Dave Knows Portland

Holiday Offer for OVO, Cirque du Soleil’s Spring Portland Show

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OVO Portland Show Holiday OfferThe Cirque du Soleil show OVO, an immersion into the teeming and energetic world of insects, is coming to Portland in April, 2012.

OVO is a headlong rush into a colorful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement. The insects’ home is a world of biodiversity and beauty filled with noisy action and moments of quiet emotion.

As a holiday promotion, Cirque du Soleil is offering a specially priced family 4-pack for as little as $170, as well as the ability to send e-cards, purchase Cirque-inspired gifts, enter a fabulous sweepstakes and much more! No additional promo codes are needed. Click here for details!

ScanFair (December 3-4, 2011)

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I'm a Viking!The 27th annual Portland ScanFair, presented by the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation, takes place this Saturday and Sunday, December 3 and 4, 2011.

Scandinavians love to celebrate Christmas. It brings joy to the short and dark days of a Scandinavian winter. Those traditions run deep in the hearts and lives of the people of Scandinavian heritage and come alive every year in Portland at ScanFair.

This is the 27th year that the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation (SHF) and the Nordic community will gather to celebrate the fun, the food and the traditions of a Scandinavian Christmas with ScanFair, a holiday festival and market.

The fair will be held at a new venue this year, the Exhibit Hall in the Memorial Coliseum (300 N Winning Way). Admission is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, and children under 12 are free. Saturday hours are 10am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 4pm.

Though primarily a holiday bazaar featuring Scandinavian food, crafts, and sundry, there is also an impressive entertainment lineup (pdf) featuring live traditional music and folk dancing performances and classes.

But my absolute favorite part of the fair is the annual pickled herring eating contest! Check out Nick Capri’s impressive 2008 win below. He took home as a prize a bottle of Krogstad Aquavit, made by Portland’s House Spirits. This year’s contest goes down at noon on Saturday – don’t miss it!

Weekend Amusements (November 18-20, 2011)

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The holiday bazaars are already upon us, plus two Timbers Army events, a film fest, World Toilet Day, and this weekend’s featured event: D.B. Cooper Night!

All Weekend

Northwest Filmmakers' Festival 2011Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival 2011

The 38th annual Northwest Filmmakers’ Festival kicks off Friday, November 11, 2011 with an opening night party at the Portland Art Museum’s Fields Ballroom (1119 SW Park). The film screenings, panels, and parties continue through November 20 at numerous venues. This is the Northwest Film Center‘s 40th anniversary season. [more]

Friday

Columbia River Gorge 25Gorge Birthday Bash

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area at the Gorge Birthday Bash this Friday, November 18, 2011 at the Leftbank Annex (101 North Weidler).

“The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area encompasses 292,500 acres, the entire length of the Columbia River Gorge.” [more]

Offbeat Belly DanceOffbeat Belly Dance

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, November 18, 2011, is no exception – the Offbeat! This Friday! FREE! Fun! Fiercely Awesome Lineup! Woo! Get Some! [more]

Saturday

World Toilet DayWorld Toilet Day 2011

World Toilet Day 2011, an annual celebration of the importance of sanitation to raise global awareness of the struggle 2.6 billion face every day without access to proper, clean sanitation, takes place on Saturday, November 19. Activities are planned throughout the world. [more]

SCRAPSCRAP Holiday Bazaar & Port City Bizarre Bazaar

Portland’s non-profit organized creative reuse center, SCRAP (2915 NE MLK Jr. Blvd.), is hosting their annual Holiday Bazaar this Saturday, November 19, 2011 from 10am to 6pm.

“Give your loved ones SCRAPpy gifts this holiday season! For one day only, we will host 18+ local artisans selling their wares made from a minimum of 75% reused materials.” [more]

Wild Arts FestivalWild Arts Festival 2011

The 31st annual Wild Arts Festival, presented by and benefiting the Audubon Society of Portland, takes place this Saturday and Sunday, November 19 and 20, 2011 at Montgomery Park (2701 NW Vaughn).

The Wild Arts Festival celebrates nature in the work of regionally and nationally-known artists and writers . . .[more]

Timbers ArmyTimbers Army 3rd Saturday

The first ever MLS post-season Timbers Army 3rd Saturday takes place November 19, 2011.

“Holy schnikees! It’s the off season! That means it is time for Third Saturday (and catz and raves and speculating and then more catz) and all of it’s drunken hijinks! . . .” [more]

Sunday

OHSSunday Lecture: Matt Love on the Yaquina Bay Bridge

The Oregon Historical Society (1200 SW Park Avenue) presents a Sunday Lecture by Matt Love on November 20, 2011 at 2pm. He will be discussing his new book, Love and the Green Lady: Meditations on the Yaquina Bay Bridge: Oregon’s Crown Jewel of Socialism. [more]

Timbers ArmyTimbers Army 2011 MLS Cup Final Viewing

Join the Timbers Army and 107ist on Sunday, November 20, 2011 for a special screening of the MLS Cup Final at the Mission Theater (1624 SW Glisan).

Watch the Cup Final matchup between the LA Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo live, and enjoy the company of your fellow Timbers supporters. An assortment of Timbers Army merchandise will available to buy as well. [more]

Featured Event!

Kick Ass Oregon History Presents: DB Cooper Night

Join the geeked-out history folks of Kick Ass Oregon History for D.B. Cooper Night at Mississippi Studios (3939 N. Mississippi) on Sunday, November 20, 2011. The edifying fun, co-sponsored by Lost Oregon, Jennifer Wells Design Glass Studio, and Dave Knows Portland [that’s me!] begins at 7:30pm!

“DB Cooper Nite will (honor? celebrate? recognise? condemn?) note the 40th anniversary of the only unsolved skyjacking in United States Aviation History.” [more]

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

November 2, 1969: First Oregon Country Fair Concludes

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Oregon Country FairThe Oregon Country Fair, noted for fostering the Flying Karamazov Brothers and nudism, for creative smoking materials, and for being very laid back, is held each July in Veneta, Oregon along the Long Tom River (The Oregon Companion: An Historical Gazetteer of the Useful, the Curious, and the Arcane, by Richard H Engeman).

But the very first Oregon Country Fair took place on November 1 and 2, 1969 in Eugene.

The Oregon Country Fair had its beginnings as a “Renaissance Faire,” a neighborhood fund-raising event for the Children’s Community School, held in Eugene on November 1 and 2, 1969. With the slogan “Come in costume,” the fair featured booths for the sale of crafts and artwork, musicians, and food; the theme reflected the then-growing counterculture movement.

The first fair featured 35 booths and drew 3000 fairgoers (The Sunday Oregonian, 18 October 1970). Known as the Oregon Renaissance Faire until the mid-70s, the fair soon acquired the permanent site near Veneta (The Oregonian, 24 June 1976).

Portland Halloween Weekend Amusements 2011

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Your Portland area options for Halloween weekend 2011 are fantastic. Below is my hand-picked selection of events, plus links to where you can find even more parties and events!

All Weekend

Friends of the LibraryFriends of the Library Fall Used Book Sale

The 2011 Friends of the Library Fall Used Book Sale takes place Friday through Monday, October 28 through 31, 2011 at the DoubleTree Hotel (1000 NE Multnomah St). [more]

SquishHowloween and the Squishing of the Squash at the Oregon Zoo

First up the Annual Squishing of the Squash takes place on Friday, October 28 2011 at 10:30am, in the elephant area. The elephants will get to take out their frustrations on a huge pumpkin . . .

And then Howloween at the Zoo takes place Saturday and Sunday October 29-30 2011, from 11am to 4pm. [more]

Friday-Saturday

Fresh French ShortsFresh French Shorts Show

Get your ticket now to Portland’s Fourth Annual Fresh French Shorts film festival showing on Friday, October 28 (7:00 p.m.) and Saturday, October 29 (2:00 p.m.) . . .

Co-presented by NW Film Center and the Alliance, the event features a unique, handpicked selection of recent shorts by emerging French directors [more]

Friday

Portland Art MuseumPortland Art Museum Free Day

Enjoy free admission to the Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park) on Friday, October 24, 2011 from 5pm until 8pm.

The museum offers free admission ever fourth Friday (5pm-8pm) of the month . . . [more]

Saturday-Sunday

Amtrak Celebrates 40 YearsAmtrak 40th Anniversary Exhibit Train Stops in Portland

As part of Amtrak’s 40th Anniversary celebration the Amtrak Exhibit Train, a traveling display showcasing historic memorabilia, will make a stop at Portland’s Union Station on Saturday and Sunday, October 29 and 30, 2011. [more]

Saturday

PumpkinGreat Pumpkin Event at the PSU Farmer Market

The Portland Farmers Market invites the public to the 2011 Great Pumpkin Event on Saturday, October 29, 2011 at the PSU market.

“The . . . annual Halloween harvest celebration featuring a pumpkin carving contest and children’s costume parade around the market at noon.” [more]

Night of the Living AlesNight of the Living Ales – Halloween Fest!

The 2nd annual Night of the Living Ales takes place on Saturday, October 29, 2011. This year’s fest is a Halloween craft beer, burlesque, fire and live music fest held at Burnside Brewing (701 E. Burnside).

First things first – the beer list . . . [more]

Sunday

Women of Wonder DayWomen of Wonder Day

Women of Wonder Day, the day formerly known as Wonder Woman Day, returns to Portland’s Excalibur Comics (2444 SE Hawthorne) this Sunday, October 30, 2011 from noon until 6pm . . . [more]

PDX Freak ShowPDX Freak Show 2011

The first annual PDX Freak Show, a Halloween costume party, takes place Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 1512 W Burnside.

The PDX Freak Show is an annual Halloween party to celebrate folks who work hard to make Portland a vibrant film community . . . every single person who participates in the film industry on any level! [more]

Halloween Day

Tour of Untimely DeparturesTour of Untimely Departures at Lone Fir Cemetery

The Tour of Untimely Departures returns to Lone Fir Cemetery this Halloween night, October 31, 2011.

“Meet some of Lone Fir’s “residents” at their graves and hear the unusual circumstances surrounding their untimely departures. Ghostly guides will also share some of the history on Lone Fir as they take you through the cemetery on a path lit with candles.” [more]

Shakespeare smells the roseTheatre on Halloween Night Anyone?

While most Portland theatres will be dark on Halloween, Richard III will be haunting the stage for a special Halloween performance and “scaring” the living daylights out of all who stand between him and the throne. [more]

And Lots More!

For even more Halloween weekend events and activities, check out Shadow Over Portland, and qPDX – and of course the usual suspects too: Around the Sun, Blogging Portland on the Cheap, PDX Pipeline, and Oregon Events at OregonLive.com.