tuba Christmas Portland’s beloved big brass tradition is back for another holiday season. The Tuba Christmas concert will return to Pioneer Courthouse Square this year, bringing together nearly 300 tubas to play the holiday classics. The free concert is always a crowd favorite. 1:30-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13; 701 S.W. Sixth Ave., Portland; free. ScanFair Nordic culture will be on display as more than 100 food, arts and craft vendors gather at the Oregon Convention Center for Nordic Northwest’s annual Christmas market. ScanFair typically includes pickled herring and meatball eating contests, as well as traditional Scandinavian music and dance. Dec. 13-14; 777 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland; $14.64 for adults, $9.85 for kids. Heceta Head Lighthouse Victorian Christmas The Heceta Head Lighthouse will once again open its Keeper’s House to the public for its Victorian Christmas Open House. The home, which will be decorated inside and out, will house live music, refreshments and a visit from Santa. Visitors can walk up to the lighthouse in the dark (with a flashlight!) and listen to the waves crash against the rocks.
