The Milepost - November 2016 Facebook Twitter Instagram Flickr Pinterest Youtube
Upcoming Events
November 8, 2016 General Election Ballot Box 32nd Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony Presented by SmartPark

November 3-8

November 25

21st Annual Holiday Ale Fest Portland Saturday Market Presents Portland Artisan Festival at the Square

November 30-December 4

December 6-9

For more information on these events and to view the monthly calendar click here.

What's New?
Stimson Lumber Tree Arrival

Come downtown on November 10th at 12:00pm to welcome the arrival of Portland's 75ft tall Douglas-fir to Portland's Living Room! Festivities include a parade, performance by The Beat Goes On Marching Band, seasonal songs performed by The Dickens Carolers, and more! Stimson Lumber's Rodney Jacobs will present the tree to Pioneer Courthouse Square Board President Dan Lavey and officials from The City of Portland and Portland Parks and Recreation. Attendees can grab free hot chocolate from Unitus Community Credit Union and say hello to Santa. This is the 15th year Stimson Lumber has generously donated the city's tree!

In the coming weeks, the tree will be adorned with over 14,000 multi-colored LED lights, which use 91% less energy and last 50% longer than standard holiday tree lights. This preparation will get the tree ready for the Square's 32nd Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony Presented by SmartPark the day after Thanksgiving, November 25th!

Mondays on the Mall - Rainy Day Giveaway

To get ready for the rain, Portland Mall Management, Inc. is hosting a Rainy Day Giveaway! On Monday, November 14th, B-Line Sustainable Urban Delivery bikes will start at SW 5th and SW Yamhill and move along the transit mall handing out free PMMI branded umbrellas and raindrop-shaped sugar cookies, while supplies last! Attendees can also enter to win a $200 gift card to Camper in Pioneer Place to get some footwear for the rain!

Houseguest presents S.A.D. Park by Ralph Pugay and Ariana Jacob

In the heart of the notoriously grey and rainy Pacific Northwest, Ralph Pugay and Ariana Jacob will install S.A.D. Park, the world’s first park created for people with seasonal affective disorder.

S.A.D. Park features healing levels of bright lighting, botanical landscape design, architectural features, sound-scapes and aromatherapy to address and alleviate S.A.D. symptoms through multiple modalities simultaneously. The park will also offer group classes and personalized consultation to support people learning how to live with and overcome their mood disorders. S.A.D. Park will be open November 18 from 4:30pm-9:00pm, November 19 from 9:00am-9:00pm, and November 20 from 9:00am-5:00pm.

Houseguest is a new artist in residence program at the Square, made possible by support from The Oregon Community Foundation and The James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation.

Visit the IKEA Portland Toy Shop!

This holiday season, visit the IKEA Toy Shop at Pioneer Courthouse Square! December 6-18, explore a winter wonderland with a selection of wooden and soft toys for your gift shopping convenience. The toy shop accepts cards only.

Holiday Performance Opportunites at the Square!

In preparation for an eventful and festive holiday season, registrations are now open for the following performance opportunities at the Square!

Together, Pioneer Courthouse Square and Portland Mall Management, Inc. are hosting the 3rd Annual Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition that was originally held throughout Downtown in the early 90s. The Great Figgy Pudding Caroling Competition is a fun and festive event that will bring caroling groups of all ages to the heart of downtown. This FREE caroling competition will be held rain or shine on Friday, December 9th from 5:30pm – 7:30pm. Register now by clicking here!

The 26th Annual Tuba Christmas Presented by SmartPark is Saturday, December 10th at 1:30pm. Nearly 300 tubas will play at this concert in the heart of downtown. Registration and rehearsal information is available here.

In our continuing effort to expand seasonal community programming we are looking for school groups, musicians, or performers to participate in the 2016 Winter Atmospherics Program. Pioneer Courthouse Square, Inc. will provide a canopy for cover. You can view a summary of currently available performance dates here. If you are interested in participating, please indicate your preferred performance times and email them to brittany@thesquarepdx.org. Reservations for performance dates are available on a first come first serve basis.

Visitor Information

Travel Portland

Monday to Friday: 8:30am - 5:30pm
Saturday: 10:00am - 4:00pm
Sunday: 10:00am - 2:00pm

Big Red Arrow & Portland Walking Tours

Monday-Saturday: 8:30am-5:30pm
Sunday: 8:30am-4:00pm

TriMet

Monday to Friday: 8:30am - 5:30pm
Saturday & Sunday: CLOSED

Starbucks

Sunday to Thursday: 4:30am - 11:00pm
Friday to Saturday: 4:30am - 12:00am

Spellbound Flowers

Monday to Friday: 10:30am-6:30pm
Saturday: 12:00pm-8:00pm
Sunday: 12:00pm-6:00pm

Did You Know?
Parks Replacement Bond Renovations

In 2014, the Portland community voted to support the Parks Replacement Bond, a measure to issue up to $68 million in general obligation bonds. The money from the bond will pay for the capital costs of repairs and improvements to existing park facilities. Bond outreach identified strong community support for prioritizing restoration of Pioneer Courthouse Square, the much loved City’s “living room”. The 2014 Parks Replacement Bond includes a not-to-exceed allocation of $10 million for all phases and costs associated with the renovation project at the Square.

Information about the upcoming Parks Replacement Bond renovations, including project background, overview, and schedule, can be found here.

Pioneer Courthouse Square is property of the City of Portland under the jurisdiction of the Department of Parks & Recreation. It is managed in partnership by Pioneer Courthouse Square, Inc. a 501(c)(3) organization.
Pioneer Courthouse Square event and performance emails are intended to keep Friends of the Square informed about upcoming Square events and activities.
Contact webmaster@thesquarepdx.org with email address changes, subscriber additions, or any comments. Please also visit our website for additional information.