The holidays bring lights and events to brighten the winter in Portland, Oregon, but when they’re over, winter is…mostly still ahead. I’ve taken to leaving our holiday lights on well past December. One year, a bicyclist cycled down the sidewalk, picked up a string of fairy lights at the end of our walkway, and kept on riding. I’m not sure if the out-of-season lights were offensive or just intriguing to our mysterious visitor.
Either way, the next morning found Bryan and me totally confused, staring at the frayed string of lights. We would have chalked it up to squirrels if our security camera hadn’t captured the bicyclist.
After a moment’s indignation, we both started laughing. This “crime” could be straight out of Portlandia.
We’re not alone in trying to brighten the late winter in Portland. One of the top things to do in winter in Portland is the annual Portland Winter Light Festival, an extravaganza of light and art around town every February. The community comes out to celebrate with light (and a lot of enthusiasm) on some of the otherwise darkest nights.
In today’s post, I’ll share the highlights of the Portland Winter Light Festival and everything you need to know to participate in this delightful Portland winter tradition yourself. To start with a video preview, check out our video of the Portland Winter Light Festival below.
The Portland Winter Light Festival in a Nutshell
On opening day of the Portland Winter Light Festival in 2022, Pioneer Courthouse Square downtown was packed with enthusiastic Portlanders, many of them dancing under a giant disco ball. One particularly enthusiastic dancer wove among the crowd in an inflatable pink unicorn suit.
A crowd encircled a pair of jugglers, who were juggling glowing bowling pins. A dancer performed with light-up hula hoops. The trees were decked out in colorful lights, and a row of glowing ice sculptures had been set up to one side. Adults and kids alike roamed among the lights, soaking in the atmosphere of warmth and community.
If you have one, the Portland Winter Light Festival is an occasion to break out your cool light-up costume…or at least an illuminated jellyfish on a stick. There must have been a booth selling those last year, because glowing jellyfish seemed unexpectedly prevalent at the festival.
While there’s a lot of activity in Pioneer Courthouse Square, the festival extends around the city, with many shop windows hosting artsy light displays. We took a walk around downtown Portland to see what we would find. If you’d prefer to be more systematic, the festival website also has a map with markers for each art display.
The Portland Winter Light Festival is free to attend, and it runs for about a week in early February. In 2022, the dates were February 4 – 12. A lot of the festival’s energy is concentrated in Pioneer Courthouse Square, so I’d recommend starting there.
The event takes a lot of community involvement, including from the many light artists who create the illuminated art, and the many Portland businesses that provide venues to display it. Art is chosen through a competitive process that begins the summer before the festival! For details or to apply to show your art, check out the Call for Art and Performers.
Origins of the Portland Winter Light Festival
The Winter Light Festival is a relatively new annual event, beginning in 2016. It’s organized by a non-profit called the Willamette Light Brigade, which dates back to 1986. The Willamette Light Brigade focuses on improving the Portland experience at night through artsy light projects. Their projects began with illuminating the bridges and later evolved into hosting the Winter Light Festival.
Getting to the Portland Winter Light Festival
There are lots of ways to get to the Portland Winter Light Festival. The MAX or bus are always great climate-friendly options. In 2022, the organizers published a bike map for those who would like to ride from light display to light display. Look out for an updated bike map in the year you go!
If you drive, we recommend using one of the several city SmartPark garages, since they’re convenient and inexpensive.
Other Adventures in the Pacific Northwest
For more things to do in Portland in winter, you may enjoy another annual tradition: the holiday lights at Peacock Lane in December. Peacock Lane residents have been lighting up their street in a coordinated effort since at least 1948! Strolling among the cheerful holiday lights has become an annual staple. Check out our Peacock Lane blog post for more details.
For more travel ideas in the Pacific Northwest, check out our PNW Trip Planner. You can find adventures near you and filter by season and difficulty level. There are weird and wonderful things to explore any time of year. The trip planner links to blog posts to help you plan your next adventure.
Happy exploring!
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