Archives for August 2011

Giro di Portland 2011

August 17, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

The first annual Giro di Portland, a criterium bicycle race through the streets of the Pearl District, takes place this Sunday, August 21, 2011. The race is presented by Festa Italiana (which takes place next weekend, August 25 to 27).

A criterium is a fast race, with competitors attempting to complete the most laps in a set period of time. The Giro di Portland’s six corner race course between Hoyt and Kearney 12th and 14th features fast corners, cobblestones, a bit of elevation gain and a long run to the finish will guarantee an exciting race for both racers and spectators.

Grab a seat at one of the restaurants lining the course and enjoy a drink while watching the exciting race.

The streets close to traffic at 4pm, and the first race begins at 4:30pm. The last race starts at 6:50 and goes for 60 minutes. Visit the website for more details.

Video Interlude: Tom McCall Montage

August 17, 2011 by Dave Knows 1 Comment

I simply say that Oregon is demure and lovely, and it ought to play a little hard to get. And I think you’ll all be just as sick as I am if you find it is nothing but a hungry hussy, throwing herself at every stinking smokestack that’s offered – Tom McCall

This short video by YouTube user kalteich does a nice job capturing the essence of the late, great, Oregon governor Tom McCall. Kalteich explains the project:

A project I did for my advanced editing class @ PCC. The task was to capture the essence of Tom McCall and his voice, through the use of montage editing. Enjoy!

PDX Beer Week (August 19-28, 2011)

August 17, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

The first annual PDX Beer Week takes place August 19 through 28 (yes, a 7 day week isn’t long enough when the theme is beer!) around town.

Celebrating the city with the most breweries in the world, PDX Beer Week is a great way to explore all that Portland has to offer within its unique craft beer community.

In its inaugural year, PDX Beer Week is a 10-day celebration of everything Portland and its surrounding region has to offer, from festivals, tastings and out-of-the-ordinary pairings to special tappings, gastronomical experiences and even the world premiere of a documentary about the region’s women of craft beer.

Events kick off on Friday, August 19 with the kick off party at the Horse Brass Pub. Stop by the Cheese Bar and the Horse Brass Pub daily through the “week” for specials. Visit the PDX Beer Week website for a full list of affiliated events – there’s a multitude!

August 17, 1964: Forestry Building, “The World’s Largest Log Cabin,” Burns to the Ground

August 17, 2011 by Dave Knows 3 Comments

Lewis & Clark Expo forestry building Forestry Building at Lewis & Clark Expo, 1905. — Lewis & Clark Expo forestry building
Forestry Building at Lewis & Clark Expo, 1905.

Portland’s historic Forestry Building, billed as the world’s largest log cabin, burned to the ground on August 17, 1964 (The Oregonian, 18 August 1964).

The log cathedral at NW 28th Avenue and Upshur was built for the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition, and served as a city owned museum of forestry until that fateful Monday.

Designed by architect Ion Lewis, who also contributed to the designs of Portland City Hall and the Multnomah County Courthouse, the building was constructed with huge unpeeled Douglas Fir tree trunks. It was 206 feet long, 102 feet wide, and 72 feet tall.

After the fire the city donated land at Washington Park for a replacement. The new World Forestry Center opened in 1971.

Offbeat Belly Dance (19-August-2011)

August 16, 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, August 19, 2011, is no exception – the Offbeat Belly Dance collectives invites you to Offbeat Belly Dance! Awesome August Action! Fun! Fabulous! Freeee Show!

We have an amazing lineup this month, featuring:

The sunny, sensational, and saucy – VEE!

The dazzling, dextrous, and dashing – JASMINE!

The wonderful, winsome, and wildly awesome – KALILAH!

The tiny, the talented, the all around terrific – LANA!

The fiercely fun fusion of – MANDALA!

The gorgeous, the glamorous, the gifted – GWEN!

The incisive, inspiring, and illustrious – ELISE! (Remember that supercrazy awesome Jamballah event? Yeah. She was one of the masterminds behind all that. Also I believe she was on one of their posters lookin’ all cool and stuff. Oh and Belly Dance Uncorked? Yeah that’s her too. Come see her in action!)

And of course the chipper, loquacious, and exhausted from all the awesomely alliterative advertising above – KARISSA!

Do join us, Sassy Portlandian! The show will be a true delight, and do you know what will make it even better? You. Yes you. I’m talkin’ to you. Ain’t nobody else in here, so I guess I must be talking to you…

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

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