Dave Knows Portland

Weekend Amusements (February 3-5, 2012)

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You’ve probably already made your plans for Super Bowl Sunday, and that’s cool. But if you’re still looking for something to do, and especially if you don’t actually care about the game, check out my carefully curated suggestions below!

Friday-Saturday

Portland Seafood & Wine Festival 2012Portland Seafood and Wine Festival

The 2012 Portland Seafood and Wine Festival takes place this Friday and Saturday, February 3 and 4, at the Oregon Convention Center (777 NE MLK Jr. Ave). This 7th annual festival is a celebration of all things Oregon, but most specifically our wonderful Oregon seafood and wines.

The exhibitor list is impressive, featuring dozens of wineries, half a dozen restaurants, several breweries, and lots more. [more]

Saturday

Timbers Army Tifo BenefitTimbers Army Tifo Benefit

A Timbers Army Tifo Benefit takes place this Saturday, February 4, 2012 at the Eagles Lodge (4904 SE Hawthorne).

Admission is a mere $5, all proceeds of which go to TA tifo. The benefit features the PDX Punk Rock Collective, Green Flag (a Portland Timbers-themed punk band), and Outer Space Heaters. [more]

Sunday

Other Things To Do in Portland on Super Bowl Sunday

Super Bowl Sunday is American’s biggest [mostly] secular holiday. And it’s happening this Sunday, February 5, 2012. But what about those of us who cannot tolerate American-football? Sure, we could swallow our smugness and drink bud light and eat cheese dip with the neanderthals, but that’s not the only solution:

Sunday will be a good day to enjoy parks; museums; and pubs, taverns, and bars that don’t have TVs – they’ll all be almost empty. [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.

Other Things To Do in Portland on Super Bowl Sunday (2012)

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Super Bowl Sunday is American’s biggest [mostly] secular holiday. And it’s happening this Sunday, February 5, 2012. But what about those of us who cannot tolerate American-football? Sure, we could swallow our smugness and drink bud light and eat cheese dip with the neanderthals, but that’s not the only solution:

Sunday will be a good day to enjoy parks; museums; and pubs, taverns, and bars that don’t have TVs – they’ll all be almost empty.

OMSIIt’s the first Sunday of the month, so OMSI admission is only $2! (But it will be very crowded; Heather and I visited two years ago on Super Bowl Sunday and had a great time, but were unpleasantly surprised by the crowds of kids. Apparently cheap admission prices trumps Super Bowl for many parents.)

Crowds will certainly be thinner at the Oregon Zoo, and the forecast actually looks delightful!

Bargain Hunting PDX 2012If you’re in a shopping mood, visit the Crystal Ballroom and Lola’s Room (1332 W Burnside) for Bargain Hunting 101‘s mother of all clearance sales:

Bargain Hunting is the Mother of All Clearance Sales, but what does that really mean? It means that you can expect to find some of the most unique, one of a kind, limited runs and close outs discounts from handmade indie artists and local boutiques. In other words, Bargain Hunting has highly desirable merchandise at prices you NEVER find on this type of inventory.

Celebrate SuperBach Sunday with the Bach Cantata Choir at 2 pm on Super Bowl Sunday. The concert is FREE and will be held at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church, 1907 NE 45th Ave (NE Sandy & 45th). The program:

Jan Sweelinck (1562-1621): Laudate Dominum
Johann Christoph Bach (1642-1703): Cantata, Es erhub sich ein Streit
Georg Phillip Telemann (1681-1767): Viola Concerto – Karen Vincent, soloist
J.S. Bach: Cantata #11, Ascension Oratorio

And of course Powell’s Books (1005 W Burnside) is open.

Really, the world is your oyster if you’re free from the clutches of the NFL on Super Bowl Sunday.

Share your own Super Bowl Sunday alternative events and activities in the comments below!

Weekend Amusements (January 27-29, 2012)

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Lots of amusement this weekend!

All Weekend

Fertile GroundFertile Ground 2012

The Portland Area Theatre Alliance presents Fertile Ground: A City-Wide Festival of New Works, January 19 through 29, 2012.

“This city-wide festival is focused on new work in the Arts. It will feature world premiere projects, staged readings and a myriad of other arts events from the Portland creative community.” [more]

Friday

Portland Art MuseumPortland Art Museum Free Day

The Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park) is offering free admission on Friday, January 27, 2012 from 5pm until 8pm.

And there will be food carts!

The museum offers free admission ever fourth Friday (5pm-8pm) of the month, so if you can’t make it this week, mark February 24, 2012 on your calendar! [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

Portland Aerial TramPortland Aerial Tram 5th Birthday Party/Open House

On January 27, 2007 the Portland Aerial Tram opened to the public.

Celebrate the tram’s 5th birthday, this Saturday, January 28, 2012, at the “behind the scenes” celebration – according to the The Oregonian Hard Drive column . . . [more]

Art(s)cool PDXArt(s)cool PDX Friendraiser

The first annual Art(s)cool PDX Friendraiser takes place this Saturday, January 28 at the Radio Room (1101 NE Alberta).

Art(s)cool PDX, a community arts education movements, started in October 2007 as part of a plan to bring more arts and science education back to the public schools in Portland, Oregon. It is dedicated to bring an appreciations of the arts to everyone in the community. Art(s)cool offers art and science classes at several Portland area elementary schools. [more]

Portland Premiere Screening of “One, Two, Three!”

One, Two, Three!, the 4th episode in the Tango Silent Films series, will debut at Tango Berretín (6305 SE Foster) on Saturday, January 28, 2012.

All so eager to develop their dance skills in Argentine tango, our heroes Patience Trueheart, Chance Beaumain, and Buddy St. Cloud find out the practice doesn’t always make perfect. [more]

Sunday

MochitsukiMochitsuki 2012 – Year of the Dragon

The 16th annual Mochitsuki community fair, Portland’s annual Japanese New Year Celebration, takes place Sunday, January 29, 2012 at Scottish Rite Center (1512 SW Morrison) from 11am to 4pm.

I attended last year’s festival and enjoyed it immensely . . . they’ve streamlined things this year with general admission ticketing that lets you enjoy both the fair and the stage shows. [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.

OMSI After Dark: Nerds & Curds (25-January-2012)

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OMSI After DarkOMSI After Dark presents Nerds & Curds: Science Uncorked on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 from 6pm to 10pm.

Treat yourself to childfree, brain-building science fun at OMSI After Dark! Check out live demos, new featured exhibitions, and old favorites. Sample tasty snacks and sweets along with beer and wine, and talk to regional food and beverage artisans about the science behind them. It’s geeks gone wild!

Sample wine and cheese, enjoy excerpts from Carnival of the Animals by dancers from the Oregon Ballet Theatre, listen to the Dan Balmer Jazz Trio, try special menu items at the OMSI cafe grill, including sweet potato poutine! Discover the science behind singing wine glasses, learn how to make paneer, find out if you’re a super taster, and more.

21 and over only. Tickets are $12 for non-members, $6 for members – pre-purchase online – and free for OMSI After Dark members. Visit OMSI.edu for more details, including wine tasting prices and ticketing information for Body Worlds & the Brain.

Weekend Amusements (January 13-16, 2012)

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Don’t let the mid-January doldrums get to you, there are plenty of fun things to do this weekend, and Monday is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Don’t miss PFM’s winter market on Saturday, and please peruse the lovingly curated list of events and activities below!

Friday

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-Monday

National Park ServiceFee Free Days at Fort Vancouver

In celebration of Martin Luther King Junior Day (Monday, January 16), admission is free to all National Parks from Saturday, January 14 through Monday, January 16.

This includes Fort Vancouver! [more]

Saturday

Annual J.R.R. Tolkien Birthday BashJ.R.R. Tolkien Birthday Bash

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien‘s birthday is actually January 3rd, but the McMenamins’ 2012 J.R.R. Tolkien Birthday Celebration takes place this Saturday, January 14 at the Kennedy School (5736 NE 33rd).

“Elves, wizards, ents, orcs and all others are welcome to join us for this celebration of one of the 20th century’s most influential authors.” [more]

107ist107ist Annual General Meeting

We are pleased to announce that we have finalized the date and location for our Annual General Membership Meeting.

The meeting will be open to current members of all ages. In addition, you are invited to bring one guest to the meeting who does not need to be a 107ist member.

Important: Because space is limited, both Members and guests must RSVP for the meeting & movie [more]

Sunday

Portland Art MuseumFree Museum Family Day Celebrating Japanese Prints

Join this lively celebration of Japanese printmaking on Free Museum Family Day. Make woodblock prints, create mini-ikebana flower arrangements and transform into fantastical Kabuki characters. Don’t miss this day of traditional and contemporary Japanese visual art, music, dance, and theater. [more]

Buckman-Kerns Brewfest 2012Buckman-Kerns Brewfest 2012

The second annual Buckman-Kerns Brewfest returns Sunday, January 15, 2012 to The East Burn (1800 E. Burnside), from noon until 8pm.

The neighborhood breweries taking part in this rare January brewfest include Buckman Village Brewery, Burnside Brewing Co., and more! [more]

Monday

Martin Luther King Jr.Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?'”

Each year, Americans across the country answer that question by coming together on the King Holiday to serve their neighbors and communities.

The MLK Day of Service is a part of United We Serve, the President’s national call to service initiative. It calls for Americans from all walks of life to work together to provide solutions to our most pressing national problems. [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.