The post-holiday season in Oregon is a strange time of year. Right after a busy, joyous time, the decorations are quickly taken down. The events and parties suddenly stop, and there are no more holiday get-together celebrations for the year. The new year marks a lot of things for many people. For me, it usually signals that I need to get better at writing the correct date on paperwork and forms. Also, the weather in Oregon this time of year is wet and rainy, and there is always the possibility of ice and snow. As adults, it can be tempting to hibernate inside with our streaming services. But our kids still have the same level of energy as they always do. This may sound like a radical suggestion, but I would encourage you to take the kids to the symphony. Trying something new as a family creates memorable experiences. You won’t regret having your children look back one day and remember the time they all went to the symphony together. They may even develop a new interest in music or want to learn to play one of the instruments they see. But most importantly, it is essential to spend family time with one another.  

With the rainy season upon us, activities can be limited. Because of this, it is worth looking into attending the Oregon Symphony.  I am sure that some of you reading this might be thinking of the last time you went to the symphony. Or asking yourself if it is boring? Or, if you could even get your kid to sit through it. All that I want to say regarding those questions is that you may surprise yourself. Another misconception is that the symphony is only for adults, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. The Oregon Symphony is incredibly child-friendly and an inspiring event to take part in. I always see plenty of families at the symphony whenever I go, and they all seem to have a great time together. Children are naturally curious. So having them see a grand, live performance such as a symphony will likely spark their interest. It also is not as expensive as you might think. To make it even more of a great option, they regularly have midday performances, usually around 2:00pm. This gives families enough time to go out for a cup of hot chocolate or play in the park while still some daylight is left.  

There is a great lineup this year. In January, they are playing their ‘Heroes and Villains: Star Crossed Lovers’ performance. This show will feature live orchestral music from films such as Star Wars, Spider-Man, and Casablanca. In my opinion, the best part of the Oregon Symphony is their ‘Popcorn Series’. This innovative idea is when guests watch an actual movie on the big screen while their live orchestra plays the music along to it. It is very memorable and a perfect family outing. Their next movie is showing May 24th and May 25th, and they will show Back to the Future. Tickets for this event start at $35 and will sell out fast. Where else can you go to the movies with a live orchestra for only a few bucks more than what going to a regular movie theatre outing would cost? If you are still undecided on whether your kid would enjoy going to the symphony, then a good measure is if your kid does well at the movie theatre. They will undoubtedly do well at the symphony if they do well there. With the live music performance, they will probably be even more excited. 

The Oregon Symphony mainly performs at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland. However, they also have regular shows at Willamette University in Salem. You can choose to either only go to the symphony or make a whole day out of it. There are plenty of restaurants and coffee shops around these venues at which they play at. Whichever you think is best for your family will work great. Our children should be exposed to as many positive things as possible, and attending a symphony is a unique, sophisticated, but also very easy outing to do. The cliche of a symphony being boring and stuffy is outdated. Instead, the reality is that it is vibrant, welcoming, and child-friendly. If you are worried that you will be the only parents who brought their children, you will be delighted to find that is not the case. Take the outing over to the symphony. Your kids might surprise you with how much they love it. In fact, you might even surprise yourself.