This December:

Non-Holiday Events in Portland

We know, we know, the sheer amount of Christmas spirit alive and well in the Rose City can be daunting... As can the number of times you'll hear that one Mariah Carey single (yeah, you know the one) within the space of a month. So for all you folks out there without a penchant for going full Claus or busting out your hand-carved dreidels, we have found a few non-holiday events in Portland to make your December vibes feel just as tingly as that first cup on hot cocoa on a winter's day. Before you head out to not celebrate how truly awful red and green look together, make sure you...

GET YOUR ROOM

Portland Latin American Film Festival Presents: The Moneychanger (Así Habló el Cambista) | Dec 7, 7:30pm

Head over to Hollywood Theatre to catch Portland Latin American Film Festival's next flick. Want to know more? Here's the synopsis:

In the mid- ‘70s, the regional economy drew a lot of scoundrels to Uruguay. Its institutions were bankrupt, there was a military government, the subversives were behind bars, and, for certain sectors of Brazilia and Argentina with a low reputation, the Uruguayan financial market seemed like an ideal place to make money disappear. This is when Humberto Brause begins his meteoric rise in the buying and selling of foreign currency, sponsored by his own father-in-law, a veteran in the business of capital flight. But, blinded by his excessive ambition, Humberto tramples everything and everyone in his path until he’s gotten his hands on the family business and accepts a suspicious assignment: laundering the largest sum of money he has ever seen.

Get tickets at hollywoodtheatre.org

‍

Portland Audubon's Wild Arts Festival | Dec 10-11

The Wild Arts Festival is Pacific Northwest’s premier art show and book fair celebrating the natural world. Held by the Portland Audubon each year, the festival attracts nearly 5,000 visitors.

The Wild Arts Festival showcases more than 60 artists, including jewelry designers, painters, printmakers and sculptors, plus glass, wood, fiber art and ceramic artists. The beautifully diverse artistic media are aligned in their inspiration, drawing from:
• Nature or wildlife as a subject,
• Natural materials as a medium, or
• Art promoting environmental sustainability

‍

Plus, there's a silent auction as well as book signings, including local favorite Colin Meloy of the Decemberists, and his wife Carson Ellis as they share their newest books.

Get tickets at wildartsfestival.org

‍

ScanFair | Dec 10-11

ScanFair brings Scandinavia to Portland through traditional food and drink vendors; an entertainment program focused on cultural heritage; games, activities, and crafts; and welcoming local community organizations. This year’s offerings include more than 80 local vendors and organizations, a kids’ craft area, live entertainment, a Finnish Santa, a Viking ship, and Nordic food and drink, including aquavit and Swedish meatballs. All of these elements evoke the sights, sounds, tastes, and traditions of a Nordic market.

Find more info and buy your wristbands at NordicNorthwest.org
‍

‍

The Moth MainStage | Dec 13, 7:30pm

Literary Arts and The Moth are bringing a new lineup of storytellers to Portland. Each Moth Mainstage explores a central theme through true stories told by five storytellers who developed their stories with a Moth director. This year’s lineup will be announced soon. Purchase your tickets today and look forward to an evening of storytelling!

The Moth is a globally recognized nonprofit organization that builds bridges of empathy through the art and craft of true personal storytelling. By empowering an array of voices from around the world to share stories from their lives, The Moth honors the diversity and commonality of the human experience. A story told with an open heart and listened to with an open mind creates a connection like no other.

Get tickets at portland5.com

‍

New Year's Eve Sobriety Powwow | Dec 31

The Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest presents the Annual Sobriety Powwow.

The NARA New Years' Eve Sobriety Powwow is one of the country’s largest sobriety new year powwows. It is undoubtedly the largest sober New Year’s party in Portland, where thousands close out the year with drums, songs and dance (all alcohol-free).

Learn more about this free event at facebook.com/naranw

‍