Oregon Winter Events

ZooLights
November to January
Portland

Nearly one million lights turn the zoo into a winter wonderland. ZooLights is Portland's premier family holiday event, combining thousands of lights, hundreds of musical groups, a ride on the zoo's brightly lit train, a troupe of costumed animal characters, and seasonal culinary treats.

ZooLights is closed November 22 and December 24-25 for the holidays, and November 27-28 for BrewLights.

LOCATION:
Oregon Zoo
4001 SW Canyon Rd.
Portland, OR

INFORMATION:
503-226-1561

Holiday Ale Festival
December
Portland

The only beer festival in the Northwest to be held outdoors in the dark, cold and often wet month of December, the Holiday Ale Festival is truly distinctive. Despite chilly temperatures and often-inclement weather outside, attendees stay warm and dry under a large clear tent that covers the venue while allowing for views of the city lights. Gas heaters create a cozy ambience under the boughs of one of the region's largest decorated Christmas trees.

More than 50 potent winter ales are featured at this year's event, all of which are created specifically to bring warmth and cheer to the holiday season.

LOCATION:
Pioneer Courthouse Square
701 SW Sixth Ave
Portland, Oregon

INFORMATION:
503-252-9899

Christmas Storybook Land
December
Albany - Willamette Valley

Experience Christmas magic when you take your family to one of the mid-valley's beloved holiday traditions: Christmas Storybookland. Walk though 85 hand-created scenes featuring characters from nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and family movies. In addition there are two huge train displays, and a Victorian Village and Main Street. At the end of your walk, you reach the North Pole and can visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus!

Admission is free, canned food donations are accepted here.

LOCATION:
Linn County Fair & Expo Center, Cascade Livestock Building
3700 Knox Butte Rd.
Albany, Oregon

Christmas Ship Parade
December
Portland/Metro

The Christmas Ship Fleet averages about 55 to 60 boats between the two Columbia and Willamette River fleets. Both fleets will be out every night for two weeks. Christmas Ships is an all-volunteer effort by a group of Portland area recreational boaters. They come from various yacht clubs in the local area and also a number of boaters who are not affiliated with a club.

Please check schedule for nights off. This event does not run every night.

LOCATION:
Willamette/Columbia River

Wallowa County Winterfest
December
Joseph - Eastern Oregon

Snow Sculpture Contest, Snowmobile poker run, chili contest, Snowmobile raffle drawing, Dances, SnowCross Race, Tub races, and auction and raffles.

INFORMATION:
541-271-4471

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker
December
Portland

This quintessential Nutcracker, danced to Tchaikovsky's magnificent score and steeped in the splendid Yuletide traditions of 19th-Century Germany, was the first in America to gain widespread popularity. Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Nutcracker features magnificent scenery and elaborate costumes. The company remains one of only a handful in the nation with the rights to produce George Balanchine’s version of this holiday classic. OBT is pleased to announce the addition of two more shows this year featuring the OBT Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s magical score live.

LOCATION:
Keller Auditorium
222 SW Clay (on the corner of Clay and 3rd Ave)
Portland, OR

INFORMATION:
Ticket Office: 503/2-BALLET or 888/9-BALLET

Christmas Parlour Tour
December
Albany - Willamette Valley

Enjoy the sights and sounds of an old fashioned holiday celebration in Historic Albany, Oregon. This year the tour will feature several historic homes decorated for the holidays. Ride in Chafin Farms' beautiful horse drawn carriage through downtown Albany. Special shopping events, light refreshments, and entertainment await.

Tickets are $15 and may be purchased online

LOCATION:
Albany, Oregon

Annual Winter Whale Watching Week
December Dates TBA
The Coast

Join trained volunteers at 26 watch sites to help you spot the whales. Whale watching is a year round activity on the coast of Oregon, but this is your chance to learn more about the gray whales that migrate each year. The Whale Watching Spoken Here program places volunteers at great whale watching sites during Watch Weeks so they can teach others while watching the whales too.

INFORMATION:
541-765-3407

Whale Watching
The Coast

Bring clothing for warm weather and cold weather, rain and sunshine. You may also want to pack along a pair of binoculars. Viewing is best when there is no wind to disturb the water surface. Look for the tale-tell puffs of air and geysers of water from whales blowing when they surface to breathe. Once you have spotted a blow, concentrate on that location, looking for more blows. With luck you will see the body of the whale as it sounds preparing to breathe before diving back beneath the waves.

Eagle Cap Sled Dog Race
Start Date: Thursday, January 2024 TBA
Joseph - Eastern Oregon

Northwest Travel Magazine calls it: 'Oregon's Iditarod'
The Eagle Cap Extreme is two distance races with both a 100 and 200 mile event run concurrently. The 200 mile race is a qualifier for the Yukon Quest and Iditarod.

INFORMATION:
(541) 432-3125

Winter Music Festival
January
Florence - Oregon Coast

Each year this three day music extravaganza attracts musicians from all over the Northwest and beyond. More than 2,000 visitors flock to Florence to hear the music, go to jam sessions, and shop at the arts and crafts fair. There's also a artisan fair and pie sale.

LOCATION:
Florence Events Center
715 Quince Street
Florence, OR 97439

INFORMATION:
(541) 997-1994
www.eventcenter.org

Portland Seafood & Wine Festival
Late January
Portland

Set in the middle of the Dungeness Crab season, this promises to be a popular event in Portland. The event will be a very upscale yet festive event at the Oregon Convention Center with over 98,000 square feet of exhibit space will allow for lots of room to wander the event while stopping to sit and enjoy the good food, drink and live music throughout the event.

LOCATION:
Oregon Convention Center
777 NE Martin Luther King Blvd
Portland

Annual Crab Crack
Saturday, February
4-7 pm
Florence - Oregon Coast

Come to Florence on Saturday, February 12 to enjoy fresh Oregon Coast crab with all the trimmings. Meal includes fresh crab, pasta, coleslaw, French bread, soda and coffee. A no-host bar will be available. A beautiful array of items will be up for bid at a silent auction. All proceeds benefit the local food pantry.

LOCATION:
Florence Events Center
715 Quince Street
Florence, OR 97439

INFORMATION:
541.997.1994

Lincoln City Antique Week
February 17-24, 2024
Lincoln City

To celebrate the quality of “antiquing,” every February Lincoln City hosts Antique & Collectibles Week, a ten-day-long event featuring citywide sales from local antique stores. Discover your next treasure as you experience the history of Lincoln City. With a variety of separate stores and dealers, Lincoln City has been the place to go on the Oregon coast if you are interested in antiques and collectibles!

LOCATION:
Various Locations
Lincoln City

Winter Wings Festival
February (no event in 2024)
Klamath Falls - Southern Oregon

Produced by the Klamath Basin Audubon Society, this is the longest running bird festival in the nation. A small gathering that began as the Bald Eagle Conference over 30 years ago has now become an incredible event for bird enthusiasts of all stripes. Event includes guided trips, workshops, presentations, free events, vendors and activities for children.

LOCATION:
Festival activities take place in the Klamath Basin, in and around the city of Klamath Falls. Unless otherwise stated, the activities take place at the OIT campus located at 3201 Campus Drive.

INFORMATION:
(877) 541-BIRD

Bend Winterfest
February 16-18, 2024
Bend - Central Oregon

In addition to the ice carving exhibitions, live music, snow carving, ice sculpting, craft area for kids, European-style market the ever popular Royal Run and Hot Cocoa Run.

LOCATION:
Old Mill District and Downtown Bend

INFORMATION:
541-323-0964

Newport Seafood & Wine Festival
February 22-25, 2024
Newport - The Coast

The premier seafood & wine event of the west coast and the original Northwest seafood and wine festival. Since 1978 the Newport Seafood & Wine Festival has attracted visitors from around the world to the central Oregon coast. Packed with fun, food and wine!

LOCATION:
South Beach Marina

Wallflowers & Wine
2024 dates TBA
Florence - Oregon Coast

Artist John Leasure once again brings his experience and wit to the stage at the FEC to lead this wildly popular social art class. John will guide you through the process of creating your own painting based on his theme for the evening. All supplies (paint, brushes, canvas) are provided. No art or painting experience is needed! In fact we encourage those of you who have never painted before to attend - you will amaze yourself at just what you can create at Wallflowers & Wine!

LOCATION:
Florence Events Center
715 Quince Street
Florence, OR 97439

INFORMATION:
541.997.1994

Confluence Wine, Beer, Seafood & Music Festival
February
Reedsport - The Coast

Located in Reedsport, this event is like no other on the Oregon Coast. At no other Oregon Coast festival will you find all of these elements brought together in one place. Hence the name: Confluence. Bands from the Washington, Portland, Eugene, Coos Bay, Reedsport and Bandon areas will perform various genres of music throughout the weekend. Oregon wineries and microbreweries will offer tasting's and sales of their premium wines and micro-brewed beer.

LOCATION:
Community Center
451 Winchester Avenue
Reedsport, Oregon

INFORMATION:
541-271-3495