Where To Enjoy Christmas Events In Portland Oregon

Jeremy Raglin

Are you searching for information on where to enjoy Christmas events in Portland Oregon? If so, you’ve come to the right place!

With Christmas only days away now one of the great things about Portland is that there are plenty of great places to enjoy holiday events in the city including the following:

“The Hip Hop Nutcracker”

Rapper Kurtis Blow serves as the master of ceremony for the third national tour of “The Hip Hop Nutcracker,” which blends Tchaikovsky’s classic score with New York-style hip hop, against a backdrop of Brooklyn street scenes.

Nov. 15, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 S.W. Broadway, $25-$55, portland5.com, TicketsWest or 800-273-1530

“Your Holiday Hit Parade”

In this new holiday revue, ghosts in a hotel off the beaten path perform Christmas music from the 1950s, ‘50s and ‘60s, and learn a few contemporary tunes from the hotel guests. Local musical theater stalwarts Dan Murphy and Rick Lewis wrote the book and Lewis did the vocal arrangements. For ages 6 and older only.

Nov. 22-Dec. 23, Broadway Rose New Stage, 12850 S.W. Grant Ave., Tigard, $20-$30, broadwayrose.org or 503-620-5262

Holiday Express Train

Trains have long been a special part of the holidays, from miniature sets under the Christmas tree to the pages of children’s books. And with a pleasant ride along the Willamette River from Oaks Park on an old Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation train, you’ll have another memory to add to the bank.

Various times Nov. 24-25, Dec. 2-3, Dec. 9-10 and Dec. 16-17; The Oaks Station, 7805 S.E. Oaks Park Way; $10.50-$20.50; orhf.org/the-holiday-express

More holiday trains: 7 holiday train rides in the Pacific Northwest

ZooLights

Forget the animals and head to the ZooLights for a million and a half twinkling lights arranged into all sorts of wild displays. The lighted loop through the zoo features a carousel and the popular train ride through the park.

5-9 p.m. (8 p.m. on Value Nights) Nov. 24-Jan. 7 (except Dec. 24, 25, Jan. 1-4); Oregon Zoo, 4001 S.W. Canyon Rd.; $4.95-$14.95; oregonzoo.org/visit/zoolights

Festival of Lights at The Grotto

The Grotto’s lighted walk is joined each night by five choral concerts, not to mention carolers, puppeteers and live animals.

5-9:30 p.m. Nov. 24-Dec. 30, closed Christmas Day; The Grotto, 8840 N.E. Skidmore St.; $6-$11; thegrotto.org

Christmas in the Garden

A charming European-inspired event featuring ice skating, snowless tubing, an artisan vendor market, photos with Santa, fire pits, live music and 600,000-plus lights decorating the garden.

5-9 p.m., Wednesday-Sunday Nov. 24-Dec. 17, daily Dec. 18-31 (closed Dec. 24 and 25); Oregon Garden, 879 W. Main St., Silverton; $5-$15; oregongarden.org

Winter Wonderland

Pile in the car and take a leisurely ride around Portland International Raceway’s track, which will boast enough light displays to earn the title of “largest holiday light show west of the Mississippi.”

5:30-9:30 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays and 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Nov. 24-Dec. 26 (except Nov. 27), open until 11 p.m. Christmas Eve.; Portland International Raceway, 1940 N. Victory Blvd.; $20-$50 per vehicle.