Oregon Zoo Holiday Lights
ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo Chauffeur Viewing Guide.
At 4001 SW Canyon Road, the Oregon Zoo strings more than 1.5 million LEDs across the grounds from late November into early January. Tickets are timed-entry, and a 15-minute holiday train ride threads through the display. Everything works except the parking. On most December weekends the zoo lot is full by 5 p.m., which leaves self-park families circling Knights Boulevard or climbing uphill from the World Forestry Center overflow. Marquee runs a drop-and-loop instead: the chauffeur pulls to the SW Canyon Road main entry on the timed-entry minute, then comes back to the same curb when the family texts. One booking can also carry Peacock Lane, the Grotto Festival of Lights, the Christmas Ships parade, and a daytime Pittock Mansion tour.
ByIlyas KhairiFounder, Marquee ChauffeurLicensed and permitted since 2018
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By Ilyas Khairi, Founder of Marquee Chauffeur · Licensed and permitted since 2018 · Updated August 3, 2026
TL;DR
ZooLights runs late November through early January in Washington Park, with 1.5 million LEDs across 64 acres, timed-entry tickets, and a lot that fills by 5 p.m. on December weekends. Marquee skips the parking with a drop-and-loop at the SW Canyon Road curb on the timed-entry minute and a return on the family's text. Volvo S90 at $110 per hour fits three or four; Cadillac Escalade ESV at $135 per hour fits a family of six; Mercedes-Benz Sprinter at $165 per hour carries 8 to 14 across ZooLights, Peacock Lane, the Grotto, and the Christmas Ships in one booking.
Related reading: Christmas town car service and Portland event transportation.
01What ZooLights Is
A 1.5 Million LED Walk-Through
Across 64 Acres In Washington Park.
Every year the Oregon Zoo turns 64 acres of Washington Park, just west of downtown, into a holiday lights walk. It has been a tradition since 1988. Entry is dated and timed, and the public run stretches from the day after Thanksgiving to roughly the first weekend of January.
Depending on the calendar, the grounds switch to lights at 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m., and most exhibits dim or close their viewing windows once it goes dark. A full loop, end to end, runs 90 minutes to 2 hours if you stop for the carousel and the train. The Washington Park and Zoo Railway runs a holiday version at $5 per rider. Dates go live at oregonzoo.org, and you can find broader seasonal context at travelportland.com.
The 1988 origin and four decades of growth
Back in the 1988-89 season, ZooLights was a few thousand bulbs strung on the elephant exhibit. These days the count tops 1.5 million LEDs spread across the whole walking loop.
The animal exhibits and the lit displays
The heaviest displays cluster around Elephant Lands, Polar Passage, and Predators of the Serengeti. A few animals stay visible from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. until the indoor windows close for the night. Along the central path, the lit tunnels are the photo stop nobody skips.
The train and the carousel
At $5 per rider, the holiday Washington Park and Zoo Railway loops 15 minutes through several lit tunnels, though the line can stretch 20 to 40 minutes at peak. Near the main entry, the carousel runs $3 per rider.
Why the chauffeur fits
On December weekends the lot is gone by 5 p.m., the World Forestry Center overflow tacks on a 10-minute walk in the cold, and the MAX is the only public backup. A curb drop sidesteps all of it.
02Dates And Ticketing
Timed Entry Required,
Peak Nights Sell Out 1-2 Weeks Out.
The event runs nightly from the day after Thanksgiving through roughly the first weekend of January, dark only on Christmas Eve evening, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve evening. Even members need a timed-entry ticket, and the windows open in 30-minute slots starting at 5 p.m. Peak nights, meaning Friday and Saturday from December 18 onward plus the full week of Christmas, sell out 1 to 2 weeks in advance.
Ticket prices swing with the calendar: $14 to $20 for adults, $11 to $17 for kids, peak versus off-peak. Parking on site is $5 with a ticketed entry, assuming the lot has not already filled. If you are coordinating a larger event, the Portland event transportation page covers the wider pattern.
The seasonal calendar
Opening on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the 2026-27 season carries through the first weekend of January. Each year the calendar goes up at oregonzoo.org by mid-October.
Timed-entry tickets and peak nights
From December 18 through New Year's Day, peak nights go 1 to 2 weeks ahead, and the 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. windows disappear first. The 5 p.m. opening slot usually hangs on longer than the 6 p.m. peak.
Member preview and early access
Ahead of the public sale, members get a 7-day early-access window in mid-November. A family membership at $115 per year pays for itself across one holiday visit and a handful of daytime trips.
On-site parking and ticketed entry
Parking on site costs $5 with a ticketed entry, but on December weekends it fills by 5 p.m. The World Forestry Center overflow means a 10-minute walk back along Knights Boulevard.
03Parking And The Drop
The 1,200-Vehicle Lot Fills By 5 P.M.,
The Curb Drop Skips It.
About 1,200 vehicles fit in the Oregon Zoo lot, and the World Forestry Center overflow behind it tops out within 30 minutes. The MAX Red and Blue Line reaches the Washington Park station directly beneath the zoo, with an elevator up to the entry, which is the public option the zoo's own site points people toward. For wider public coordination context, see portland.gov.
Then there is the third route: the chauffeur drop-and-loop. The standard pattern sends the car east on Canyon to a holding point near the Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial, or south to the Washington Park rose garden lot. Pickup lands at the same curb on the family's text, usually 90 minutes to 2 hours after the drop. To reserve, see book Portland chauffeur service.
The 1,200-vehicle lot and the 5 p.m. fill
Through New Year's, the on-site lot is full by 5 p.m. on December weekends. The World Forestry Center overflow fills by 5:30 p.m. Come 6 p.m., self-park families are either circling or hiking 10 to 15 minutes uphill from Knights Boulevard.
The MAX Red and Blue Line option
Sitting 260 feet underground, the Washington Park station has an elevator to the zoo entry. Trains come every 15 minutes at $2.80 a fare, and Pioneer Square to the zoo platform runs about 9 minutes. For a couple downtown with no strollers to haul, the MAX is the right call.
The chauffeur drop pattern
Five minutes before the timed-entry slot, the chauffeur pulls to the SW Canyon Road main entry and the family steps out at the curb. The car then clears to a quiet shoulder for 90 minutes to 2 hours and comes back on the family's text. Same curb, drop and pickup.
The 90-minute loop and the held-vehicle rate
Waiting at the holding point and any delay at the timed-entry curb both fall under the held-vehicle hourly rate. A 3-hour booking takes care of the home-to-zoo leg, the 90-minute hold, and the return. A family of six in the Escalade ESV lands at $405 with the 20 percent service fee included.
04The Manifest
Vehicle Sizing For Family
And Multi-Family Bookings.
Three vehicle profiles cover most ZooLights bookings, sorted by family size and the rest of the evening's stops. The Volvo S90 at $110 per hour suits three or four. The Cadillac Escalade ESV at $135 per hour handles five or six with car seats and strollers. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter at $165 per hour seats 8 to 14 in captain's chairs.
The Escalade does the heavy lifting: two strollers fit in the cargo, and the captain's-chair second row takes three rear-facing car seats. The Sprinter carries two coordinated families on one Christmas night, which settles the caravan question two SUVs running in parallel always hit in holiday traffic west of downtown. For a full rate breakdown, see the Portland chauffeur pricing guide 2026.
| Vehicle | Hourly | Typical booking | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volvo S90 | $110 / hr | $330 (3-hr minimum) | Couple or 2-3 |
| Cadillac Escalade ESV | $135 / hr | $540 (4-hr multi-stop) | Family of 4-6 |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter | $165 / hr | $825 (5-hr multi-stop) | Group of 8-14 |
The 20 percent service fee is already included. Held-vehicle rate covers the wait. Marquee holds Portland private-for-hire permitting (since 2018) and $1 million commercial liability.
Volvo S90 ($110 per hour)
Right for three or four on a focused ZooLights night. Home to the zoo, a 90-minute lights walk, and back home inside a 3-hour window at the 3-hour minimum of $495.
Cadillac Escalade ESV ($135 per hour)
Room for five or six with car seats and strollers. A family of six running ZooLights, Peacock Lane, and the Grotto inside a 4-hour window comes to $540 with the 20 percent service fee included.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter ($165 per hour)
Holds a multi-family group of 8 to 14 on the full holiday-lights run in one vehicle. A 12-passenger booking covering ZooLights, Peacock Lane, the Grotto, and a closing Christmas Ships stop fits a 5-hour window at $825 with the 20 percent service fee included.
Booking the held-vehicle hourly rate
Wait time at every stop rides on the held-vehicle rate in a single booking, with the same chauffeur from pickup to final drop. Most multi-stop nights run 4 to 5 hours, from a 5 p.m. pickup to a 9:30 p.m. drop.
05The Multi-Stop Itinerary
ZooLights, Peacock Lane,
And The Grotto In One Booking.
Running 90 minutes to 2 hours, ZooLights is the anchor, and two or three other Portland Christmas traditions stack around it. The usual shape: ZooLights on a 5:30 p.m. timed entry, a Peacock Lane drop on the way back across town, then the Grotto Festival of Lights as the late stop before the hotel return.
Here is the transit math. ZooLights to Peacock Lane runs 22 to 25 minutes east on US-26 to I-405 and over the Burnside Bridge to SE 39th. Peacock Lane to the Grotto takes 12 to 15 minutes north on SE 39th and Sandy Boulevard. A 5 p.m. pickup through a 9:30 p.m. drop fits all three stops inside a 4-to-5-hour booking. For the wider evening pattern, see night on the town.
ZooLights to Peacock Lane
East on US-26 to I-405 north, off at I-84, down to SE 39th. That 22-to-25-minute hop lands inside the Peacock Lane 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. mid-evening window. Families walk the block on a December 15-17 night or ride the slow drive-through December 18-31.
Peacock Lane to the Grotto Festival of Lights
North on SE 39th to NE Sandy, then east to NE 85th. A 12-to-15-minute drive puts the family at the Grotto by 8:30 p.m. for the indoor chapel window. The Grotto lights more than a million bulbs across 62 acres, timed-entry tickets required.
Adding the Christmas Ships parade
On most December evenings the Christmas Ships parade lights the Willamette and Columbia from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Watch from the Sellwood Riverfront, Cathedral Park, or the Vancouver waterfront. Folding it in stretches the night to 5 hours in one Sprinter booking.
The daytime Pittock Mansion add-on
Through December, Pittock Mansion runs daylight holiday tours, its historic interior dressed by Portland-area garden clubs. From Pittock the chauffeur heads back down to a 5 p.m. ZooLights timed entry on the same held-vehicle booking.
06Accessibility
Wheelchair-Friendly Path,
Curb Cut, Covered Overhang.
At oregonzoo.org the zoo posts an accessibility map that traces the wheelchair-friendly path along the central paved walkway. Wheelchair rentals at the entry go for $7 with a $20 deposit, and ECV scooter rentals run $20 with the same deposit. Service animals are welcome. Both the Marquee Escalade and the Sprinter carry a foldable wheelchair or walker in the cargo.
On SW Canyon Road, the drop point meets the wheelchair-friendly entrance at a flat curb cut under a covered overhang. For families traveling with grandparents or mobility-restricted members, that beats self-park by a wide margin. Flag the access requirement at booking, and dispatch routes the drop to the nearest curb cut.
The wheelchair-friendly path
Covering roughly 80 percent of the lit displays, the central paved loop skips the steeper sections near the lower exhibits. End to end, the wheelchair-accessible loop runs about 1 mile.
Rentals and service animals
At the entry, wheelchair rentals cost $7 plus a $20 deposit and ECV scooters $20 plus the deposit. Both go first-come, and supply thins on peak nights. Service animals are welcome the whole loop.
The Marquee curb drop and pickup
On the timed-entry minute the chauffeur stages curbside at the flat curb cut beside the wheelchair-friendly entrance, helps unload the wheelchair or walker, and clears for the loop. Pickup returns to the same curb on the family's text.
Sensory-friendly considerations
Crowds and noise stay lower at the 5 p.m. timed entries than at the 6:30 p.m. peak. The thinnest crowds of the season land on weeknight entries between November 28 and December 17.
07What To Wear
35-To-45-Degree Cold,
Even Odds Of Rain.
A ZooLights walk covers about 1 mile over 90 minutes to 2 hours. Between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., temperatures sit at 35 to 45 degrees with even odds of rain. What holds up: layers, a waterproof outer shell, warm socks, and shoes that shrug off wet sidewalks. Hats and gloves are the line between a comfortable walk and a kid asking to leave 30 minutes in.
Set to the family's preferred temperature, the chauffeur cabin gives a warm reset between stops, with bottled water on multi-stop bookings. An extra pair of socks for the kids is the small thing that rescues a rain night.
Layering for the December walk
Across the 90-minute loop, a waterproof outer shell over an insulated mid-layer and a moisture-wicking base does the job. Wool or synthetic mid-layers keep their warmth even when damp.
Hats, gloves, and the kid math
Without head and hand cover, most kids hit the cold-tolerance wall about 30 minutes in. Add hats and gloves and that wall shifts to 60 to 75 minutes, close enough to the 90-minute ZooLights loop.
Waterproof footwear
Gore-Tex hikers, rubber boots, or waterproof sneakers all pass. Cotton-canvas shoes and ordinary running sneakers give out inside the first 20 minutes of a wet walk.
The chauffeur cabin reset
Between stops, the cabin is the warm break that keeps a multi-stop holiday-lights night doable for kids and grandparents. Temperature dialed to preference, dry seats, bottled water.
08Restaurants
Pre-Light Dinner On NW 23rd,
Or Post-Light Downtown.
A lot of ZooLights bookings slot a meal in, whether before the 5 p.m. entry or after the 7 p.m. exit. The nearest tables sit on NW 23rd Avenue and in the West End downtown, both a 10-to-12-minute drive east from the zoo. The dinner wait rides on the held-vehicle hourly rate inside the booking.
The pairings that land: a 4 p.m. pre-light table at Serratto on NW 23rd, Le Pigeon on East Burnside, or Higgins on SW Broadway; a 7:30 p.m. post-light dinner at Tasty n Alder downtown, Andina in the Pearl, or Pok Pok back across the Hawthorne Bridge; a 9 p.m. closing dessert at Salt and Straw on NW 23rd or Pinolo Gelato on Division.
Pre-light dinner at 4 p.m.
Book a 4 p.m. table at Serratto on NW 23rd, Le Pigeon on East Burnside, or Higgins on SW Broadway and the family is back in the cabin by 4:50 p.m., hitting the 5 p.m. timed-entry curb on the minute.
Post-light dinner at 7:30 p.m.
A 7 p.m. ZooLights exit has the family in the cabin by 7:10 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. table downtown at Tasty n Alder, Andina in the Pearl, or Pok Pok across the Hawthorne Bridge. The 90-minute dinner wait rides on the held-vehicle rate curbside.
Late dessert run
Cap the night with a 9 p.m. dessert at Salt and Straw on NW 23rd or Pinolo Gelato on SE Division and the booking rounds to a clean 4-hour window. Zoo to NW 23rd runs 10 minutes, and back to a downtown hotel block another 7 to 8.
Hotel-block in-room dining
On PDX-inbound bookings at the Hilton, the Heathman, the Sentinel, or the Nines, families often skip the post-light dinner and eat in-room. The chauffeur drops at hotel valet on the 7:30 p.m. exit. It is the standard move for families with kids under 8.
09When To Book
Peak Nights Fill 4-6 Weeks Out,
The Sprinter Goes First.
For peak nights, meaning Friday and Saturday from December 18 onward and the full week of Christmas, multi-stop holiday-lights bookings fill 4 to 6 weeks ahead. The Sprinter goes first, because there is only one. The Escalade ESV is the next-tightest hold, and the Volvo S90 keeps availability the longest.
Order of operations: lock the ZooLights timed-entry slot at oregonzoo.org, then book the chauffeur to match the entry minute. A 5 p.m. entry pairs with a 4:30 p.m. pickup from a downtown hotel block, or a 4:15 p.m. pickup from a southeast Portland home. For airport coordination, see PDX airport car service.
Peak-night lead time
From December 18 onward, Friday and Saturday fill 4 to 6 weeks ahead. The full week of Christmas (December 22 through 26) is the tightest window of all. The Sprinter goes 1 to 2 weeks ahead of that, with the Escalade close behind.
Off-peak weeknight availability
Between November 28 and December 17, Tuesday through Thursday keep same-week availability. Those off-peak weeknights also run lighter crowds at ZooLights itself, which makes the viewing easier on younger kids and grandparents.
The booking flow
Reserve the timed-entry slot at oregonzoo.org first, then call Marquee dispatch at (503) 706-8662 with the entry time and pickup address. Dispatch plots the route and stages the same chauffeur and vehicle for the whole evening.
Late-cancel and weather closures
A few nights each season, severe weather closes ZooLights, and the zoo posts it by 2 p.m. on the affected day. On a closure night Marquee reschedules the same day at no penalty, and the held-vehicle rate carries to the new date.
10Who It Fits
PDX Inbound Families,
Multi-Family Groups, Grandparents.
Four family profiles fit ZooLights well. PDX-inbound holiday families flying in for the week who want an anchor kid-night. Multi-family groups pulling two or three sets of cousins into a single Sprinter booking. Grandparents in for the holiday week who want the lights without the uphill parking-lot walk in the rain. Photographers slotting a holiday-card shot into the 4:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. blue-hour window before the timed-entry curb.
Where the fit falls apart: a single adult or couple after a quick ZooLights run. For two riders the MAX is cheaper and faster. The Marquee math works when the booking covers a family of three or more, a multi-family group, or a multi-stop pairing where the held-vehicle rate carries across the night. For the wider pattern, see Christmas town car service.
PDX-inbound holiday families
Families flying into PDX for the holiday week often set ZooLights as the headline kid-night. One chauffeur and vehicle carry the whole visit: PDX to the downtown hotel on arrival, ZooLights as the headline night, and back to PDX on departure.
Multi-family groups in the Sprinter
With captain's chairs, the Sprinter at $165 per hour seats 8 to 14 across two or three coordinated families. A single-vehicle booking clears the caravan question two SUVs always face in holiday traffic west of downtown.
Grandparents and mobility-restricted members
Grandparents in for the holiday week often skip the parking-lot walk and take the Marquee curb drop instead. The Escalade second-row captain's chair sits at a comfortable entry height.
Photographers working the blue hour
From late November through December, Portland sunset lands at 4:30 p.m. The 4:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. blue hour lines up with the early timed-entry slots, handing parents a 30-minute photo window with the lit displays against a deep blue sky.
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Frequently Asked
Questions, Answered.
When does ZooLights open and run?
ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo opens the day after Thanksgiving in late November and runs nightly through about the first weekend of January. Closure dates fall on Christmas Eve evening, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve evening. Lights come on at 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. depending on the calendar and stay on until 9 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. The 2026-27 calendar posts at oregonzoo.org by mid-October. Member preview week opens 7 days before public sale. Marquee dispatch checks the calendar against the booking and confirms the entry-time slot at booking. Late-season weather closures pull a night or two each season, and the zoo posts those by 2 p.m. on the affected day.
How does the chauffeur drop-and-loop work for ZooLights?
The chauffeur arrives at the SW Canyon Road main entry 5 minutes before the timed-entry slot. The family steps out at the flat curb cut next to the wheelchair-friendly entrance and the chauffeur clears east on Canyon to a holding point near the Vietnam Veterans of Oregon Memorial, or south to the Washington Park rose garden lot, depending on traffic. The 90-minute to 2-hour lights walk runs at the family's pace and pickup is the same curb on the family's text. The held-vehicle hourly rate covers the wait at the holding point. On a multi-stop pairing across Peacock Lane, the Grotto, or the Christmas Ships, the same chauffeur and vehicle hold across the full night.
How do timed-entry tickets work and when do they sell out?
Tickets at oregonzoo.org are dated and required even for members, with entry windows in 30-minute slots starting at 5 p.m. on most nights. Adult tickets run $14 to $20 and kids run $11 to $17 depending on peak versus off-peak. Peak nights are Friday and Saturday from December 18 onward, plus the full week of Christmas. Those sell out 1 to 2 weeks in advance, especially the 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. windows. Off-peak weeknights between November 28 and December 17 hold same-week availability. Members get a 7-day early-access window in mid-November.
Is parking really that bad at the Oregon Zoo on December nights?
The on-site lot at 1,200 spaces fills by 5 p.m. on December weekends and the full week of Christmas. The overflow at the World Forestry Center fills behind it by 5:30 p.m. By 6 p.m. the self-park family is either circling Knights Boulevard or parking on a residential block with a 10-to-15-minute walk back uphill in 35-to-45-degree weather. Strollers make that walk harder. The MAX Red and Blue Line drops at the Washington Park station with an elevator to the zoo entry, which is the public-option answer the zoo's own site recommends. The chauffeur drop sidesteps both the lot question and the elevator wait.
Can you handle wheelchair access or mobility-restricted family members?
Yes. The Cadillac Escalade ESV and the Sprinter both take a foldable wheelchair, walker, or ECV scooter in the cargo, and the chauffeur handles the load and unload at the curb. The drop point on SW Canyon Road sits at a flat curb cut next to the wheelchair-friendly entrance with a covered overhang. The wheelchair-accessible path inside the zoo runs a 1-mile loop on paved concrete and covers about 80 percent of the lit displays. Wheelchair rentals at the entry run $7 plus a $20 deposit. ECV scooter rentals run $20 plus the same deposit. Mention the access requirement at booking and dispatch routes the drop to the entry curb cut closest to the wheelchair-friendly path.
How kid-friendly is ZooLights?
ZooLights is built around families with kids under 12. The 1.5 million LEDs, the lit tunnels along the central path, the holiday train at $5 per rider running through several tunnels, and the carousel near the main entry at $3 per rider are the parts kids remember on the way home. Some animals are visible during the 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. early window before the indoor exhibits dim for the night. The walking loop runs 90 minutes to 2 hours, which suits a 5-year-old in a stroller or an 8-year-old walking. The Escalade ESV and the Sprinter cabin between stops handles the cold-and-wet reset on a multi-pairing night without losing the kids to a meltdown.
Can we book a multi-family group in one vehicle?
Yes. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter at $165 per hour with captain's chairs holds 8 to 14 across two or three coordinated families on a single ZooLights night. The single-vehicle booking removes the caravan question that two SUVs running in parallel always face on the holiday traffic west of downtown. A 12-passenger booking across two families running ZooLights, Peacock Lane, the Grotto, and a closing Christmas Ships stop fits inside a 5-hour window at $825 with the 20 percent service fee included. The held-vehicle hourly rate covers the wait at every stop with one chauffeur from the first pickup to the final drop.
How late can the chauffeur run for the closing pickup?
ZooLights closes at 9 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. depending on the night. Closing pickup at the SW Canyon Road curb runs 5 to 10 minutes after closing on the family's text. A multi-stop pairing that adds the Grotto Festival of Lights or the Christmas Ships parade pushes the closing leg to 10 p.m. or 11 p.m. Dispatch is 24/7 at (503) 706-8662, and pickup hours through 1 a.m. stay on the standard hourly rate with no overnight surcharge on a held-vehicle booking. For families on PDX-inbound stays, the closing leg runs back to the downtown hotel valet on the same vehicle and the same chauffeur.
When does the MAX make more sense than the chauffeur?
For a single adult or a couple making a fast ZooLights run from a downtown hotel, the MAX Red and Blue Line is faster and cheaper. Pioneer Square Station to the Washington Park station is about 9 minutes at $2.80 per rider. The chauffeur math turns favorable when the booking covers a family of three or more, a multi-family group, a grandparent or mobility-restricted member, or a multi-stop pairing where the held-vehicle rate carries across the night. Strollers and child seats tip the math toward the chauffeur, because hauling them on the MAX adds friction that erases the cost gap.
What other Portland Christmas lights pair well with ZooLights?
Most Marquee ZooLights bookings stretch the evening to 4 or 5 hours and add Peacock Lane and the Grotto Festival of Lights. Peacock Lane is the one-block holiday tradition between SE Stark and SE Belmont, walk-only December 15-17 and slow drive-through December 18-31. The Grotto on NE 85th and Sandy Boulevard runs more than a million lights across 62 acres with timed-entry tickets and a chapel music schedule. The Christmas Ships parade lights up the Willamette and Columbia on most December evenings between 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., with viewing from the Sellwood Riverfront, Cathedral Park, and the Vancouver waterfront. Pittock Mansion runs holiday interior tours during daylight hours that fold in earlier on a Saturday.
About the Author
Ilyas Khairi is the founder of Marquee Chauffeur, a Portland luxury black car and chauffeur service operating under Portland Bureau of Transportation certification since 2018 with $1 million in commercial liability coverage. He and his team of fully employed, background-checked chauffeurs run ZooLights and Oregon Zoo chauffeur runs in Portland through every season.
Reserve Your Chauffeur
Reserve a Portland
Chauffeur Now.
Book your ZooLights at the Oregon Zoo chauffeur. Marquee Chauffeur at (503) 706-8662, 24/7. Volvo S90 at $110 per hour for a single family. Cadillac Escalade ESV at $135 per hour for a family of six on the multi-stop pairing across ZooLights, Peacock Lane, the Grotto Festival of Lights, and Pittock Mansion. Mercedes-Benz Sprinter at $165 per hour for a multi-family group of 8 to 14. The drop-and-loop pattern at the SW Canyon Road main entry, the held-vehicle hourly rate covering the 90-minute lights walk and multi-stop transit. PDX hotel-block coordination, accessibility-friendly curb drop, late pickup through 1 a.m. on the standard hourly rate. Licensed and permitted since 2018, $1 million commercial liability, chauffeurs fully employed on payroll.