The last full week of November near 1111 SW Coronado St is when the neighborhood quietly turns from autumn to the holidays: a final encore farmers market on the 21st, ZooLights glowing at the Oregon Zoo from the 20th, and Portland's two best-known tree lightings bracketing the day after Thanksgiving. Every date below is confirmed or clearly flagged, and all of it is an easy drive from SW Portland.
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ZooLights Opens at the Oregon Zoo
Nightly 4:30-10:30 PM | Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd
Portland's biggest holiday light tradition returns for its 2026 season on Friday, November 20, and runs through January 3, 2027, according to the Oregon Zoo's ZooLights page. Walk the glowing animal lantern displays, ride the classic carousel, and warm up with cocoa between light shows. It is about a 20-minute drive from SW Portland and ideal for an early-evening outing before the crowds of December.
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Lake Oswego Farmers' Market: Reunion Market
9 AM - 2 PM | Millennium Plaza Park, 200 1st St, Lake Oswego
After the regular season closes on October 31, the Lake Oswego Farmers' Market returns for one final Saturday, November 21, as the annual Reunion Market, per the city of Lake Oswego market page. Local farms and artisan vendors gather once more at Millennium Plaza Park for the growing season's sendoff, minutes from home and the last market date on the calendar until spring.
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42nd Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony at Pioneer Courthouse Square
5:30-6:45 PM | 701 SW 6th Ave, Portland
Portland's living room, Pioneer Courthouse Square, lights its 75-foot Douglas fir on the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 27, 2026, from 5:30 to 6:45 PM, per the Pioneer Courthouse Square event page. The tree arrives downtown on November 10, and the evening's ceremony is free and open to all. It is the classic downtown Portland kickoff to the season, about 20 minutes from SW Portland, and pairs well with a stop at the Saturday Market's holiday edition nearby.
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Lake Oswego Tree Lighting Festival (Expected)
Millennium Plaza Park, Lake Oswego
Lake Oswego's tree lighting festival has anchored the day after Thanksgiving for more than six decades; the 2025 edition ran Friday, November 28, from 3 to 7 PM at Millennium Plaza Park with the tree lighting at 5:30 PM, so the 62nd annual festival is expected on Friday, November 27, 2026. The city had not yet posted the official 2026 date at the time of writing, so check the Lake Oswego Parks & Recreation community events page to confirm. It is the closest holiday celebration to the property, just minutes from home.
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Small Business Saturday in Multnomah Village, Lake Oswego & Lake Grove
Saturday, November 28, 2026 | Neighborhood shopping districts
The Saturday after Thanksgiving is Small Business Saturday, and SW Portland's walkable shopping districts are made for it: Multnomah Village's independent shops, downtown Lake Oswego's storefronts, and Lake Grove's village merchants all open their doors for the annual shop-local tradition on November 28. It is a gentle, low-key way to finish the long weekend after the tree lightings, with holiday shopping kept conveniently close to home.
Looking Ahead to December
The month closes out as the holidays arrive in earnest: the Christmas Ships parade of lights begins December 3 and runs through December 20 on the Willamette and Columbia rivers, per Christmas Ships, and the Portland Winter Light Festival returns February 5-13, 2027 (pdxwlf.com). For the earlier weeks of the month, see our mid-November guide and the holiday season roundup.
The Best Seat for the Season
A home like this one makes the whole holiday calendar feel closer: nearly 3 acres of private forest steps from Tryon Creek, and minutes from Lake Oswego, downtown Portland, and the Oregon Zoo. Contact Danielle Bade to schedule a private showing, then plan the rest of your season around the neighborhood.
Danielle Bade
Principal Real Estate Broker, Bade Real Estate