Join The Groove Movement this Saturday, January 23rd at the Mount Tabor Theater for a benefit for Haiti earthquake relief.

I think this whole Keep Portland Weird thing is trite and unoriginal. Never the less, the Keep Portland Weird Festival 2009 this upcoming Saturday, November 14 looks like it will be a fine time.

Three words: Wiener dog races. That’s really all you need to know, but in addition you will also enjoy imported German beer, sausages, all the oompah music you can stomach, and chicken dancing until the wee hours! Yup, the Zenner’s Oktoberfest at Oaks Park takes place this weekend, from Friday, September 25 through [...]

The Polish Festival is one of Portland’s best annual cultural events (and one of my favorites), and it takes place this weekend: Saturday and Sunday, September 26 and 27th.
Below the masthead on the festival website are the words: the best kept secret of Portland, Oregon. Well, the secret is out. According to the [...]

Festa Italiana takes place Thursday through Saturday, August 27-29th at Pioneer Courthouse Square.
This is one of my favorite Portland festivals, and not just because of the strolling accordionists. I recommend arriving early to secure a table in the beer and wine garden at the top of the bowl on the SE side [...]

UPDATE: 2010 Wurstfest is February 12-14
Giant Spaten banners fluttered in the breeze outside the Oktoberfest Community Building (500 S Wilco Hwy) in Mount Angel Saturday afternoon. The melodic aspirations of an amplified accordion greeted us as we stepped from the car. The scent of sausage and sauerkraut beckoned.
In the past if you [...]

Mount Angel, famous for its annual Oktoberfest, is branching out this winter with a pre-Lent carnival of sausage: Wurstfest, a celebration of the mighty German (wurst) sausage.
Wurstfest takes place at the Oktoberfest Community Building (500 S Wilco Hwy) both Saturday (noon-11) and Sunday (noon-6). Details from the press release:

Area sausage makers present for sale [...]

Year of the Fish is a modern adaptation of the Cinderella story set in New York City’s Chinatown. Cinderella is young émigré Ye Xian. She has come to America seeking a job so she can send money back to her sick father in China. Mrs. Su, a distant relative, takes her in [...]

Friday-Sunday
The Oaks Park Oktoberfest begins today and runs through Sunday.
German food and beer, oom pah bands, and the always enjoyable sausage eating, pretzel kissing, and chicken dancing contests. And new this year, wiener dog races Saturday! Only the upcoming Polish Festival, is more anticipated (by me) than this festival. [...]

Festa Italiana kicks off Thursday with Opera in the Piazza at 7pm. The festivities continue through Sunday.
Festa Italiana celebrates Italian culture and heritage of Italian-Americans in the Portland metropolitan area. Local Italian-American organizations have united their efforts to produce this unique event with a special invitation to friends of Italy (wannabes) of [...]