🏙️ Sightseeing

🥘 Eat and drink

📚 Activities

• Omiyage Holiday Store | Thursday, Dec. 21-Saturday, Dec. 23 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Japanese American Museum of Oregon, 411 NW Flanders St., Ste. 100, Portland | Free | This holiday pop-up shop features unique Japanese-inspired gifts and crafts by local artists, designers, and authors.
• The North Pole at Eagle Crest | Thursday, Dec. 21-Friday, Dec. 22 | 5-9 p.m. | 31727 NE Wilsonville Rd., Newberg | Free | Visit the holiday display to see elves hard at work in their workshop, sip hot chocolate, and write a letter to Santa — donations benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
• “It’s a Wonderful Life” | Thursday, Dec. 21-Saturday, Dec. 23 | Times vary | Winningstad Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland | $35 | Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings in this classic Christmas story.
• Benson Hotel Annual Gingerbread Display | Thursday, Dec. 21-Saturday, Dec. 30 | Open 24 hours | The Benson Portland, Curio Collection by Hilton, 309 SW Broadway, Portland | Free | Take a look at this year’s masterpiece made with 150 pounds of gingerbread, heaps of marzipan and chocolate, and buckets of icing.
• “Orcas: Our Shared Future” | Thursday, Dec. 21-Sunday, Jan. 28 | Times vary | OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave., Portland | $0-$19 | Dive into the science and stories surrounding this apex marine predator, from the impacts of ecological activism and pop culture to each population’s unique physical and social traits.

• Portland’s Most Messed-Up Family Holiday Memory Star Search | Friday, Dec. 22 | 7 p.m. | McMenamins Al’s Den, 303 SW 12th Ave., Portland | $20 | Remember when Cousin Eddie crashed the party, the Christmas tree went up in flames, and Aunt Bethany’s cat used up all of its nine lives? Share your heinously hilarious stories for a chance at prizes.

• Christmas Festival of Lights | Saturday, Dec. 23-Saturday, Dec. 30 | 5-10 p.m. | The Grotto, 8840 NE Skidmore St., Portland | $0-$14 | The peaceful wooded sanctuary transforms into a glowing winter wonderland with lights, outdoor carolers, and dozens of chorale performances inside the Chapel of Mary with its cathedral-like acoustics.

• OES Information Evening | Thursday, Jan. 4 | 7 p.m. | Oregon Episcopal School, 6300 SW Nicol Rd., Portland | Free | Talk with OES parents, faculty, and leadership and hear directly from students about inquiry-based education and all the opportunities available at OES.*

• The winter solstice, aka the shortest day of the year, when the North Pole is tilted the furthest from the sun. Sunset may be at 4:29 p.m., but good news is on the horizon... literally. The days will start getting longer.

• Portland Art Museum has announced a lineup of new exhibitions showcasing a wide range of artistic expression in 2024. Dozens of futuristic sneaker designs will kick things off in March. In the summer, the Brooklyn Museum will loan nearly 60 works of art by French masters like Monet and Matisse.

• The Portland Jewish Film Festival returns Tuesday, Jan. 9 to Sunday, Jan. 14. Presented by the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, the festival at PSU’s Lincoln Hall will screen five new full-length films and two shorts exploring “the complexity, history, and joy of Jewish life.”

• The Portland Panto Players will continue sharing the British form of pantomime with the Rose City next month. Nine performances of “Sleeping Beauty” will be held at Lincoln High School’s new Cardinal Theater starting Saturday, Jan. 13. Expect singing, dancing, double-entendre humor, and audience interaction; all ages are welcome.

• After 30 years of business, Sunny Han’s Wok and Grill in downtown Gresham will close this Saturday. Sunny and Judy Han opened the business in 1993 and are now ready to retire. A new family is set to take over and serve Cantonese food in the coming year. (KGW)

• North Plains resident Jacquie Roar sang her heart out alongside Reba McEntire during the Season 24 finale of “The Voice” this week. After viewer votes were tallied, Roar finished fourth out of the five finalists, with McEntire singing her praises for giving it “110%.” (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

• A Portland suburb is the safest small town in Oregon, according to personal finance website Money Geek. Based on 2022 FBI crime data for towns with populations of 30,000-100,000 people, Lake Oswego’s “crime cost” per capita was $257. The average cost in small US cities was $1,155. (KOIN + Money Geek)

• Here in the City of Roses, we like things to be colorful — especially during the holidays. A study from Payless Power found Portlanders prefer multicolored Christmas lights over white lights, which is actually on par with the majority of the country. (Payless Power)

• A European drinks trade publication — The Drinks Business — has named Brooks Wine its 2023 Green Company of the Year. The Willamette Valley winery specializing in riesling was applauded for having “every eco-corner covered, from its hedge and tree planting projects to bottle light-weighting programmes and B-corp certified status.”

• Looking for a great last-minute present for anyone on your list who loves wine? You can gift them ownership in Willamette Valley Vineyards. Winery owners receive perks like a 25% discount on wine purchases, an annual wine credit, and more. Applications for ownership are being accepted now through Sunday, Dec. 31. Cheers.*

🏃 Dasher

☄️ Comet