Experience the Magic of the Holiday Season at These Neighborhood Events

Seasons greetings, Portland! Are you ready to shop? Neighborhood business districts are the place to be for festive fun this holiday season. Stretch your dollars with Shop-Local promotions, enjoy food and drink specials and marvel at epic light shows and window displays. Do some socially-distanced online shopping at local retailers on Cyber Monday and help businesses give back on Giving Tuesday. Whether you are looking for pick-up, delivery or an in-person shopping experience, neighborhood business districts have something for everyone on your list. 

Online:

  • Take the Portland Pledge to buy all your holiday gifts at small and local businesses. Download the badge to show you care and you are making a difference. Then share your favorite small businesses using the hashtags: #pdxsos, #pdxloveletter and #portlandpledge.
  • Crafty Wonderland Month of Makers will host two Virtual Markets (November 28th and December 12th) and will also be releasing gift guides, interviews, how-to projects and more.
  • Portland Indigenous Marketplace is hosting a virtual Black Friday event on November 27th with Native-made products and artist interviews via Facebook Live.
  • Mercy Corps Northwest Made Holiday Market features products made and sold by local businesses with new selections added daily.

Alberta: Gnome for the Holidays kicks off December 5th and will feature a gnome hunt at neighborhood businesses, a virtual tree lighting and a ‘My Peoples Virtual Storefront’ pop-up market. Plus, Blind Insect Multicultural Gallery will be hosting a special art exhibition featuring 36 multicultural artists from all over the US. Visit albertamainst.org for more details.

Beaumont: Fremont Holiday Fest is on December 4th. Activities include Santa and Mrs. Claus in a store window with picture taking outside, live music, wreaths for sale, letters to Santa, reindeer ornament kits, popcorn, cider and hot cocoa and food bank donations. Visit beaumontvillagepdx.com for more info.

Division/Clinton: Bright Lights, Warm Hearts kicks off on November 27th and will feature lighted window displays at neighborhood businesses and opportunities to support local charities.

Downtown: Mike Bennett’s Winter Wonderland will showcase winter-inspired cutouts made in collaboration with BIPOC artists on display at local businesses.

Hawthorne: Hawthorne businesses will be putting up lights and decorating with snowflakes. A Holiday Tree will be on display at SE 41st after December 1st. Visit hawthorneblvd.com for more info. Plus, Rhys Scholes Hawthorne History book, ‘Portland’s Hawthorne Boulevard’ is now available at hawthornebook.com. 

Hillsdale/Multnomah Village: Golden Ticket launches on November 27th. Receive a Golden Ticket when you shop at local, participating businesses. The Golden Ticket can then be redeemed at a neighboring participating business to receive a discount or a gift with purchase. Both districts will have holiday lights on trees and buildings on SW Capitol Highway as well.

Montavilla: Play BINGO and win a $100 Gift Card! Now through December, Montavilla is hosting a virtual BINGO contest. Each week a new group of businesses will be featured. Visit 4 participating businesses in person (where applicable) or online each week to receive an entry to win.

St Johns: Light Up St. Johns kicks off this week and will have lighted trees in the downtown corridor of the district, a holiday tree in St. Johns Plaza and, for the kids to decorate at home, IQ Credit Union has ‘make at home’ ornament kits. Plus, check out the ‘I Am a Small Business’ interview series launching this Friday on Instagram.

This list is non-exhaustive so look for more events to be announced soon. Pledge to keep your hard-earned money ‘home for the holidays’ by shopping locally and supporting the neighborhood businesses that make Portland Portland this holiday season.