It’s the fest time of the year: Polish, Serbian, Oktoberfests, and more!
Thursday-Sunday
OMSI Animation Film Festival
A celebration of animation from independent shorts to feature films, the OMSI Animation Film Festival showcases a selection of intelligent, entertaining and provocative programming from some of the world’s most creative artists. The Festival runs from Thursday, September 15 through Sunday, September 18 at OMSI’s Empirical Theater. With highlights that include an appearance by Laika Studios’ 18-foot tall stop motion skeleton puppet, a cake-baking octopus, and an imaginative 1940’s steampunk adventure, the Empirical Theater’s giant screen will offer a fantastical smorgasbord of animation with something sure to appeal to nearly everyone.
Mid-Autumn Festival
Most cultures have a harvest festival and China is no exception. Zhong Qiu Jie (中秋节), the Mid-Autumn Festival, has roots back to ancient times and is an important traditional Chinese holiday. Taking place on the fifteenth day of the eight month of the lunar calendar, the Mid-Autumn Festival is usually on or close to the time of the “Harvest Moon” when the moon appears at its fullest during the autumnal equinox.
Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the four most important holidays on the Chinese calendar, at Lan Su Chinese Garden this September 15 – 18!
Friday-Sunday
Stammtisch 2016 Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest season is almost here! Dust off your lederhosen and dirndls and get ready for our 3rd annual Okoberfest celebration.
Once again we will be closing down the street and throwing the best Oktoberfest celebration in the city with a BBQ, games, German music, and 10+ Oktoberfest biers on draft.
Friday
El Grito de Independencia
Come and celebrate with us!
El Grito Fiestas Patrias celebrates the independence of Mexico and other Latin American countries from Spain. As the Mexican President presents the nation’s traditional El Grito in Mexico City, so too will Portland commemorate Mexico’s independence at the Rose Quarter Commons.
Saturday
Oktoberfest at the Beermongers
Join us as we celebrate the beginning of Oktoberfest with a BEER GARDEN! We will have some classic German beers on draft from Paulaner, Ayinger, Hacker-Pschorr plus a special ceremonial Fest keg. We will have a beer garden set up outside with some of our favorite Oregon made German style beers from Heater Allen, pFriem, Rosenstadt and others. We will be encouraging costumes and awarding prizes for creative attire. We will be showing the Timbers on the Big Screen at 3pm. Then we will have a Paulaner gal hosting beer stein races, prizes will include Timbers tickets to the Final Home Game! Prost!
Saturday-Sunday
Portland Polish Festival
The Polish festival is an event for families and singles, adults and children, for food connoisseurs, music lovers, concert goers, dance enthusiasts, … It is for everyone.
During the festival, we provide non-stop stage performances, including a few dance groups and music bands, polka contest on Saturday and Sunday, a street dance, delicious Polish food and imported Polish beer.
Serbian Fest
Please join us for the 10th Annual Serbian Festival on September 17th & 18th. This is a celebration of food, wine, dance and culture of the Serbian Orthodox people.
Delicious Serbian Food: BBQ, Roast Pig and Lamb, Desserts; Live Music, National Dance, Beer and Wine, Kid’s Activities…and much more.
Ongoing
Chapman Vaux’s Swift Watch 2016
Every year in late August, one of Portland’s most spectacular natural events begins: Thousands of Vaux’s Swifts gather in the city as they prepare to migrate to Central America and Venezuela. Migrating swifts often use chimneys as roosts (places to sleep), and they are likely to return to the same roost year after year. One population has been returning to Chapman since the 1980s, and it is one of the largest known roosting sites of migrating Vaux’s Swifts.
