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A PDXmas

Drew rocks around the Christmas tree.

In Portland Christmas is in the air… and on the ground, the trees, the billboards and just about everywhere you look!

November 25th marked the grand, annual lighting of the big Christmas tree downtown in Pioneer Square. Now the whole city seems drunk with the Christmas spirit. And there’s no shortage of events to facilitate the mood.

A favorite every year is the Winter Wunderland Celebration of Lights:

Nov 27-Jan 1
Portland International Raceway
Portland, OR
503-232-3000
URL: http://www.koin.com/c6k/holidays/stories/holidays-
20001116-144952.html

This event features a breathtaking array of Nativity scenes and light montages. People walk or drive through, basking in the Christmas ambiance.

An equally impressive display can be found at the Festival of Lights at The Grotto.

Nov 28-Dec 30
The Grotto, Portland
503-254-7371
URL: http://www.whatsonwhen.com/lo/viewevent.asp?id=39693

If you want your Christmas to be more like the first one (filled with donkeys and sheep) try the Zoolights Festival.

Dec 5-31
Metro Washington Park Zoo, Portland
503-226-1561
URL: http://christmaszoo.citysearch.com/

Probably the most visually stunning event is the Holiday Parade of Christmas Ships, on the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, Portland (phone 503-226-1561). There’s nothing quite like standing on the riverfront and watching these majestic, Christmas-clad ships wind down the river. The Christmas lights aboard dance on the water and create an atmosphere that is downright mystical.

If you want to get out of the cold, check out Portland’s ultimate Christmas house, or, to be technical, mansion:

Pittock Mansion, Portland
503-823-3624
URL: http://www.mediaforte.com/pittock/

Christmas lights on a downtown street.

The Pittock Mansion’s decorations are unequaled in town. Christmas time makes this already beautiful estate even more awe-inspiring.

Portland has a lot to offer during the holiday season. Being from Canada, I wasn’t sure if Christmas would feel the same without a foot of snow on the ground. But it does.

There’s a familiar chill in the air. Bell chimes echo through the streets. Trees are strewn with Christmas lights and decorations. People are smiling. And there’s that indefinable electricity in the air. Man, I feel like a kid again!

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