Art

Among annual art events is Art in the Pearl and the Portland Winter Light Festival. Art galleries and museums include the Blue Sky Gallery, the Portland Art Museum, the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, and the Portland Museum of Modern Art. Immersive art experiences have included Dinolandia (2022), Time-Based Art Festival, Fathom, Hopscotch, Portland Aquarium, and Wonderwood.

Comics KATU has said comics are "part of the city’s identity". According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Portland is known as one of the biggest hubs for independent comics creators." In 2026, Corbin Smith of the Portland Mercury called the city "a global hotbed for the production of comic books". Hundreds of comics artists worked in Portland in 2026, including Kelly Sue DeConnick, Rupert Kinnard, and Sarah Mirk. Rose City Comic Con hosts thousands annually. The Northwest Museum of Cartoon Arts operated during 2025 and 2026.

Ethnic groups

Film

Annual film festival have included the Cascade Festival of African Films, GuignolFest, the Northwest Filmmakers' Festival, the Portland Documentary and Experimental Film Festival, the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology, the Portland Film Festival, and the Portland Latin American Film Festival.

Food and drink

Portland has one of the nation's "finest" dining scenes, according to The New York Times. In 2025, the newspaper's Brian Gallagher said Portland "is the best food city of its size" in the U.S. Food & Wine named Portland the nation's "best food truck city" in 2023. The city hosted approximately 1,000 food carts at the time. Annual food and drink events have included Bite of Oregon, Feast Portland, the Oregon Brewers Festival, Portland Fermentation Festival, Portland International Beerfest, the Portland Seafood and Wine Festival, and SheBrew.

Portland has been recognized as one of the nation's best cities for vegans.

Kann received the James Beard Foundation Award for Best New Restaurant in 2023.

Holidays Various holidays are celebrated in Portland. Holidays with religious, cultural, or otherwise historical significance include Christmas, Easter, Independence Day, Indigenous Peoples' Day, Juneteenth, and Lunar New Year. The city also sees celebrations and activities for Earth Day, Halloween, Mardi Gras, Memorial Day, New Year's Eve, St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving, and Valentine's Day, among other holidays.

Religious holidays

Christmas

There are many ways in which the Christian holiday of Christmas is celebrated in Portland. Annual traditions include the Christmas Ships Parade, Peacock Lane, the Pioneer Courthouse Square Christmas tree, and the art installation Santa Clones. The city hosts many other displays, concerts, and other performances related to the holiday.

Diwali The city has hosted various events and activities to commemorate the holiday Diwali; in 2023, Willamette Week said there were dozens of Diwali festivals planned in the Portland metropolitan area. The Portland Spirit has offered cruises on the Willamette River with Desi music. The Multnomah Athletic Club has also hosted festivities for the holiday.

In 2023, Dance United and DJ Prashant hosted a "multi-cultural celebration" for both Diwali and Día de los Muertos. The event at the T.E.A.M. Center featured a dance party, diyas, and ofrendas; food and drink options included tacos, chai, and Mexican hot chocolate. DJ Prashant also hosted "Desi Diwali Dance Party" at Lola's Room in the Crystal Ballroom. Northwest Children's Theater hosted Diwali celebrations featuring crafts and a diya dance tutorial. There was also intercommunity collaboration between the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland and a local affiliate of the Hindu volunteer organization Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh for Diwali. In 2024, Portland had a Diwali event with artist Renuluka Maharaj. A Diwali celebration was held at Pioneer Courthouse Square (PCS) in 2025.

In 2018, the Indian Student Association at Portland State University (PSU) hosted a Diwali celebration at Hoffman Hall; several members of the association performed Arti. The UP hosted Diwali celebrations in 2022 and 2023; the 2023 event was hosted by the South Asian Student Union in collaboration with Pilots After Dark at Pilot House. Approximately 200 people attended a Diwali celebration at Portland Community College's (PCC) Rock Creek Women's Resource Center in 2023. Students with the Indian Student Union have considered hosting festivities at Lincoln High School.

Sewa Diwali Oregon hosted a food drive in 2021. Local restaurants have offered Diwali specials, including East India Co. Grill and Bar in 2009. In 2023, Bhuna offered specials and displayed a small shrine to Hindu gods Ganesha and Lakshmi. Elsewhere in the metropolitan area, approximately 200 people from the city, Beaverton, Hillsboro, and Tigard celebrated Diwali at the Portland Balaji Temple in Hillsboro in 2014. The BAPS Temple in Tigard hosts one of the metropolitan area's largest and volunteer-organized Diwali events, attracting approximately 1,000 people annually. The event is usually attended by a group of students from Beaverton's Jesuit High School.

Easter Easter is celebrated annually. The Christian holy day is represented by religious and secular Easter traditions and activities in the city, including costumed bar crawls, brunches, Easter Bunny appearances, and community Easter egg hunts.

Hanukkah The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is celebrated annually. Among annual events is the lighting of the public menorah at PCS, which has taken place since 1984. Hundreds gathered in 2022 and approximately 900 people attended the lighting ceremony in 2023.2023: Approximately 500 people attended in 2025. The ceremony is hosted by the Chabad Center for Jewish Life. Public menorahs have also been displayed at Director Park and at Jamison Square in the Pearl District. Additionally, the annual ceremony for the lighting of PCS's Christmas tree has acknowledged Hanukkah; for example, the 2017 event included a rendition of "I Have a Little Dreidel".

In 2023, Congregation Neveh Shalom hosted the "Let It Glow Chanukah Festival", which featured cookie decorating, a dance party, games, handicraft, and other entertainment. There was also a "S'mores and Hanukkah Sing-a-long" at Leikam Brewing and a "Hanukkah Night Market" at Eastside Jewish Commons. On the last night of Hanukkah in 2023, Portland saw participation in a protest by shutting down the Burnside Bridge and lighting a 12-foot-tall menorah. The protest called for a ceasefire in Gaza. According to KPTV, the demonstration "was in coordination with Jewish Voice for Peace and other Jewish-led groups forming bridge blockades in several major cities across the United States".

In 2024, approximately 100 people from the local Jewish community celebrated the holiday by playing pickleball at People's Courts. In 2025, there was increased security for holiday events, following the Bondi Beach shooting.2025: KGW said the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) "reached out to the Jewish Federation of Greater Portland to collaborate on how to address concerns and ensure community safety. Police will increase patrols in and around Jewish places of worship, schools and community centers, as well as various events celebrating the beginning of Hanukkah." A "Hanukkah Rave" was held at the Barrel Room, a bar in Downtown Portland. Other Hanukkah events in Portland in 2025 included the "Llamakkah" menorah lighting at Lewis & Clark College featuring donuts, latkes, and therapy llamas, a menorah lighting ceremony at Multnomah Village, and another lighting ceremony before a Portland Trail Blazers game.

Multnomah Athletic Club has hosted Hanukkah celebrations. Some local restaurants and grocery stores have offered specials for the holiday. Kachka hosts an annual Latke Party. Elephants Delicatessen and Zupan's Markets have also offered special food options. The defunct Sweet Lorraine's offered latkes and sufganiyot for the holiday.

Holi

Holi is celebrated annually. In 2017, Red Baraat, DJ Anjali and the Incredible Kid, and Ganavya performed at a Holi Hai celebration at Star Theater. There was a Holi celebration at White Owl Social Club in 2019; local authorities investigated a sexual assault that was reported after the daytime dance party. DJ Prashant and Bollywood Dreams Entertainment hosted a Holi celebration at Opaline in the Northwest Portland part of the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood in 2022. The event was attended by approximately 100 people. Hundreds of attended Portland Holi Hai in 2023.

The city's first official Holi festival at PCS in 2025 was attended by approximately 6,000 people. Previously, celebrations were held in suburbs, including Hillsboro. According to KPTV, "The smaller celebrations were limited by space and funds, but this year, Kakad was the recipient of the 'Scale Up' grant from Travel Portland and Prosper Portland, which funds local events to attract visitors from outside the city... The funds allowed him to run a massive two-day event at Pioneer Courthouse Square, complete with food vendors, performers, and more than quadruple the number of attendees." The family-friendly event in 2025 had a dance party, a disc jockey, and other performances. The 16th annual Holi festival organized by DJ Prashant is slated to be held at PCS in April 2026.

The UP's Campus Program Board organized a Holi Hai Festival in 2016. PCC hosted a Holi celebration in 2023. Reed College's Holi celebration in 2023 was organized by the South Asian Student Union. According to the Wilsonville Alliance for Inclusive Community, there have also been Holi celebrations at PSU. PSU's Middle East, North Africa, South Asia Student Center celebrates the holiday.

DJ Anjali and the Incredible Kid performed at the Holi Spring Harvest Festival at Topaz Farm in 2022 and 2023.Holi Spring Harvest Festival, 2023: The fourth annual event in 2025 included Bhangra and Bollywood dancing and music, farm animals, performances by DJ Anjali and the Incredible Kid, and South Asian cuisine.

Purim The Jewish holiday of Purim has been celebrated in various ways. In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Congregation Neveh Shalom hosted a drive-through carnival, allowing children to celebrate the holiday by wearing costumes and receiving gifts. In 2023, approximately 300 people attended an event at the Pickle Factory in North Portland featuring drag kings and drag queens.

Ramadan

The city has seen various activities to observe the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Mayor Charlie Hales and his wife Nancy attended a Ramadan celebration in 2015. The Ramadan Tent Project was brought to the city for the first time in 2016.Ramadan Tent Project: In 2017, Oregon Public Broadcasting said Ramadan celebrations at the Muslim Education Center in Southwest Portland "took on new tones" after the Portland train attack, which occurred just before Ramadan and prompted the PPB to add patrols during the holiday.2017 Portland train attack: In 2020 and 2021, during the pandemic, the local community had to adapt to social distancing requirements.COVID-19 pandemic: The UP has provided resources to students during Ramadan.

The Islamic Center of Portland has an annual open house ahead of Ramadan. The Port of Portland has considered establishing a prayer room for Ramadan at Portland International Airport. The Oregonian and The New York Times have reported on how Portland Trail Blazers player Enes Kanter Freedom observes Ramadan.Enes Kanter Freedom: