Explore Washington Park

Cultural Talk: Hina Dolls by Tsuru Tuenge
2025-02-28 13:15 - 14:15 (America/Los_Angeles) | Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
Leading up to our Doll’s Day Festival on March 2, come hear Tsuru Tuenge talk about hina dolls and Hina Matsuri from 1:15-2:15pm in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center. This talk will take place near a traditional display of hina dolls, featuring a seven-tiered display representing the Emperor and Empress with members of the Imperial Court.

Cultural Demonstration: Bonsai
2025-02-26 13:15 - 14:15 | Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
Join us for a bonsai presentation by Andrew Robson at the Cathy Rudd Cultural Corner in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center from 1:15 – 2:15pm. Bonsai, literal translation tree-in-a-tray, is the art and science of miniature trees.

Tree Time! Preschool Walk
2025-02-24 10:00 - 11:15, 2025-02-22 10:00 - 11:15, 2025-02-17 10:00 - 11:15, 2025-02-15 10:00 - 11:15, 2025-02-10 10:00 - 11:15, 2025-02-08 10:00 - 11:15, 2025-02-03 10:00 - 11:15 | Hoyt Arboretum, 4000 SW Fairview Blvd, Portland, OR, 97221, United States
Tree Time! preschool walks are a safe and fun way to get outside with your little one. Come join us for a story and guided walk on the trails at Hoyt Arboretum. We will use all of our senses to explore the natural surroundings and maybe even get our hands dirty! Staff and trained Arboretum volunteers will introduce you and your family to the plants, trees, insects, mushrooms, and more found at Hoyt Arboretum.

Cultural Demonstration: Kimekomi Ningyo (Kimekomi Dolls)
2025-02-23 13:15 - 14:15 | Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
Kimekomi Ningyo (木目込人形) is a style of traditional Japanese doll made of wood dating back about 300 years. The artist making the doll tucks fabric into grooves on the wooden form to dress the doll. Come hear Gael Sapiro talk about the dolls and demonstrate on a work in progress from 1:15-2:15pm in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center.

Forest Crafts
2025-02-23 13:00 - 15:00 | Discovery Museum, 4033 SW Canyon Rd, Portland, OR, 97221, United States
Join us once a month and explore your creative nature here at World Forestry Center’s Discovery Museum with our friend at RAD Creative. From Forests in a Bottle to paper snails, seed shares, and fairy houses – tap into your creative side and make something memorable. This event is family-friendly and geared toward children aged 2 & up (though younger are allowed). Adult supervision at all times is required. Craft supplies, tools, and guidance are included with museum admission and do not require pre-registration.

Family Studio
2025-02-23 10:00 - 15:00, 2025-02-22 10:00 - 15:00, 2025-02-16 10:00 - 15:00, 2025-02-15 10:00 - 15:00, 2025-02-09 10:00 - 15:00, 2025-02-08 10:00 - 15:00 | Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
Perfect for visitors of all ages, this dedicated space invites families to sit down, pick an activity, and linger during their visit to the Garden. The Family Studio will be open every weekend, now through the end of February.

Mindfulness Tour
2025-02-23 09:00 - 10:00, 2025-02-09 09:00 - 10:00 | Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
This intimate tour focuses not on meditation, but instead on learning to bring mindful awareness to oneself, and the world around us, through intentional observation and connections. An experienced guide will provide a foundation for the art of contemplative exploration throughout various Garden spaces, and gently guide awareness away from the busyness of everyday life, back toward the connection to nature and experience of peace.

Cultural Demonstration: Ikebana
2025-02-21 13:15 - 14:15 | Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, has been translated as “living flowers” or “giving life to flowers.” Join us from 1:15-2:15pm for an ikebana presentation by Nana Bellerud from the Sogetsu School of Ikebana in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center.

Cultural Performance: Koto by Mitsuki Dazai
2025-02-16 13:15 - 14:15 | Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
Enjoy a free koto performance by Mitsuki Dazai at 1:15pm at the Cathy Rudd Cultural Corner in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center.

Portland Timbers Annual Log Blessing
2025-02-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Discovery Museum, 4033 SW Canyon Rd, Portland, OR, 97221, United States
Kick off the 15th MLS season and 50th club anniversary of the Portland Timbers with the annual Victory Log blessing ceremony taking place at the World Forestry Center on Sunday, February 16, at 12:00 PM. Join Timber Jim, Timber Joey, and members of the Timbers Army as they bless this season’s Victory Log, generously provided by Hampton Lumber. The Timbers Street Team will be on hand with giveaways and prizes. Plus, rumor has it that Timbers Head Coach Phil Neville will be there, too!

Cultural Demonstration: Tea Ceremony
2025-02-15 13:15 - 14:15 | Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
Portland Japanese Garden will offer free public demonstrations of Chadō, the Way of Tea, at the Cathy Rudd Cultural Corner in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center from 1:15 – 2:15pm. The Way of Tea is intrinsically linked to Japanese gardens and understanding the kokoro (heart) of Japanese gardening.

Cultural Performance: Flute & Piano Performance by Maido Mind
2025-02-14 13:15 - 14:15 | Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
Join us for a free musical performance featuring shinobue flute and a piano performance by Maido Mind. This cultural performance will be held from 1:15 to 2:15pm in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center.

BudBurst Community Science - Volunteer Training
2025-02-13 10:00 - 11:00 | Hoyt Arboretum, 4000 SW Fairview Blvd, Portland, OR, 97221, United States
Are you interested in learning about volunteering for community science at Hoyt Arboretum? Join Hoyt Arboretum’s plant taxonomist and herbarium curator Mandy Tu for an online Zoom training on Thursday, February 13 from 10 to 11am to learn about how you can get involved with BudBurst, a nationwide, community science-driven effort to study the impact of climate change on plants. Volunteers monitor the timing of specific events in a plant’s life cycle (full bloom, fruiting, leaf fall, etc.), record their observations, and then share their data with BudBurst.

Winter Ikebana Workshop Series with Carolyn Alter, Ohara School
2025-02-13 09:00 - 16:00 | Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
Carolyn Alter, Head Teacher of the Ohara School of Ikebana’s Oregon Chapter, will bring the beauty of kado (the way of flowers) to Portland Japanese Garden this winter by teaching a workshop series consisting of four sessions. Students will receive a creative outlet, a respite from the fast speed of life, as well as the chance to connect with nature, nurture their spirit, and learn about an aspect of Japanese culture. Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, has been translated as “living flowers” or “giving life to flowers,” and is unique from other approaches to flower arrangements. Workshop instructor Carolyn Alter will teach students how to “bring the essence of nature into their arrangements.” Participants will learn beginner Hana Isho (flower design) in the Ohara School method and based on the curriculum set forth by the Ohara School of Ikebana. Each session will include both demonstrations by Carolyn and hands-on time for the students to create.

Cultural Performance: Oregon Koto-Kai
2025-02-09 13:15 - 14:15 | Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
Enjoy a free koto performance by Oregon Koto-Kai at 1:15pm at the Cathy Rudd Cultural Corner in the Jordan Schnitzer Japanese Arts Learning Center.

Talk About Trees
2025-02-08 11:00 - 12:00 | Discovery Museum, 4033 SW Canyon Rd, Portland, OR, 97221, United States
Join our friend Liz from Talk About Trees to learn about the fascinating world of trees and our forests through interactive learning for the whole family. Each month, Liz will dive into a new topic and share her knowledge in an approachable way.

Winter Twig ID
2025-02-08 10:30 - 12:00 | Hoyt Arboretum, 4000 SW Fairview Blvd, Portland, OR, 97221, United States
When deciduous trees lose their leaves each year, one of their biggest and most conspicuous characters is lost: their leaves. But all is not lost! Join arborist Casey Clapp, creator and co-host of the tree podcast Completely Arbortrary, in this identification course focused on what the leaves leave behind: the twigs. This course will be an introduction into how to identify trees during the winter time using only their twigs and will feature a quick discussion on what to look for followed by a walk through the Arboretum picking out individual trees and examples.

Golden Crane Society Opening Reception for "Earthen Elegance: The Ceramic Art of Bizen"
2025-02-07 18:30 - 21:00 | Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave, Portland, OR, 97205, United States
This February, Portland Japanese Garden is pleased to present Earthen Elegance: The Ceramic Art of Bizen in the Pavilion Gallery. On loan from the Collection of David Sneider and Naomi Pollock, this exhibition celebrates contemporary ceramic art and vessels that preserve a time-honored collaboration of earth, fire, and the artist’s hand. Recognized as one of the Rokkoyō (六石窯) Six Ancient Kilns of Japan, Bizen is a ceramic center that has continued its unique form of pottery for over 900 years. Notable for their rustic, textured, and unglazed forms, the ceramics featured in Earthen Elegance reveal the depths of the Bizen pottery tradition. Today the town of Bizen hosts nearly 300 active kilns with artists continuing to use local materials and an ancient wood-firing process. Featuring work by many of Bizen’s leading potters including Jun Isezaki and Ryuichi Kakurezaki, the exhibition presents both functional vessels and innovative sculptural forms that expand the frontier of Bizen ware.
