The Portland Saturday Market is an outdoor arts and crafts market in Portland. It is the largest continuously operated outdoor market in the US. It is held from the beginning of March through December 24, in Tom McCall Waterfront Park underneath, south of the Burnside Bridge. The market's hours of operations are from 10 a.m. To 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m on Sundays. It has become a central economic engine for the historic Old Town Chinatown neighborhood.

The market was founded in 1974 by craftspeople Sheri Teasdale and Andrea Scharf, who modeled it after the Saturday Market in Eugene, Oregon. It was founded as a mutual benefit corporation, under which all members would share in the cost and governance of the market, yet keep all profits they receive from selling their items. All items sold at the Saturday Market are required to be handmade by the person selling it, and a committee of members judge each new item against a minimum standard of quality.

The walking trail in Waterfront Park along the Willamette River has been popular since the park was opened in 1978, replacing Harbor Way and former industrial sites. A major milestone in the freeway removal movement, it is now primarily used by those taking a stroll, jogging, biking, or riding scooters. Beautiful in every season and in all types of weather, it becomes an absolute must with spring arriving to witness pastel-pink cherry trees bursting into bloom. In October 2012, the American Planning Association voted it as one of America's ten greatest public spaces.

Broad, grassy, and well-kept, the 30-acre park affords fine ground-level views of Downtown Portland's bridges and skyline, with benches everywhere to take advantage. It is also the site for various events and annual celebrations, among them the Rose Festival, classical/blues concerts, Cinco de Mayo, Gay Pride, and the Oregon Brewers Festival. The arching water jets at the Salmon Street Fountain change pattern every few hours, and are a favorite summer cooling-off spot (bring spare clothes!). The fountain's three cycles are called "misters", "bollards", and "wedding cake".

Although it is called a market, this building on the corner of Pine Street and 2nd Avenue features many well-known Portland-only eateries in a very 'food-court', picnic-style atmosphere. Whatever you choose here, it's going to be pretty good, allowing to explore some of the many things that Portland has to offer – from old favorites to ones never tried before, all in one setting. It's a very clean and nice space, great for lunch break or a casual dinner. Could be very convenient for a date, but the variety of food choices also makes it a go-to place for groups with folks who might want different things.

For cuisines, the food hall has a little bit of everything: smokey Korean BBQ, rotisserie chicken, ramen, soft-serve, burgers and pizza – you name it. Vegetarian? Check out the Veggie Reggie: vegan sausage patty, tofu bacon and cheese (ask for none of the latter if you are vegan). Once you've ordered from an eatery, expect to be given a beeper of when the food is ready to be picked up. Some of the eateries have their own seating/counter space, but much of it is communal seating.

Set on the MAX line, the Fifth Avenue pod sates downtowners' daytime appetites with simple, economical, and tasty menus of myriad cuisines, including Mexican, Korean, Indian, Thai and Middle-Eastern. A good example of the latter, the Iraqi-owned ALIBABA cart serves great falafel sandwich and lamb gyros.

You might want to drop by KOREAN TWIST for some amazing Korean bulgogi tacos filled with really tender beef and sweet chili sauce – a great combination on a soft corn taco shell. Alternatively, grab the burrito – a huge tortilla wrapped with seaweed on the inside and stuffed with rice, fresh veggies and herbs, and spicy tofu. Part burrito, part sushi, part salad, so quite outstanding for a snack! The flavors are based on traditional recipes and the service is polite and efficient.

Five stars also go to LA JAROCHITA's habanero sauce (similar to habanero wasabi), which hits hard and fast, then goes away. They make a burrito with chicken, beef and pork that rocks for fatty flavor, or you can opt for the traditional chicken enchiladas. Just be aware to go early if you're hoping to skip the perennial lunchtime line.

Powell's Books is a chain of bookstores in Portland, and its surrounding metropolitan area. Powell's headquarters, dubbed Powell's City of Books, claims to be the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world. Powell's City of Books is located in the Pearl District on the edge of downtown and occupies a full city block. It contains over 68,000 square feet (6,300 m2) of retail floor space. The inventory for its retail and online sales is over four million new, used, rare, and out-of-print books. Powell's buys around 3,000 used books a day.

The Pearl District is an area of Portland, formerly occupied by warehouses, light industry and railroad classification yards and now noted for its art galleries, upscale businesses and residences. It now mostly consists of high-rise condominiums and warehouse-to-loft conversions.

The area is home to several Portland icons, including Powell's City of Books. Art galleries and institutions (many who stage monthly receptions), boutiques, and restaurants abound, and there are also a number of small clubs and bars.

The district includes most of the historic North Park Blocks (1869), as well as two public plazas: Jamison Square is built around a fountain which simulates a tidal pool that is periodically filled by artificial waterfalls and then drained into grating and Tanner Springs Park, which is a re-created natural area featuring wetlands, a walking trail, and creek.

From the moment you enter Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, you understand that this is no ordinary pub. This pub is exceptional, starting with excellent service and all the way up to the unusual design (a five-ton crane hovers above the tables). Lucky Labrador Brewing Company’s staff do their best to give you the unforgettable atmosphere of a beer hall. One fun feature is that patrons with dogs are welcome in their outdoor area.

The Burnside Bridge is a 1926-built bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland. It is one of the heaviest in the United States and the only of all four bridges in Portland built with an architect's input. The Italian Renaissance style towers are part from the City Beautiful Movement that began in early 20th century. It's situated on one of the busiest streets in Portland and offers a great panorama of the city.

The bridge provides shelter for the initially unauthorized Burnside Skatepark under the east end. On weekends, the Portland Saturday Market was held mostly under the bridge's west end for many years. The market was reoriented in 2009, but the Burnside Bridge continues to provide shelter for a few vendor stalls at the market's northern end. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in November 2012.