Archives for July 2011

Pix Patisserie’s Bastille Day Block Party (16-July-2011)

July 12, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

The fifth annual Pix Pâtisserie Bastille Day Block Party takes place Saturday, July 16, 2011 on N. Failing between Williams and Vancouver.

Celebrate the storming of the Bastille in 1789 with the Mini Médoc Marathon Fun Run 5K or the Tour de Portland Bicycle Scavenger Hunt.

Not your flute of champagne? There’s also the Mayor of Hooperville Hula Hoop Extravaganza, live music, the grape stomp, saber demonstrations, and a dance party!

Pix will, of course, be offering french pastries. Next door neighbors Fifth Quardrant will be hosting a beer garden, there will also be ice cream, a 60 pound Carlton Farms roasted pig, and a Champagne and Oyster Bar!

Check out the Pix event page and Facebook page for details. The celebration goes from 3pm until midnight. Organizers ask attendees at this free community event to bring two or more non-perishable food items for Oregon Food Bank – each donated item gets you a raffle ticket for a chance to win one of 100 gift certificates to Portland restaurants!

July 12, 2006: Measurable Rain Falls On Salem, Oregon For First Time

July 12, 2011 by Dave Knows 2 Comments

July 12, 2006 was a remarkable day in Salem, Oregon. Since record keeping began in 1892 no measurable (i.e. at least .01 inch) amount of rain had fallen on the state capital on the twelfth day of July. In 2006, however, the official rain gauge at McNary Field recorded .02 inch of precipitation.

The meteorological anomaly was noticed in 1967 by the night city editor of the Oregon Statesman, Russell Bieraugel.

After Bieraugel’s discovery, July 12 was proclaimed Rainmaker Day. The day was celebrated with parades, a rainmaker princess, and a variety of promotional contests and prizes. Although it is commonly accepted that you are more likely to rust than get sunburned in Oregon, sponsorship for the event waned after five years, and the celebration ended.

Tour De Coops (16-July-2011)

July 11, 2011 by Dave Knows 1 Comment

Growing Garden‘s 8th annual Tour De Coops takes place Saturday, July 16, 2011 from 10am to 3pm.

What, you might be asking, is a tour de coops?

This is a fun and affordable community event for you, your whole family and all your friends! Chicken owners throughout Portland will open their yards so you can see their coops and meet their chickens.

The Tour de Coops is a self-guided tour; you’ll have the opportunity to visit 22 backyard chicken coops all over East Portland – getting to know your neighbors while learning and sharing urban chicken keeping ideas.

Purchase a tour booklet (which serves as your ticket) at Garden Fever (3433 NE 24th), Urban Farm Store (2100 SE Belmont), or People’s Coop (3029 SE 21st) from July 8-16 for a mere $15. Visit the Growing Gardens website for more information, including how to enter the raffle to win a coop made by The Garden Coop!

Offbeat Belly Dance (15-July-2011)

July 11, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

Every third Friday of the month the Blue Monk (3341 SE Belmont) hosts the Offbeat Belly Dance collective, a club rocking, good timing, genre-defying gang of badass belly dancers.

This Friday, July 15, 2011, is no exception – the Offbeat Belly Dance collectives invites you to Offbeat Belly Dance! Free show! Awesome good times! Come get some!

This month features some of our favorite returning champions! Dear ones, you shall…

Thrill to the ethereal charms of Zighala Zurah!
Be dazzled by the dynamic Vee!
Exult in the triumphant, sparkly return of Jasmine!

We will also feature instructor, performer, hostess extraordinaire, and treasured friend of Offbeat – Shallah, of The Rhythm Keepers Night of Belly Dance at Marino’s!

We also have the long awaited, much anticipated return of…

The captivating Jen Samson, of Belly Dance Uncorked and Narcissa Productions!

And we have two – Two! – debuts – Debuts! Yahoo! Kazoo! I like rhyming! But I digress…

Surrender to the serpentine stylings of Sundari!
Be captivated by the alluringly awesome Bianca!

And of course, the stalwart and loquacious Karissa!

Join Karissa, the Ringleader of Offbeat Belly Dance (pictured to the right), and the other fabulous dancers at the show Friday night.

Individually, the members of the Offbeat Belly Dance collective perform at shows throughout the Portland area, but on the 3rd Friday of the month they come together at the Blue Monk to perform in a rollicking belly dance revue. One of the things that makes it offbeat, is that the dancers choose whatever kind of music they like. Karissa tells me this has included traditional Middle Eastern music, zydeco, AC/DC, Strauss, The Pogues, hip hop, jazz, blues, Old Crow Medicine Show, the Spice Girls, and just about everything else.

The shows are free, and go from about 7pm until 9:30pm.

Visit OffbeatBellyDance.com for more information. You can also become a fan on Facebook, and follow the genre-defying, good timing gang of belly dancers in Portland OR, w/Karissa as ringmaster/carnival barker/propagandiston on Twitter at @OffbeatBelly

Photo credit: Offbeat Belly Dance

Portland International Beerfest (July 15-17, 2011)

July 11, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

The 2011 Portland International Beerfest (PIB) takes place Friday through Sunday, July 15 through 17 in the North Park Blocks at NW Davis.

Over 150 beers from all over the world will be on tap and poured from bottles. Food purveyors at the fest include Koi Fusion, Violetta, Mt Townsend Creamery, Nut Love, and Bakke Brothers Jerky.

A benefit for Pet Cross, admission is $25 at the gate (or $20 in advance) and includes a PIB glass and 10 beer tickets. Extra taster tickets cost $1. Four ounce beer tasters cost 1 to 6 tickets (but don’t worry, there are usually over 50 one-ticket beers). Hours Friday are 4pm to 10pm. Saturday the fest runs from noon until 10pm, and Sunday from noon until 7pm. Bring your dog, but no kids – this fest is 21 and over only! Check out the PIB website for more details.

« Previous Page