Archives for July 2011

Oregon Brewers Festival (July 28-31, 2011)

July 25, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

The 24th annual Oregon Brewers Festival takes place July 28 through 31 at Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

The 2011 beer list is impressive, and 85s beer strong. It’s nice to see more belgian, farmhouse style, and fruit ales – plus plenty of summery wheat beers. Of course there is a plethora of IPAs for the hop heads, as usual.

This is the Big One. Year after year it gets bigger, more crowded, and the good beers run out too damn early. My advice is to arrive early, try the unique beers not normally available in Portland, and then leave early and make your way to one of the many bars and taverns around town with fantastic beers and 16-20 ounce pints. If you enjoy the heat and crowds, by all means go Saturday afternoon, but don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Taps open at noon each day of the festival and pour until 9pm through Saturday. Sunday you’re cut off at 7pm. Standard beer fest conventions apply: buy the festival mug (you can’t use a previous year’s mug) and $1 tokens for beer samples. $10 gets you a mug, a program, and four tokens. Tasters, mostly, set you back one token; full mugs cost four. Visit the website for more information.

OMSI After Dark: Jocks and Geniuses (27-July-2011)

July 25, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

OMSI After Dark presents Jocks and Geniuses: The Science of Sports this Wednesday, July 27, 2011.

Treat yourself to childfree, brain-building science fun at OMSI After Dark! Check out live demos, new featured exhibitions, and old favorites. Sample tasty snacks and sweets along with beer and wine, and talk to regional food and beverage artisans about the science behind them. The OMSI Cafe will be open with a special dinner menu and cash bars will be available for those who want more than just a taste! It’s geeks gone wild!

Visit the OMSI Cafe for special menu items, and bring cash (only!) for the beer and wine at the bars set up throughout the museum.

Featured science demonstrations and activities include Nintendo Olympics, Thirsty Sports Drinks, and Last Gasp – What’s your lunch capacity? The Wanderlust Circus will be on hand presenting Kazum – an act which cleverly combines acrobalance and cheerleading stunts to create high-flying, jaw-dropping spectacles, and Blake Hicks will be performing bicycle tricks.

Hours are 7pm to 11pm. Admission is $12 for nonmembers (free for members). You can buy tickets online, or at the door (no reservations necessary). 21 and over only!

Ticket Giveaway: Portland Timbers vs. Toronto FC (July 30, 2011)

July 25, 2011 by Dave Knows

UPDATE: The contest is over . . . the winner has been contacted – thanks for playing!

The Portland Timbers host Toronto FC at Jeld-Wen Field on Saturday, July 30, 2011 at 8pm. And Dave Knows is giving away a pair of tickets to the match!

The seats are in section 117 – not the Timbers Army section mind you – but rather in the west stands with a great view of the field. Two All Zone All Day TriMet bus tickets are included!

To Enter: Who is your favorite 2011 Portland Timbers player? Leave a comment below with your answer.

The Winner: The winner will be selected in a random drawing of all valid entries* on Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 5pm.

*The Timbers player you select does not have to be on the currently active roster, but must be on or have been on the roster this season (so Adam Moffat and Ryan Pore, for example, are valid entries).

A valid email address must be provided in the appropriate field below so that I can contact you if you win. You do not, however, have to give a real name, and you can leave the Website field blank. I will not use the email address for anything except contacting the winner. The winner will be contacted by email and ticket delivery arrangements must be made before noon on Wednesday, July 27, or the tickets will be given to someone else – so make sure to check your email!

One entry per person please!

Don’t fret if your comment does not show up immediately – for various reasons some comments go into moderation, but I will attempt to approve them promptly!

Roll on Columbia: Woody Guthrie and the Columbia River Songs (25-July-2011)

July 25, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

The Oregon Encyclopedia invites you to a special History Night presentation at the Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthorne) this Monday, July 25, 2011: Roll on Columbia: Woody Guthrie and the Columbia River Songs.

Join us for this musical and visual tribute to Guthrie by local musicians with a screening of the documentary film by oral historian & radio/video producer Michael O’Rourke, with a Q&A with the filmmaker. Michael O’Rourke’s documentary depicts the remarkable story of songwriter Woody Guthrie’s time in Portland working for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) in 1941, and the discovery 40 years later of a collection of Guthrie’s BPA recordings about the Columbia River. Historical photos, scenes from the 1948 BPA film “River of Power,” and interviews with Guthrie’s wife, Mary, famed folklorist Alan Lomax, and Steve Kahn, Guthrie’s BPA manager, highlight the film.

Musical guests include The Wanderers (Bill Murlin and Carl Allen), Renegade Minstrels, Little Sue, Lewi Longmire. Mike Midio, and Jim Brunberg.

Admission is $5 per person. Doors open at 6pm, and film and music begin at 7pm. Minors are welcome, accompanied by a parent or guardian.

July 25, 1986: Banfield Light Rail Line Named MAX

July 25, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

MAX, an acronym for Metropolitan Area eXpress, was announced by TriMet on July 25, 1986 as the name selected for the Banfield Light Rail Project trains. MAX’s first line, from Gresham to downtown, officially opened on September 5 of that same year.

In 1985 TriMet set up a contest for employees to suggest names, with the public voting on a list of finalists. Jeff Frane, a typesetter at TriMet at the time, suggested the name MAX, which was inspired by his son Alex.

“I used to read him these picture books and there was a character – I think he’s a rabbit – his name was Max,” Frane says. “The ad agency had a list of criteria. The name had to be simple, had to be friendly. I was playing around with acronyms. Max just seemed like a really friendly name.”

For suggesting the winning name Frane won the cash equivalent of an annual pass. Tri-county residents got a friendly sounding train name!

Photo credit: An eastbound train on the MAX light rail system in Portland, Oregon, next to the Banfield Freeway (Interstate 84) by Wikimedia Commons contributor Cacophony. Used here under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

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