Archives for September 2011

Der Rheinlander Oktoberfest (September 23-24, 2011)

September 19, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

The Rheinlander 2011 Oktoberfest takes place Friday and Saturday, September 23 and 24 at the restaurant (5035 NE Sandy).

The outdoor bier tent features beer directly from Munich, German – including Hofbrau Oktoberfestbier and Paulaner Salvator Dopple Bock. Live music in the evenings is provided by Oktoberfest band Paloma from Chicago, and participate in (or observe with a smirk) the sausage and pretzel eating contest and costume competition.

Saturday, noon to 5pm, is Family Day, and features face painters, balloon artists, and other activities for kids and parents. The Rogue Valley Alphorns and Der Liederkries will be performing.

And of course enjoy fantastic food – options include fondue, Königsberger Klopse, Hungarian goulash, eisbein, sausage, and plum and peach crisp!

Admission each day is $5 (kids 4-12 $2, 0-3 free!). A portion of which benefits the Northwest Down Syndrome Association. Visit the Oktoberfest event page for more details.

Portland Retro Gaming Expo 2011

September 19, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

The 2011 Portland Retro Gaming Expo takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 24 and 25 at the Doubletree Hotel (1000 NE Multnomah Street).

PRGE is a convention attracting fans of video games and their history. It is made up of three areas: The Freeplay Arcade, the Theater and the Vendor Marketplace.

The Freeplay Arcade allows attendees to play 30 full-size arcade games, 6 pinball machines and over 40 home video game consoles including classic like the Atari 2600, Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Genesis. All games are free to play with paid admission.

The Theater is a venue within the Expo hall where attendees can see a number of speakers and panels. The Expo keynote will include Thor Aackerlund and Robin Mihara, the first- and third-place winners of the 1990 Nintendo World Championships.

The Vendor Marketplace is by far the largest and most popular part of the convention. It will host over
35 vendors selling everything from classic video game consoles to gaming-related crafts and homebrew video games.

Test your obscure knowledge at the video game trivia contest, play dress up for the cosplay contest, and bid on rare video games and memorabilia in the live auction. This year’s expo, with 17,000 feet of exhibit space, is double the size of last year’s event, and features over 35 exhibitors.

Hours both days are 10am to 5pm (there’s a Saturday 9am, early admission option). Visit RetroGamingExpo.com for more details, including ticket information, a vendor list,

“Facts That Show Portland’s Greatness”

September 19, 2011 by Dave Knows 1 Comment

No, this isn’t from a recent vintage New York Times. This formidable compendium appeared in a special edition of the Morning Oregonian, on February 4, 1911, celebrating The Oregonian‘s first 50 years as a daily newspaper. The previous day’s paper explained that the special edition’s text had been prepared carefully and its pictures selected with a view of giving people unfamiliar with Portland and Oregon a clear conception of the city and the state. All manner of Oregon and Portland boasting ensued.

Click the image above to see it full size. Or visit The Oregonian archives yourself – if you have a Multnomah County Library card, you have access.

September 19, 1905: Lincoln Beachey Pilots Airship From Portland to Vancouver

September 19, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

One of the attractions at Portland’s 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition was a series of airship flights by the famed young aeronaut, Lincoln Beachey.

On September 19, 1905 he took off from the expo in the airship City of Portland (using the gasbag from the airship Gelatine) with a letter from Theodore Hardee, assistant to the president of the exposition, addressed to General Constant Williams, Post Commander, at Vancouver Barracks, which was nine miles away (Morning Oregonian, 20 September 1905). Beachey took the airship to 2000 feet and headed to Vancouver, landing in the Vancouver Barracks’ Pearson Field about forty minutes later.

The successful flight was the first use of Pearson Field as an airfield, the first aerial crossing of the Columbia River, a new airship endurance record at the time, and possibly the first time a letter had been delivered by airship (Pearson Air Museum).

Image credit: Dirigible landing photo from The History of Pearson Field at the Pearson Air Museum website.

Stumptown Stories: Civil Defense in 1950s Portland

September 18, 2011 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

The Stumptown Stories series, geared to everyone who loves this city we live in, takes place most Tuesdays at Jack London Bar (basement of the Rialto, SW 4th and Alder). Free to get in, but must be 21 or over – there’s a full bar!

The latest installment, Civil Defense in 1950s Portland, will be presented by OrHistory.com‘s Doug Kenck-Crispin this Tuesday, September 20, 2011 at 7:30pm.

The presentation features a showing of the film A Day Called X.

In 1957 CBS showed a documentary by Canadian filmmaker Harry Rasky about Civil Defense in PDX. Narrated by actor Glen Ford, if featured, amongst other things a look into Portland’s Doomsday Bunker beneath the soils of Rocky Butte.

For a preview of this week’s topic, listen to the Kick Ass Oregon History Vol 3 #3: Civil Defense Part 2 – A Day Called X!

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