4 Top Holiday Things to Do in Portland

In today’s video, I’m excited to share four top holiday things to do in Portland, including the annual Festival of Lights at the Grotto, the most unusual Catholic church I’ve ever seen, the weird & wonderful hunt for hundreds of Santa Clones, the fabulous light displays on Peacock Lane, and the Christmas Ships that light up the river in the Christmas Ships Parade.

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The Grotto is a Catholic Church in NE Portland that’s set in a bizarre and beautiful place. Its centerpiece is a cliffside cave sanctuary. If you visit during daytime hours, you can take this giant elevator to the top of the cliff, where you’ll find the clifftop mesa planted with extensive gardens and interspersed with monuments—everything from a traditional monastery to a meditation chapel that looks straight out of a space movie.

But on nights in the holiday season, it’s the lower level of the Grotto’s grounds that transforms into the popular annual Festival of Lights. Wander through the massive holiday light display, pick up some holiday treats, and listen to groups of carolers. Tickets for the Festival of Lights are $14-18 in 2023, and the festival runs from the day after Thanksgiving through December 30 (except Christmas).

For more detail, check out our video on the Grotto:    • The Grotto in Portland, Oregon | Weir...  

Next I’ll turn to another favorite Portland holiday tradition, the Santa Clones. Searching for the Santa Clones each year is a fun way to explore different parts of the city. Artist Chris Willis hides the Santa Clones in a different location every year and posts clues on his Instagram. Here is the link: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillis...

The Santa Clones are hidden for roughly the month of December. In 2023, the dates are December 4 - January 1.

For more on the Santa Clones, check out our video:    • The Annual Hunt for Portland Santa Cl...  

Next up is the light display at Peacock Lane. Peacock Lane is a short street in SE Portland that’s decked out in fabulous holiday lights every year. Visitors in cars and on foot explore the creative light displays, which are typically lit the second half of December. For more on Peacock Lane, check out our video:    • Peacock Lane - Portland’s Best Holida...  

Last but not least is the annual Christmas Ships Parade. Boats decked out in holiday lights parade down the Willamette and Columbia Rivers many nights in December, and you can watch the lights from anywhere along the river bank. Check the website for the route schedules: https://www.christmasships.org/schedu...

For more on the Christmas Ships, check out our Christmas Ships Parade:    • Portland Christmas Ships: A Holiday T...  

Thanks for joining us for our four favorite holiday things to do in Portland! Let us know in the comments if you have other favorites.