Portland - Art & Entertainment

Our apologies: your internet browser is not yet fully supported by Schmap online guides. Pages in this guide may display incorrectly.

Schmap.com supports the following browsers:

PC

MAC Portland Portland - Art & Entertainment Map
Download the Schmap Portland Guide
Portland Home
Schmap Portland guide and map


While strolling around downtown Portland can be entertaining in itself, there is a diverse offering for entertainment and culture. You will find a festival, event or performance every week of the year; a ballet theater that impressed New York critics; an NBA team; more than 70 galleries; a thriving local music scene and more. Finding entertainment in Portland is never a problem and with each choice you learn a little more about the city.

Festivals and Events

The mother of all Portland festivals, the Rose Festival is still going strong. The Grand Floral Parade is by far the most famous attraction, but children also love the Waterfront Village amusement park at Waterfront Park. During Fleet Week, you can tour a fleet of U.S. and Canadian Navy ships. Amid the hubbub, be sure to stop and smell the roses at the kaleidoscopic rose show.

No trip to Portland is complete without visiting Saturday Market. You are sure to find something to pique your interest with more than 300 booths of unique art, crafts and gadjets. For more than 20 years, this seasonal outdoor market has featured handmade items and tasty treats. The street performers and characters that assemble here provide the ultimate show, so grab some falafel, settle down by Skidmore Fountain and enjoy.

Three stages featuring the greatest names in jazz and more than 30 hours of music are offered at the Mt. Hood Festival of Jazz. This August tradition features names like Al Jarreau and Rosemary Clooney.

The Bite, Cinco de Mayo and July's Oregon Microbrewery Festival are held annually at Waterfront Park. Autumn's most popular Oktoberfest celebration takes place in the little Bavarian town of Mount Angel. Oregonians love to get into the holiday spirit and touring the Peacock Lane Christmas Lights will put anyone in a festive mood. Look in Friday's Arts & Entertainment (A&E) section of The Oregonian for the week's scheduled hoopla.

The Arts

Stand in the heart of downtown Portland and glance around you. Beautiful fountains form graceful arcs against some of the nation's best architecture. A street musician may serenade you as you step off MAX, holding tickets to a Broadway musical. Portland is an art haven and its nurturing environment has inspired countless creative minds.

To explore Portland's more inspired side, start with the Portland Art Museum (PAM). This museum has been a stop for much touring grandeur, and you can enjoy everything from Native American artifacts to modern art. Stay late on Wednesday and enjoy live music at the Museum After Hours.

Peek at PAM's wilder sister, the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA), in a newer building on Northwest 12th Avenue. PICA is the place for the very latest in art, music and theater, especially the avant-garde. To sample the hottest portions of Portland's visual arts scene, visit one of the many local galleries. Check into the First Thursday and Last Thursday gallery walks. If you like your art a little livelier, the Portland Center for the Performing Arts should be your next stop. This series of great venues includes the famous Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, or “The Schnitz,” as locals like to call it. This opulent, historic theater is home to the Oregon Symphony. The Civic Auditorium houses the Oregon Ballet Theater, the Portland Opera and touring Broadway plays.

More intimate theater experiences are available from Portland's own professional company, Portland Center Stage, as well as Stark Raving Theatre and others.

The music scene cooks in Rip City, and you must not overlook the newly restored Crystal Ballroom with its floating dance floor. For really big names, only the Rose Garden, home of the Portland Trailblazers, will do.

Attractions

Take a drive up to 100-year-old Washington Park and explore the famed International Rose Test Garden and Japanese Garden. The views of downtown and Mount Hood will leave you weak. The Oregon Zoo features outdoor concerts, a zoo railroad and hundreds of animals. With all of the area highlights, including the World Forestry Center and Hoyt Arboretum, you will have no trouble finding something to your liking here.

Another Portland attraction that turns locals into tourists is the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), across the river from Washington Park. OMSI features changing interactive science exhibits, Omnimax Theater laser and adventure shows and a submarine in the Willamette River.

Popular day trip attractions include touring the Mount Hood/Columbia Gorge Loop, where the beauty of the great Columbia River is matched by a series of waterfalls. You can check out Multnomah Falls, the Bonneville Dam and Timberline Lodge. Visit the beautiful coastline while you are here. Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach is particularly memorable, and you will see a part of Oregon that is often overlooked.

This barely scratches the surface of Portland's entertainment scene. Wine country is located just minutes southwest of town, local clubs with thousands of hopeful artists are ready to entertain you and limitless outdoor recreational opportunities are available. You will find many local cinemas as well, including the restored Hollywood Theatre and the wonderful Mission Theater and Pub. Comedy clubs like Harvey's provide outrageous entertainment.

Highbrow to storefront, street theater to mountaintop, Portland has it all.







Copyright 1999-2009 Wcities, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Wcities

Multnomah Falls National Park


Hike up double-tiered falls
 5000 Historic Columbia River Highway
(Columbia River Gorge)
Portland, OR 97010
+1 503 695 2376
http://trips.stateoforegon.com/multnomah_falls/
Multnomah Falls National Park
Portland Trail Blazers NBA Basketball


NBA stars of Portland
 One Center Court
Rose Quarter (Rose Garden Arena)
Portland, OR 97227
+1 503 797 9600
http://www.blazers.com
Portland Trail Blazers NBA Basketball
Portland Art Museum


Oldest in Pacific Northwest
 1219 Southwest Park Avenue
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 226 2811
http://www.pam.org
Portland Art Museum
Washington Park


Metro amusement
 Southwest Park Place
Portland, OR 97210
+1 503 823 2223
http://www.portlandparks.org/Parks/Washington.htm
Washington Park
Rose Garden Arena


Portland's prize
 One Center Court
(east end of Broadway Bridge)
Portland, OR 97227
+1 503 235 8771
http://www.rosequarter.com
Rose Garden Arena
Waterfront Park


City by the river
 Front Avenue
(Between Southwest Harrison and Northwest Glisan)
Portland, OR 97204
+1 503 823 2223
http://www.portlandparks.org/Parks/TomMcCallWaterfront.htm
Waterfront Park
Hoyt Arboretum


Beneath towering trees
 4000 Southwest Fairview Boulevard
Portland, OR 97201
+1 503 228 8733
http://www.hoytarboretum.org/
Hoyt Arboretum
MAX


Portland light rail
 Gresham to Hillsboro east-west through downtown
(numerous stops along the route)
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 238 7433
http://www.trimet.org/guide/usingmax.htm
MAX
World Forestry Center


Forest museum
 4033 Southwest Canyon Road
Portland, OR 97221
+1 503 228 1367
http://www.worldforestry.org/
World Forestry Center
Oregon Symphony


Superior orchestra
 923 Southwest Washington Street
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 228 4294 / +1 800 228 7343 (Box Office)
http://orsymphony.org/
Oregon Symphony
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall


Portland cultural treasure
 Southwest Broadway at Main Street
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 248 4335 (Portland Center for the Performing Arts)
http://www.pcpa.com/halls/asch.html
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Crystal Ballroom


Dance into the past
 1332 West Burnside Street
Portland, OR 97210
+1 503 778 5625
http://www.mcmenamins.com/Crystal/index.html
Crystal Ballroom
Rose Festival


The city's party
 5603 Southwest Hood Avenue
Portland, OR 97201
+1 503 227 2681
http://www.rosefestival.org
Rose Festival
Oregon Ballet Theater


Classical and contemporary dance
 1120 Southwest 10th Avenue
Portland, OR 97201
+1 503 222 5538
http://www.obt.org
Oregon Ballet Theater
Portland Center for the Performing Arts


Five-plus theaters
 1111 Southwest Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 248 4335
http://www.pcpa.com
Portland Center for the Performing Arts
Portland Opera


35 years
 1515 Southwest Morrison Street
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 241 1407
http://www.portlandopera.org
Portland Opera
Portland Center Stage


Six plays a season
 1111 Southwest Broadway
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 248 6309
http://www.pcs.org
Portland Center Stage
Bite of Oregon


Great Food for a Great Cause
 Naito Parkway
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Portland, OR 97201
+1 503 246 0600 +1 800 452 6079 (Toll Free)
http://www.biteoforegon.com/
Bite of Oregon
Mt. Hood Jazz Festival


Mountainside Music
 12 North East 2nd Street
P.O.Box 226
Portland, OR 97030
+1 503 491 5950
http://www.mthoodjazz.com/
Mt. Hood Jazz Festival
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art


Portland Institute for Contemporary Art
 224 NW 13th Avenue, #304
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 242 1419
http://www.pica.org
Portland Institute for Contemporary Art
Skidmore Fountain


French fountain
 Southwest First Avenue and Ankeny Street
Portland, OR 97205
+1 503 275 8355 (Portland Oregon Visitors Association)
Skidmore Fountain
Oregon Brewers Festival


Oregon Brewers Festival
 Tom McCall Waterfront Park
SW Naito Parkway between SW Washington and SW Ankeny Streets
Portland, OR
+1 503 778 5917
http://www.oregonbrewfest.com/
Oregon Brewers Festival
Cinco de Mayo


Guadalajara on the waterfront
 Various venues
Portland, OR
Cinco de Mayo
Cannon Beach


Wooded sea village
 Cannon Beach Loop
(Off Interstate Highway 101)
Portland, OR 97110
+1 503 436 2623
http://www.el.com/To/CannonBeach/
Cannon Beach
Downtown Portland/City Center


Park city
 Between Interstate Highway 5 and 405
Portland, OR 97204
http://www.downtownportland.org/
Downtown Portland/City Center
Keller Auditorium


Enjoy the arts
 222 Southwest Clay Street
At the corner of Clay and 3rd Avenue
Portland, OR 97201
+1 503 248 4335 / +1 503 248 4910
http://www.pcpa.com/events/keller.php
Keller Auditorium
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)


Submarine and stars
 1945 Southeast Water Ave
Portland, OR 97214
+1 503 797 4000
http://www.omsi.edu
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)
International Rose Test Garden


A floral delight
 400 Southwest Kingston Ave
(Washington Park)
Portland, OR 97201
+1 503 823 3636
http://www.wcities.com/outside.html?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.parks.ci.portland.or.us%2FParks%2FIntRoseTest
International Rose Test Garden
Saturday Market


Open-air craft fair
 108 West Burnside St
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 222 6072
http://www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com/
Saturday Market
Japanese Garden


Japanese Garden
 611 Southwest Kingston Ave
(Washington Park)
Portland, OR 97201
+1 503 223 1321
http://www.japanesegarden.com
Japanese Garden
Mission Theater & Pub


Movies and microbrews
 1624 Northwest Glisan St
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 223 4527
http://www.mcmenamins.com/Edge/thsched.html
Mission Theater & Pub
Oregon Zoo


For a wild time
 4001 Southwest Canyon Road
Portland, OR 97221
+1 503 226 1561
http://www.oregonzoo.org/
Oregon Zoo
Harvey's Comedy Club


Food and fun
 436 Northwest Sixth Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
+1 503 241 0338
http://www.harveyscomedyclub.com/
Harvey's Comedy Club
Hollywood Theatre


Second-Run Splendor
 4122 Northeast Sandy Boulevard
Portland, OR 97212
+1 503 281 4215 / +1 503 493 1128 (Office)
http://www.hollywoodtheatre.org
Hollywood Theatre
Portland
Portland - Historical Background
Portland - Where to Stay
Portland - Neighborhood Guide
Portland - Dining & Drinking
Schmap.com
About
News & Reviews
Travel Store
Privacy
Terms of Use
Contact Us
© 2008 Schmap, Inc. All rights reserved.