Despite the Fall-like weather, Portland hasn’t given up on Summer. This approaching weekend is a case in point. After you stop by the PGE Park box office at 10am Thursday to pick up your Timbers playoff tickets, you’ll have this to look forward to:
Thursday
Your playoff-bound Timbers celebrate their final regular season match at PGE Park with a Thirsty Thursday and a victory [I’m a fan, not a journalist]. Byron Alvarez’s Charleston Battery face the stingiest and toughest defense in the league at 7pm. Drinking, for the fans, begins at 4pm (or earlier if you’re lucky and have a strong constitution) at the Bitter End and Bullpen. My guess is close to 9000 fans will be having a raucous time and looking for a win. I’m taking PTO Friday.
Thursday-Sunday
Festa Italiana returns to Pioneer “Piazza” Square for 2007:
Live entertainment, dancing, Italian restaurants, wine garden, grape stomp, pizza toss, opening ceremonies, strolling musicians, puppet show, family fun, etc!
“All free but the food and drink at moderate prices”
I’ve gone the past two years and in my opinion it’s the best run, best priced, and most fun Pioneer Square event of the year. Plus The Hot Frittatas will be performing, and they have an accordion player!
Friday
The North Park Blocks are the setting for the 2007 Twilight Criterium. The last couple of years I literally lived inside the track in the South Park Blocks (my apartment building was inside the course), but they’ve moved the race north (and I’ve moved to North Portland myself). I’m mostly indifferent to bicycle racing, but the thrills and spills of a criterium are fun for the fan too. To enhance the spectator experience the Portland Twilight Criterium also has live music, a beer garden, a food court, and free bike parking. Arrive before 6:15 when the racers begin warming up or you’ll be stuck observing from outside the course (beer garden opens at 5pm inside the course).
Saturday-Sunday
The Gerding Theater hosts the 3rd Annual Great American Distillers Festival (pdf) Saturday and Sunday. The admission fee is only $10 and that gets you three samples. There will be 40+ spirits to choose from, live music, competitions, and seminars on topics such as “How to Distill” and “How to make a perfect cocktail.”
