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Categories: Arts & Crafts, Local Flavor [Edit]
Neighborhood: Old TownSat. 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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Uniquely Oregon, I've been going since I was a kid.
Go on a Sunday ;-)
The Polish wagon sells the BEST food! The kielbasa and pierogi were so warm, even on a cold day... a must go to! Don't forget your Elephant Ears (the place I like the best is the one with the Nutella... can't remember the name).
I suppose I'm a little spoiled, or stuck-up, when it comes to markets such as these. I spend Saturdays in Eugene at our Saturday Market which, well, I think is way better. There were people selling items at the Portland Saturday Market that they themselves didn't even make. Some items weren't even made locally, some were made with cheap labor in other countries even. What's with that? When I go to an outdoors art and crafts market like this, I want to meet the artist. I want to buy local.
Also, the homelessness thing got to me. How sad, I felt, seeing all those food carts in amongst all those homeless people laying all around everywhere. It made it difficult to even want to eat. And the smell was bad.
I also didn't care for the location. So loud, right under the bridge.
I'm sorry Portland, I do love you, but the Eugene Saturday Market is way better.
The partner and I loved this market so much that we had to make a trip back. It embodies everything I think of when I hear the words "saturday market."
There's not much left to elaborate on - beyond what's already been said in other reviews. Go check it out.
Looking for another eclectic experience in Portland? Well, I would say that this is the grand-daddy of them all! It's pretty much a microcosm of Oregon. Hippie stuffs, food, artists, street performers, organic stuffs, etc. Those are some of the things you will find near the Burnside Bridge. It is close to the water, so you get a great view of the Portland waterfront area as well. You can walk and take in the park til your heart's content. There are also plenty of other things to see down that area as well. The Japanese American Historical Plaza comes to mind.
It's easy to get to via the Max or Bus (both pretty much run right through it). If you are driving there are several pay places to park and it's not too expensive.
Sadly this place was a horrible disappointment. I am not certain if it was just a bad day, or if it is always filled with the same old mass marketed fair bulls**t. You can only see so many ugly knit caps, incense holders, sunglasses, Bob MarleyT-shirts, witty bumper stickers, and synthetic hippie wear before your eyes glaze over and you just decide to pass entire "arts markets" up. Maybe I am just an obnoxious snot remembering the days of yore, but I do recall markets actually having a variety of truly hand made items at some point. I am honestly saddened to say that this past Sunday I believe I saw about 8 booths where the items were made by the crafts person or artist, and about 30 where most of the wares were not handmade, and definitely not handmade by any artist in the near vicinity.
There were a select few booths I actually stopped in and took a long look as their items were lovely. In particular a women who made glass tile art. My father purchased these quirky little plant markers from her that were made from flatware with a glass tile and the herb name imprinted in the glass. They were lovely little treasures that made the stop worthwhile.
I'd probably come back next time I am in town, just on the off chance there would be something worth purchasing, but overall I was unimpressed.
Saturday Market begins under the Burnside bridge. My friends and I commenced to walk through all the aisles oohing and ahhing in front of all the soap booths and touched the things that don't break. We almost bought clay whistles shaped like animals but in the end, looked at everything and bought nothing. Much like how we do in LA.
Lots of curios, grip of homeless kids with adorable dogs, a lot of live music. I like.
Definitely an A+ as far as crafty markets go! The whole thing makes for a really lovely Saturday. A walk along the waterfront, beautiful handmade clothing, art, gifts and foods; maybe a voodoo doughnut around the corner even.
This is a great place to take visiting guests, or for Portland townies- there's something for everyone.
We got stuffed on nearby voodoo doughnuts, then headed for mediterranean crepes, polish sausage, thai curry and a tofu scramble (there were four of us, geez).
I even bought a pair of tie-dyed underwear on the way out. Good times!
I am absolutely the biggest fan of the Saturday Market! There are so many things to see and buy and eat and enjoy! I really love it so so so so much.
The first time I went I got Ja' Daas cupcakes and they were so gooood but I haven't seen them there recently!! What happened to them?!?!
The homemade ice cream is so good also.
I love the Saturday Market. I like seeing how creative people can be, the music being played by the fountain, and the food. My god, the FOOD!! I'm normally not one for crowds as I have an extreme objection to getting accidentally felt up by people I can't identify. How do I know who to thank?
However, I do have a few objections.
(1) The stroller brigade. Okay, I love children, and I think that giving birth is probably a very powerful experience. However, I don't understand these people with their strollers who zip through the aisles, shoving people out of the way with their mini-me. I know I didn't suffer through morning sickness, or have a small bowling ball growing near my no-no spot, but that doesn't mean I don't deserve to look at all the pretty jewelry just like you do.
(2) The aggressive vendors. This is VERY rare as most are super nice people who just love to showcase what they do. However, I went there two weeks ago and one man in particular literally cornered me in his booth trying to force me to buy stuff. I pulled my glock out and showed him who was boss, and let me just say, it wasn't Tony Danza. Okay, I didn't, but I did have to politely decline several (dozen) times.
(3) Crop dusting. For those of you who don't know what this is, it's when a person farts all over you and then walks away. I get crop dusted on at least 5 or 6 times every time when I go. Take a Beano, hold it in, or take a poop already. Just do whatever you have to do to NOT fart all over hundreds of people standing in a small area.
So yeah, that's the only reason it gets one star off. It isn't fair when you think about it. It's not the market's fault that these people are lingering around, but still, I have to be fair and rate this as an experience, and there is NOTHING that would get 5 stars after leaving me bathed in someone else's farts.
One of my favorite things in life is an open air market or a farmers' market and the Saturday market in Portland is high up on the list and I can't wait to come back the next time we visit. There were so many little things that caught my eye but I settled on a perfect pair of earrings and some rouge beer tasting over in the food area. The weather was just perfect and the scenery is a lot of fun to be around. Everything from music, street-performers to almost anything you can think of to purchase. I was thinking to myself that if I lived in Portland, this would be a really great place for a first date or date in general, so many things to see, hear and do and all at a great price. I am just saying....*date spot* something different and friendly on the funds. hmmmmm
Who doesn't love an open air market where we buy from stuff from real artists and craftsmen and cut out the middlemen?
Portlanders, tourists and Oregonians come here for the festive feel as merchants sell their wares. From henna tattoos, artists, jewelers, fork benders, and street performers come together to showcase their talents.
I even saw a Jesus activist next to a Marijuana petitioner activist side by side making fun of each other. Definitely bring cash. Some vendors take debit/credit, but most take only cash. Come here first to shop for your gifts and souvenirs, then hit up the shops and boutiques.
As a visitor to the city, this was a pretty fun place to walk around for a while and look at all the vendors' goods. Probably mostly because they are different vendors from the ones I see over and over again at all the markets in our area.
We didn't stay too long because we'd already visited the Portland Farmer's Market that morning, which was far superior in my opinion, but also totally different and probably the two shouldn't be compared.
Altogether, I thought this was well put together and in a good location, considering its size and the number of people there. It definitely added to our positive experience in the city and we were glad we stopped by.
I go to the Saturday market for the food!
The S. Market is like a large flea market but with better stuff.
We've gotten our cats some great toys and eaten our fair share of good food.
I like to walk around and people watch.
This art market is conveniently located under a roadway and makes efficient use of its delegated space. If it weren't for this Saturday Market, then the area would probably be decrepit and breed crime.
I wasn't particularly impressed with the stands and personally didn't find any desired items.
The market was much bigger than I expected, spanning three sections. There's a ton of street food options for cuisine from around the world. I was very happy with the selection of wares being sold - clothing, jewelry, candles, flowers, soaps, and beautiful glassware. Bought an awesome vase! They even wrap it up for you for the airplane!
I really enjoyed the Portland Saturday (and Sunday) market last weekend, especially the arts and crafts booths that are closer to the bridge. Several years ago I bought a nice door harp that is still decoratively next to my front door. This time around I discovered a women who sells some really nice hand sewn notebooks, Duncan's Woods boxes, Colton Forge blacksmithing products, and more.....
I bought sparingly, since I have to watch my "stuff" factor sometimes. Plus, there's only so much room in a suitcase or eventually a joint household. A tight schedule and Gayle's utterance of my name at the end of a "need vs. want" sentence didn't hurt either. Otherwise, I would have took hung out and enjoyed this community show a lot more.
Although I didn't find anything I wanted or needed [with the exception of a remarkable sweet potato cupcake], the Portland Saturday Market is definitely some place I look forward to returning to. Maybe it was the perfect weather and the general friendly hustle and bustle, but this seemed so perfect and friendly and, dare I say, ~real~. A good time to be had, and a mandatory stop for any tourist.
The art is the kind of stuff you buy as a gift for someone when you can't think of anything better and it's down to the minute. Cloying new agey junk. The stands with the imported hippy accessories are a blight as well. The food, with few exceptions, is mediocre cart slop. Most of the bands on the stage are flat out awful. There's a good 3% or so of the crowd where, if they brush up against you, you may want to consider a full round of vaccinations.
So why three stars? Because despite the above, it's still part of the town's beating heart and there is a ton of spontaneous fun to be had here, and if you don't want to buy anything, just don't. It's a nice meeting place and a good spot for people-watching. And the pierogi stand is all right in my book.
The food sucked.
The music was rockin'.
The beer was expensive.
The arts/crafts were awesome.
The location was great.
A few highlights of the day:
- Duct tape wallets and ties. Now that's what I call ingenuity!
- The drummer in the band playing a drum solo on a tin drum. Schweet!
- Seeing lots of P.O.C.'s. Finally!
All in all, a nice way to spend a saturday afternoon in Portland.
Any place that can get me to spend $100 on a skirt deserves 5 stars!
I had a great Saturday morning in Portland. We biked down to Saturday Market and spent time eyeballing some truly beautiful handmade items (mixed in with the traditional street market as well). It's quite large, and has a food court with a nice selection of food and beverages, including alcoholic.
Great people watching too, I swear! Jimi Hendrix was there! :)
Poo. Not open in January or February. Wimps. What'sa matter, you no like 30 degree weather? And to think I was gonna buy stuff. And I NEVER buy stuff.
You guys really missed out. It's like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. OK, not exactly...well, minus the huge horse teeth and throbbing forehead vein...but otherwise, very close.
I love going to Portland Saturday Market, especially when I need a change of scenery. Spending week after week in an office makes life a bit stale.
It's refreshing to see people selling their handmade goods. It seems like there are more Jewelry stands than anything else, but there is still a wide variety of goods: dog toys, wooden toys, tie-dyed shirts, homemade soap, paintings, and more.
The first couple times I went, I spent hours walking around looking at stands, and I didn't even see them all. Just recently I discovered that there is a big group of stands tucked underneath the bridge. It was a great surprise.
I love Saturday Market! It's a Portland staple. An eclectic mix of weirdos, shoppers, tourists, the whole shebang.
The goods can be pretty good too! I prefer bags and jewelry. Some of the stuff does appear to be crap but hey, one man's trash is another man's treasure. And people here appear to have worked very hard on their craft, whether or not I plan to buy it.
It's a nice stop in P-town and I recommend it for locals and travelers.
You can expect pretty much the same thing from any outdoor market. This is essentially no different , although it has a little more character. A little more crafty hippy, little less corporate. I'd be a good place to find an interesting doo-dad for the house or a friend...If nothing else it's great people watching. IE: Jimi Hendrix look alike, and various street performers.
The food booths are pretty good, they have a little something for everyone. I've had my eye on the Rogue Ale cart for awhile but have yet do any sampling...I'm ashamed to say. Very dog friendly.
Overwhelming and packed but that's just what you should expect for most markets anyway. But it was cool! Phoenix doesn't have anything like this (that I know of?). Even if you have no money it's totally worth the 'walk-through'; excellent people-watching for sure. The quality of the goods sold were pretty up there! We didn't try any food because we had eaten before we got there, but there is such a big selection and lots of cultures are represented at the various food booths. A must-see in Portland.
We were looking forward to coming to the market with our dog. We were NOT disappointed.:-) We saw a lot of interesting displays and characters! ;-). We originally planned to hang out for an hour but ended up exploring the market for a couple hours! Where did time go?!?
There were many type of booths- jewelry, clothes, bags, hats, dog cookies, toys, etc. There were also entertainers and music. There were a variety of food stands as well. Just make sure you leave room for flexibility in case you get sucked into the spirit of the market! Consider having breakfast or lunch here (*disclaimer on the quality of food and service by food vendors*)
This is open Saturday and Sundays. Check website for updates! FYI-Dogs are not allowed in the food market on Saturdays! :-( BOOOOO!!
The food here sucks (at least what I've tried so far, bleh).
It can be crowded and overrun with tourists (like me back in June).
Most of the street performers should really consider Labor Ready as a viable alternative.
Some stuff's crap that you could buy at the mall, some is just crap (PSM's West side).
My thoughts on all this: "You know....so what???"
In this age where human interaction can be almost totally avoided, where most things can be bought on-line or in soulless concrete megaliths, Saturday Market is the anti-mall that is so entirely necessary.
It's a people watcher's paradise, a weird fun stunningly real cross section of life unfolding before your eyes. From swaying stoners, to happy Hawaiians, to bargain hunting hounds, all walks pass through here.
There are easily missed gems to be found, crowds to lose yourself in, and deals to be discovered. Quality goods are abundantly available here (unlike the sell-the-shirt-off-their-back swap meets I grew up with). That there are standards here is a beautiful thing.
What I love most though about PSM is seeing artists living out their dreams, being able to do what they love full time. Not all reach that point, but the one's that do inspire. I can't help, but admire these creative individuals who put themselves out there, sharing their souls week after week (not unlike us Yelpers, haha). I love hearing their stories, their inspirations, their struggles...what mall could possibly offer that.
I don't mind the foot traffic cause I know that's what keeps them in business (being unemployed I can't do it all myself), some of the crap is actually quite interesting, and food I can find elsewhere (PDX is sweet like that). Even riding the MAX from Lloyd Center can be fun (free parking and really random conversations with really random people)
Hate it. Like it. Love it. Saturday Market is the kind of Anti-Mall America needs more of. Real. Local. Artsy. And highly Interactive.
Saturday, Sunday, Burnside Bridge, Skidmore Foutain. See you there.
My PSM favorites: http://www.yelp.com/li...
PSM in pictures:http://www.yelp.com/bi...
This is a staple of Portland. Most of the items sold here are either local foods or home made items. I always hated it as a kid, cause I though it was oring, but as I grew older I appreciated it more and more.
One my school teachers actually had a family run fudge company and he'd always recognize us and give us free fudge.
It just plain fun and a good experience.
Yikes, this place is great. It's open Sundays also. Look for the Jimi Hendrix look-alike. The market is endless, full of a cool variety of stuff. We bought hats, clothes, gifts, Buddhas, art--all inexpensive. What an introduction to Portland!
You know you're a nerd when, Part 5,397:
When every outdoor market you attend pales in comparison to your idea of Diagon Alley. Seriously, until I see some goblins scurrying around the Skidmore fountain on the hunt for shiny trinkets, four stars only.
The noodles and gyros were nast, but the whole smorgasbord for the eyes factor more than sufficed. You know how that "Born to be Wild" song allows the hippies and the Hells Angels to dance like children of the night? I could see them kicking the afternoon off here, maybe sharing the same elephant ear. No matter how weird Portland purports to be, we like sugar-dough overloads and stalls of random stuff as much as anyone.
On the other hand, the old man in the black cape who sings the Chairman of the Board next to the food stalls blurs the lines between fantasy and reality quite well.
Saturday Market is expanded to Sunday, than expanded the total area. This place is becoming more of a tourist trap than your local artisan's market. But this is what happens when an aristan market becomes too successful right? They have way too many booths selling the same stuff which takes away the uniqueness of the market, but if you are new to town, just in town visiting, or have not been down here in a while than its worth a little bit of your time and come down and take a walk on the weekends.
I'm not big on crowds . . . and I'm definitely not big on crowds in Portland. Rudeness and disinterest abounds with shoppers and vendors alike at the Saturday market.
Still, through it all we found an artisan or two we liked, caught a closer than usual glimpse into inner city drug trafficking and managed to get all but one toy vendor to ask our daughter not to touch the toys.
Our favorite section was that closest to the food stalls. We picked up a $300 Garnet necklace, found a great custom hat maker (daughter and wife) and a cool artisan that makes purses, wallets and backpacks out of vintage children games and books.
I think that if Peter Pan lived in a city, it would be Portland. There is sort of a rebellious, restrained anarchy. A childlike selfishness that people present here, and it that takes just a bit of sincere interest from you to unravel them from their tough exteriors. I'm not sure who did this to them . . . their parents . . . the republican party . . . a 1st grade teacher, but this is a town in need of a hug (and several years of therapy.) Nowhere better showcases this than the Saturday Market.
Great if you have a day to kill, but definitely not the best the city has to offer.
Note: The vendors have established a way for you to pay for a receipt from them with a centralized credit card merchant who will then credit them back. It makes it handy, but cash still reigns king in a market like this.
Turns out the Saturday Market is also on Sunday. There seem to be a lot of food options, but I don't know how good they are. They serve beer and you can walk around with it in the limits which I think is great. It's dog friendly. If you're into catnip, they've got TONS of it (which I found strange). I'm not so into crafty stuff for the most part, but if you are, there is lots of that. There are definitely some really great stands though, like duct tape wallets. Even if you don't plan to buy anything, it's fun to walk around.
As a native Portlander, the Saturday Market has been permanent fixture in my life. Since I can remember, it always seemed natural to make regular trips down to the SM with family, friends, significant others and relatives. Plus, with Fire Station 1 positioned right next door (the station my father worked at for 30 years), free parking was always an added incentive to make the market rounds any time of the year.
Lately, it seems like Portland's Saturday Market has become more of a tourist attraction, and is why I now only seem to find myself there whenever we have out of town guests. While the current location is under going construction, and the Market will soon find new digs, some things just never change...such as:
Duct tape wallets, tie-died baby clothes, cheap sun glasses, lights made from tin cans, hand made soaps, Portland photography, elephant ears, character drawings, gyros, duct tapped stub strumming guitarist, mimes, cooking spices, cheap novelty t-shirts, artwork (both inspired and not so inspired), cat toys, jewelry, hand blown glass items and more.
Our last trip down we found it to be extremely crowded and nothing offered by any of the local artisans that we couldn't live without.
The Saturday Market is a Portland establishment, but one I can live seeing only a few times a year.
I don't give many places five stars. And the Saturday Market gets one from me, in part, because of nostalgic reasons.
I've been going to the Saturday Market since I was a little kid, when my Grandmother would take my cousin and I almost every weekend. The place really isn't too different from many other open air markets you might find in your neighborhood... But I challenge you to find one with equal character and personality. Nestled under the Burnside bridge, this market is much more than that, it's the heart beat of the artisan community in Portland.
You're bound to find arts and crafts and food that you'll love. Also, you can find a number of local breweries representing their beers in the little food court area. For my part, it doesn't get much better than the crepe guy; I've eaten those crepes since I was a kid...And, to this day, they're still amazing, whether it's a breakfast or dessert crepe.
So if, on a Saturday, you are looking for something to do with your significant other or family, take them to the Saturday Market. You're sure to burn through a few hours without even blinking.
My search for a hemp-woven tie-dye poncho with airbrushed Bob Marley head attached to a Grateful Dead bear body somehow, SOMEHOW, came up empty-handed.
Amazing people watching. I was one more mind-bending devil sticks street performance away from drinking the Kool-Aid.
I also ate a real tasty burrito, and bought my friends' wedding present here. ONE LOVE!
When I arrived in Portland last October many people suggested that one of the great places to hit was the Saturday Market. I did not get a chance to go before the rainy season, nor did I know that most of it is covered. However I managed to get out and check it out this summer (08).
I was pretty impressed. The amount of hand crafted art was impressive as was the apparent quality of many products. I was taken by one in particular. A fella was selling a game called 'The Real Life Game'.
This game takes the basic premise from the original 'Life Game' but gives you a more real and scary game board. You start with a certain amount of money and health (a genetic/wealth lottery, just like the real world) and proceed to attempt to traverse the board. I say attempt because there is a very strong chance that you will not make it to the end. You can get sick, be beaten up, get addicted to drugs, have children but lose health from the experience. Not everything is negative of course, there are many positive things along the board and the way a 'winner' is picked is who has more happy experiences when it is all said and done.
I was taken by the handcrafted products that were on display and I will be back when I want to find a present for someone that is not from a generic mall or store.
Very crowded but fun place to spend time with family that come into town. I went to the Saturday Market last weekend with my in laws and we had a fun time. Actually, let me clarify....my mother in law and I had a great time...my husband and father in law, well lets just say they weren't the Market's target market. They were bored.
This is the perfect place to go if you need to buy gifts for a wide range of people. There are booths pretty much selling everything you could think of. Plus, where most of the booths are located under the Burnside Bridge you are able to stay somewhat dry.
My favorite part was the food vendors, to be honest. So many vegetarian and veggie friendly booths. My husband and I got lunch from Jalisco's Natural Foods and we LOVED it! It was so good! It was nice to sit down with our food and listen to the band. The band was a bit loud though. I am all for loud music but probably not when I am sitting down for lunch with my in laws. We had to shout to each other, it was pretty funny.
there are so many booths
crowds of people
lots of goodies
just sucked that it was SO hot all morning, but despite the heat i thoroughly enjoyed walking around for a couple hours. i agree, the booths closer to the bridge were better than the ones across the street. :)
i wish we had stuff like this in the peninsula
I came on a Sunday. Was that a mistake? It was boring. I'm going with three stars instead of two because it was raining and I'll assume that that may have kept away many patrons and perhaps some vendors.
There was no convivial atmosphere and no cohesion to the market, both abstractly and in the arrangement of booths and tents. There were plenty of crafts vendors, and in fact I did purchase a neat wooden interlocking-puzzle fish for my small nephew. There was fair food, too, but nothing special. Oh, and there hardly seemed to be any young people there. All in all, it just seemed dreary rather than fun.
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