Weekend in Portland: Hanukkah, NOT-cracker and king tide
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
It's baaack! Yes, the weekend. So many options, whether you're in the holiday spirit or not.
🕎 The last night of Hanukkah is Thursday — all eight lights on Portland's public menorah will be lit at sunset. Downtown, Pioneer Courthouse Square. Free.
🕺 The traditional Nutcracker ballet continues through Dec. 24, but this weekend check out the NOT-Cracker by Portland contemporary dance group Open Space. A matinee and evening show on Saturday and a Sunday matinee. $12-$75 plus fees.
- Set in Portland, the story follows a down-and-out local who thinks he can't dance but gets help from a breakdancing toy soldier and baby penguins.
🌊 Catch the view of a king tide — dramatic and "exceptionally high" tides, per NOAA's National Ocean Service — from a variety of high spots along the coast. The last day of this cycle is Saturday.
😱 Halloween meets Christmas at A Christmas Horror Story — four haunted houses and photos with Krampus, balanced with twinkling lights and free hot cocoa. In Kelso, Washington, in the Three Rivers Mall. Friday and Saturday, 7-10pm. $30. Not recommended for children under 10.
⛸️ A temporary downtown ice-skating rink with a "woodsy winter village" opens Saturday in a big tent under the Morrison Bridge on-ramp. 10am - 10pm through Dec. 31, with a reduced schedule in January. Closed Dec. 25. $12 youth, $20 adults.
- Also downtown, seasonal pop-up shops this year include gourmet dog treats, a visit with a Black Santa Claus and of course, socks.
- A giant gingerbread village is on display at The Benson hotel. Free.
- Parking is free all weekend in both SmartPark garages on Yamhill, at 10th and at 4th avenues.
📽️ The Future of Film is Female founder Caryn Coleman is in Portland for the opening weekend of Tomorrow Theater's series on gender parity in media. Different films run Friday and Saturday. Doors open 5pm, show at 6pm. $15
📸 Get a free photo of Santa with you — and your friends, your kids, and your pet — at Cabela's outdoor store in Tualatin. Daily. Reservations required.
🖼️ Two interesting art exhibitions offer a chance to stroll indoors and see the world through others' eyes.
- The woodcuts of 20th century abstract impressionist painter Helen Frankenthaler, at the Oregon Jewish Museum. Wednesday to Sunday, 11am-4pm, through March. $5-$12, kids under 12 are free and the museum is free on Sundays.
- Paper cutouts and paintings by Portland contemporary artists Nathan McKee and Ryan Bubnis at Chefas Projects, 134 SE Taylor. Fridays and Saturdays, through Dec. 30. 12pm-6pm, free.