The fun begins when crowds come to watch the arrival of a 75-foot tree to the outdoor space, accompanied by Santa Claus and musicians. The massive tree, donated by Stimson Lumber Company, is hoisted up, ready to be strung with lights and decorated.
The day after Thanksgiving, the celebration officially starts with the lighting of the tree. More than 25,000 people, including local dignitaries, gather for the tree-lighting event, this year presented by SmartPark, Globe Lighting, KGW NewsChannel 8, and Radio KINK.FM. The Patrick Lamb Band and the Chosen Generation Gospel Choir perform, there's a crowd sing-along, and Santa again shows up to add to the merriment.
That's just the beginning.
Dickens Carolers, Marimba Band, and Ale Tastings on Pioneer Courthouse Square
Starting November 28, various school and community groups perform at midday during the week at Pioneer Courthouse Square. They include the Dickens Carolers, the Sellwood Marimba Band, jazz musicians, school bands, choirs, dancers, and drummers.
The NW Natural Gas Assistance Program (GAP), which helps provide heat to low-income customers, holds a "Warm Zone" on the sometimes-chilly Square. Here shoppers can take shelter from the weather by a warm fire and learn about the GAP program.
Early December brings the Holiday Ale Festival, with 40 winter ales offered for tasting in a big tent. The entry cost of $20 buys a souvenir mug and tickets for 10 samples of Belgians, barleywines, porters, stouts, and other beers. Designated drivers get free Crater Lake root beers.
In mid-December there are Hanukkah menorah lightings.
Tuba Christmas Concert and Portland Arts Bazaar Offer Festive Music and Shopping
The Tuba Christmas Concert is always a highlight of the festivities at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Music from some 200 tubas, sousaphones, baritone horns, and euphoniums resounds throughout the downtown area. The appreciative audience is encouraged to sing along with familiar tunes.
One of the most popular seasonal shows is the Portland Arts Bazaar. Stalls on the Square hold a wide array of artworks and crafts made by local artisans. It's a fine opportunity to buy unusual gifts in fashions, toys, jewelry, items for bath and body, and much more.
Downtown Square is a Landmark of Oregon Pioneer History
Elijah Hill would be amazed by the changes. He was the shoemaker who, in 1849, purchased the block the Square now occupies for $24 and a pair of high boots. Later the school board bought the property, and a school opened in 1858, a year before Oregon became a state. The federal courthouse, now called the Pioneer Courthouse, was built in 1875 and still stands across the street from today's Pioneer Courthouse Square. It's the oldest federal building in the Pacific Northwest and is a U.S. National Historic Landmark.
When the grand, 326-room Portland Hotel went up on the site of the Square, it became a city landmark, a place where high society met in deluxe surroundings. But in 1951 the old hotel was torn down and replaced with a parking structure.
A New Vision and Supporters Create A City Living Room
Visionaries went to work on a whole new plan for an open space where the community could gather and events be held. It took more than a decade, and lots of support, but in 1984 Pioneer Courthouse Square opened to great fanfare. Now more than 300 events a year take place here, including the big winter holiday celebration.
Many of the people who come to participate are walking on the bricks they bought during the fundraisers that helped create Pioneer Courthouse Square. There are 71,165 commemorative bricks, each inscribed with the name the buyer chose to be memorialized.
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Marilyn McFarlane - Marilyn McFarlane is long-time freelance writer and editor with a focus on travel. She wrote a newspaper column for 9 years and has ...
