The Grotto’s Christmas Festival of Lights 2024 in Portland

The Grotto Festival of Lights is a massive holiday display that features 150 indoor concerts, living history, and Biblical performances. Not to mention that during the holiday season the Grotto is decorated by over 500,000 bulbs, lit Christmas trees, and a life-sized nativity scene. Family entertainment and Christmas-themed puppet shows run each night continuously. The festival runs from Friday after Thanksgiving to December 30, from 5 pm to 10 pm.

The Grotto’s Christmas Festival of Lights is often called the biggest Christmas choral festival in the country. Oregon's best school, church, and civic choirs perform five scheduled concerts every night that takes place in a 500-seat chapel that boasts cathedral acoustics. Grotto provides a family-oriented traditional entertainment and brings the miracle of Christmas to thousands of families across the Pacific Northwest. After each concert, there is more fun at the Grotto’s plaza which includes outdoor Christmas caroling, puppet shows and a children's favorite - live petting zoo. Try delicious holiday foods and beverages and explore seasonal shopping in The Grotto Gift Shop.

The Grotto, also called the National Sanctuary of our Sorrowful Mother, is a Catholic outdoor shrine built in the Madison South district of Portland. It was constructed in 1924 by Friar Ambrose Mayer, who wanted to fulfill an oath he gave to God.

Admission tickets to the festival kick off at $12 for adults and $5 for children. Kids younger than two years can enter for free. There are also value night tickets, but prices vary depending on the date, so be sure to check the event's official website for more info. Please also keep in mind that there will be no cash sales at the gate, so you have to purchase your tickets in advance.