Festivals and Fairs

Portland Weekend Amusements (28-30 October 2016)

October 27, 2016 by Dave Leave a Comment

Halloween weekend! Don’t be an asshole, drive slow and with extra care. Also have some fun!

Friday

Squishing of the Squash

The Oregon Zoo’s annual Squishing of the Squash, in which some of the world’s largest land animals demolish some of the area’s largest pumpkins, will be held Friday, Oct. 28, at 10:30 a.m.

The Squishing of the Squash is a precursor to the zoo’s Howloween celebration. Events on Saturday and Sunday include a fun scavenger hunt that directs trick-or-treaters to easily accessible activity stations throughout the zoo where they can collect candy and prizes.

Saturday-Sunday

Howloween at the Oregon Zoo

Trick-or-treaters can fill their bags with goodies and learn about wildlife Oct. 29-30, during Howloween at the Oregon Zoo. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days and is free with zoo admission.

Throughout the day, visitors can watch the zoo’s enrichment team provide animals with holiday-themed treats like jack-o’-lanterns stuffed with snacks. Enrichment items, such as a passel of pumpkins provided by Al’s Garden Center, help keep the zoo’s animals mentally and physically engaged.

Saturday

Great Pumpkin Event at PSU Portland Farmers Market

Join us for our annual Great Pumpkin Event at PSU! An all ages pumpkin carving contest will begin at 9am, followed by a children’s costume parade starting at noon. Goodie bags will be provided to parade participants and costumes are highly encouraged! Dave’s Killer Bread will also be on site serving up treats. All events will take place in the center of the market near the music stage.

Killer Pumpkin Fest

Killer Pumpkin Fest returns to Green Dragon on Saturday, October 29th. Celebrating all things pumpkins, this daylong event will take place inside and out in front of Green Dragon from 11:00am to Midnight.

Portland Weekend Amusements (21-23 October 2016)

October 20, 2016 by Dave Leave a Comment

The lull before the Halloween weekend storm still includes a beer fest of course, and a few other nice indoor activities.

Ongoing

Portland State of Mind

Join us October 13-22 for a dazzling array of speakers, music, films and other events designed to fire your imagination and deepen your knowledge. So come – or come back – to campus for 10 days of serious fun.

All Weekend

2016 Portland EcoFilm Festival

Films for life on Earth

The Portland EcoFilm Festival is the premier environmental film festival in the US Pacific Northwest, showcasing the very best films about nature, the environment, outdoor pursuits and eco-conscious living.

Join us Oct. 20th – 23rd at the Hollywood Theatre

Friends of the Library Fall Book Sale 2016

Members Only Pre-Sale

Friday, Oct. 21, 6pm-9pm Join online today or at the sale door.

General Sale

Saturday, October 22, 9am-9pm
Sunday, October 23, 11am-5pm
Monday, October 24, 9am-3pm – 50% off discount day

Saturday

Killer Beer Fest 2016

Each and every year KillerBeerFest happens at one of the best beer bars in this fair land of ours, Bailey’s Taproom in downtown Portland. It’s during this day that we seek out only the finest craft beers and try to present the very, very best of what is available and even some brews that you might never find again.

Portland Weekend Amusements (7-9 October 2016)

October 6, 2016 by Dave Leave a Comment

Apple tasting, H.P. Lovecraft, Oktoberfest, Bikes and Beer, Archives – and more! A weekend with something for everyone.

All Weekend

Portland Nursery Apple Tasting Event

About the time the leaves begin to change color, it’s time to celebrate the abundance of apples and pears. We’re always well-supplied with a large variety of apples and pears to taste and purchase by the pound, as many as 60 different varieties in all!

Tasting lines, as well as our fresh-pressed cider demonstration and tasting, will be open during all six days of this free event.

H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival

The H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival® & CthulhuCon™ promotes the works of H.P. Lovecraft, literary horror, and weird tales through cinematic adaptations by professional and amateur filmmakers, panel discussions, author readings, gaming, art, and sometimes live music. The festival was founded in Portland, OR in 1995 by Andrew Migliore, with the desire that H.P. Lovecraft would be rightly recognized as a master of gothic horror and his work more faithfully adapted to film and television.

Friday-Saturday

Handmade Bike & Beer Fest

The ninth annual Handmade Bike and Beer Festival is a collaboration between the Oregon Bicycle Constructors Association (OBCA) and the Oregon Brewers Guild. This family friendly, event pairs renowned bike frame and parts builders with great, local craft beer.

Saturday

2016 Oregon Archives Crawl

The Oregon Archives Crawl is back and we want YOU to “crawl” between the City of Portland Archives & Records Center, the Oregon Historical Society and the Multnomah County Library where you can explore our region’s history with 28 local archives, special collections and heritage organizations. Celebrate National Archives Month while discovering the wealth of information that can be found in your local archives. Whether your interests include the history of Japanese internment, the impacts of urban renewal on Portland, or resources for finding your family’s history, the Oregon Archives Crawl has something for everyone.

Widmer Brothers Brewering 12th Annual Oktoberfest

Unleash… the beer! Get ready for the most brew-bubbling, belly-busting, lederhosen-loving event of the year: The Widmer Brothers Brewing 12th Annual Oktoberfest October 8th from 12pm – 9pm at Pioneer Courthouse Square. It’s a beer lover’s paradise, with all of your favorite Widmer brews, like Hefeweizen, Steel Bridge Porter, Upheaval IPA, PDX Pilsner, Okto Festival Ale and introducing specialty small-batch brews you can only sample at Oktoberfest!

Portland Weekend Amusements (Sept. 30 – October 2)

September 29, 2016 by Dave Leave a Comment

Ease your transition to real Autumn weather with beer, cheese, and Greek food this weekend. And if you have the gumption, ride your bike a bit around Sellwood and Milwaukie.

All Weekend

Portland Greek Festival

After six decades, The Greek Festival has become one of the largest festivals of its kind, sharing our Greek Orthodox faith and rich culture with over 15,000 guests annually. The festival is an iconic event in the Portland Metropolitan area and has been designated as an Oregon Heritage Tradition by the Oregon Heritage Commission. Each year a portion of proceeds from the festival go toward worthy philanthropic endeavors in the greater Portland community.

Prost! Portland Oktoberfest

It’s the biggest party of the year at Prost!

Everything kicks off on Friday Night with a ceremonial keg tapping at 7pm. We will also be selling a limited amount of our 2016 Oktoberfest Liter Steins.

Saturday and Sunday we are taking the party outside. We will have the entire Marketplace, with extra biers available on tap outside, German BBQ on a charcoal grill, games, a face painter and more!

Portland Juggling Festival and Vaudeville Extravaganza

One of the largest regional juggling festivals in the country, the festival provides a venue for jugglers from around the world to come together to share knowledge and hone skills in workshops and juggling sessions.

The Juggling and Vaudeville Extravaganza highlights the festival on Saturday night. In past years it’s featured a family-friendly assortment of local and national juggling and variety acts in one live performance.

Friday-Saturday

Portland Fresh Hops Fest

The Portland Fresh Hops Fest is a celebration of the annual hop harvest that takes place from mid-August to mid-September in Oregon. This year’s 13th annual event will take place Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 at Oaks Amusement Park, 7805 SE Oaks Park Way. Hours are 5pm to 9pm on Friday and 12pm to 8pm on Saturday. The festival features more than 60 Oregon craft beers made with hops that are freshly picked off the vine and used within hours of harvesting.

This year’s festival will feature more than 60 Oregon brewed fresh hop beers . . . Beers may run out; for the greatest selection, arrive on Friday or before 3pm on Saturday.

Saturday

The Wedge: Portland Celebrates Cheese

The Wedge is a Farmers Market-style event, featuring cheese and foods/beverages that go well with it. Sample and purchase local, artisan cheese, specialty foods, beer, wine, and cider, take a class, snap a pic with our mascot, and try your hand at cheese wheel bowling! . . .

This is a family and pet friendly event that is open to the public. Children and well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome . . .

8th Annual Belgianfest

Join North 45 for our 8th Annual Belgianfest!

Old World vs. New World Belgian Beer Battle:

Taste the best in Belgian beers with our expansive collection of authentic Belgian beers and try some of the best domestic craft Belgian style ales in our one-day celebration of all things Belgian!

Sunday

Sellwood-Milwaukie Sunday Parkways

This is the last event of the season, but we will end it with a bang! We are once again teaming up with the Salmon Celebration and the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) for the second year in a row. For the first time ever, we will be going to Milwaukie. It’s going to be amazing! This new route will include Westmoreland, Sellwood, and Water Tower Parks plus the Milwaukie Farmers Market and the Milwaukie Business District. Stop by this event to share in some Sunday Parkways history in the making, and also enjoy the live music, delicious food, and fun that awaits you!

OMSI Harvest Fest

Enjoy the bounty of Oregon while indulging in snacks, sweets, beer and music from the Pacific Northwest region! Learn about Oregon specialty crops from local farms, CSA’s, cooking demonstrations and artisan vendors. There’s fun for the whole family, including kids activities and live entertainment. Come celebrate the harvest season at OMSI!

3rd Annual Salmon Celebration at Westmoreland Park

Join us in celebration of the restoration of Crystal Springs Creek and the return of salmon to the city on Sunday October, 2 from 11am to 4pm at Westmoreland Park.

The program will include salmon and lamprey tasters, inter-tribal cultural activities, and wonderful storytelling. Booths will include hands-on science activities, wilderness skills, nature crafts, and games for children and adults alike. The event will be free and open to all.

Portland Weekend Amusements (23-25 September 2016)

September 22, 2016 by Dave Leave a Comment

Oktoberfesting continues – German bier, sausages and schnitzels, wiener dog races and dirndls galore!

All Weekend

Oaks Park Oktoberfest

German bier, sausages and schnitzels, wiener dog races and dirndls galore! A multitude of picnic tables in the festhallen and under the trees means there are plenty of places to sit down with your beers and friends.

I’ve been to every one of these fests since 2008 at least, and the weather is almost always perfect and I always have a fantastic time. Oaks Park is the best spot in Portland to spend the last few summer-like days of the year drinking beer with friends.

Friday-Saturday

Portland Night Market

100 of Portland’s best vendors celebrating local food, culture, music, drinks and retail.

The Portland Night Market showcases the many unique & diverse businesses that call the great City of Portland home. Blending food, culture, music, drinks and retail together for an adventurous evening in the Industrial District. The event allows people to meet some of Portland’s best makers and creators set in the unique venue of a 100+ year old produce row warehouse. The PNM is a free event and open to all ages.

Saturday

Museum Day Live

The Museum Day Live! ticket provides free admission for two people.

Museum Day Live! is an annual celebration of boundless curiosity hosted by Smithsonian magazine. Participating museums and cultural institutions across the country provide entry to anyone presenting a Museum Day Live! ticket.

Where will your curiosity lead you on Museum Day Live!?

Oktoberfest at Occidental Brewery

Are you ready for Occidental’s biggest Oktoberfest yet? You know the drill! Join us Saturday September 24th for our biggest Oktoberfest so far. As many of you know we have recently teamed up with Urban German Grill and opened Occidental Wursthaus. This year’s Oktoberfest will also serve as the grand opening of The Wursthaus so come ready to break it in! Beer (Festbier with a handful of others) will be flowing in multiple places, there will be live music and delicious food.