Caption: For Oregon Wine Giving Season, Cória Estates is offering private vineyard tours with the purchase of 12 bottles. (Photo by Joey Hamilton Photography)
Are you ready to celebrate the holidays? There are hundreds of holiday events and activities taking place throughout the Pacific Northwest. Here are just a few of them:
Made in La Pine, Oregon
If you are searching for something uniquely handmade from Central Oregon, stop into the Made in La Pine store, located across the street from Grocery Outlet store off Hwy. 97. You’ll find everything from locally crafted leather belts to birdhouses and hats.
Christmas Valley Christmas Parade
The 2021 Christmas Valley Christmas Parade will start at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, December 11 in the town of Christmas Valley, just a short one hour drive from La Pine. While there, check out the surrounding Lake County bird life which can include Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, owls, hawks, Sandhill Cranes, gamebirds and waterfowl and migratory songbirds.
Give the Gift of Oregon
Oregon gifts for every interest – from tasty treats made with locally sourced ingredients to guided tour experiences through the state’s most scenic landscapes (and everything in between). While you may not be able to see all your loved ones this season, you can certainly show your love with a piece of Oregon.
For Those Who Like Sweets: Chocolate, Ice Cream, Fruit
Nothing says the holidays quite like a little sugar indulgence before the new year. Oregon’s craft chocolatiers deliver with seasonal specialties like Earl Grey truffles from Arrowhead in Joseph, peppermint bark by Eugene’s Euphoria, cherries jubilee dragée from Coastal Mist in Bandon, smokey blue cheese truffles from Lillie Belle Farms in Central Point, and the Argyle sparkling wine collection with Portland’s Moonstruck. Beyond the bar, choose from Ranger vanilla syrup, Treehouse drinking chocolate, Pitch Dark cacao bitters or Creo chocolate body butter. Despite what you might think, ice cream can be shipped via local wizards Ruby Jewel and Salt & Straw, plus the latter sells its cookbook and waffle-cone-scented candles online. Fresh, flaky pastries are an order away at one of Oregon’s top bakeries near you. For fruit lovers on your list, send the sweet fruit of Oregon with gifts baskets from The Fruit Company and Harry and David.
For Those Who Love Happy Hour: Beer, Cider, Wine, Spirits
Oregon’s many wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries give reason for cheers. Through December 31, Oregon Wine’s The Giving Season offers big discounts and charitable donations on sales of their top-selling bottles, from Cerulean Wines in the Columbia River Gorge and Boedecker Cellars in the Portland Region to Silvan Ridge in the Willamette Valley and Kriselle Cellars in Southern Oregon. In the spirit of the holidays, the South Willamette Valley Food Trail is selling two special wine boxes, each featuring six bottles that express the region’s unique terroir. The state’s craft-beer scene is lauded for quality and innovation, such as wild-yeast beers by Crux Fermentation Project and de Garde Brewing, sustainability-focused Worthy Brewing and Standing Stone, fruit-forward ales from Little Beast, and even beer made with beard yeast by Rogue Ales. Ciders worthy of stuffing stockings include Hiyu Wine Farm’s new Floréal Cider, a collaboration with a biodynamic orchard, or a membership to NW Cider that features four shipments a year of expertly curated local ciders. Find botanical gins by Stillweather Spirits and Freeland Spirits, whiskeys made in casks by Ewing Young Distillery and with locally grown corn by Oregon Grain Growers, vodkas flavored with peppers by New Deal and with hazelnut espresso by Crater Lake Spirits, and elegant rice wines from SakéOne, America’s first craft saké brewery.
Oregon coast
Oregon coast visitors will find plenty of activities during the holidays. Here are a few:
Holiday Craft Faire
Sat, Dec 11, 10 AM – 4 PM
Pony Village Mall, 1611 Virginia Ave., North Bend
Explore some of the huge Christmas Markets in North Bend, Oregon to witness all the creativity and entertainment during the festive season.
Coaster Theatre Playhouse: A Christmas Carol
Sat, Dec 4, 7:30 PM
Coaster Theatre Playhouse, 108 Hemlock St., Cannon Beach
For the holiday season, the Coaster Theatre Playhouse in Cannon Beach presents the holiday classic, A Christmas Carol.
Charleston Crab Pot Christmas Tree
Charleston will once again be putting our crab pot Christmas tree up in front of Fisherman’s Grotto through New Year’s.
Explore Lincoln City’s Finders Keepers Glass Floats
Be on the lookout for the colorful twinkle of a hand-blown glass float when you’re exploring Lincoln City beaches. Discover random acts of findness in Lincoln City, with more than 3,000 glass treasures hidden along the town’s seven miles of sandy beach, made by local artisans. If you find a float, it’s all yours. Discover glass treasures every day of the year from Roads End on the north to Siletz Bay on the south. Once you find one, register it , so Lincoln City knows that it’s been found.
Yachats Arts Guild’s Online Holiday Boutique
Discover unique treasures by local artists at this online Holiday Boutique presented by Yachats Arts Guild (YAG). Access the store and start your holiday shopping at the Yachats Arts Guild online store. The online show runs through December 6. YAG first started in 2007 and still has some of the original artist members. They’ve grown now to 33 local artists and consist of painters in different mediums, stained glass, mixed media and jewelry. This virtual event is sponsored by Polly Plumb Productions.
San Juan Islands
Old-Fashioned Christmas Market
Dec. 10-11, Friday 10:00 am – 7:00 pm; Saturday 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. Admission: Free
Brickworks Event Center, 150 Nichols Street, Friday Harbor, 98250
The Old-Fashioned Christmas Market will light up historic Brickworks with a holiday crafts market, island food vendors, local farm products, live music, local libations and activities for kids and grownups alike. Artists will offer their handmade gifts and art. Carolers and musicians will play throughout the day, and Victorian Santa will rendezvous with market-goers.
Seattle
BenDeLaCreme
Neptune Theatre
1303 NE 45th St, Seattle, WA 98105
Dec. 26, 3:00 PM
Note: Proof of COVID vaccination required for entry. Patrons unable to be vaccinated can show proof of negative COVID test.
BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon are taking the stage once again in a post-apocalypse-mas extravaganza certain to make this yuletide gayer than ever. After a year of doom, gloom, and zoom, the Queens of Christmas have risen from the rubble to unearth your favorite holiday tradition. The wildly successful, internationally acclaimed Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show is back with its signature whip-smart comedy, brand new songs and a few perennial favorites.
Monroe, Washington
Artisan’s Holiday Fair
Sat, Dec 11
The Evergreen State Fairgronds, 14405 179th Ave. SE, Monroe, Wa.
See more than 100 local made and curated vendors from across the PNW, as well as food and hot drinks at the Artisan’s Holiday Fair.
Puyallup, Washington
Washington State Fair’s Holiday Magic
December 10 @ 5:00 pm – December 31 @ 10:00 pm
See the magical sights of breathtaking lights, interactive displays and festive food and drink. Activities will include ice skating, a spin on the merry-go-round, a ride on the Santa Express Train, drinks at The Yeti Bar and Fire Pit, shopping, food, drinks and displays. Dates: December 10-12, 17-23, and 26-31
