Dave Knows Portland

Archives for July 2010

July 9-12: Mississippi Street Fair, NW 23rd Street A-Fair, Bastille Day, and Soccer

by Leave a Comment

A hell of a weekend is in store – summer like weather accompanies Portland’s largest street fair, one of the largest French themed festivals on the West Coast, and soccer up the wazoo – on film, on the world stage, and at PGE Park!

Mississippi Street FairMississippi Street Fair 2010

The 2010 Mississippi Avenue Street Fair takes place Saturday, July 10th from 10am until 9pm. On North Mississippi Avenue, of course. This is my favorite Portland street fair. It’s compact, only five blocks from Skidmore to Fremont, so you’re guaranteed to run into your friends amongst the 30,000 or so other festival goers. [more]

Bastille DayBastille Day Festival in the Pearl

The Fête de la Bastille commemorates the storming of the Bastille Prison on le quatorze juillet, 1789. In Portland we celebrate with the 6th Annual Portland Waiters Race, musical acts, French food and wine and a themed market, pétanque demonstrations and lessons, a singing of La Marseillaise, and a Jardin of Wine and Beer [more]

23rd Ave Street A-FairNW 23rd Avenue Street A-Fair 2010

Looks like there’s yet another event for you this Saturday, July 10th, 2010: the NW 23rd Avenue Street A-Fair takes place between Hoyt and Johnson on NW 23rd from 11am until 8pm (other events this weekend include the Mississippi Avenue Street Fair, Bastille Day in the Pearl, and several soccer options!). [more]

Soccer in PortlandSoccer Weekend in Portland – Pelada, World Cup, and the Timbers!

If you like soccer, you’re going to love this weekend. Multiple soccer related events take place Friday through Sunday in Soccer City USA . . . The film Pelada, about soccer away from the bright light and manicured field, debuts in the Rose City on Friday, July 9th at the Hollywood Theater (4122 NE Sandy). The Portland Timbers host Miami FC on Saturday (don’t miss the Timbers Army Beer, Bachelors, and History Tailgate starting at 3pm!), and Club Atlas on Sunday. And of course the World Cup Final takes place Sunday at 11:30am! [more]

July 16: Unicorn Pub Crawl 2010

by Leave a Comment

Unicorn Pub CrawlThe first annual PDX.FM Unicorn Pub Crawl takes place Friday, July 16th on North Mississippi Avenue.

Calling all of the demented, fanciful, whimsical, and unparalleled inhabitants of the ancient unicorn burial ground also known as Portland, Oregon…

You have been cordially invited to join forces with PDX.FM and march from watering hole to watering hole as we pay tribute to our magical four legged ancestors, the unicorn.

The drinking and antics begin at 7pm at Amnesia (Beech and N Mississippi), then it’s on to Mississippi Pizza (3552 N Mississippi), the Crow Bar (3954 N Mississippi), and ultimately Prost (4237 N Mississippi) – where das boot (aka the Bierstiefel) awaits. Each location features drink specials, prizes, and competitions, including Unicorn Break Dancing, The Glitter Grab, and the Straight Line Gallop. For more details visit PDX.FM and listen to Morning Submission, weekdays at 8am!

July 17: Woodstock Festival and Parade 2010

by Leave a Comment

Woodstock Festival 2010The 2010 Woodstock Festival and Parade takes place Saturday, July 17th, and features a day of fun, frivolity and music for the Woodstock neighborhood from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Details are hard to come by, but from the June’s board meeting notes (pdf) we learn that a T-shirt will be sold, designs are set, and the color is white this year. The Bee reports that all the fun is on Woodstock Boulevard from S.E. 41st eastward; the parade forms at Our Lady of Sorrows at S.E. 52nd at Woodstock Boulevard, and travels west to the disband area near All Saints’ Episcopal Church.

July 9-12: Soccer Weekend in Portland – Pelada, World Cup, and the Timbers!

by Leave a Comment

If you like soccer, you’re going to love this weekend. Multiple soccer related events take place Friday through Sunday in Soccer City USA . . .

PeladaSoccer On Film . . .

Pelada, a film about soccer away from the bright light and manicured field, will be screening in Portland at the Hollywood Theater (4122 NE Sandy) from Friday, July 9th, through the 16th. This documentary follows two former college soccer standouts, Luke (Notre Dame) and Gwendolyn (Duke), as they travel the world chasing the game.

From prisoners in Bolivia to moonshine brewers in Kenya, from freestylers in China to women who play in hijab in Iran, Pelada is the story of the people who play.

Both screenings (7pm and 9:15pm) on Friday, July 9th feature a post-film Q&A session with film director and subject Gwendolyn Oxenham, and for all screenings $1 of each ticket will be donated to the sports initiatives of Mercy Corps, a Portland based organization dedicated to alleviating suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive and just communities.

World Cup ViewingSoccer on the World Stage

The World Cup Final takes place Sunday, July 11th. Kick off is at 11:30am. You can watch it at Pioneer Courthouse Square, free, with thousands of other Portlanders on a huge (17′ x 23′!) LED screen – and there’s a beer garden! If you’d rather watch the match in a more intimate (and cooler!) environ, visit Portland Soccer Bars to find the perfect cafe, restaurant, pub, or bar. (And don’t forget, the 3rd place match takes place Saturday, July 10th).

TimbersYour home team! Timbers Soccer at PGE Park

The Portland Timbers play two matches this weekend, at PGE Park. The first is July 10th, Saturday, when Miami FC visit. Kickoff is at 7pm, but come early to the Timbers Army Beer, Bachelors, and History Tailgate! Then Sunday, after cheering on Spain or the Netherlands, as the case may be, in the World Cup Final, head up to PGE Park again as the Portland Timbers host Mexican side Club Deportivo Atlas in a friendly – kickoff at 6pm.

Things to do in Portland When it’s Hot

by 1 Comment

Keller FountainDrink beer. Many bars are air conditioned, some have fantastic patios. All sell cold beverages.

Jump in a fountain. 18 city parks feature fountains, many of which (but not all!) you can jump into. The old-school favorite is Keller Fountain Park (SW 3rd and Clay) – lots of shade too! And of course if you like screaming kids the Salmon Street fountain at Waterfront Park perfectly matches your needs.

Jump in a pool. Though summer weather only really starts after the 4th of July, Portland’s outdoor pools opened in June!

Visit a shady park. Good choices are Washington Park or Forest Park of course, but large shady trees populate a large number of Portland’s city parks. Trees grow well here!

Lounge in a hammock or lawn chair. If you’re smart, you abhor physical activity when it’s hot. Your Portland home probably doesn’t have AC, so it’s ridiculously hot inside. If you’re outside, 100 degrees isn’t that bad if you are lounging in a hammock under a shady tree with a cooler full of beer within reach. When it’s really hot it’s usually breezy too and humidity is rare around here . . .

Take public transit if you’re going anywhere. No, seriously. Avoid traveling on foot, by bike [unless you only ride down hill], or by car. The vast majority of TriMet’s fleet has pretty good AC (if that ass hat in the back will close the goddamn window), and the bus will probably be cool the moment you step on. Let the bus driver deal with the stressed out and overheated car drivers; that’s his job.

Head to the coast. It’s almost always cooler on the coast. It may even be raining. (If you’re camping on the coast, it’s definitely raining.)

Head to the mountain. 100 degrees in Portland means 80 degrees (approximately) at Government Camp, Trillium Lake or Timberline Lodge.

And if all else fails . . .

Whine about the heat [a Mile73.com classic from 2008!]. It won’t make things cooler, but it’ll make you feel better.

Any other ideas? Please leave your tips below!