Dave Knows Portland

Offbeat Belly Dance (15-June-2012)

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Offbeat Belly DanceEvery 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, June 15, 2012 is no exception: Offbeat Belly Dance! Free! Fantastic! This Friday! Wooo!

You know how it is this time of year, Noble Portlander… You can never be sure about things… will it be sunny… will it be hailing… will the men’s pro basketball season ever actually end with a champion or will one season loop seamlessly into the next, and if so then will they change the logo to a ouroboros… these are unanswerable questions, Dear Portlander.

But y’know one thing you can always be sure of?

That the Offbeat Belly Dance show will be awesome!

And good news! This Friday! It’s time for Offbeat! Wooooo!

Join Karissa, the Ringleader of Offbeat Belly Dance (pictured to the right), and the other fabulous dancers at the show Friday night.

Individually, the members of the Offbeat Belly Dance collective perform at shows throughout the Portland area, but on the 3rd Friday of the month they come together at the Blue Monk to perform in a rollicking belly dance revue. One of the things that makes it offbeat, is that the dancers choose whatever kind of music they like. Karissa tells me this has included traditional Middle Eastern music, zydeco, AC/DC, Strauss, The Pogues, hip hop, jazz, blues, Old Crow Medicine Show, the Spice Girls, and just about everything else.

The shows are free, and go from about 7 p.m. until 9:30 p.m.

Visit OffbeatBellyDance.com for more information. You can also become a fan on Facebook, and follow the genre-defying, good timing gang of belly dancers in Portland OR, w/Karissa as ringmaster/carnival barker/propagandiston on Twitter at @OffbeatBelly

Photo credit: Offbeat Belly Dance

Portland Pride Festival & Parade (June 15-17, 2012)

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Pride NorthwestPortland’s official LGBTQ Pride Parade and Festival, Portland Pride, takes place Friday, June 15 through 17, 2012.

The Portland Pride Parade takes place Sunday, June 17 downtown – kicking off at 11:30 a.m.

The Waterfront Festival runs Friday though Sunday and features entertainers, vendors, and more (view the Pride Guide for details).

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

Scandinavian Midsummer Festival (June 16, 2012)

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Scandinavian Midsummer FestivalThe 84th annual Portland Scandinavian Midsummer Festival takes place Saturday, June 16, 2012 at Oaks Park.

Scandinavians have a long tradition of celebrating the Summer Solstice with bonfires or raising of the Maypole (Majstång). Here in Portland that tradition is being celebrated for 84 continuous years at the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival.

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.

However, 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 with century old traditions.

The festival runs from 11am until 9pm. Admission is $6 for adults, $3 for kids (6-12), and $15 for families (2 adults, 2 kids). Two stages feature live music and entertainers (acts include Catarina New Jazz Quartet from Sweden, Danish Troubadour Flemming Behrend, and juggler Henrik Bothe) and vendors will be offering their wares. There will be dancing (6pm-9pm), nordic food, and there’s a beer garden (open noon until 8pm)! The Maypole will be raised at 1 p.m. Visit the Scandinavian Heritage Foundation website and Facebook event page for more information, including full entertainment schedule.

Portland Weekend Amusements and Events (May 18-20, 2012)

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Holy crap there’s a lot to do this weekend – the Carolyn Show Launch Party, Maifest, Kenton Street Fair, Rose City Used Book Fair, a Timbers match, and more – whew!

Friday-Saturday

Rose City Used Book FairRose City Used Book Fair

The 2012 Rose City Used Book Fair takes place Friday and Saturday, May 18 and 19 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. . . .

This unpretentious book fair is sponsored by the Portland Area Used Booksellers’ Association, and features thousands of books from independent booksellers from Portland and beyond. [more]

Friday

The Carolyn ShowThe Carolyn Show Launch Party

The Carolyn Show Launch Party takes place Friday, May 18, 2012 at Cosmic Monkey Comics (5335 NE Sandy) at 8 p.m. . . .

Cartoonist Carolyn Main and filmmaker Mike Vogel have teamed up to create The Carolyn Show, a web series about a cartoonist, her talking pug, and paying the rent. It includes a mix of live action and animation. [more]

Offbeat Belly DancingOffbeat 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, May 18, 2012 is now exception: Offbeat Belly Dance! This Friday! Free Show! Wooooo! [more]

Saturday and Sunday

Mt. Tabor Art Walk 2012

The 7th annual Mt. Tabor Art Walk takes place this Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, 2012 – on and around Mt. Tabor!

The Mt. Tabor Art Walk showcases the many artists who live in this neighborhood. This annual event is sponsored by a community of artists supporting each other. It is designed to promote high-quality visual art in a variety of media within the unique setting of the Mt. Tabor neighborhood. [more]

Saturday

Maifest!Maifest!

Celebrate spring the German way at Maifest on Saturday, May 19, 2012 at Oaks Amusement Park.

Join Zeitgeist Northwest for a unique experience of German culture and a day of fun for the whole family! We bring an old German tradition, the celebration of spring, to town. [more]

Sunday

Kenton Street FairKenton Street Fair 2012

The 3rd annual Kenton Street Fair takes place Sunday, May 20, 2012 in the heart of Kenton, on N. Denver between Schofield and Willis, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“The Kenton Fair is an annual celebration of diverse and engaged communities aimed at promoting local growth and a sustainable future for Historic Kenton.” [more]

Portland TimbersPortland Timbers vs Chicago Fire

The Portland Timbers (2-5-3) host the Chicago Fire (4-2-3) at Jeld-Wen Field this Sunday at 4 p.m.

Still struggling, Portland is coming off a well-earned draw at Houston on Tuesday. Draws on the road are respectable, but the Timbers haven’t scored a goal in weeks! Chicago lost to Sporting Kansas City last weekend. This is the only regular season match between these two teams this season. [more]

Attack of the FlixAttack of the Flix #5

Attack of the Flix, presented by Microflix, is a monthly competition for Portland filmmakers held at the Curious Comedy Theatre (5225 NE MLK).

This month’s show, #5, takes place Sunday, May 20, 2012.

Vote for your favorite flicks – the first place winner receives a golden trophy! [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.

Offbeat Belly Dance (18-May-2012)

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Offbeat Belly DanceEvery 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, May 18, 2012 is no exception: Offbeat Belly Dance! This Friday! Free Show! Wooooo!

Yiyiyi! It’s time!

Join us THIS FRIDAY for this month’s edition of the one, the only, the original gangster – Offbeat Belly Dance! . . .

Ye gods, such variety! Old friends! New friends! Each one a fantastic dancer, and each one looks forward to dancing for you, noble Portlander. Yes you. And other noble Portlanders too, of course, but really. You should join us. Forsooth, it shall be off the hook, yo. Come get some of our awesomeness!

Join Karissa, the Ringleader of Offbeat Belly Dance (pictured to the right), and the other fabulous dancers at the show Friday night.

Individually, the members of the Offbeat Belly Dance collective perform at shows throughout the Portland area, but on the 3rd Friday of the month they come together at the Blue Monk to perform in a rollicking belly dance revue. One of the things that makes it offbeat, is that the dancers choose whatever kind of music they like. Karissa tells me this has included traditional Middle Eastern music, zydeco, AC/DC, Strauss, The Pogues, hip hop, jazz, blues, Old Crow Medicine Show, the Spice Girls, and just about everything else.

The shows are free, and go from about 7pm until 9:30pm.

Visit OffbeatBellyDance.com for more information. You can also become a fan on Facebook, and follow the genre-defying, good timing gang of belly dancers in Portland OR, w/Karissa as ringmaster/carnival barker/propagandiston on Twitter at @OffbeatBelly

Photo credit: Offbeat Belly Dance