Portland Winter Light Festival 2025

Visit Portland in winter when the darkest time of the year becomes bright and colorful!

Drawing inspiration from European festivities such as Lyon's Festival of Lights, the Portland Winter Light Festival merges creativity with diverse lighting techniques. The artworks incorporate elements like fire, tungsten, and LED lights. This creates a whimsical dance of reflections and shadows!

The Portland Winter Light Festival, powered by renewable energy, began in 2016 as a community-driven celebration of light, art, and technology. This annual event is an extension of the Willamette Light Brigade, a nonprofit organization that has illuminated Portland’s bridges since 1987.

A Light for Tomorrow: A Technicolor Future is this year's theme. This theme answers how exploring the light, creativity, and innovation shape the future.

Celebrate winter with all the community members from February 7 to 15!

What to Expect When Attending Portland Winter Light Festival 2025

The Portland Winter Light Festival brings art, technology, and inclusivity together, invigorating Portland in the winter.

The festival will illuminate the city with light-based art. Interactive art installations, performances, and pop-up pieces are placed in storefronts, windows, retail spaces, front yards, and public spaces throughout Portland.

This nonprofit event is free and welcoming for families and the public. Over nine days, all artwork in the pop-up locations will be illuminated continuously. The outdoor art displayed at the anchor sites downtown—World Trade Center, Pioneer Courthouse Square, and Electric Blocks—can be viewed exclusively on Fridays and Saturdays.

You and your loved ones will enjoy participatory events and activities, such as a silent disco, an illuminated nighttime bike ride and lantern parade, live ice carving, dance performances, and more.

Expect cool and rainy days, consistent with Portland’s winter weather. Daytime highs will likely be around 10 C (50 F), with nighttime lows dropping to 1 C (34 F). Rain is expected on approximately 15 days during the month, so waterproof clothing and sturdy footwear are advisable to explore the festival’s outdoor installations.

Security Protocols

Given the event's spread across multiple outdoor and indoor venues, on-site staff and volunteers will monitor crowds and assist as needed. To maintain safety, bag checks or restrictions will be in place at certain locations. Security personnel will patrol many festival areas to create a safe, family-friendly environment.

How to Get To or From the Event

Reaching the event is convenient due to its central locations throughout the city. You can use public transportation, bike, or car:

• Public transit (TriMet): Use the MAX Light Rail or buses to get to downtown Portland, where many installations are located. The MAX Blue, Red, and Green lines serve Pioneer Courthouse Square. You can check schedules on the TriMet website for up-to-date information.
• Bike: Portland is bike-friendly, with bike racks available near many venues.
• Car: If you plan to drive, parking downtown may be limited, so plan to use paid parking garages or lots near event sites. Some areas, like Pioneer Courthouse Square, have several nearby garages.

Portland Winter Light Festival 2025 Bag Policy

It's advisable to carry only essentials in smaller bags because of the scale of this event.

You don't have the option to store luggage on the event grounds, but you can do that with Bounce.

Bounce powers the world's largest storage network and helps people freely explore the world. We partner with local businesses in over 15,000 locations in more than 4,000 cities. Portland is one of them!

You can find us through our website or mobile app and easily store your belongings.

Portland Winter Light Festival 2025 Bag Storage

Store Your Luggage With Bounce and See How Portland Brings Light

Check out Portland and find an area suitable and convenient for you. After that, find us online or via mobile app and book some store in your chosen area.

The price for storing your bags in this city is only $4.60 per day. We won't charge you anything if you cancel. During your stay in Portland, our support team will be available 24/7.

How to Stow Your Bag at Portland Winter Light Festival 2025 With Bounce

• Find a desirable location, book a place, and pay online.
• Go to the chosen location with your confirmation and leave your luggage.
• Head to the event and enjoy!

How to Make the Most Out of Portland Winter Light Festival 2025

• Plan your visit: Visit the official Portland Winter Light Festival website for the schedule, map of installations, and event updates. Visit during peak lighting hours (6 PM—10 PM), when installations are most shiny!
• Refresh yourself: Look out for food carts and vendors near the installations. Portland’s culinary scene is a bonus to enjoy while exploring.
• Make memories: Use your camera or smartphone and take captivating photos that you can keep forever as a memory.

Portland will sparkle anew and captivate the entire community! Visit the city, drop off your luggage with Bounce, and join in on the festivities!