Events, Festivals & Assemblies
Community is the beating heart of Portland Waldorf School. Seasonal festivals, musical gatherings, and assemblies are tied to the rhythmic nature of our lives and weave together our shared humanity throughout the year.
Mark your calendars and check back here regularly for events that get updated or added throughout the school year. For a very detailed list of events, class schedules, meetings, sports events and much more, please log into your PWSConnect account and check the calendar for the most up-to-date information.
Upcoming 2025-26 Seasonal Events
Community Care Party
Some of the most important work we can do is to model for our children that we are dedicated to hard work and care for the spaces in which we live. Twice a year, PWS hosts a day of caring work, community building and fun in service to the beautiful land and buildings that hold our children every school day. Join fellow parents, faculty and staff for a variety of projects, both indoors and outdoors.
Childcare is not provided. Children of all ages are encouraged to join in the activities.
Saturday, August 23, 9am - 1pm
Michaél Festival Pageant
This pageant is an archetypal experience of the cycle of the seasons and the experience of being human in our world today. As the outer light fades, and leaves begin to turn and fall, we witness the transformation of nature. At the same time, we can begin to move out of the world of the senses and live more fully into our interior world, where riches of the life of the soul are cultivated. The Michaél Festival, which has at its heart the aspects of transformation and courage, can be a moment for all of us to remind ourselves of what it is to be truly human, here and now.
Students, teachers and staff in grades 1-12 recognize this transition time with a school pageant. The pageant is presented by students for students, in celebration of their inner development.
Tuesday, September 30, 11:45am
Harvest Festival
This all-school event celebrates the changing of the seasons and the bounty of harvest time. It is the first opportunity in the school year to come together with families from across all grade levels. Activities for students vary from year to year but include favorites such as spinning, weaving, apple pressing, blacksmithing, folk dancing, live music and pumpkin carving. The Early Childhood teachers often perform a puppet play for the smaller children, and a harvest table is set up for each family bring a dish to share at a festive community potluck.
Saturday, October 4, 9am - 1pm
Halloween Dances, Middle & High School
Friday and Saturday, October 24 & October 25, 7pm
Near the end of October, the middle school and high school organize a dance to which other local area Waldorf school students are invited. Friday is dedicated to middle school and Saturday is dedicated to high school.
High School Open House
Our annual High School Open House event offers the opportunity for both current and prospective families to learn about the curriculum in the High School. Teachers may present the highlights and focus of each grade and subject at our school or may offer sample classes. Parents/caregivers may also have the chance to hear from our current high school students about their experiences at PWS for a different perspective on the school.
Saturday, October 18, 1pm - 3pm
Dia De Los Muertos Assembly
In the days leading up to our Dia de los Muertos Assembly, we invite the whole community to join us in honoring our ancestors and those that have passed away. Traditional altars are set up outside the main office and in the high school hallway and all are welcome to contribute pictures, flowers and memories of family members and beloved animals.
Friday, October 31, 11:45am
Future 2025-26 Events
Winter Market
We celebrate the coming of winter and the holiday seasons with our Annual Winter Market. Held in the PWS gym, the market boasts beautiful, original crafts and works of art handmade by parents, students and talented community members. This day of supporting local artisans is accompanied by a festive atmosphere and live music.
Sunday, November 23, 10am
Spiral of Light Community Gathering
As the days grow noticeably shorter and the frosty winter nights approach their longest, we all begin to yearn for the light that so recently illuminated our lives. As a symbolic reminder of the journey inward that we each make during the dark days ahead, students participate in a beautiful Spiral of Light walk during the school day. During the evening, the Spiral is made available to adult alumni (12/1) and adult community members (12/2).
In a dimly lit room, attendees are invited to walk the spiral path of fresh evergreen boughs, which is decorated with shells, crystals, and stars of gold.
This community event is intended for adults only.
Monday & Tuesday, December 1 & 2, 6pm
Santa Lucia All Day School Celebration
According to the old Julian calendar, December 13 was the longest night of the year. The declining daylight reminded people that the season of cold and hunger was approaching. People yearned for a friendly spirit to intercede, restoring the light to the earth. Over many centuries, the spirit of light became personified in Santa Lucia, the Queen of Light. In many northern European countries, this day commemorates a young girl who was killed by Romans fifteen hundred years ago for refusing to give up her religion. There is also a legend that during a time of great hunger in Sweden, she miraculously appeared, her head surrounded by a halo of light. She brought food to the starving and filled their despairing hearts with light and warmth.
At PWS, various grades participate in this celebration with a procession of singing through the school. Each classroom is visited and special buns are delivered bringing light and nourishment in this cold, dark season.
Friday, December 12
Middle & High School Winter Concert
Concerts feature our strings classes, orchestra, bands, and choir. These groups present a variety of selections that showcase the work they've done in class. The music is diverse and ranges from folk to classical, to musicals, and rock.
Friday, January 16, 6pm
Grades School Winter Concert
Concerts feature our strings classes, orchestra, bands, and choir. These groups present a variety of selections that showcase the work they've done in class. The music is diverse and ranges from folk to classical, to musicals, and rock.
Friday, January 30, 6pm
Annual All-School Talent Show
Organized as a fundraiser by the high school’s senior class, the Talent Show is an evening event in the gym offering a sumptuous dinner and highly entertaining show suitable for all ages. It features a variety of acts performed by members of our school community from grades four and up (and often teachers and administrators as well). Don’t miss it!
Friday, February 27, 5:30pm
Annual Spring Gala
Our annual Gala is an elegant affair with delicious food and drink, lively music, and a live and silent auction. It’s a chance for everyone in the PWS community to put on their party attire and bring friends along for a wonderful evening of dancing, entertainment, and camaraderie that also raises essential funds for our school.
Saturday, March 14, 5pm - 9pm
Community Care Party
Some of the most important work we can do is to model for our children that we are dedicated to hard work and care for the spaces in which we live. Twice a year, PWS hosts a day of caring work, community building and fun in service to the beautiful land and buildings that hold our children every school day. Join fellow parents, faculty and staff for a variety of projects, both indoors and outdoors.
Childcare is not provided. Children of all ages are encouraged to join in the activities.
Saturday, April 25, 9am - 1pm
May Faire
This festival welcomes the return of Spring – the rebirth and growth of new plant life, the lengthening of the daylight hours, and the strengthening warmth of the sun. May Faire is our largest celebration of the year and is open to the outside community. This lovely event is a special time for us to invite our friends and neighbors to enjoy uniquely Waldorf style games, activities, live music, vendor market, crafts, food, the procession of the animals (4th graders) with the May Court (11th graders) and a traditional Maypole dance performed by Grade 6. The Early Childhood teachers offer a beautiful puppet show for our younger children several times throughout the day. Families are encouraged to bring their own picnic lunches but also partake of treats at the bake sale.
Saturday, May 2, 9am - 1pm
Middle & High School Winter Concert
Concerts feature our strings classes, orchestra, bands, and choir. These groups present a variety of selections that showcase the work they've done in class. The music is diverse and ranges from folk to classical, to musicals, and rock.
Friday, May 8, 6pm
Grades School Winter Concert
Concerts feature our strings classes, orchestra, bands, and choir. These groups present a variety of selections that showcase the work they've done in class. The music is diverse and ranges from folk to classical, to musicals, and rock.
Friday, May 15, 6pm
Senior Play Performances
Working with an experienced drama teacher, the Senior class prepares, rehearses and presents a full-length, full-production play. Students help design and acquire costumes, paint sets and prepare props, lights, program and playbill. The play is performed in an off campus theater
The entire community is invited and encouraged to attend. Recommended attendee age for the play changes from year to year depending on the chosen script.
Wednesday, May 27 - Saturday May 30
“Throughout the world, in all civilizations, there are celebrations reflecting nature’s rhythms, important transitions and significant moments in the life of the culture. We celebrate these to sustain and renew ourselves.
For many of us today, our busy lives and full schedules can limit the possibilities for us to participate in the marvel of the seasons. Festivals, marking the cardinal points in the year, can provide a touchstone for the cycles of the earth and renewal of the spirit. In Waldorf schools, the elements of festival—light, food, song and story—permeate the weekly school rhythm; but the cadence of the year receives its form through annual festivals of nature and humanity. We celebrate in ways that foster wonder, reverence and gratitude and nourish the future capacity to respond—to be responsible for and among the human community.”
— Adapted from our friends at Eugene Waldorf School