Dave Knows Portland

Saint Patrick’s Day Weekend Amusements (March 16-18, 2012)

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It’s a heavy duty weekend in Portland – plenty of beer, of course, and other amusements.

Guinness StoutPortland area Saint Patrick’s Day Celebrations

Friday

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, March 16, 2012 is now exception: Offbeat Belly Dance! This Friday! Fun! Fabulous! Free Show! [more]

Friday & Saturday

ExIT ShoesThe Art and Science of Shoemaking

Join shoemaker Jeff Mandel this Friday or Saturday, March 16 or 17, 2012 from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. each day, for a free lecture on The Art and Science of Shoemaking at Halo Shoes (938 NW Everett).

“Come learn about the interdisciplinary pursuit that is making shoes by hand.” [more]

Saturday

Farmers MarketPortland Farmers Market Opening Day

The Portland Farmers Market returns to the Portland State University campus this Saturday, March 17, 2012.

“Nothing screams spring quite like the opening of the PSU Market! Come join us as we welcome back your favorite vendors and introduce some new faces.” [more]

Sunday

Attack of the FlixAttack of the Flix

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 takes place Sunday, March 18, 2012.

Submit your film if you are an Oregon or Washington filmmaker! Entries must be 10 minutes or less, and submitted on USB thumb drives encoded as AppleTV. [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 (16-March-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, March 16, 2012 is now exception: Offbeat Belly Dance! This Friday! Fun! Fabulous! Free Show!

This month, we will thrill to the speed, grace, and precision of the roguish redhead herself, Zighala Zurah!

We will marvel at the magical collision of hip hop and belly dance when the dynamic Vee takes to the floor!

We will be amazed by the amazing Jasmine, and her astonishing skillz and charisma!

We will catch the train to AwesomeTown with Samira Alemana, hostess of the Bella Note night of belly dance!

We will delight in the darkly decadent dance stylings of the sensational Jadzia!

Gadzooks! It is confirmed – the hypnotically captivating and fabulous Jessica will be joining us as well! Join us and feast your eyes upon her insouciant radsaucitude!

Stay tuned! More players to be named later!

Join us Friday! Get there early so you can get a good seat, or get there later and grab a chair at someone else’s table! Fine entertainment! Fun new friends! And so economical! Yowza!

Come be a part of the magic! 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 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

Weekend Amusements (February 17-19, 2012)

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It’s a dream weekend in, and around, Portland. Zwickelmania Saturday means brewery tours and beer samples, Wurstfest [in Mount Angel] means Oktoberfest in February, the Timbers Army gathers Saturday, and pinballers, movie makers, and belly dancers frolic.

All Weekend

Rose City PinballRose City Showdown IV

The fourth annual Rose City Showdown takes place this weekend, February 17 through 19, 2012 at the Slingshot Lounge (5532 SE Center).

“Rose City Showdown is a HERB style qualifying PAPA style finals tournament consisting of two divisions, an open division on 6 machines and a classics division on 4 machines.” [more]

Friday-Saturday

WurstfestWurstfest 2012

“Dust off your Lederhosen, starch up your Dirndl and join the happy folk in Mount Angel for two fun days of celebration in honor of the WURST!”

Wurstfest: A Mount Angel Celebration of German Sausage returns to Mount Angel for a fourth year. Wurstfest was dreamed up in 2009 by the Bavarian-phile merrymakers in Mount Angel, Oregon, home of Oregon’s largest Oktoberfest celebration every fall.[more]

Friday

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, February 17, 2012 is now exception: Offbeat Belly Dance! Inaugural 2012 Edition! Fun! Fabulous! Free Show! [more]

PortlandiaWhere to Watch Portlandia In Portland

Updated for 2012: season 2!
Don’t have a TV? Don’t have the Independent Film Channel? Watch Portlandia, if you’re into that sort of thing, at the Portland venues listed below.
Portlandia season 2 airs of Fridays, beginning on January 6, 2012. [more]

Saturday

ZwickelmaniaZwickelmania 2012

The Oregon Brewers Guild‘s fourth annual Zwickelmania takes place this Saturday, February 18, 2012 at dozens of breweries and brewpubs state wide.

Zwickelmania, held every President’s Day weekend, is a free statewide event that offers beer drinkers a chance to tour Oregon breweries, meet the brewers, and sample beers. [more]

Timbers ArmyTimbers Army Third Saturday

It’s time once again for the Timbers Army 3rd Saturday celebration. February’s takes place this Saturday, February 18 20120 at an old favorite, the Leisure Public House (8002 N Lombard).

“We ended 2011/12′s off season at North Portland’s favorite low key (not after us) pub The Leisure Public House!!!” [more]

Sunday

Attack of the FlixAttack of the Flix #02

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 takes place Sunday, February 19, 2012.

If you are an Oregon or Washington filmmaker, submit your film! All films must be 10 minutes or less, and submitted on USB thumb drives encoded as AppleTV (see the FAQ for full details). [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 (17-February-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, February 17, 2012 is now exception: Offbeat Belly Dance! Inaugural 2012 Edition! Fun! Fabulous! Free Show!

his Friday! Come share the love as Offbeat Belly Dance once again sallies forth to commandeer The Blue Monk’s basement stage, hellbent on bringing you only the very best in alternative, experimental, and maybe even traditional belly dance!

This month’s lineup is guaranteed to thrill and delight! Joining us will be:

Vee!

Zighala Zurah!

Jasmine!

Plus, the triumphant return of the scintillating, the shimmytastic, the shiny:

The Sundari Dance Company!

Furthermore – so excited! they haven’t joined us since like 2010! – the awe inspiring fabulous fusion of:

Tableaux Vivants

And! The amazing, electric, eclectic, and all around excellent Offbeat debut of:

Chandni!

We also are giddy with anticipation of two rock ’em sock ’em totally awesome troupes who will be joining us (it’s a troupeapalooza)!

Get here early and get a good seat!

Noble Portlanders, you need to get some of this awesome. Join us. You deserve to be a part of the magic, and the evening just won’t be the same without you.

Join us! Bring your friends! Bring your party hat and your dancing shoes and we will bring our awesomeness and our ninja skillz.

As always, the show is FREE!

As always, the show is AWESOME!

Viva Offbeat! See you Friday! Wooo!

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

Wurstfest 2012

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Dust off your Lederhosen, starch up your Dirndl and join the happy folk in Mount Angel for two fun days of celebration in honor of the WURST!

WurstfestWurstfest: A Mount Angel Celebration of German Sausage returns to Mount Angel for a fourth year.

Wurstfest was dreamed up in 2009 by the Bavarian-phile merrymakers in Mount Angel, Oregon, home of Oregon’s largest Oktoberfest celebration every fall. Heather and I attended the inaugural festival and enjoyed it immensely – it’s just like Oktoberfest, but in the winter.

Mount Angel area sausage makers present their best wursts at the fest, authentic German beers are on tap, and regional wines and Bavarian glühwein is available. Entertainment includes Oktoberfest-style music and dancing.

This year’s fest takes place at the brand new Mt. Angel Community Festhalle on Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18. Hours both days are 11am until 11pm. Included in the $10.00 adult admission fee is a souvenir glass Bavarian beer mug or wine glass (for first 2000 attendees). Anyone under 21 gets in free with an adult.

In 2009 we visited Wurstfest on Valentines Day, which coincidentally is Oregon’s Birthday. Read Heather’s review of the festival, I Went To A Sausage Fest, and check out the festival’s rendition of Happy Birthday Dear Oregon:

Happy Birthday Dear Oregon from Mile73 on Vimeo.