Rosh Hashanah 2026—New Year 5787—in Portland

Rosh Hashanah 2026 - apples and honey.
Photo credit: Chic Bee via a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

Rosh Hashanah 2026 kind of snuck up on us this year, seemingly kind of early, starting the evening of Friday, September 11. This also means that Rosh Hashanah falls on the sabbath/shabbos, which for some Jewish communities can mean that the shofar will not be blown on that first night, and will be delayed to the following day of Rosh Hashanah (the holiday lasts until Sunday, September 13).

It’s the Jewish New Year, which means apples and honey, honey cake, and other things to mark the wishes for a sweet year to come. Here are some ways to enjoy a delicious Rosh Hashanah. We will update this as new things come online. Big thanks to Judith for adding her holiday knowledge to this roundup.

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Rotisserie Chickens: Another Stumptown Savings Taste Test in Portland

Pieces of rotisserie chicken for our taste test for Stumptown Savings.
All the chicken for our taste test.

I had the opportunity to participate in a taste test for rotisserie chickens, led by Bryan Vance of Stumptown Savings. I joined a handful of local food writers on Tuesday, November 18 to taste a total of nine chickens from eight stores. Bryan has published our results over on Stumptown Savings (subscription required to read—it’s free to subscribe), but I thought I’d share some additional thoughts on this very fun gathering.

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Christmas, Solstice, and More Light in Portland 2025

This year’s Christmas Tree downtown.

“Christmastime is here, happiness and cheer, fun for all that children call their favorite time of year,” so the song goes. This year we thought we’d do a roundup of things to do and eat around the time the light starts to return—the Winter Solstice, of course, but also Christmas, and Hanukkah (here is this year’s roundup specific to the Festival of Lights). Here’s our hodgepodge roundup for this time of year. 

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Hanukkah 2025 in Portland

Latkes, sour cream, and applesauce for Hanukkah 2025 in Portland.
Photo credit: Alan Weiner for Henry Higgins Boiled Bagels

It’s that time again: Hanukkah 2025, the Festival of Lights! Hanukkah celebrates the miracle that a small amount of oil was able to last for eight days. Fun fact: Hanukkah is not a biblical celebration. 

Here is where you can celebrate, eat festive foods, and enjoy this winter holiday focused on bringing light into the world.

Menorah Lightings | Places To Go | Places To Shop
Parties and Celebrations

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Thanksgiving 2025 in Portland

Happy Thanksgiving 2025 in Portland - with lady liberty in the background.

Thanksgiving 2025—it’ll be here before you know it (November 27). We hope this resource will be of help for those making their dinner and ingredient pre-orders, as well as for those trying to snag a reservation at one of our local restaurants. 

This roundup will be updated as new options and information becomes available. Happy Thanksgiving (to come)!

Poultry and Meat | Pies and Dessert
Meal Kits & Takeout | Restaurant Meals | Misc

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