Even though December seems to be just getting started, Christmas is quickly approaching! There are many holiday-themed events this weekend, including as a winter Native art market, live music, and the opportunity to view real reindeer. Visit these links to view our 2024 Holiday events guide for even more event ideas:
Music: entertainment.oregonlive.com.
Displays of lighting: oregonlive.com/events.
OregonLive.com/stage is the stage.
This Friday, visit Rockwood Market Hall to see some of Santa’s most cherished staff members. File shot from Oregon.The person from Oregon
Rockwood reindeer
Fans can see Santa and some of his reindeer in the Gresham neighborhood on Friday before the big man in the red suit prepares for his busiest night of the year. Tell Santa how much of a good person you have been this year.
4–7 p.m. Rockwood Market Hall, 458 S.E. 185th Ave., Friday, Dec. 20, free;rockwoodmarkethall.com/events.
A Christmas Carol intoxicated
A professional actor downs whiskey and then attempts to play Scrooge in Experience Theater Project’s Drunk History adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic. Meanwhile, professional improvisers chime in to try to stick to the story, while audience suggestions and a Wheel of Fate complicate that task. A raffle, gift giving, Christmas cocktails, and an ugly sweater competition are also planned. Ages 18 and over are advised for attendees.
7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Dec. 20-21, Brunish Theatre, 1111 S.W. Broadway; $69-$300;portland5.comor 503-248-4335.
— The Oregonian/Oregonlive.com’s Kristi Turnquist
The 10th Anniversary of Kickstand Comedy
Kickstand Comedy ends its month-long anniversary celebration with fun and funny shows featuring Holy $&# Improv from Los Angeles and The Return of Earthquake Hurricane featuring Bri Pruett and Alex Falcone. Come kick off your holiday celebrations with a Friday night of laughs.
LA improv 7 p.m. and Earthquake Hurricane 9 p.m., Friday, Dec. 20, Clinton Street Theater, 2522 S.E. Clinton St., tickets $20 online, $25 at door;kickstandcomedy.org/10-year.
Festivale Cool Nutz
Cool Nutz celebrates hip-hop and holiday spirit with two days of live music featuring Mic Crenshaw, Northside Tego & Vary, King Wess, Boom Bap Project, DBOI LTD, Juma Blaq, Bobby Barrz, Rasheed Jamal, and Cool Nutz & Friends. Dance the holiday blues away at local show.
8 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Dec. 20-21, Alberta Street Pub, 1036 N.E. Alberta St.; tickets $15-$30;eventbrite.com/e/festivale-cool-nutz.
O Radiant Dawn!
Portland women s vocal ensemble, In Mulieribus, presents a winter program that includes ancient Advent chants from the 4th century, along with traditional and familiar works of the Christmas season.
7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, at St. Mary s Cathedral, 1716 N.W. Davis St., and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, St. Philip Neri Church, 2408 S.E. 16th Ave.; tickets $15-$45;inmulieribus.org.
Winter Native Art Market
Head to Vancouver for a dynamic selection of 16 area Indigenous artists and vendors offering a wide range of handcrafted items, art works, jewelry, and other goods suitable as gifts or to add to your personal collection.
11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21, Clark County Historical Museum, 1511 Main St., Vancouver; free admission;cchmuseum.org/calendar/winter-native-art.
Pure brass tuba power engulfed Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland on Dec. 10, 2022, during the annual Tuba Christmas Concert. File shot from Oregon.Mark Graves
Tuba Christmas
Do you like your holiday music big and booming? Portland s beloved big brass tradition is back for another holiday season in Pioneer Courthouse Square. The 33rd annual Tuba Christmas concert brings together more than 200 tubas and other brass instruments to play the holiday classics. The free concert is always a crowd favorite.
1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21; 701 S.W. Sixth Ave., Portland; free.
“A Charlie Brown Christmas LIVE!”The Oregon Symphony
A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live
Nothing is more festive than a Charlie Brown holiday episode, and this production brings that magic to life. Live actors will tell the story in front of an animated background while the Oregon Symphony plays the comforting score.
2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21-22, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 S.W. Broadway; tickets start at $20,orsymphony.org.
— Veronica Nocera, The Oregonian/OregonLive
Heceta Head Lightstation and Lighthouse Bed & BreakfastHeceta Head Bed & Breakfast
Heceta Head Lighthouse Victorian Christmas
If you find yourself at the coast this holiday season, the Heceta Head Lighthouse will once again open its Keeper s House to the public on weekends through the 22nd. The decorated home will offer live music, refreshments, and visits from Santa. Visitors can walk up to the lighthouse in the dark (with a flashlight!) and listen to the waves crash against the rocks.
4-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 21-22; 92072 Hwy. 101 South, Florence; free admission, and donations accepted. $5 for parking or free with a valid Oregon State Parks pass;hecetalighthouse.com/events#christmas.
Crafty Natureland
Looking for some ways to get the kids out and about during holiday school break? Hoyt Arboretum is hosting free pop-up nature events for kids ages 5-12 including this weekend s nature-inspired crafts workshop. Use leaves, cones, acorns, moss and other natural materials to make a work of art.
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 21-22, Hoyt Arboretum Visitor Center, 4000 S.W. Fairview Blvd., free;hoytarboretum.org/events.
Portland Lesbian Choir Coming Out of the Dark
The Portland Lesbian Choir enters its 39th season and welcomes the public to a concert of inspiring and soul-stirring music filled with messages of hope, perseverance, and coming together. The choir will perform a diverse program, including a new choral arrangement of Hold On by Sharon Udoh, music from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Cassandra Batie, Gloria Estefan, and Eric Whitacre.
7 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21-22, Parkrose Performing Arts Center, 12003 N.E. Shaver St.; tickets $25-$30;zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing.
Stumptown Soul
An all-star cast of Portland s blues, jazz, rock, and soul greats light up the stage for a holiday concert that offers space to dance. Performers includes LaRhonda Steele, Norm Sylvester, Dan Berkery, Katy Oberg, Michael Quinby, and many others. All ages.
7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, Alberta Rose Theater, 3000 N.E. Alberta St.; tickets $30 advance, $35 at door;albertarosetheatre.com/event/stumptown-soul-holiday-spectacular.
– If you have events you d like to see highlighted at OregonLive.com or in the weekly printed A&E section of The Oregonian, please email submissions to [email protected] at least three weeks prior to the start of your event. Digital images or links to videos are helpful.
Rosemarie Stein
503-221-4376, [email protected]; @trafficportland
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