From cooking classes to concert tickets, Portland is full of experience-based gifts that reduce waste and support local businesses.
Give gifts of experience
Entertainment
- Live theater, music, or comedy: Portland is filled with terrific theater companies, music venues, and live comedy shows. Get tickets and grab a meal before or after to make it a day or night out.
- Movie tickets: Surprise them with a movie at Hollywood Theater, Living Room Theaters, Cinema 21, or McMenamins.
- Basketball, soccer, baseball, roller derby, and more: Gift them tickets to a game or a full season.
- Podcast or streaming subscription: Give them the gift of no commercials!
Puzzles and games
- Endless puzzles: Treat a jigsaw puzzle-lover to (almost) endless puzzles by gifting them a subscription to Completing the Puzzle or the Puzzle Exchange, where they choose a puzzle from a huge online library, have it delivered, finish it, send it back, and get a new one.
- New-to-you puzzles: Swap old jigsaw puzzles for new-to-you ones at the Portland Puzzle Exchange.
- Game time: Level up game night with a rental subscription from Portland Game Library. They deliver board games, card games, and role play games right to your door.
- Try a new game: Head to The Paladins League or Mox Boarding House where you can access vast libraries of games. Grab a snack, lunch, or dinner while you're there and make a day of it.
- Subscriptions to apps and online games like The New York Times Games for Wordle, Spelling Bee, Crosswords, and more.
Relaxation
- Spa or sauna day: Give them time to unwind at one of Portland's many spa options.
- Treat them to a massage, manicure, or pedicure.
- Unwind at a bookstore: Give a book-lover an afternoon at Powell's City of Books (or another local book shop), paired with a stop at a nearby café to relax and enjoy their new read.
Adventure
- Plan a day in the Gorge, on the coast, or hop on the train to Seattle.
- Hike Forest Park, snowshoe on Mount Hood, or kayak around Sauvie Island.
- Book a food cart tour, brewery tour, or river cruise.
- Give a parks pass for year-round access to Oregon or National parks.
Culture and community
Purchase an annual membership to support local organizations and gain great benefits.
- Portland Japanese Garden & Lan Su Chinese Garden:Membership offers unlimited visits, exclusive member perks, and serene green escapes.
- Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden: An annual pass provides members-only hours. It's a great gift for birdwatching enthusiasts!
- Portland Art Museum: Membership offers free admission, member previews, and exclusive access to special events.
- Portland Arts & Lectures: Subscribe to a series of talks by internationally known authors, artists, and thinkers.
Expand your skills
- Cooking classes: Check out Kitchen Culture in Foster Powell, Hipcooks in inner NE, or Cookshop in inner SE for pasta-making, canning, knife skills, and more. Some offer kitchen classes for kids and adults.
- Home and woodworking skills: The ReBuilding Center offers classes in electrical, plumbing, tiling, woodworking, and many other areas.
- Crafting: Find creative classes for kids and adults at SCRAP.
Find more classes and events on the Resourceful PDX calendar
Give gifts of service
Sharpen their favorite knives (or garden tools)
Know someone who loves to cook or garden? Treat them to freshly sharpened knives and tools. Here are a few local spots:
- Kneighborhood Knives: Mobile knife sharpening service: Check their calendar for pop-ups at local stores or schedule a visit right to your home.
- DragonFly Forge: Sharpens knives and garden tools by appointment and at local farmers' markets.
- Sharpening4U: Offers walk-in and drop-off service for knives, scissors, and tools, plus reel mower sharpening for low-impact lawn care fans.
Fix their favorite (broken) thing
Have you heard a family member complaining about how the soles of their favorite shoes have worn thin? Or that their favorite sweater has loose threads or moth holes? Help them keep what they love!
- Shoes: Bring them back to life by taking them to a shoe repair expert at one of Portland's many shoe repair shops.
- Sweater, blanket, or bag: Visit a free Repair Café hosted by Repair PDX. Volunteers with sewing and mending skills can fix holes and tears for free.
- Bikes: Get their bike a tune-up from a local bike store like Community Cycling Center or learn how to keep their bike tuned up by taking a basic bike repair drop-in class from Bikes4Humanity.
Or offer your own skills
- Babysitting for a night out.
- Hang shelves.
- Set up a new device.
- Fix squeaky doors or leaky faucets.
Find more gifts of experience ideas
Why it matters
When you give gifts of experience instead of buying new things, you reduce clutter and waste, and save the energy and resources used to make, ship, and transport products.
Most of an item's carbon emissions happen before it even reaches your hands, so choosing local services and experiences helps shrink your carbon footprint. You're not just giving a gift; you're investing in memories, community, and a healthier environment for everyone.