“What do I HAVE to do when I’m in Portland?” we are asked almost every day. If the “when” includes a Saturday between March and December 24, our list of musts will include the longest continuously running open air craft market in the country: the Portland Saturday Market.
Since 1974, vendors with very strict requirements — they must create what they sell — have been making and offering everything from jewelry made from old skateboards or guitar strings to handblown glass, hand forged swords, and handmixed henna. Artist knit, collage, photograph, print, pour, weld, sew, paint and carve their beautiful offerings. Whether you need a t-shirt with a tie-dye llama or a felted frog worry toy, you can find it at Saturday Market.
One of our longtime favorite vendors makes floor cushions from reclaimed wool fabric and hemp. Another makes chainmail jewelry. Still another will only come when the weather is warm enough for her beautiful henna designs.
Open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Saturday except January and February, our recommendation is to get breakfast at the PSU Farmer’s Market or in the neighborhood where you are staying if it’s not in downtown. (J&M Cafe and Broder are a couple of our favorites for breakfast but check out our Holy Brunch article!) Come on down via foot, bike or light rail and get coffee or spicy chai from Bella Luna right by the MAX tracks. Then start your browsing.
Where to focus your dollars? It’s so hard to pick! Here is where we spent $50 the first Saturday in 2026:
A hand-size mug from Shane Reaney Studios in the dyed-egg-style Auroa glaze. It’s a great mug for carrying around in our bike pannier and pouring the coffee or tea from a thermos into.
A sticker that says “Transit Equity Now!” with a possum mama as its art from Seven Herons Studio.
A bar of magical “Green Fairy” soap from Last Night of Winter to go with the poured concrete soap dish we got at another market.
A pile of luffa scrubbies from Gourd Division while dreaming of the place to put a sunflower gourd birdhouse!
We almost bought a Lil Wee Froggie from Cozy Felt Land — but that’s for next time!