The Long Way
Multnomah County
People walking through an outdoor market with vendor stalls and colorful clothing displays.
Plate I. Vendor stalls, Portland Saturday Market. Photograph by Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A crowd of people browses an outdoor market beneath hanging metal and glass ornaments.
Plate II. Craft booth and shoppers, Portland Saturday Market. From portlandsaturdaymarket.com
An elevated, high-angle outdoor shot shows a large open-air market with many white tents and people walking underneath a modern canopy roof near a waterfront, with a Ferris wheel in the distance.
Plate III. Aerial view of Portland Saturday Market. From portlandsaturdaymarket.com
An elevated view of a bustling outdoor street fair with food booths and crowds.
Plate IV. Food stalls and crowds, Portland Saturday Market. From portlandsaturdaymarket.com
A vendor tends to a leather goods stall at an outdoor market.
Plate V. Vendor booth at Portland Saturday Market. From portlandsaturdaymarket.com
A man uses a wood burning tool at a wooden table.
Plate VI. Artisan at work, Portland Saturday Market. From portlandsaturdaymarket.com

Portland Saturday Market

Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon. Shopping District.

Details

Map. Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon. Larger map
Where
2 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97201. Directions
When
Festival of the Last Minute not happening this year; last day of operation Saturday, December 19th 2026.
Season
Every Saturday from March through Christmas Eve.
Fees
Free to attend.
Hours
OPEN EVERY SATURDAY FROM 10am-5pm.
Access
SmartPark garage parking validated with a $25 purchase from market vendors.
Phone
(503) 222-6072
Website
portlandsaturdaymarket.com
Established
1974.

The largest operating outdoor arts & crafts market in the country, operating since 1974.

Notable Events

  1. 1973Beginning in December 1973, Sheri Teasdale and Andrea Scharf visited everyone they could think of in the city to sell their idea of an open-air market of all handmade food and craft items. portlandsaturdaymarket.com
  2. 1975As vendors arrived ever earlier to claim favorite spots, the seven o'clock rule was set, barring anyone from putting up a booth or claiming a spot before 7:00 am. portlandsaturdaymarket.com
  3. 1976The market moved to the site under the Burnside Bridge in 1976 and was there for 34 years. portlandsaturdaymarket.com
  4. 1986In 1986 TriMet MAX tracks were installed through Old Town with a stop at the market; the tracks displaced part of the market around Ankeny Park, and the city installed Portland Saturday Market banners at the staircases on either side of the bridge. portlandtribune.com
  5. 2006After its first location in a parking lot and its 1976 move under the Burnside Bridge, the market in 2006 found its permanent home in Waterfront Park. apps.oregon.gov
  6. 2009After a permanent home was constructed in Waterfront Park, the market officially moved into its new site in May 2009. portlandsaturdaymarket.com
  7. 2024The 2024 season was dedicated to celebrating the market's 50th anniversary. portlandsaturdaymarket.com

People

  • Andrea Scharf, co-founder; artist who had sold at the Saturday Market in Eugene.
  • Bill Naito, offered the first location, next to his family business in the Butterfly parking lot.
  • Sheri Teasdale, co-founder; artist who had sold at the Saturday Market in Eugene.
  • Paul Verhoeven, Portland Saturday Market Director; led the market's part in the Old Town renewal that built its permanent waterfront home (2000s).

Sources

  1. portlandsaturdaymarket.com
  2. portlandsaturdaymarket.com/hours-and-directions
  3. portlandsaturdaymarket.com/faq
  4. facebook.com/PortlandSaturdayMarket
  5. instagram.com/portlandsaturdaymarket
  6. portlandsaturdaymarket.com/history
  7. apps.oregon.gov/oregon-newsroom/OR/OPRD/Posts/Post/Portland-Saturday-Market-designated-an-Oregon-Heritage-Tradition
  8. portlandtribune.com/2025/04/29/here-are-5-notable-moments-in-the-50-years-of-the-portland-saturday-market