Who says lights are just for Christmas time? Head to the annual Portland Winter Light Festival for some February family fun!
The Portland Winter Light Festival is an annual event put on by the Willamette Light Brigade. This non-profit has been putting lights on Portland bridges since 1986! This Portland Winter Light Festival is free and hopes to build community by bringing art and technology to audiences during the Portland winter.
This is the fifth year of the festival, and it will take place on February 6-8. Last year the festival showcased over 114 lit up art installations, hosted 60 performances and live events, had educational programs, sculptures, and 150,000 attendees. The festival is unique in that it takes place at locations across the entire city of Portland and is centered along the banks of the Willamette River. The event does take place outside, so it is a good idea to bundle up.
The Portland Winter Light Festival has food and beverages from local food carts, is kid-friendly, and the majority of the festival is outside which means it is dog-friendly as well, though they do recommend putting some type of light on your dog for safety since it gets crowded.
The festival has multiple exhibits throughout the east and west side of Portland. Throughout the three days do not miss out on some of the live performances like Thunder Drumming, LED Hula Hoop Troupe, a fire performance by Flamebuoyant Productions, live ice carving, and so much more! The World Trade Center auditorium will host educational programming including a seminar from Dr. Brandon Lujan of OHSU Casey Eye Institute.
Try to hit all of the beautiful displays throughout the weekend, or just a couple, but no matter what you choose, this festival is sure to be a fun experience for the entire family. The sculptures and illuminated pieces are unmatched and something you can only see in Portland once a year so now is your chance.
For more information and a map of where everything is, visit: www.pdxwlf.com