Shoppers can browse everything from Saks Fifth Avenue to local art galleries, and Pioneer Square features a constant stream of free public events such as the Jazz Concert Series, the Italian Festival and the Winter Ale Festival. Where downtown Portland meets the Willamette River, crowds stroll, bike and rollerblade the RiverPlace esplanade and shop the open-air Saturday Market. Lawn concerts feature music from Bach to blues, from spring to fall. Sports lovers will feel right at home at our new sports complex and convention center, the Rose Garden. The Rockies, our minor league baseball team, and the Winterhawks, our professional ice hockey team, also serve up year-round sports action.
Outdoor recreation is a vital part of Portland culture.
Every weekend, free hiking excursions are organized in the hills and forests surrounding the city. We're proud of our clean waters that wind their way 110 miles to the Pacific. As far as skiing is concerned, with world-class black diamond powder waiting nearby at Mt. Bachelor and Mt. Hood, you may notice that cars with ski racks almost outnumber those without in Portland. The arts are strongly supported in Portland. Portland is home to the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, the Northwest Film and Video Center, the Portland Opera and the Portland Center for the Performing Arts.