Sweater Weather

Downtown Portland takes ‘sweater weather’ to a new level this holiday season

When winter hits Portland, some things are inevitable. You will regret swearing off umbrellas. You will be forced to be a secret Santa. And, of course, you will be required, at some point, to wear an extremely ugly sweater that we will no longer refer to by the name of a certain hoagie-loving comedian.

Ugly sweaters are a staple of the holiday season, and this year, it's not just fugly sweater parties getting in on the action. Beginning Tuesday, November 10, some of downtown's most iconic sculptures will don their holiday finery for the season. In the Pioneer District on Southwest Yamhill and Morrison streets (between Fifth and Sixth Avenues), you'll see Animals in Pools, Allow Me (aka "Umbrella Man"), and Kvinneakt dressed up in festive sweaters.

Portland being the artisan wonderland that it is, those sweaters will be custom made by local fiber artists, who will be on site plying their (ugly) wares Thursdays through Christmas. You're invited to get in on the spirit by wearing your own ugly sweaters and taking pics with these yarn-bombed statues. Be sure to tag pictures with #uglysweaterpdx to get your moment in the fashion faux-pas spotlight.

Being the season of giving, it's not just the statues that will be getting new duds. The Transition Projects warm clothing drive welcomes donations of new or gently used warm winter clothing. You can drop off donations at the following locations from Tuesday, November 10 through Thursday, December 24 at the following locations (which, coincidentally, have much nicer wardrobe options):

Boys Fort 902 SW Morrison

Nordstrom701 SW Broadway

Pioneer PlaceCustomer Service Kiosk, lower level near Gap

PDX Pop Up Shops438 NW Broadway and 341 NW 5th Avenue

Travel Portland Visitor Information CenterPioneer Courthouse Square

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