This category used to feature a weekly events calendar, but that is no more. At this point it’s more about individual eventshappening in the Portland, OR area.
Got something going on? I’d still like to know about it. Submit an event, here.
Stumptown Fil is a beaver. Photo credit: Oregon Zoo.
ICYMI: Stumptown Fil said we’ll have six more weeks of winter. And that’s despite Feb 2 being the start of spring on the old calendar. Guess that means there’s more time to complete your Winter Soup Bingo card. Multiple locations
Sunrise in the Grant Park neighborhood. More light is coming.
Over the years here, I’ve highlighted food traditions connected to the date of February 2, which in the U.S. is know best as Groundhog Day. It’s also Candelmas, a Christian feast day, and Imbolc, a Celtic cross-quarter festival that starts the night before. This day is significant because it is the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. And it’s a day to eat pancakes, tamales, and sausages.
Below we’ll recap our roundups of where to find these foods to enjoy on February 2 as a way to welcome the increasing amount of light.
Tomorrow—Friday, January 30, 2026—is a National Shutdown day across the country, in response to the killings by ICE. The campaign’s subtitle is “No Work. No School. No Shopping. Stop Funding ICE.” It’s a kind of general strike.
However, in Portland there are a lot of small businesses that simply can’t shut down for the day, due to economic reasons. And while “no shopping” might mean “don’t spend your money anywhere,” it’s generally understood to mean that shopping at small, independent businesses is ok.
The Wild Bunch 2026 is a wine fair dedicated to making wine more accessible and welcoming—and in March it celebrates its fifth year of life. It was started by Dana Frank in 2020, and has become one of the most anticipated wine events of the year. It takes place in Northwest Portland and tickets are now available. Here’s what you can expect.
The end of Wilderton. Bummer news about this NA distiller in Hood River. They closed their tasting room in August 2025 and the distillery will close at the end of January. One of the founders, Brad Whiting, said this: “We endeavoured to find a new steward of the brand for the past several months, but alas none worked out so the brand/IP etc will be shelved in the hopes to be resurrected at some point in the future. The distillery and tasting room are now closed and decommissioned.” More details here.