Dave Knows Portland

Oaks Park Oktoberfest 2011

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Zenner's Oktoberfest 2011The 2011 Zenner’s Oktoberfest at Oaks Park takes place Friday through Sunday, September 23 through 25.

The authentic German beer and food (e.g. Zenner’s sausages, chicken schnitzel, braised red cabbage, sauerkraut, German Potato Salad, and Tater Tots!) is reasonably priced, and two festhallen and a multitude of outdoor picnic tables means there are plenty of places to sit down with your beers and friends.

Entertainment is provided by a multitude of polka-y bands, including Greg Meier, the Polkatones, Still Kickin’, the Country Dutchmen, Wisler Accordion, and more.

Compete in (or watch) contests like the pretzel toss, condiment art, chicken dance, and sausage eating contests, the Oktoberfest Bear Hug Race throughout the weekend.

In addition there’s a vendor village where you can buy lederhosen and dirndls, and plenty of stuff for the kids.

Admission is $5 for adults 16 to 61, $3 for 62 and over, and kids get in for $2. Friday the fest goes from 3pm-midnight (rides 6pm-10pm), Saturday, 11am-midnight (rides noon-10pm), and Sunday 11am-7pm (rides noon-7pm).

This is one of Heather‘s favorite Portland festivals, because of the weiner dog races of course. I’m especially fond of the beer and accordion music!

We usually attend on Friday night, which is usually rather laid back (it is Senior Excitement night at the fest after all). But it serves as a nice way to ease into a full weekend of festing (Saturday night we hit the Polish Festival, which unfortunately is always on the same weekend). To give you an idea of what to expect, check out our reviews from past years:

Heather’s:

Mine:

And here’s a weiner dog race video!

Weiner Dog Race! from Mile73 on Vimeo.

Serbian Fest 2011

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Serbian Fest 2011The fifth annual Serbian Fest (pdf) takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18, 2011 at St. Stephen in Milwaukie (11447 SE 27th).

I’ve never been to this fest, but it looks like fun. OregonLive has some details:

Dance music will be provided by Krebsic Orkestar, a Balkan gypsy brass orchestra made up of Oregon Symphony, Portland Opera and jazz band members. Musicians include Matt Hartman, Chris Nakato, Kathy Fors, Alex Krebs, Travis McAlister, James Gregg, Adam Weiner, Mark Kellogg, and Doug Shafer.

The event will offer popular Serbian fare, including chevaps, a ground meat and homemade bread dish; baklava, a nut and honey dessert; palachinke, thin filled pancakes; other desserts; and roast lamb, roast pig and vegetarian dishes.

Admission is free! The fest runs Saturday from 11am to 10pm and Sunday from 11am to 6pm.

El Grito y Fiestas Patrias (15-September-2011)

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El Grito 2011Join Consul Enrique Romero-Cuevas and Portland Mayor Sam Adams in celebrating Portland’s El Grito y Fiestas Patrias at Pioneer Courthouse Square on Thursday, September 15 2011 from 11am until late.

El Grito refers to the battle cry of the Mexican War of Independence. The event is remembered and celebrated each year on the night of September 15. Mexican President Calderón is expected to ring the bells of the National Palace in Mexico City, and give his 2011 version of el Grito from the balcony of the palace to the assembled masses in the Plaza de la Constitución. Through out Mexico, and parts of the world with Mexican expatriate communities, similar celebrations will take place.

The Portland festival features live music, ballet folkórico dancers, La Voz de Independencia (a singing competition!), and more!

BikeToBeerFest 2011

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BikeToBeerFestThe 3rd annual BikeToBeerFest takes place Saturday, September 17, 2011 at Hopworks Urban Brewery (2944 SE Powell) from noon until 10pm.

The fest features the Wanderlust Circus, games and activities for the kids, breakdancers, and plenty of bike-related fun, including the Flatlanders (BMS trick riders), a Huffy Toss Competition, bike builders, and more!

Live music will be provided by Brownish Black, Oh Darling, Jared Mees and the Grown Children, and The Ascetic Junkies.

And there will be beer. Fifteen Hopsworks beers to be exact.

Admission is free! Ample bike parking (bring your own lock) will be provided, naturally, so bike there!

Weekend Amusements (September 9-11, 2011)

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Fall is here, so of course in Portland that means summer weather! Don’t worry, you’ve still got over a month of great outdoor fests to take in before winter rains force us inside.

Ongoing

Swift WatchChapman Vaux’s Swift Watch 2011

So here’s the deal. Every September thousands of Vaux’s Swifts come to Portland. They spend their days eating lots of bugs. In the late afternoon the Swifts begin flying in a giant undulating swirl in the sky about the school. Around sunset they swirl more tightly, like a ground pepper tornado, and begin disappearing, measure by measure, down the chimney. On the lawn below, hundreds of Portlanders gather on lawn chairs and blankets to stare at the sky, mesmerized. Boos erupt when opportunistic Peregrine falcons occasionally get lucky. The crowd cheers, however, when the predators are thwarted. Meanwhile unruly oblivious children scream and roll down the grassy hill. [more]

All Weekend

Muddy Boot Festival Muddy Boot Festival 2011

The 6th annual Muddy Boot Festival, a three-day grassroots event that promotes sustainable living, takes place Friday through Sunday, September 9 through 11, 2011 at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church (2408 SE 16th).

Health + Happiness: Sustaining Vibrant Communities is the theme of this year’s festival, which features live music, food vendors, workshops, panel discussions, activities for the kids, and an outdoor local vendor and exhibitor market. [more]

Saturday

Under the Autumn Moon 2011Under the Autumn Moon 2011

This annual Portland multi-cultural festival is timed to coincide with the traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.

The Portland version features Dragon Dancers, lanterns, moon cakes, and food and games. Entertainment (pdf) includes Monmouth Taiko, Portland Chinese Children Choir, Auco Dance Troupe, and more. And you won’t want to miss the ping pong tournament! [more]

Belmont DistrictBelmont Street Fair

The 15th Annual Belmont Street Fair takes place Saturday, September 10, 2011 from noon until 8pm. The fair extends from 20th to 48th on Southeast Belmont, with car free blocks from 33rd to 37th.

This is one of my favorite Portland street fairs. Car free streets make it more pleasant than the Hawthorne Street Fair. Most of the fair activities take place within a few car free blocks between SE 34th and 37th, so it’s easy to take in the whole thing. And the Belmont Street Fair is not nearly as crowded as the Mississippi Street Fair. [more]

Widmer OktoberfestWidmer Brothers Oktoberfest

The 7th annual Widmer Brothers Oktoberfest takes place Saturday, September 10, 2011 from 3pm until 11:30pm at the brewery (929 N. Russell Street) – take the Yellow line MAX!

Widmer’s beers, brats, chicken schnitzel wraps, sauerkraut, and pretzels are available, but that’s where the similarities to most Oktoberfests ends.

Bands playing throughout the day include the Dr. Theopolis, The Quick & Easy Boys, Empty Space Orchestra, Hey Marseilles, and Colin Lake & Wellbottom – not a whole lot of oom-pah, but plenty of good beer! [more]

KBOOKBOO Book and Record Sale

The annual KBOO Book and Record Sale takes place Saturday, September 10, 2011 at the Eagle’s Lode (SE 50th & Hawthorne) from 2pm to 9pm.

Some of KBOO’s finest DJs will be on hand spinning some of the great records we have available. [more]

And 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.