Oregon Winter Events

ZooLights
November 25 - January 1
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.

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

INFORMATION:
503-226-1561

Holiday Ale Festival
Wednesday, November 30th - Sunday, December 4th, 2011
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.

Festival highlights include on-site food; craft vendors; beer apparel and merchandise; a complimentary root beer garden for minors and designated drivers; mead tasting; and seasonal background music.

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

INFORMATION:
503-252-9899

Providence Festival of Trees
November 30 - December 4, 2011
Medford - Southern Oregon

Formal Dinner and Auction (Invitation Only), Festival Holiday Party Featuring Zion Train and public viewing days. The trees and accompanying items are sold at auction. Funds raised at this year's Festival of Trees will be applied to the physical expansion of Providence BirthPlace, including birthing rooms and surgery suites, as well as a remodel of the existing facility.

LOCATION:
Medford Armory
1701 S. Pacific Hwy
Medford

INFORMATION:
(541) 732-6768

Christmas Ship Parade
December 8 - 20, 2011
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.

LOCATION:
Willamette/Columbia River

George Balanchine's The Nutcracker
December 10-24, 2011
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. With technically challenging principal roles and parts for over 100 children, Mr. Balanchine’s Nutcracker is a rite of passage for dancers of all ages.

LOCATION:
Oregon Ballet Theatre
818 SE Sixth Avenue
Portland, OR

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

Annual Christmas Parlour Tour
December 11, 2011
Albany - Willamette Valley

Tour features homes which have been lovingly restored and beautifully decorated for the holidays. Along with the homes on tour, guests visit local historic places of interest. Hot drinks, entertainment, and trolley & haywagon rides included in the $10 ticket price.

LOCATION:
Two Rivers Market
Albany, Oregon

INFORMATION:
800-526-5526

Annual Winter Whale Watching Week
The Coast
Dec. 26, 2011-Jan. 1, 2012
Volunteers are ready to help
10 a.m.-1 p.m. each day

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.

First Annual Crab Crack
Event Date: Saturday, February 4, 2012 (Must Purchase Tickets by 1/25/12)
Florence - Oregon Coast

Come to Florence on Saturday, February 4 to enjoy fresh Oregon Coast crab with all the trimmings. Meal includes pasta, coleslaw, French bread, BJ's ice cream, sodas, 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
www.eventcenter.org

Seaside Art Walk
1st Saturday of the Month
January 7, 2012
5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Seaside - The Coast

New art showings by local and nationally recognized artists, plus music, food & drinks and much more!

LOCATION:
Participating downtown Seaside galleries and shops ... look for the "art walk stop" signs!

INFORMATION:
503-738-6391

Wallowa County Winterfest
January 14, 2012
Joseph - Eastern Oregon

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

A Winterfest Breakfast has been added to the 2012 schedule. Saturday the 14th 7-11 AM. Features pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuits, and gravy.

INFORMATION:
541-271-4471

Winter Folk Festival
January 14 & 15, 2012
Florence - Oregon Coast

Each year this two-day folk 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 a youth folk music competition, a pie baking contest, mule rides and much more.

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

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

Annual Barbershop Cabaret
January 20-21, 2012
Seaside - The Oregon Coast

“This Ain’t Your Grandpa’s Barbershop” It’s Rockin’, Rollin’, Snappin’, Tappin Entertainment from National & International Winners & The Best of the Pacific Northwest

LOCATION:
Seaside Civic & Convention Center

INFORMATION:
503-738-6391

Chocolate Fest
January 20 - 22, 2012
Portland

Sample, taste, savor, and delight in some of the finest chocolate from the Northwest and beyond. Enjoy chocolate and wine pairings and become a chocolate aficionado with presentations and demonstrations throughout the weekend.

LOCATION:
Oregon Convention Center
777 NE MLK, Jr. Blvd.
Portland

INFORMATION:
503-228-1367

Eagle Cap Sled Dog Race
January 25 -28, 2012
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

Portland Seafood & Wine Festival
February 3-4, 2012
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

New Shanghai Circus (Cirque du Chine)
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Florence - Oregon Coast

Astonishing athletes defy gravity and execute breathtaking feats as they stretch the limits of human ability in this spellbinding show. Fearless performers with boundless energy bring more than two thousand years of Chinese circus traditions to the stage. Matinee and evening performances.

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

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

Willamette Jazz Festival
2012 info tba
Salem - Willamette Valley

For thirty years, the Willamette University Jazz Festival has brought the leading names in jazz to the Salem area for a weekend of world-class jazz performance and education. High school, middle school and college jazz ensembles from across the region converge on Willamette University for a weekend of first-rate jazz performance and education.

LOCATION:
Smith Auditorium and the Rogers Music Center
Willamette University
900 State Street
Salem, Oregon

INFORMATION:
503-370-6255

Portland International Film Festival
February 9-25, 2012
Portland

Drawing an audience of over 35,000, the Portland International Film Festival (PIFF) is the biggest film event in Oregon, premiering over 100 international shorts and feature films to Portland audiences each February. Audiences can experience a variety of parties, visiting artists, and plenty of festival adventure taking in this feast of cinematic fare.

LOCATION:
Portland

INFORMATION:
Order tickets online or call or call 503-221-1156

Bend Winterfest
February 16-19, 2012
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 U.S. Cellular snowboard and snowboard and ski jumping competitions. Admission to this years event is $8 at the gate.

LOCATION:
Old Mill District and Downtown Bend

INFORMATION:
541-323-0964

Confluence Wine, Beer, Seafood & Music Festival
February 17-18, 2012
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

Winter Fishtrap Gathering
2012 Dates TBA
Wallowa Lake - Eastern Oregon

Working environment to explore reading as well as writing, open mics and interaction with writers.

LOCATION:
Wallowa Lake Lodge
Wallowa Lake, Oregon

INFORMATION:
(541) 426-3623

Seafood & Wine Festival
February 23 - 26, 2012
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!

Unique Animal & Expo Fair
February 25 & 26, 2012
Hillsboro - Portland/Metro

The Oldest and Largest Combined Animal Expo in the Pacific Northwest. See and Buy Live Birds, Live Reptiles & Live Mammals.

LOCATION:
Washington County Fairgrounds
Hillsboro, Oregon

INFORMATION:
(503) 717-8484