City Cast Portland
🎨 Paint Fight, Champagne Ball, and 'Bing' in the New Year
December 23, 2024 · — Rachel Monahan
Good morning!
We’re taking a holiday break over the next two weeks. You’ll get a few newsletters from us, but not every day.
This week, we’re bringing you a special roundup (usually reserved for City Cast Portland members) of local events happening across the city. Whether you’re looking for festive celebrations, cozy gatherings, or ways to ring in the new year, we’ve got something for you.
If you like what you see, you can get our curated list of local events every week when you sign up to be a City Cast Portland member. It’s just one way we say thank you to those who support our work.
What To Do
Monday, Dec. 23
- 🧑🎄 Santa Clones (scavenger hunt) | Anytime (through Jan. 1) | Free | Clues to find location
- 🧑🎄 Santa's Workshop | 9 a.m. - Noon | $40 ($35 for members) | YMCA of Columbia-Willamette Junebug Play & Learning space (Ridgefield, Wash.)
- 🧑🎄 North Pole Adventureland (visit with Santa) | 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. | $38+ | Jantzen Beach
- 🎥 ‘The Big Lebowski’ | 7 p.m. (various times through Dec. 28) | $10 | Clinton Street Theater
- 🎄 Christmas at The Old Church with Michael Allen Harrison | 7:30 p.m. | $43.06+ | Downtown
Tuesday, Dec. 24
- 🧑🎄 North Pole Adventureland (visit with Santa) | 9 - 4 p.m. | $38+ | Jantzen Beach
- 🩰 George Balanchine’s ‘The Nutcracker’ | Noon | $74+ | Keller Auditorium
- 🎄 Christmas at The Old Church with Michael Allen Harrison | 2, 5, & 8 p.m. | $43.06+ | Downtown
- 🎄 ZooLights | 4:30 - 8:30 p.m. for entry (opening night for general public) | $20 | Oregon Zoo
- 🧑🎄 Christmas Festival of Lights | 5 - 10 p.m. (through Dec. 30) | $16.50 | The Grotto (Madison South neighborhood)
Wednesday, Dec. 25
- 🍸 Nightcap Before Christmas (holiday popup bar) | 3 - 10 p.m. (various times through Jan. 1) | Various prices | McMenamins Crystal Hotel (Downtown)
- 🕎 Chanukah 1800 (first night) | 4 p.m. | Free ($9 for latkes, reserve in advance) | Pioneer Courthouse Square
- 💡🎄 Peacock Lane | 6 - 11 p.m. | Free | Sunnyside
- 🎥 ‘Nosferatu’ in 35mm | 9:45 p.m. (various times through Jan. 6) | $14 | Hollywood Theatre
Thursday, Dec. 26
- ⛸️ Lloyd Center Ice Rink | 10 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. (ongoing) | $20+ | Lloyd Center mall
- 🍵 ‘Winter Wonderland Holiday Tea’ (Doja Tea Lounge pop-up) | 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. (through Sunday) | $70 | Opal 28 (Kerns neighborhood)
- ⛸️ OMSI on Ice | Timed Entry | $9 | OMSI
- 📽️ ‘A Complete Unknown’ (various times through Jan. 2) | 12:40, 3:50, & 7 p.m. | $10.25+ | Cinema 21
Friday, Dec. 27
- 🍔 Last Friday Butcher’s Burger at Proletariat Butchery | 4 - 8 p.m. | Various Costs | Creston - Kenilworth neighborhood
- 💡🎄 Winter Gleam Light Experience | 5 - 10 p.m. (timed entry through Sunday) | $19.83 | Oaks Amusement Park
- 🚂 The Holiday Express 2024 | 7 p.m. & 8:30 p.m. | $36.04 | Oregon Rail Heritage Center (Hosford-Abernethy neighborhood)
- 🕺 New Wave & ’80s Pop Dance Party with Decadent ’80s | $21.98 | 8 p.m. | Crystal Ballroom (Downtown)
Saturday, Dec. 28
- 📚 Children’s Storytime | 10 a.m. | Free | Bold Coffee & Books (Goose Hollow neighborhood)
- 🎁 Portland Saturday Market | 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. | Free admission | Old Town
- 🕎 Portland’s Public Menorah | 4 - 5:30 p.m. for lighting (every day through Jan. 2) | Free | Pioneer Courthouse Square
- 🎵 Karl Denson’s Kosmic Konvergence | 8 p.m. | $43.76 | Revolution Hall
- 🎵 Bridge City Sinners | 8 p.m. | $41.77 | Crystal Ballroom (Downtown)
Sunday, Dec. 29
- 🎭 Improv Class Open House | 11 a.m. | $15 | Raleigh Hills neighborhood
- 🎭 ZooZoo | 1:30 & 5 p.m. (various times through Jan. 1) | $40.70 | Imago Theatre (Buckman neighborhood)
- 🕎 Portland’s Public Menorah | 4 - 5:30 p.m. for lighting (every day through Jan. 2) | Free | Pioneer Courthouse Square
- 🖌️ Paint Fight PDX: Rumble In The Jungle | 6:30 - 10 p.m. | $12.51 | Woodlawn neighborhood
- 🩰 We Call it Ballet: ‘Sleeping Beauty’ in a Dazzling Light Show | 9 p.m. | $39+ | Alberta Rose Theater
Monday, Dec. 30
- 🎉 New Year's Party (for ages 5-12) | 9 a.m. - Noon | $35 for members ($40 for non-members) | Junebug Play & Learning Space (Ridgefield, Wash.)
- 🕎 Portland’s Public Menorah | 4 - 5:30 p.m. for lighting (every day through Jan. 2) | Free | Pioneer Courthouse Square
- 🎻 Oregon Symphony: New Year’s Concert in Portland (Beethoven’s Ninth) | 7:30 p.m. | $35+ | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
- 🎵 Leftover Salmon New Year’s Eve 2024/2025 | 8 p.m. (also tomorrow but at 9 p.m.) | $43.76+ | Revolution Hall
- 🧑🎄 Santa Clones (scavenger hunt) | Anytime (through Jan. 1) | Free | Clues to find location
Tuesday, Dec. 31
- 🪩 Kids’ New Year’s Eve | 11 a.m. | $15+ | The Reser (Beaverton)
- 🕎 Portland’s Public Menorah | 4 - 5:30 p.m. for lighting (every day through Jan. 2) | Free | Pioneer Courthouse Square
- 🥁 NARA New Year’s Eve Sobriety Powwow | 6 p.m. | Free | Oregon Convention Center
- 🍒 Bing in the New Year (family-friendly) | 6 - 9 p.m. | Free admission | Downtown Milwaukie
- 🍾 Crawl 'Til The Ball Falls: Portland NYE Bar Crawl 2025 | 6 - 11 p.m. (registration time) | $24.55 | Hallway PDX (Old Town)
- 🍾 Champagne Ball | 7 p.m. | $133.84+ | Hyatt Regency (Downtown)
- 🎵 New Year’s Eve with The Polish Ambassador | 8 p.m. | $53.36+ | Crystal Ballroom
- 🕺Downtown Portland New Year’s Eve Celebration (drones, dancing, Video Dance Attack) | 8 p.m. | Free | Pioneer Courthouse Square
- 🎵 New Year’s Eve with Trumans Water, Collate, Heirloom Monsters, Mattress | 8 p.m. | $15 | Turn! Turn! Turn! (Humboldt neighborhood)
- 🎵 The Coffin Club NYE Ball | 8:30 p.m. | $27.56+ | The Coffin Club (Buckman neighborhood)
- 🎵 Jenny Don’t and the Spurs: New Year's Eve Cowboy Prom | 9 p.m. | $38.11 | Mississippi Studios
- 🎵 Nonbinary Girlfriend New Year's Eve | 9 p.m. | $26.05 | Show Bar (Buckman neighborhood)
I’ll be back in your inbox with a short newsletter on Thursday. I hope you have a merry Christmas and a happy Chanukah!
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