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Portland Weekend Amusements (26-28 August 2016)

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Summer ain’t over yet! The Organic Beer Fest, Festa Italiana, Hawthorne’s annual street fair – and more!

Thursday-Saturday

Festa Italiana 2016Festa Italiana

This is our 25th Festa Italiana Portland so we are going to celebrate it in a special way! The event takes place in "Portland's Piazza" Pioneer Courthouse Square. We will have Italian Music, Wine/Beer Gardens, Vendors, Dancing and plenty of Italian Food . A great celebration of Italian American culture in beautiful Portland, Oregon. Come join the fun at this family friendly event August 25-27th. Right on the Max Train line. The event is Free admission.

Thursday-Sunday

Organic Beer FestOrganic Beer Fest

Two of Portland’s beloved industries – organic beer and sustainability – come together in an annual celebration designed to raise awareness about organic beer and sustainable living. We’re serving up more than 50 organic beers, ciders and mead along with live music, food, sustainability-oriented vendors, non-profits and a children’s area, all in a beautiful park setting.

Drink Organic, Save the Planet – One Beer at a Time!

Saturday

Jade International Night MarketJade International Night Market

The Jade International Night Market takes place every year and provides a unique cultural event that reflects the diversity of the Jade District communities. We envision an event that supports and roots the Jade District community in place, while providing an opportunity for community members and businesses to benefit economically from the event.

Sunday

Hawthorne Street FairHawthorne Street Fair

Come visit Portland’s original “shop local” district on Sunday, August 28th between 11am and 7pm and explore over a hundred businesses dedicated to community involvement, making the area a desirable place to live, work, and shop.

Some of the highlights include:

  • Main Music Stage at 34th Avenue
  • Kids Activities at Kids At Heart (35th Ave)
  • Muse Art Activities
  • Beer gardens at Bazi Bierbrasserie (32nd Ave) and Hawthorne Hophouse (41st and Hawthorne)
  • Vendors along the street between 31st and 38th Avenues

Ongoing – in the Parks

Movies in the ParkMovies in the Park

  • Fri, August 26 – Mt Scott Park (SE 74th & Reedway St ) – Cinderalla (2015)
  • Fri, August 26 – Hamilton Park (SW 45th & Hamilton St) – Pirates of the Caribbean – Curse of the Black Pearl
  • Sat, August 27 – Laurelhurst Park (SE Cesar E Chavez & Stark St) – Star Wars – The Force Awakens

Concerts in the Park

  • Sunday, Aug 28 – Laurelhurst Park – Providence Stage Band

Portland Weekend Amusements (6-8 May 2016)

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Looks like a nice weekend for some bicycle films and Ballet Folklórico

All Weekend

Filmed by BikeFilmed by Bike 2016

The 14th annual Filmed by Bike film festival takes place this weekend, May 6-8, 2016, at the Hollywood Theatre (4122 NE Sandy Blvd). . . .

The festival kicks off Friday evening with a Street Party and the first films. Come back Saturday for more films and an award ceremony, and wrap things up on Sunday with more films, a brewery bike tour, and more. Visit the website for more details, and ticket options.

Cinco de MayoCinco de Mayo Fiesta

Portland Guadalajara Sister City Association (PGSCA) presents the 32nd annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta, May 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th 2016. Portland’s Cinco de Mayo Fiesta is the largest multicultural festival in the state of Oregon and is held at beautiful Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Come celebrate with us as you enjoy top entertainment from Mariachi de Ciudad Guadalajara, direct from the city of Guadalajara, as well as Oregon’s very own Ballet Folklórico Mexico en La Piel. View our full entertainment schedule to plan your visit. Funtastic carnival rides are back again this year as well as our Artisan Village, featuring artisans flying in from Jalisco, Mexico to share their beautiful artwork with you. All entertainment is included in your entry fee, including Lucha Libre and Amateur Boxing this year! Check out our Special Events and our FREE fun stuff page to see what else we have in store!

Portland Weekend Amusements (29 April – 1 May 2016)

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This weekend: Support your library (and your books habit), the Timbers, and the international labor movement and/or pagan spring fertility rituals.

Sunday

May Day Celebration at Kennedy School

McMenaminsLive music, Kids’ Music, Amanda “The Face Painter,” Maypole Dancers and more – free and all ages!

Children skipping around the maypole has been a century-long tradition at Kennedy School on May Day. All ages are invited to come watch kids from local schools dance around our Maypole, and enjoy facepainting and balloon twisting. Stay for dinner, more live music and maybe a movie in the theater.

Portland Timbers vs. Toronto FC

Timbers LogoToronto FC visit Providence Park on Sunday, 1 May 2016 to face the Portland Timbers on a lovely afternoon [forecast is 83 and sunny!].

The Timbers look to stay or improve upon the form that gave them a draw Wednesday at New England, and a home win against San Jose two Saturdays ago. Toronto, a formidable opponent featuring former Timber and Canadian National Team star Will Johnson, have played all their matches on the road so far this season, and have won the last two.

The match kicks off at 12:30 PM.

All Weekend

Spring Used Book Sale 2016

Friend of the Library Spring Book SaleThe 43rd annual Friend of the Library Spring Used Book Sale takes place 29 April through 2 May 2016 at the Gresham Station Shopping Center (1271 NW Civic Center Dr., Gresham, Oregon 97030).

The Selection

Tens of thousands of donated books and materials – well sorted!

• Gently Used Books
Children’s books and pocket-sized paperbacks start at 50 cents.
Hardcover books and soft cover books start at $2.

• Audiovisual Materials
DVDs, CDs, vinyl records, audiobooks on tape and CD

• Comics, sheet music, pamphlets and maps start at 50 cents.

Portland Mercado 1 Year Anniversary (16 April 2016)

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Portland MercadoPortland Mercado (7238 SE Foster) invites the public to a celebration of their Primer Año, on Saturday, 16 April 2016 from noon until 8 PM.

A project of Hacienda CDC, Portland Mercado has incubated over 50 businesses and helped create over 70 jobs in its first year. That’s worth celebrating.

Festivities on Saturday include live music, dance, kids activities, art, food, and the launch of the El Mercadito vendor fair, which subsequently will take place every 3rd Saturday of the month through October. Visit the event page for a full celebration schedule.

Portland Polish Festival (19-20 September 2015)

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Portland Polish FestivalThe 22nd annual Portland Polish Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, 19-20 September 2015, between the Polish Hall (3832 N. Interstate Avenue) and the St. Stanislaus Church (3916 N. Interstate Avenue) on N. Interstate – right at the west end of the famous Failing Street pedestrian bridge.

My favorite Portland festival features non-stop music and dance performances, polka contests, and the can’t-miss Saturday night street dance featuring Chervona! Enjoy Polish food like pierogies, kielbasa, gołąbki (cabbage rolls), placki ziemniaczane (potato pancakes), and other delectable options – and of course delicious Polish beer! In the vendor village, check out the jewelry, clothing, Polish pottery, and sundries for sale.

There’s hardly any parking and you’re going to get sloshed on that strong Polish beer, so transit it is: Take the 4 – Fessenden to Mississippi and Failing and then take the Failing Street Pedestrian Bridge across the freeway and you are there. Or take the Yellow Line MAX to the Overlook Stop – Failing street is two blocks north up Interstate. Check out the festival website for all the details.

Heather and I blogged the festival a few years back:

Mile73.com

Dave Knows

Protip: arrive Saturday evening after sunset to avoid the bulk of the crowd, and the ridiculously long lines. (Read more tips here!)