Quick Facts

• Portland’s Food Court 5000 mall-walking group grew from 7 participants to up to 200 in just over one year
• Lloyd Center Mall will close August 8, 2026, forcing the group to find new locations around Portland
• Weekly walks cover 3.5 miles through the nearly vacant 1.2 million square foot mall

A neon-clad walking group that transformed a dying Portland mall into a community hub must find a new home. Lloyd Center Mall will close to the public on August 8, 2026, ending the Food Court 5000’s year-long residency in the cavernous retail space.

Founder Krista Catwood started the group just over a year ago with seven walkers. The Sunday morning gatherings now attract 50 to 100 people weekly, with 200 showing up for special occasions. Participants walk two full loops of each of the mall’s three levels, covering 3.5 miles in an hour and a half.

“Centering joy, I think,” Catwood says about the group’s appeal. “And right now we could all use more of that.” The walks feature music, movement, and what Catwood calls “occasional jazz hands.”

Lloyd Center opened in 1960 and spans 20 city blocks in northeast Portland. The 1.2 million square foot space is now more than 90 percent vacant. While the building’s emptiness created the perfect venue for large group walks, it couldn’t generate enough revenue to keep the mall operational.

Adapting to Change

The group plans to continue with pop-up walks at different Portland locations. Some summer walks will take place outdoors, while others will move indoors to new venues. Catwood is actively scouting replacement locations and has bigger plans ahead.

“Krista’s ultimate goal is to become a nonprofit organization, eventually expanding her mall-walking concept to other cities around the nation,” according to reports following the closure announcement.

The participants represent all ages and abilities. Recent walks included millennials, people using canes, a 9-year-old doing cartwheels, support workers with autistic clients, and couples on dates. Leslie Kelinson, 81, calls the experience “therapeutic” and “medicinal.”

Community in Unlikely Places

Mall walking ranked as the second most preferred walking location in the United States as of 2003, behind only neighborhood streets. The Food Court 5000 tapped into this preference while addressing the decline of community gathering spaces.

“One of the beauties of this group is that it’s intergenerational, accessible, and good for anyone no matter their age or their ability,” Catwood explains. She points to shrinking “third spaces” – community areas outside home and work – as a driving force behind the group’s popularity.

The mall closure represents broader retail trends, but Food Court 5000’s growth demonstrates demand for authentic community experiences. Participant Mariah Erlick sums up the appeal: “It’s such a fun way to just get exercise, do something really silly, build community.”

Tom Kilbane of Urban Renaissance Group, which purchased the mall property, says Portland needs projects that move the city forward. The site may become housing and mixed-use development.

Read more: This flashy group of Portland mall-walkers puts neon pep into step