Portland, OR: Powell’s Books & Saturday Market

My husband F., our daughter K., and I took a weekend road trip to Portland, OR, where K. and I attended a blogging conference while F. got to explore and take lots of photos.

We arrived early enough on Friday afternoon to visit Powell’s Books. Our hotel was within walking distance of Powell’s flagship store:

1005 W. Burnside St.
Portland, OR 9729
503–228–4651

I don’t remember when I first heard of Powell’s Books, but it was long before the Pacific Northwest was on our personal radar. It’s well known among book lovers.

This place is HUGE: It occupies an entire city block and stocks more than one million new and used books displayed in nine color-coded rooms divided into 3,500 different sections. The store also features a gallery that hosts a new art exhibit every month as well as many author events. Authors who have appeared here in the past include Roddy Doyle, Joyce Carol Oates, Michael Chabon, and Annie Leibovitz. But wait, there’s more: The Rare Book Room offers autographed first editions and other collectible volumes. And, in order to offer used books, Powell’s purchases used books from the public.

I dare you to visit Powell’s without coming home with at least one of these:

Before leaving for home on Sunday, after the conference, we took a quick trip through the Portland Saturday Market , which now, luckily, is also open on Sundays.

The Portland Saturday Market (PSM) was founded in 1974 by two Portland-area artists as an open-air market selling handmade food and craft items. In 1976 the market moved from a parking lot to a location under the Burnside Bridge. In 1977 the market began opening on Sundays as well as Saturdays. Redevelopment of Portland’s historic Old Town district began in 2006, and the market moved to its current location in Waterfront Park in 2009.

Under Oregon law, PSM is “a mutual benefit corporation, a special class of institutions that do not make a profit, but exist for the economic benefit of their members, making PSM a non-profit organization that is not tax-exempt.” Today it has more than 350 members, generates about $8 million in gross sales annually, and is one of the largest tourist attractions in Portland. Seven full-time and 10 part-time staff members administer the market and its programs.

Everything at PSM is handcrafted by the vendor who is selling it. Vendors are small business owners from Oregon and Washington. The market is open every weekend from March through Christmas Eve, and is open the entire week before Christmas for last-minute shopping. Admission for shoppers is free.

My husband and I visited PSM about 15 years ago when we were in Portland to embark on a boat cruise of the Columbia River. We were amazed at how much bigger the market is now. There are so many great products to see: jewelry, clothing, pottery, art, photography, candles, leather goods. Because PSM is a juried market, all products are of high quality.

Even if you don’t buy anything, PSM is worth a visit for the street fair atmosphere, the original products, and the food. My daughter and I both exercised great restraint: We each came away with only one set of earrings and matching necklace.