2023 Portland Winter Festivals

Portland Winter Light Festival. Photo by Brooke Hoyer.

Portland winters are long, dark and rainy. Bring a little light, music and culture into the drizzly season at these Portland winter festivals. Find one that sparks your interest.

Make sure you check back often! I’ll keep adding to this list as I find more winter festivals.

2023 Portland Winter Festivals

Photo by Jonathan Ley courtesy of Portland Japanese Garden

O-Shogatsu

Jan. 8 | $19.95

Portland Japanese Garden invites you to kick off the year of the rabbit during O-Shogatsu, Japanese New Year. Celebrate the start of a new year and hope for happiness and prosperity in the months ahead. Special activities are included with general admission, $19.95.

Photo courtesy of the Oregon Latvian

Koleda Winter Solstice Festival

Jan. 8 | $25

Follow in the footsteps of ancient winter traditions at Koleda, a Slavic winter solstice festival. The Oregon Latvian Society is hosting a day of revel, feasting, dressing up as animals and magical creatures, singing carols, dancing and telling fortunes for the whole community. Tickets are $25. 

Chinese New Year

Jan. 21-Feb. 5 | $14

Portland’s most popular Chinese New Year Celebration is back at Lan Su Chinese Garden. The two-week festival features hanging red lanterns, a contact-free scavenger hunt, festival audio tour and cultural displays. General admission for the daytime festival is $14. Lantern viewing evenings are also available on select nights.

Volksfest

Feb. 3-5 | $10

Head to Mount Angel for the annual Volksfest featuring authentic German and local food, beer and wine along with live music. Tickets are $10.

Portland Winter Light Festival. Photo by Amy Sakurai

Portland Winter Light Festival

Feb. 3-11 | FREE

Portland Winter Light Festival is a citywide art display featuring illuminated art installations, vibrant performances, and kinetic fire sculptures throughout the city. For its 8th year, the festival will have more than 120 art displays. On weekends, the event will feature three anchor locations with food carts, artwork and amenities located in the heart of Portland. This event is free to attend.

Photo courtesy of Cascade Festival of African Films

Cascade Festival of African Films

Feb. 3-March 4 | FREE

In celebration of Black History Month, Portland Community College is hosting the 32nd Annual Cascade Festival of African Films. The films celebrate Africa’s achievements, expose its failures, and reveal possibilities for a hopeful future. This year’s event will be virtual.

Portland Seafood and Wine Festival

March 3-4 | $16

The Portland Seafood and Wine Festival features more than 100 exhibitors ready to serve you a delicious bounty from our state. Along with seafood, craft beer, cider, and distilled spirit vendors are more than 30 of Oregon’s finest wineries offering tastings. Tickets are $16.

2022 Events

I will update these events as soon as 2023 details are announced. 

Portland Mercado’s Winter Soup Festival (2022)

January 21-23 

Let the spices and aromas of Latin American soups warm your bones during the Portland Mercado’s Winter Soup Festival. Each of the 10 featured soups is made from traditional recipes and represent the cuisine and origins of each business. Prices vary per participating food cart and store.

Photo courtesy of Rebel Junk Market

Rebel Junk Market (2022)

Feb. 4-5

Ready for a festival filled with upcycled, restyled and repurposed goods. Rebel Junk Market is all about taking the old items and bringing new life to them. If you have an affinity for vintage, rustic, antique, farm chic, upcycled and treasured decor, this is the market for you. Tickets are $10 for both days.

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