Dave Knows Portland

Archives for September 2009

October 2: Wax Broker Riot

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wbroct09Hall of Records will be hosting a Wax Broker Riot this Friday, October 2nd, at It’s a Beautiful Pizza (3342 SE Belmont) from 7-11pm.

What the heck is a Wax Broker Riot?

[It’s] an informal record sale/DJ night, hosted by the always gracious folks at It’s a Beautiful Pizza on SE Belmont. On Friday October 2nd, we’ll be selling some crates filled to the brim with a revolving, hand-picked selection of Rare Groove, Deep Funk, Jazz, Cinematic Soul, Hip-Hop, and Breaks. Hammondbeat Records from here in Portland will also have some heavy 45s and LPs for sale. After you’ve worked up your appetite digging, you can have some pizza and beer to wash it all down. It’s really quite a scene, and not to be missed.

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October 2-4: Greek Festival 2009

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Update: 2010 Greek Festival details here!

greekfest2009The 58th Annual Greek Festival takes place this weekend, Friday, October 2nd through Sunday, October 4th at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (NE 32nd and Glisan).

Festival organizers predict over 15,000 people will be in attendance to enjoy the greek food (feta, lamb, souvlaki, spanakopita, koulourakia, diples, bougatsa, etc.), cooking demonstrations, crafts, and of course beer and wine! Festival goers can also enter a raffle to win an iPod, a TV, a weekend at the Inn at Spanish Head, or a trip to, your choice, Greece or Hawaii!

This festival continues to elude me, and it appears that might be the case again in 2009. I did attempt to attend one year but found the lines so excruciatingly long that I gave up and went to the Horse Brass Pub instead. I suspect that, like the Polish Festival this past weekend the key to avoiding the worst of the crowds is to arrive either right at opening (10am Friday and Saturday, noon Sunday), or to arrive after sundown, two or three hours before the festival wraps up in the evening (10pm Friday, Saturday and 8pm Sunday). Also, of course, weather may be a major factor on attendance.

Polish Festival 2009

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Update: 2010 Polish Festival details here!

polishfest09

Again this year the Polish Festival lived up to its reputation as one of the best fall festivals in Portland. Like last year’s festival, which also took place during a spate of fantastic weather, the crowd was huge. By cleverly splitting up and tackling a line each, Heather and I managed to quickly acquire a pair of Okocim Porters and a combo plate to share. Placki ziemniaczane (aka potato pancakes), Heather’s raison d’être, would have to wait – the line snaked half a block down Failing Street, and seemed to be barely moving; we learned the wait was 45 to 60 minutes.

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Oaks Park Oktoberfest 2009

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festhallen

The Oktoberfest crowd was thin and subdued when Diane and I arrived at Oaks Park Friday afternoon. The Oaks Park train circled slowly carrying not a single passenger, and only one of the beer stands was open. But the band wore lederhosen and people kept trickling in. While the rest of our friends fought traffic, we enjoyed our first beers (Diane an Optimator, and I Oktoberfest) and browsed the vendors’ wares. Soon more friends arrived and we ensconced ourselves at the end of a long table in the big festhallen, conveniently close to the food, beer, and the stage.

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September 25-27: Oaks Park Oktoberfest, Juggling Festival, and the Polish Festival

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More fests this weekend than you can shake a stick at. Knowing this was the case I started blogging about them early in the week. To recap:

Polish FestivalPolish Festival 2009

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.

German GirlOktoberfest at Oaks Park

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 Sunday, September 27th.

Juggling FestivalPortland Juggling Festival 2009

The 17th annual Portland Juggling Festival begins this Friday evening, September 25th, and runs through Sunday the 27th.

Prop manipulation, juggling, and unicycling workshops take place throughout the weekend at the Reed College Sports Center. General admission
for the entire weekend is $35.

Our plan is to attend both the Oktoberfest and Polish Festival, both of which I consider unmissable. With luck and fortitude we will accomplish this feat!