35th Annual Tuba Christmas Concert

Tuba Christmas returns to Pioneer Courthouse Square on Saturday, December 19, for its 35th annual concert. It's one of those holiday traditions that's been around so long it's become part of the city's December landscape, and this year marks three and a half decades of the same brassy, outdoor spectacle.

The draw is simple: nearly 300 tubas and euphoniums gathered in the middle of the city to play in harmony. It's a massive wall of low brass sound, and the crowd is invited to sing along, so you're not just watching from the sidelines—you're part of the noise. The Portland edition fills the square, known as the city's Living Room, with brass for the afternoon, and since it's an open-air event, you'll want to dress for the December weather.

If you've never been, it's a strange and wonderful sight to see that many tubas in one place. The sheer volume of low-end brass fills the square, and when the crowd joins in, it turns into a real community sing-along rather than a formal concert. It's a long-running tradition that brings together a huge number of players for a single afternoon, and this year's 35th anniversary adds another layer to that history.

The concert runs from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM at Pioneer Courthouse Square, 701 SW 6th Ave., and admission is free.