News Release: PBOT, Portland Business Alliance make it easier than ever to support downtown businesses & 'ShopSmallPDX' this holiday season

News Article
Park downtown and fall back in love with Portland this holiday season

Garages close for the Thanksgiving Day holiday, then return to normal on Friday before Free Parking Saturdays begin this Saturday
Published
This logo says "Free Parking Saturday" at Smart Park

(Nov. 24, 2020) SmartPark is encouraging support of our downtown Portland retailers and businesses open this holiday season by offering Free Parking Saturdays, five weeks in a row, beginning this Saturday, Nov. 28 and continuing through Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020.

Downtown Portland's small businesses and retailers are the heartbeat of our city's center. By making parking free and available to everyone on Saturdays this season, we encourage Portlanders to safely mask up, and walk through the heart of our city, enjoying the holiday lights and supporting local retailers at this critical time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Find out who's open by visiting ShopSmallPDX.com - a new website created by Prosper Portland, the city's economic development agency. This new site promotes events and small businesses open throughout the city, making it easy for people to be intentional about where they spend their money this holiday season.

Find out more about ways to safely enjoy Downtown Portland by visiting DowntownPortland.org

Free Parking Saturday is brought to you by the Downtown Marketing Initiative, a partnership between the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the Portland Business Alliance and Downtown Portland Clean & Safe.

Downtown partners are supporting the ShopSmallPDX campaign. The campaign features an inclusive focus on businesses owned by members of the BIPOC community (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) to broaden the multicultural shopping possibilities, offering a way to make buying more intentional, imaginative and meaningful for local businesses that need the support right now.

This logo says Shop Small PDX, which is the name of the campaign

VIDEO: Learn more about the local businesses you can support when you ShopSmallPDX, and Go by SmartPark, BIKETOWN or public transit

This is an image from the video for the Shop Small PDX campaign
Prosper Portland has partnered with Portland Bureau of Transportation and BIKETOWN on the production of this video to encourage Portlanders to shop small & local! Our video highlights several amazing businesses throughout the city run by those who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=370137154053952

Parking meters, SmartPark take a holiday on Thursday, for Thanksgiving Day 

On-street parking meters are free of charge Thanksgiving Day only. Parking enforcement staff do not work on City holidays.

Regular on-street parking rates apply Friday through the rest of the weekend.

All SmartPark garages will be closed from 11 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25 through Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 26). All five SmartPark garages will reopen at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Nov. 27 for the remainder of the holiday weekend.

PBOT's five SmartPark garages offer the lowest short-term hourly rates and are close to your favorite restaurant, retailer and cultural venue. SmartPark supports the economic viability of the Central City by providing an affordable system of parking garages which primarily meets the short-term needs of shoppers, visitors and business clients and by investing in other Central City transportation improvements.

SmartPark offers five convenient locations:

  • Naito & Davis: NW Naito Parkway and Davis Street (enter from Davis)
  • 1st & Jefferson: SW First Avenue and Jefferson Street (enter from Jefferson)
  • 3rd & Alder: SW Third Avenue and Alder Street (enter from Third or Fourth)
  • 4th & Yamhill: SW Fourth Avenue and Yamhill Street (enter from Fourth)
  • 10th & Yamhill: SW 10th Avenue and Yamhill Street (enter from 10th)

PBOT’s five SmartPark garages include nearly 4,000 public parking spaces and serve shoppers, business clients, and visitors to downtown Portland. For questions about SmartPark hours or operations, call 503-790-9302, email SmartParkTeam@spplus.com or visit our website at portland.gov/smartpark.

Be sure to ShopSmallPDX, and stay tuned for more local business support this holiday season from BIKETOWN and Parking Kitty

### 

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is the steward of the City’s transportation system, and a community partner in shaping a livable city. We plan, build, manage and maintain an effective and safe transportation system that provides access and mobility.www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation