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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!)

Portland Weekend Amusements (28-30 August 2015)

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The fantastic Festa Italiana, Movies in the Park, Drive-in at Zidell Yards, and Support Black Restaurant Days – all weekend!

All Weekend

Drive-In at Zidell Yards

North By NorthwestNorthwest Film Center and Zidell present Drive-In at Zidell Yards each evening Thursday through Monday, August 27 through 31, 2015 at Zidell Yards (3030 SW Moody Avenue) under the Ross Island bridge

The movies:

  • Thursday (27 August 2015): Clueless
  • Friday (28 August 2015): An American Werewolf in London
  • Saturday (29 August 2015): Jurassic Park
  • Sunday (30 August 2015): North by Northwest
  • Monday (31 August 2015): Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure

Festa Italiana 2015

Festa Italiana

The 24th annual Festa Italiana tranforms Pioneer Courthouse Square into an Italian piazza Thursday through Saturday, August 27 through 29, 2015.
Arrive early to grab a table in the beer and wine garden (in my experience the beer and wine prices are very reasonable) where you’ll have an excellent view of the stage. Entertainment runs the gamut from marionettes, ballet, and opera to Sinatra tributes and of course (of course!) plenty of accordions!

Saturday-Sunday

Support Black Restaurant Days, Portland, OR!!!!

Inspired by an article about Black Restaurant Day in the San Francisco Chronicle, Portlander Bertha Pearl launched a Facebook event to bring Black Restaurant Day to Portland. The event’s page has amassed a huge list of black-owned restaurants in Portland that would otherwise not exist, and according to Pearl, August 29-30 will be Portland Black Restaurant Day.

Ongoing

Movies in the Park

Movies in Parks

Friday, August 28

Saturday, August 29

Festa Italiana (27-29 August 2015)

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Festa ItalianaThe 24th annual Festa Italiana tranforms Pioneer Courthouse Square into an Italian piazza Thursday through Saturday, August 27 through 29, 2015.

Arrive early to grab a table in the beer and wine garden (in my experience the beer and wine prices are very reasonable) where you’ll have an excellent view of the stage. Entertainment runs the gamut from marionettes, ballet, and opera to Sinatra tributes and of course (of course!) plenty of accordions!

Fantastic food, mostly Italian, will be available from several local restaurants and food carts. And of course gelato, dolce and Italian ice treats will also be available.

Admission is free. Visit Fest-Italiana.org for more details.

Portland Area Weekend Amusements (October 5-7, 2012)

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Fall is in the air, so enjoy the fresh hop beer, Greek Festival, yet another Oktoberfest, and more – this weekend!

Ongoing

Willamette Pedestrian CoalitionWalktober PDX 2012

Walktober PDX 2012 runs from Saturday, October 6 through Halloween (the greatest walking holiday of the year).

Inspired by Pedalpalooza, three weeks of bikey fun in Portland held every June, the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition conceived Walktober to promote walking as a fun, healthy, ubiquitous activity in the Portland metro region. [more]

All Weekend

Greek Festival 2012Greek Festival

The 61st annual Portland Greek Festival takes place October 5 through 7, 2012 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (NE 32nd and Glisan) . . .

Join upwards of 15,000 other guests to enjoy the greek food (feta, lamb, souvlaki, spanakopita, koulourakia, diples, bougatsa, etc.), cooking demonstrations, crafts, and of course beer and wine! [more]

Friday

Portland StreetcarPortland Streetcar Mobile Music Fest

The 2nd annual Portland Streetcar Mobile Music Fest takes place Friday, October 5, 2012.

This First Friday fest is free to the public. Local bands will be performing live onboard on every streetcar between OMSI and the Leftbank Project from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. [more]

Saturday-Sunday

ProstProst! Oktoberfest

The 2012 Prost! Portland (4237 N Mississippi) Oktoberfest takes place this Saturday and Sunday, October 6 and 7. Special events are scheduled each day of the fest . . .

The Mississippi Marketplace food carts are also joining the festivities, and of course Prost makes a mean pretzel sandwich too. [more]

Saturday

Financial Planning Day

The City of Portland and the Financial Planning Associations of Oregon and SW Washington bring you Portland Financial Planning Day this Saturday, October 6, 2012 at the Portland Building (1120 SW 5th), second floor.

Dozens of Portland Area financial planners will be offering free one-on-one counseling and seminars on budgeting, income taxes, investment strategies, mortgages and foreclosures, retirement planning and more. The advice will be offered on a “no strings attached” basis – planners will not be giving out business cards or selling financial products or services. [more]

Archives Crawl 2012Oregon Archives Crawl

The 3rd annual Oregon Archives Crawl takes place Saturday, October 6, 2012.

Crawlers begin at any of the four host locations: Portland Archives and Records Center, the Portland State University Millar Library, Multnomah County Central Library or the Oregon Historical Society.

Pick up your free “passport” at any host location, and make sure to get stamps as you crawl from site to site. [more]

The WedgeThe Wedge – Portland Celebrates Cheese Festival

The Wedge: Portland Celebrates Cheese Festival returns again to the Green Dragon & Buckman Botanical Brewery (928 SE 9th) this Saturday, October 6, 2012.

This farmer’s market-style event showcases artisan, specialty, and farmstead cheesemakers from throughout the Northwest. [more]

Hops!Portland Fresh Hops Fest

The 2012 Portland Fresh Hops Fest takes place at Oaks Amusement Park (7805 SE Oaks Park Way) this Saturday, October 6 from noon until 8 p.m.

Hop heads will be in heaven – this fest features dozens of delicious locally brewed beers spiced up with freshly picked hops . . . [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, and Oregon Events at OregonLive.com.

Prost! Oktoberfest (October 6-7, 2012)

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ProstThe 2012 Prost! Portland (4237 N Mississippi) Oktoberfest takes place this Saturday and Sunday, October 6 and 7. Special events are scheduled each day of the fest:

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6th:

11am-Doors open. Glassware for sale. 1L Boots (limited availability per day) & 1L Mugs.
1pm-Ceremonial Keg Tapping.
2pm-Live Music Begins

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7th:

11am-Doors open. Glassware for sale. 1L Boots (limited availability per day) & 1L Mugs.
1pm-Live Music Begins.
6pm-Official Timbers Viewing Party vs. Sounders!
http://www.facebook.com/events/358809317527417/

The Mississippi Marketplace food carts are also joining the festivities, and of course Prost makes a mean pretzel sandwich too.

Festivities begin at 11 a.m. both days. Don’t miss the Ceremonial tapping of the first Oktoberfest Keg on the bar at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Visit the Prost! Portland website and the Facebook event page for more details.