Dave Knows Portland

Archives for June 2013

Portland Weekend Amusements (June 14-16, 2013)

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Welcome, once again, to your weekend itinerary. I can’t think of any better way to spend a weekend than with books, pride, and a good old fashioned pagan festival (with beer garden!).

Friday-Saturday

Rose City Used Book Sale

Rose City Book FairThe 2013 Rose City Used Book Fair takes place Friday and Saturday, June 14 and 15 at The Double Tree Lloyd Center (1000 NE Multnomah). The fair runs from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Admission is only $2, or $1 with a can of food for the Oregon Food Bank.

Sponsored by the Portland Area Used Booksellers’ Association, this unpretentious book fair features thousands of books from independent booksellers from Portland and beyond. Over forty exhibitors will be displaying and selling used books, bargain books, collectible books, prints, and ephemera. Experts will be on hand for appraisals, several seminars are scheduled, and there are door prizes.

Visit the fair website and Facebook page for more details, including a map and list of exhibitors.

Saturday-Sunday

Portland Pride Festival & Parade

Pride NorthwestPortland’s official LGBTQ Pride Parade and Festival, Portland Pride, takes place Saturday, June 15 and Sunday, June 16, 2013.

The Portland Pride Parade takes place Sunday, June 16 downtown – kicking off at 11:00 a.m.

The Waterfront Festival Saturday and Sunday at entertainers, vendors, and more at Tom McCall Waterfront Park along Naito Parkway in Downtown Portland between SW Pine and the Morrison Bridge.

Find more information at the official site and the Facebook page.

Sunday

Portland Scandinavian Midsummer Festival at Oaks Park

Scandinavian Midsummer FestivalThe 85th annual Portland Scandinavian Midsummer Festival takes place Saturday, June 15, 2013 at Oaks Park.

Midsummer in Scandinavia’s northern climate is the biggest coming out celebration of the year and everyone is invited. At Portland’s Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, it is a celebration of fertile fields, warmer and longer days with games, dancing, food, Scandinavian crafts and of course the raising of the Maypole.

Scandinavian roots are not required to celebrate at this summer solstice festival. As all people of Nordic descent know, it’s always a fun, family friendly and important day no matter your personal traditions.

Festivities begin at 11 a.m. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for kids (6-12), and $15 for families (2 adults, 2 kids). Enjoy food and crafts, entertainment on two stages, and a beer garden. The Maypole will be raised at 1 p.m.

For more weekend events and activities, follow me on twitter, check out the Dave Knows Calendar, and visit Around the Sun, Blogging Portland on the Cheap, PDX Pipeline, and Oregon Events at OregonLive.com.

Portland Area 4th of July Fireworks (2013)

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Fireworks!You’ll find fireworks galore in the Portland area on Thursday, July 4th 2013.   All of the shows listed below can be seen from the sponsoring event venues and at least the immediately surrounding areas – find a roof or a hill for the best viewing!

Fort Vancouver

Once the largest fireworks display west of the Mississippi River, the Fort Vancouver show no longer makes that claim, but it’s still a good one.  The fireworks are launched from Pearson Field so they are best seen from the north side of the Columbia. The fireworks show is the climax to a day of festivities at the fort – visit the website for more information, including  tickets and entertainment schedules. Gates open at 8 a.m.  Fireworks start at 10:05 p.m.

Waterfront Blues Festival

This show, which kicks off at 10 p.m. at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, is the largest fireworks show in Oregon. Viewable from anyplace around town that has a nice view of downtown. Of course if you’re attending the blues festival, you’ll have a great view.

Oaks Park

The Oaks Park 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular starts at dusk. Viewable from the park, of course, but also other parts of SE Portland. The park opens at 10:00 a.m. on the 4th, and all picnic spaces are first come first served. Admission for July 4th is $5 ($3 for seniors 62 and up, and $2 for kids 15 and younger). No personal fireworks or alcohol allowed in the park! Ride bracelets valid until midnight, and there will be live music and entertainment throughout the day. Summertime at Oaks Park can be blissful.

Corbett Fun Festival

The Corbett Fun Festival features an annual parade, live music, and of course: Fireworks – around dusk. It’s the largest fireworks display in East County!

Fireworks photo by Wikipedia contributor Exec8, used here under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License.

True Crime in Portland: Portland Exposé (12-June-2013)

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Portland ExposeThe first installment of True Crime in Portland, presented by the Jim Elkins Appreciation Society and McMenamins Mission Cinema Society, features a screening of the 1957 noir film Portland Exposé on Wednesday, June 12, 2013 at the Mission Theater (1624 NW Glisan).

Portland Exposé is a pretty mediocre B movie, but before the screening long time Portland journalist and true crime writer Phil Stanford, author and professor of history Robert Donnelly, and KBOO radio host Wade Hockett discuss the film and mid-century Portland’s reputation as a hotbed of crime and corruption.

The doors open at 6 p.m., the discussion begins at 7 p.m., and the film starts at 8 p.m. Must be 21 or over to attend. Admission is $7.00.

Portland Weekend Amusements (June 8-9, 2013)

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This seems as good a time as any to re-start the ol’ blog – two of my favorite annual events take place this weekend!

Saturday-Sunday

Portland Fruit Beer Festival

Portland Fruit Beer FestThe PFBF is one of my favorite beer festival of the year – the beers are interesting and varied (i.e. not all IPAs); and the Burnside Brewing (NE 7th and Burnside) setting with its mix of indoor, outdoor, and tented seating and standing areas is perfect for the early-June Portland weather.

Entrance to the PFBF is free for non-drinkers and open to all ages. Drinkers, however, need to pony up $20 for the tasting package, which includes a glass and 12 tickets – additional taster tickets are $1 each (1 ticket = 1 4oz pour, with some beers double or triple tickets) – pints of most beers are available for 4 tickets.

Sunday

Milk Carton Boat Race

Milk Carton Boat RaceThe 2013 Dairy Farmers of Oregon Rose Festival Milk Carton Boat Race takes place Sunday, June 9 at the Westmoreland Park (SE McLoughlin Blvd & Bybee Blvd) casting pond – festivities kickoff at 11 a.m.!

Granted, I’m not particularly fond of the Rose Festival, but of all the events and activities, this one is my favorite. I’ve only missed one race since the 2009 revival (last year, due to a particularly bad hangover), but I won’t miss the 2013 race!

For first time participants or spectators, I recommend checking out my reviews of the 2009 and 2010 races. My only complaints about the races are that too few participants build their boats out of actual milk cartons – most use milk jugs – and there’s no beer garden. Spectators have been treated to free ice cream floats and chocolate milk the last three years!

For more weekend events and activities, follow me on twitter, check out the Dave Knows Calendar, and visit Around the Sun, Blogging Portland on the Cheap, PDX Pipeline, and Oregon Events at OregonLive.com.