To Do: December 2018

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December 7 in Eastmoreland, Portland. Ring in the holiday season with a cherished Eastmoreland tradition that supports Duniway Elementary School. The tour offers a sneak peek into seven stunning neighborhood homes decked out for the holidays, along with neighborhood trolley rides and live music. Running in conjunction with the tour is the Holiday Boutique, featuring the wares of many local artists and merchants. Anyone can attend the boutique, held at Duniway Elementary the day of the tour, without purchasing a Home Tour ticket!

Gingerbread Jamboree

December 8 at the Nines Hotel. The Annual Gingerbread Jamboree features gingerbread house decorating with a large candy buffet and lots of frosting – the best part is that the hotel will take care of the mess! This event is becoming an essential Northwest family tradition with over 200 attendees each year and growing. The Junior League of Portland also sponsors families in need to join the fun and create priceless memories for children who could use some holiday cheer.

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Holiday Art + Craft Market

December 8 at The Oregon Convention Center. This free event features over 250 vendors selling amazing hand made goods! There is also a DIY area with free crafts and demonstrations for all ages.

The Nutcracker Ballet

December 8-26 at the Keller Auditorium. Oregon Ballet Theatre’s annual performance of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker ® has brought joy to the holidays for 15 years. Join Marie and her charming Prince as they are swept away by dancing snowflakes, to a magical land of sweets ruled by the Sugarplum Fairy – all to Tchaikovsky’s brilliant score! Oregon Ballet Theatre’s Nutcracker features magnificent scenery and elaborate costumes. The company remains one of only a handful in the nation with rights to produce George Balanchine’s version of this holiday classic. OBT is pleased to announce the addition of two more shows this year featuring the OBT Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s magical score live.

Peacock Lane

December 15-31 on Peacock Lane in SE Portland. Each house in this quaint southeast neighborhood has been decorating for Christmas for decades. Mostly Tudors, the houses are adorned with not only beautiful sparkling lights, but also nativity scenes, rotating Christmas trees and stunningly life-like replicas of Santa and Frosty. This is a very popular Portland tradition and the crowds can get quite thick. It is wise to park several blocks away and walk, rather than drive through the area.