Portland Saturday Market — Attraction in Portland

To: Howie Bierbaum, Director

This correspondence is to formally notify you of conduct occurring under your leadership that raises serious ethical and professional concerns. By failing to address repeated incidents of targeted harassment, your office appears to be permitting — and therefore effectively condoning — such behavior.

On 11/02/2025, while I was lawfully walking along the public waterfront, I was subjected to continued harassment. Devin, an individual employed as a Social Security guard, along with additional personnel, followed me in a manner that was intimidating and without lawful justification.

This conduct not only creates a hostile environment, but also reflects directly upon your capacity to supervise and ensure that employees act in a lawful, ethical, and non-discriminatory manner consistent with public-safety duties and professional standards.

I expect this matter to be reviewed promptly, and appropriate corrective action to be taken to prevent any further misconduct. To, Paul Verhoeven - Executive Director - Portland Saturday Market 7-28-2024 Same people following me. Skinny security w- black hat and the the bearded guy . This must stop.

On 7-13-2024, the same person followed me again, but this time he had a big white man and a white girl with him, and he was once again pointing me out. Why? I reached out to Executive Director Paul Verhoeven online last week, but he has not responded. Additionally, on 7-13-2024, the same security guard fetched another white girl and a white man, and they stood there staring at me, pointing me out. Why is this person following me and pointing me out to other people? Why has this been going on for months, if not a year, with no response from the executive director?

On Sunday, 4-14-2024, I had great tacos and dessert. However, what was invasive were two shady white men—one bearded with dark sunglasses and the other skinny with a hat—who followed me around. Even as we were eating on the sidewalk away from the market, they stood there pointing at me. It's weird because the bearded guy is known as a racist who was fired from his previous job with Portland Parks and Recreation.

This place is not inclusive, full of racist security using microaggressions to harass Black and brown people, including Indians, natives, Mexicans, Arabians, and Middle Eastern individuals. This behavior is reminiscent of the Jim Crow era. Portland has been redlined, genocided, and then gentrified, all in the name of privilege. This is why we get harrased. The security is reminiscent of Derrick Chauvin. While he is following me around so many patrons are walking on the water front with their alcohol beverages. Which is prohibited so...

The Portland Saturday Market's star has been in decline for sometime. With the advent of the Vancouver Waterfront and nearby farmers market, as well as the rise of other farmer's markets around the metro area, coupled with the fact that both it, and downtown in general, never really recovered from the COVID era, it's hard to justify more than one visit a year here, and even that is starting to become a bit of a stretch.

PSM just doesn't have the same exuberant, vibrant energy it once had. Even though all the pieces are still there, something about the soul of the market has faded. It's still filled with numerous vendors selling handcrafted artisan wares of all types, from jewelry to leather goods to framed artwork, clothing boutiques, home décor, and a seemingly dwindling handful of food carts and snack vendors. There's also the perennial presence of local flavor such as angry Evangelicals with megaphones, signs and speakers; Fentanyl-addled zombies yelling slurs and nonsense; as well as rampant graffiti, litter, and the pervasive smell of urine. Yay.

Many of these faults are attributable more to the overall decline of the city instead of the market itself, but its hard to divorce one from the other, particularly, I would imagine, for visitors and tourists. As a born-and-bred local to the area, the Saturday Market has ever been a place to kill some time browsing, but rarely a place where I purchase anything. There are a few exceptions, of course: the beef (and assorted other animals) jerky vendor, and the candied roasted nuts vendor across Naito are notable. More often than not these days, though, the PSM is more of a detour, or simply a place to pass through while headed to other, more engaging downtown landmarks, such as Powell's, Dan & Louis, Raven's Manor, and others, or simply for a long, leisurely stroll down Tom McCall Waterfront Park (which, unfortunately, has also suffered similarly over the past few years).

It's not all doom-and-gloom here, but the Portland Saturday Market used to be a headlining feature of the Portland Waterfront; now, it feels like more of an...

Adjacent to and under the Burnside Bridge in downtown Portland, the market extends west across Pacific Hwy. Food stalls, arts and crafts, clothing and hats, musical instruments, jewelry ... you name it and it can be found at the Portland Saturday (and Sunday) Market.

You can find reasonably-priced parking in nearby public lots on the weekend or take either the Red or Blue Line to the nearby Skidmore Fountain MAX Station. Start under the Burnside Bridge next to the Willamette River and work your way south, then west across Pacific Hwy, ending your journey at Portland's legendary Voodoo Doughnuts to pick up a dozen of their unique and tasty treats to take home with you. Do not forget to take a photo at Voodoo Doughnuts and immediately across the street in front of the "Keep Portland Weird" wall mural.

Open every weekend from March through Christmas Eve, the market is open Saturdays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sundays from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm. Not much of a shopper myself, I simply enjoy people watching and sampling some of the eclectic food offerings both in the market and at neighborhood eateries.

Enjoy a couple of hours meandering through the 252 booths, sit and soak in the sun, watching the seagulls along the Willamette River, or shop to your heart's content. What more can you ask for?

CombatCritic Gives Portland Saturday Market 10 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More...