Community Events
SCH hosts engaging and enriching community events for all ages! From long-standing, beloved events like the Halloween Spooktacular, to new events like the Music at The Shack, the Lantern Walk and Nutcracker Tea Parties, Sellwood Community House is always looking for ways to engage, entertain, and bring people together.
Sellwood Community House Events & Workshops
Past Events & Photo Galleries
Sellwood Sessions Concert Series
Sellwood Sessions
The Sellwood Community House brings live music to Sellwood as part of its mission to be a welcoming, intergenerational hub where people of all backgrounds can learn, play, build community, and foster lasting connections and friendships. Music brings a richness to community gathering, adding layers of connection. The “Sellwood Sessions” is the umbrella name for the growing ways that we host musicians in our neighborhood.
Winter Series at Oaks Pioneer Church
Second Fridays, January-May | 7pm-8:30pm | tickets $40-$60 | oaks pioneer church
The Sellwood Sessions at the historic Oaks Pioneer Church offer an intimate, jewel-box concert experience in one of Portland’s most enchanting spaces. With its warm acoustics, glowing wood interior, and stained-glass charm, the Oaks Pioneer Church creates a setting where audiences can connect deeply with the music and the artists who bring it to life.
These performances not only celebrate the beauty of live, local music—they also serve as a fundraiser to support future concerts and community music programs hosted by the Sellwood Community House. Each session is a reminder that when people gather in special places to share art, they help sustain the creative spirit that makes Sellwood thrive.
Artist Line-Up:
January 9…….Katy & the Null Sets: Canceled
February 13….Laura Veirs: Sold Out, Join Wait List Here
March 13………The Delines: Sold Out, Join Wait List Here
April 10…………Jenny Conlee (of the Decembrists): Click Here for Tickets
May 8……………Laura Gibson: Click Here for Tickets
Summer Series at Sellwood Park
Friday Summer Evenings, July-September | 7pm-8:30pm | free | the shack at sellwood park
On summer evenings beneath the shade of 100-year-old fir trees, local musicians fill the park with gentle sound while little kids dance in the grass and neighbors gather on blankets and lawn chairs. You can overhear conversations about dogs, home gardens, and favorite neighborhood businesses—simple moments that weave the fabric of community tighter.
These concerts, launched in 2025, bring vibrance to summer nights, transforming the park into a living reflection of the joy and connection at the heart of the Sellwood Community House’s mission. The music is free, and participants can purchase snacks and drinks from the Shack, or check-out a ball, frisbee or hula hoop to really settle into the joy! In 2025 we brought 10 local musicians to the neighborhood to share their sound and stories with our community.
We are booking bands for Summer 2026!
If you or anyone you know might like to play, please click here to fill out the interest form.
Community Events
Author Readings at Sellwood Community House
Three Wednesdays in february, march & april | 7:00-9:00 pm | free | SCH
Join SCH and Sarah Bunger, series curator and two-time Moth GrandSLAM Champion, for a series of local author readings. Enjoy listening to authors read excerpts from their books, followed by a moderated discussion and question & answer session. Books & beverages will be available for purchase, with snacks provided on the house. We hope you can join us for one or all of our author readings!
February 18th: Carolyn Dasher and American Sky
March 11th: Evan Williams and The Divide
April 8th: Tori Eldridge and Hawai'i Rage (to be released in May, but advance copies will be for sale at the reading)
Have a book you would like to share at a future author reading? Please click here to fill out our author interest form! We plan events on a quarterly basis, so it may take a little while for us to get back to you…but thank you for your interest!
March: Evan Williams & The Divide
Wednesday, March 11 | 7:00-9:00 pm | free, RSVP Here | SCH
The Divide is a thematically unified collection of stories, unflinchingly honest and unsentimental but packing an emotional wallop that’s earned all the more for its dry-eyed depictions of lonely people struggling to find something to connect with in the world, in other people, and in themselves. In this, his fourth book, Williams shows he is a storyteller at the height of his craft.
-Jeff Fearnside, author of Ships in the Desert
Evan Williams has published over seventy-five short stories in literary magazines, including The Kenyon Review, ZYZZYVA, Alaska Quarterly Review, Witness, and The Antioch Review. He has published three collections of short stories: Thorn, winner of Chandra Prize at BkMk Press in 2014; Canyons: Older Stories in 2018; and Stories of the New West, published by Main Street Rag in 2021. Williams holds an MFA from the University of Montana, is a three-time mentor in AWP’s Writer to Writer Mentorship Program, and was a 2024 Oregon Literary Fellow in Fiction and a recipient of the Laurell Swails and Donald Monroe Memorial Fellowship. He is retired after twenty-nine years of public school teaching.
Milk Carton Boat Race Open House
Saturday, March 14 | 12:00 - 2:00 pm | Free | SCH Lobby
Curious about how to build a milk carton boat? Join us for an Open House on Saturday, March 14! Learn tips and tricks on milk carton boat construction, and leave with up to 100 milk cartons. RSVP Here!
For more information about the Milk Carton Boat Race, click here!
Sellwood Community House will be an official pick-up site for milk cartons…stay tuned for more information on when they will become available.
Sellwood Community House will sponsor a family fun zone at the Milk Carton Boat Race - we hope to see you there!
CASH Oregon Tax Preparation Assistance
Tuesdays | 9:00am - 1pm | appointments required, no walk-ins | register with cash oregon here
MFS CASH (Creating Assets, Savings and Hope) Oregon is an Economic Empowerment Program of Metropolitan Family Service(this link opens in a new window) committed to improving the financial lives of low to moderate income working families and individuals by providing free, high-quality tax preparation and culturally responsive outreach to communities likely to face barriers to accessing tax credits.
As part of our commitment to reducing barriers to accessing tax credits, CASH Oregon provides comprehensive Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) assistance so that hardworking taxpayers who traditionally miss out on the credits they qualify for because they or their family members do not have social security numbers to use on tax returns can get their rightful refunds as well.
Click Here to Learn More about Who Qualifies for This Service
District 4 Town Hall
Tuesday, april 14 | 6:00-8:00 pm | free | SCH
Sellwood Community House is pleased to host a District 4 Town Hall, hosted by Council Vice President Olivia Clark and Councilor Eric Zimmerman, and including City Administrator Raymond C. Lee III. Click Here for More Information!
Classical Up Close Pop-Up Performance
Monday, May 4 | 1:15-2:00 pm | free | SCH
Join us for a Classical Up Close Pop-Up Performance, part of a Festival of Free Concerts presented by musicians of the Oregon Symphony. On the program for Monday, May 4 are Emily Cole, violin and Marilyn de Oliveira, cello. We hope you can join us for a wonderful afternoon of lovely music in the Sellwood Community House lobby!
Portland Cantonese Play + Learn
once a month on saturdays | 10:00 am - 12:00 PM | free | SCH
The mission of Portland Cantonese Play + Learn is to connect Cantonese-speaking families by providing a nurturing environment where young children can develop strong language skills and deepen their connection to Cantonese culture. Through interactive language lessons, cultural activities, and community engagement, we empower families to celebrate and preserve their heritage while fostering bilingualism in the next generation.
Join us for a once-a month gathering, complete with a language activity, storytime, crafts + open play!
Dates:
March 21
April 11
May 9
June 13
Annual SCH Events
Enjoy a peek at some of the fun events we host year-round.
We hope to see you at Sellwood Community House soon!
Past Events this Fall
Dog Show with Sellwood Senior Living
Click Here for Photos from the 2025 Dog Show!
Sellwood Senior Living hosted their first annual dog show in Sellwood Park! This event was open to anyone who loves dogs and enjoys having fun! Admission was completely free, and optional donations went directly to support the Oregon Humane Society. Guests enjoyed complimentary hot dogs, popcorn, and cotton candy while celebrating their four-legged friends.
Sellwood Ghost Tours
Three Fridays in OCTOBER | 8:00-9:00pm | $25, purchase tickets here | meet at the shack at sellwood park
Take a spooky tour through Sellwood’s haunted history! Recommended for a teenage-adult audience. NOTE: Ghost Tours will start and end at The Shack at Sellwood Park.
Dates: October 3, October 10 & October 24
Recommended for teens & adults, Purchase Tickets Here
History Happy Hour
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11 | 5:30-7:00 pm | $45, tickets available here | SCH Lobby
Fresh Fruit and Free Love: The Lewelling Family Legacy
Discover the fascinating story of the Lewellings—early local settlers who fought for abolition, women’s and immigrant rights, and helped shape the Pacific Northwest’s fruit-growing history by planting the first grafted trees at Waverley Golf Club. From secret Underground Railroad missions, to free love, spiritualism, and seances, this talk unveils a family whose passion for justice, fruit, and freedom helped shape history both in Oregon and beyond.
Bespoke cocktails & delicious happy hour fare included with your ticket! All funds raised go to support Sellwood Community House. Special thanks to Kelly Luzania, our wonderful volunteer neighborhood historian!
Lantern Walk
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16 | 5-8 PM | $20/child’s ticket, $10/lantern kit, adults free | SELLWOOD PARK
The annual Lantern Walk is a magical, mystical tour through Sellwood Park, with mythical creatures, storytellers and musicians along the way, as well as lots of magical trinkets to fill your pockets!
Purchase one ticket per child, adults attend for free.
Please note, our pre-sale lantern kits have sold out.
Purchase Tickets for the Lantern Walk Here
Spooktacular
Click Here to View Our Wonderful Neighborhood Sponors!
Sellwood’s favorite Halloween festival returns, with tricks and treats for all. All ages welcome at this annual celebration of all things Halloween!
Please note: We will sell timed-entry tickets for the Carnival Games in the Gym, but the rest of the festival, on the main floor and outdoors, is open to all ticket holders at all times! Join us for donuts-on-a-string, apple cider pressing, face painting, pumpkin games & more! Also featured:
A frightfully sweet variety of treats will be available at our delicious bake sale, with proceeds to benefit our After School Enrichment Program!
Juggles the Clown will be twisting balloon animals to delight our guests!
Purchase Spooktacular Ticktets Here
(Online ticket sales will close at noon on Saturday 10/25, but tickets will be available for purchase at the door)
Spooktacular Baby Ghost Preview
Saturday, October 25 | 3-4 PM | $15/child’s ticket, $5/adults | SELLWOOD community house
Join us for a sweetly spooky preschool preview hour. Your littles can enjoy tricks and treats in a smaller setting before the carnival kicks into full gear! For children 4 and under and their families (older siblings welcome!).
Newly Added: Local children’s authors Zoey Abbott & Megan Woodward will lead a sweetly spooky storytime during the Baby Ghost Preview!
Please Note: The Baby Ghost Hour is sold out, but children of all ages are welcome to come to the main event, and baby ghost games will be available all evening.Tickets Available Here!
The Ghosts of Sellwood
Some friendly neighborhood spirits paid us a visit recently, and we’ll be displaying pictures from their day out and about in Sellwood at this weekend’s Spooktacular! Would you like to deck your halls with similar whimsy? Click on the link below to purchase prints! All proceeds will benefit our After School Enrichment program. Thank you for supporting Sellwood Community House!
Click Here to View our Online Print Gallery & to Purchase Prints!
Nutcracker Tea
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7 | 10 AM & 2 PM | $45/child, $60/adult | SCH
The Nutcracker Tea is Sold Out.
Join us for a magical journey through the land of sweets! Enjoy a curated tea menu with sweets, savories, and specialty teas, while Classical Ballet Academy dancers perform Nutcracker vignettes. An enchanted way to welcome in the holiday season with friends and loved ones!
A special thank you to Classical Ballet Academy and their wonderful dancers!
SMURK Singalong at Oaks Pioneer Church
FridaY, DECEMBER 12 | 6:30 - 7:30 PM | oaks pioneer church
Join the Sellwood Community House Band, the Sellwood Moreland Ukulele Revival Klub, for a festive holiday sing along at Oaks Pioneer Church. Great songs, great musicians, and a great venue - we hope to see you there!
The singalong is part of 15 Days of Decemberville, a neighborhood-wide celebration of the holidays in Sellwood/Moreland. Click Here for More Information!
Decemberville Holiday Market
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13 | 10:00 AM-3:00 PM | SCH
Join us for a whimsical holiday market full of local makers and vendors, including a hot cocoa bar and bake sale! This year, our market is planned in conjunction with Sellwood Moreland’s Decemberville festivities, sure to be a wonderful day to enjoy the neighborhood and check holiday shopping off your to do list!
Bakers needed!
One treasured feature of our Holiday Market is our confection boutique in the lobby. If you have a favorite bake that you would like to share, please click here to sign up for our bake sale, and thank you!
Hanukkah Party and Latke Fest
monday, december 15 | 6:00 - 7:30 PM | $10 adults, $5 children | Sellwood Community House Kitchen
Gather in the Sellwood Community House kitchen for an all you can eat latke fest, complete with a toppings bar & lots of holiday cheer! We are delighted to be hosting our first Hanukkah party, and we can't wait to celebrate with you!
Click Here for Tickets to Our Hanukkah Party!*
*Ticket sales close end of day Sunday, December 14. No tickets will be sold at the door.
Would you like to be part of the latke cookoff? SCH will provide potatoes, eggs, flour, onions and spices (plus a toppings bar), or feel free to bring your own ingredients from home if you have a special recipe! Cookoff participants who are bringing their own ingredients can attend for free!
Lunar New Year Celebration
Click Here to View Photos from Our Past Celebrations!
Come celebrate the Lunar New Year with SCH and the Portland Cantonese Play + Learn Group! Enjoy lantern and horse crafts, treats, a DYI photo booth and a lion dance performed by the White Lotus Dragon & Lion Dance Group. Space for the lion dance is limited; be sure to reserve your spot!
