⛷️ Why go?

• As far as themed winter destinations go, Leavenworth wears the ice crown. It offers fun activities for every age, like Nordic and downhill skiing, unique holiday shopping, German dining, sleigh rides, and spa time.
• Did we mention the incredible natural landscape? Towering mountain peaks surround the town, lending the feeling of being inside a snow globe. One could spend days just learning the history of the surrounding land, which was prized by Indigenous populations and, later, white settlers.
• Leavenworth shines bright every holiday season, turning into the Village of Lights: Christmastown and showing off with hundreds of thousands of festive lights, meandering carolers, live entertainment, and more. In January, the town kicks off the new year with a month of Winter Karneval events (think: fire dancers, ice carving, and fireworks).

Photo by @cambrieee_

🦌 Act like a local

• Food: Treat yourself to a special, truly unique, multi-course meal showcasing organic, local, and wild-foraged ingredients at Mana Restaurant at the corner of Commercial and Division streets, near the river. Don’t forget to make a reservation.
• Drink: If you like beer, you’ve come to the right town. Warm up at Bushel & Bee Taproom, where you can choose from two dozen beers and ciders on tap. Dogs are welcome, too.
• Outdoors: See if reindeer really know how to fly (and also pet and feed them) at Leavenworth Reindeer Farm, located a mere mile outside of town.

Photo by @jaedawebster

🌲 Where to stay

• Vrbo: Alpine View Haus on Main, a Bavarian-themed condo for up to four people (~$240/night)*
• Airbnb: Dawn Cabin, a modern A-frame cabin with an open-air stargazing loft (~$397/night)
• Splurge hotel: Abendblume, a romantic Bavarian-style bed and breakfast (~$300/night)

• Milo McIver State Park Trail Party | Tuesday, Dec. 20 | 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. | Milo McIver State Park, South Springwater Road, Estacada | Free | Assist experienced leaders with clearing debris and repairing damaged parts of the Maple Ridge and Riverbend trails (bonus: log up to a few miles of hiking distance along the way).
• Peacock Lane | Tuesday, Dec. 20-Saturday, Dec. 31 | 6-11 p.m. | Southeast Peacock Lane, Portland | Free | This beloved neighborhood tradition began in 1932 and returns brighter than ever with a free cocoa booth and pedestrian-only dates.

• Sip & Paint - Wooden Farm Box + Lemon Cypress Tree | Wednesday, Dec. 21 | 6-8 p.m. | Gather Arts Studio Shop, 16523 NE 170th Ave., Brush Prairie | $65 | Turn a wooden box into a painted holiday-themed planter, complete with a living lemon cypress tree, while enjoying beverages and charcuterie snacks.
• Holiday Brass | Wednesday, Dec. 21 | 7:30 p.m. | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, Portland | $20-$49 | Feel the power, precision, and prowess of the Oregon Symphony brass section as they perform a festive mix of classical and popular holiday favorites.

• Portland Spirit Cinnamon Bear Breakfast | Thursday, Dec. 22-Tuesday, Dec. 27 | 9:30-11:30 a.m. | Portland Spirit Salmon Springs Dock, 1010 SW Naito Pkwy., Portland | $54-$70 | After a three-year hiatus, Cinnamon Bear and his friends from Maybeland are back for a brand new cruise of storytelling, music, magic, and breakfast.
• Pittock Mansion Christmas | Thursday, Dec. 22-Wednesday, Jan. 4 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Pittock Mansion, 3229 NW Pittock Dr., Portland | $0-$15.50 | Ring in the holidays with this year’s “Music Makes the Season” exhibit, complete with festive, music-themed displays created by volunteer decorators.

• Michael Allen Harrison’s Christmas at The Old Church | Friday, Dec. 23-Saturday, Dec. 24 | Times vary | The Old Church Concert Hall, 1422 SW 11th Ave., Portland | $32.50-$62.50 | Enjoy this local holiday tradition featuring inspirational and innovative Christmas arrangements, gospel vocals, blues and jazz solos, and community youth.

• 48º | Morning showers, then steady rain | 86% chance of rain

• Rise: 7:47 a.m.
• Set: 4:29 p.m.

• 18,041 points… and counting. During last night’s defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Damian Lillard passed Clyde Drexler to become the Portland Trail Blazers’ all-time leading scorer, a feat that’s taken him 730 games. While this free throw might not be his most exciting bucket, it’s forever etched in Rip City history.

• Drivers may notice roadways between Clackamas and Troutdale look a bit more colorful this week. Liquid dye used to tint mulch leaked from the back of a semi-truck, splattering the ground and possibly other vehicles. The dye is water soluble — so it should wash away in the rain. 🚗 (KGW)

• Joe Brown’s Carmel Corn — one of the original Lloyd Center tenants — is opening a second location. The company will expand to the former home of Geneva’s Shear Perfection Barber & Beauty Salon on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, with an expected opening date of Sunday, Jan. 1. (KGW)

• Southwest Portland now has another alternative mode of transportation: a three-wheeled, electric pedicab shuttle. The Go By Bike service transports people to and from South Waterfront facilities and the bottom of the OHSU aerial tram route. OHSU personnel and patients ride for free. ⚡

• Community members interested in supporting Northwest Children’s Theater’s move to Southwest Broadway will have their donations matched, dollar for dollar, through the end of the month. The $6.3 million project to create a multi-venue arts center for youth has so far raised $5.2 million. 💸

• Will ilani have a big New Year’s Eve party this year? You bet. Ring in 2023 at the Ridgefield casino’s Endless Midnight celebration, featuring giveaways, live music, dancing, food specials, and more. 🍾

• $69,230. That’s what the top angler netted in the 2022 Northern Pikeminnow Sport Reward Program. The program, funded by the Bonneville Power Administration, aims to reduce the number of salmon-eating pikeminnow by paying anglers to catch them in the Columbia and Snake rivers. This year’s winner caught nearly 7,000. 🎣 (KATU)

• The night sky is sending 2022 off with an all-star lineup. Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars will align for a “planet parade” starting this Friday, Dec. 23. OMSI’s Jim Todd recommends looking up about 30 minutes after sunset. You may be able to see all eight planets with a telescope. 🔭 (KOIN)

• Homebound, older adults need our support during the holiday season more than ever. Not sure how to help? Donate to Meals on Wheels People, and you’ll deliver more than just a meal to those in need. 🎁 *

• You know how to order coffee at Albina Press. But can you order coffee in Italian? Babbel can help PDXtoday readers learn how to order coffee (and other beverages) in Italian, so they’ll be ready for their next trip to Italy. Want to try it out? For a limited time, snag 55% off your subscription. ☕ *

• Craving a trip? How about famously foggy mornings, boutique shopping, and Michelin-starred restaurants in San Francisco? We love this Presidio Heights two room + bath suite for its central location, cleanliness, and bay window breakfast nook. 🌉*

• Yule (Dec. 21), an ancient Germanic solstice festival. Celebrants mark the shortest day of the year and balance between light and dark.
• Hanukkah (ongoing), the Jewish Festival of Lights which began the evening of Sunday, Dec. 18 and ends on Monday, Dec. 26.
• Christmas (Dec. 25), a cultural and religious festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ – which, if you’ve put off gift shopping until now, there’s still time.
• Kwanzaa (Dec. 26), a week of African American and pan-African celebration culminating in Karamu on Saturday, Dec. 31.
• Lunar Bodhi Day (Dec. 30), celebrating the Buddha’s enlightenment through acts of kindness. “Secular” Bodhi Day was celebrated on Dec. 8.