Saturday Market

Got art? Every weekend from Spring to December, Portland shoppers enjoy the open air market that is the Saturday Market. It’s a juried show of local arts and crafts – much of it “upcycled” from thrift store finds. Beeswax candles from local hives, shea butter soaps, hand-blown glass, stoneware pottery, turned wood, felted hats and much more – the rich and varied fruit of Pacific Northwest creativity is on display. While you are shopping, dine on world cuisine from a variety of mobile kitchens. Fine craft, interesting food, and people watching by the Willamette River, the Saturday Market is a favorite public gathering for locals and visitors alike.

Add a Comment

If you could take just one photo: Saturday Market

Grab a bike from a local shop, or bum one off your long lost cousin and get to the saturday market, located on 1st and W. Burnside.

Add a Comment

Portland is unique. In fact, that uniqueness has become a source of pride, reflected by the “Keep Portland Weird!” bumper stickers and billboards you see sprinkled around the city. If you want to see diversity, and even some weirdness, the place to go on a Saturday --- or Sunday, as it turns out, is the Saturday Market (a few years ago, they extended the days, but for some reason, the name still just includes Saturday). This open market has been going on since the 70s and features handmade creations from Oregon area residents. There are lots of fun surprises, like jewelry boxes made from burled wood, and flint and steel fire starters. There are great food stands that cover the world’s taste spectrum. As you stroll through the aisles, you might see musicians, street clowns, and other entertainers. Occasionally, there is a guy playing a cardboard guitar, calling himself Elvis, another who is a spitting image of Jimi Hendrix, and another covered in silver paint standing as still as a statue, often scaring little children when he springs to life for a moment. Get YOUR Weirdness on at the Portland Saturday Market (Saturday and Sunday from March to December 24th; 108 W. Burnside St.).

Add a Comment

A stew of rhythms and melodies propels your feet along the cobbled paths of Skidmore Fountain as every step reveals something new to gawk at. Turn a corner and find Elvis flourishing his glittering cape while he strums a cardboard guitar; up the road, Jimi Hendrix plays a last few licks before posing for a photograph with a fan. Try not to scream when the figure you mistook for a silver statue bursts to life. Meanwhile, the contrasting aromas of Thai cuisine, gyros, and sugar-coated elephant ears vie for your stomach’s attention. You never know what you’ll come up with at the cultural grab bag that is Portland’s Saturday Market, where shopping the colorful jumble of artistic wares is only part of the entertainment. This weekly bazaar has taken on such a life of its own, it’s spilled over from its official location on the waterfront to encompass the surrounding area. But don’t let the spectacle distract you from scrutinizing the artisan booths—you’ll thank yourself when you’re walking away with earrings made from flatware or a hanging lantern intricately carved from a tin can.

Add a Comment