Wet, dark and dreary Oregon winters are being put to bed, as sunshine creeps out from behind the clouds, bringing and end to April showers and a start to May flowers.

People flock to the streets, looking for a way to take their indoor activities to the great outdoors: shopping, eating, drinking and more.

And what better a place to find all the necessities while soaking up the sunshine than a local outdoor market?

For the Rose City, its Portland Saturday Market has been around since the ’70s, offering blocks filled with crafts, food, drink and clothing vendors — and more.

Keelan Booth, a local filmmaker, created a documentary celebrating the culture, craft and traditions of the city’s market, “Portland Saturday Market: Celebrating 50 Years of Craft and Community,” which premieres at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 30, at Cinema 21, 616 N.W. 21st Ave., Portland.

We talked to Booth for her hot take on the market’s five notable moments spanning five decades; there might even be an extra, if you’re lucky.

Let’s see what she had to say:

The following information was collected by the Portland Tribune via email from Booth. We have adjusted the responses for clarity as needed.

1970s – The Founding
In 1974, Sheri Lundell (formerly Sheri Teasdale) and Andrea Scharf founded the market after being inspired by the framework of the Eugene Saturday Market which they had been a part of.

The Eugene Saturday Market had grown so large since its opening in 1970, it began encouraging other cities to start their own markets, and ultimately led to an entire movement of handcrafted markets opening in Oregon and up and down the West Coast.

The Portland Saturday Market began in the “Butterfly Lot,” the parking lot of the Import Plaza in Old Town, thanks to Bill Naito. After a couple of years, Naito helped the market move into a larger area underneath the west end of the Burnside Bridge and Ankeny Park.

1980s – MAX Line Installed
In 1986, the TriMet MAX train tracks were installed through Old Town, with a stop along the line at the Portland Saturday Market. The tracks displaced an area of the market around Ankeny Park, and so in return, the city had the Portland Saturday Market banners installed at the top of the staircases leading down to the market on either side of the bridge.

1990s – Shopping Local & Handcrafted Renaissance Draws Crowds
Portlanders, as well as tourists, flocked to the market as there was a rise in the movement to shop local and support artisans crafting goods by hand.

Bookmaking and calligraphy were a couple of the crafts Portland was famous for. No matter what type of craft shoppers were looking for, they knew they could find it at the Portland Saturday market.

2000s – Revitalization of Old Town and Establishing a Permanent Waterfront Home for the Market
Under the leadership of Portland Saturday Market Director Paul Verhoeven, the market helped to bring $17 million to Old Town for various renewal projects.

This included remodeling the Mercy Corps and University of Oregon buildings, and building the Bill Naito Legacy Fountain and the Portland Saturday Market’s permanent home, bordering Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

2010s – Influx of Vendors and Solidifying the Market’s Presence
The opening of the new market facility in 2009 led to an influx of craft vendors in the early 2010s, and solidified the market’s permanent presence in Old Town with its modern covered platform on the Willamette River’s waterfront.

Okay, here’s that bonus moment as promised:

2020s – 50th Anniversary & Oregon Heritage Designation
After persevering through COVID-19, the market celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2024. In the same year, the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission recognized the market as an Oregon Heritage Tradition, further solidifying its place in the state’s cultural landscape.

For more information, visit portlandsaturdaymarket.com.