Dave Knows Portland

Stammtisch Oktoberfest (18-20 September 2015)

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Stammtisch Oktoberfest 2015Portland German restaurant Stammtisch (401 NE 28th Ave) knows how to throw a party: A three day Oktoberfest block party (18 Friday through 20 Sunday 2015).

Bust out your lederhosen and dirndls for what is always the best party of the year!

Once again we will be closing off Flanders at 28th for a weekend street festival with a massive biergarten, 10 Oktoberfest style biers, BBQ, live music, glassware for sale, games, face painting and more!

For the BBQ, Chef Graham Chaney will be grilling up Roast Chicken, Bratwurst Sandwiches, Curry Wurst, Döner Kebabs, Giant Pretzels, and more out on the street.

Oktoberfest and Märzen draft beers available come from the following breweries: Ayinger, Andechs, Benediktiner, Hofbräu, Paulaner, Schlenkerla, Schwabenbräu, Spaten, Warsteiner, Weltenburger.

Flanders street at NE 28th will be closed to traffic from 5 PM until 10PM on Friday, noon until 10 PM on Saturday, and Sunday from noon until 9 PM – all three days the party continues inside after the street reopens.

Visit the Facebook event page for more information.

Portland Weekend Amusements (11-13 September 2015)

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Oktoberfest season is officially here with Widmer’s event this Saturday. TriMet celebrates the MAX Orange line – and Tilikum bridge – opening, Belmont throws a street fair, and lots more!

Saturday

MAX Orange Line Grand Opening Celebration

Orange LineIt’s time to celebrate the opening of the new MAX Orange Line and Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People. Join us for a day of adventure and fun, with activities and entertainment at many of the newly opened Orange Line stations!

Come see, ride free! All rides on TriMet buses, MAX trains, Portland Streetcar and the Portland Aerial Tram are FREE all day long.

Belmont Street Fair

Belmont Street Fair 2015The 20th annual* Belmont Street Fair takes place on SE Belmont from 11 AM to 7 PM on Saturday, 12 September 2015.

One of my favorite Portland street fairs, Belmont will be car free between 33rd and 39th.

Aquifer Adventure

Aquifer AdventureBig and little pirates alike are welcome to join us for a family festival all about groundwater! Play fun games and go on a scavenger hunt in search of hidden treasure – not gold, but groundwater, a precious resource that flows beneath your feet! Come dressed in yer finest pirate togs, or else the Cap’n might make ye walk the plank! Free kids T-shirts to the first 300 kids!

Widmer Brothers Brewing 11th Annual Oktoberfest

Widmer Oktoberfest 2015As we move towards the end of summer in the month of September its time to mark our calendars for the various Oktoberfest celebrations that will take place across the region. Now in its 11th year, the Widmer Brothers Brewing Oktoberfest, Portland’s largest and longest-running Oktoberfest celebration will take place on Saturday, September 12 from 3:00 to 11:00pm.

Saturday-Sunday

Serbian Fest

Serbian Fest 2015Please join us for the 9th Annual Serbian Festival on September 12th & 13th. 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 2015

Swirling SwiftsIn September thousands of Vaux’s Swifts coalesce into a giant undulating swirl in Northwest Portland near Chapman School after spending the day eating bug. Around sunset the swirl gets more compact, like a ground pepper tornado, and begins disappearing, measure by measure, down the school’s huge old chimney. On the lawn below hundreds of mesmerized and picnic-sated Portlanders stare into the sky from the comfort of lawn chairs and blankets while their oblivious children roll down the grassy hill screaming. Cheers erupt from the crowd when the slippery swifts dodge the opportunistic Peregrine falcons, boos when the predators get lucky.

Movies in ParksMovies in the Park

Friday, September 11

Belmont Street Fair (12 September 2015)

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Belmont Street Fair 2015The 20th annual* Belmont Street Fair takes place on SE Belmont from 11 AM to 7 PM on Saturday, 12 September 2015.

One of my favorite Portland street fairs, Belmont will be car free between 33rd and 39th.

Sponsored by the Belmont Area Business Association and the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association, the fair features over 200 food and craft vendors, two music stages, and activities for the kid. The grassy central park returns to SE 34th.

Restaurant seating from Laughing Planet, Dick’s Kitchen, Suzette Creperie and more will expand into the street. Beer gardens hosted by the Triple Nickel and Zupans will be set up near the music stages.

And free trolley rides will be available from SE 20th to the SE 48th Good Food Here food cart pod.

Visit the Belmont Area Business Association website and the Facebook event page for more details.

For a taste of what to expect, check out my reviews of the 2010 and 2009 fairs.

* By my count it’s only the 19th annual fair, but we won’t squabble.

Portland Weekend Amusements (14-16 August 2015)

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An amazing Portland weekend is afoot: multiple beer fests (include one of my favorites)j, street fairs (including one of the biggest), and even a rare weekend History Pub for good measure.

All Weekend

North American Organic Brewers FestivalNorth American Organic Brewers Festival

One of my favorite Portland beer fests celebrates its 11th year with more than 60 organic beers, ciders – and even some meads and braggots – from 35 breweries. Live music, food and vendors; and activities for the kids make this festival one of the most family friendly beer fests of the summer.

Saturday

Seaport Celebration 2015Port of Portland Seaport Celebration

Come join the fun on the waterfront at THE family-friendly event of the summer! On Saturday, August 15, the Port of Portland’s Terminal 4 will open up to the public for a unique opportunity to go inside the fences of a working marine terminal that is normally closed to the public. Best of all, parking and admission are free!

Timbers ArmyTimbers Army Block Party

The 2nd annual Timbers Army Block Party takes place Saturday, 15 August 2015 in front of the Fanladen (1633 SW Alder) between 16th and 17th.

Of course there’s a big tent for shade – and a beer and cider garden (21 and over, $4 beers for 107ist members), in addition to food vendors, a bouncy castle for the kids, music, games, and more.

Multnomah Days

This year’s fair, which runs through the heart of Multnomah Village on Southwest Capitol Highway, will feature more than 100 vendors who are every bit as eclectic as the Village itself. Booths will be open from roughly 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

PDX Adult Soap Box Derby 2015

PDX Adult Soap Box Derby

Once a year a brave group of racers convene on the daunting slopes of Mt. Tabor to test their metal to their mettle. These pages are dedicated to all those who have spilled their blood, or even worse, spilled their BEER. We thank the community and our beloved volcano for allowing us to tickle her spine.

Sunday

History Pub: A History of the Bagdad Theater: Hawthorne’s ‘Oasis of Entertainment’

McMenamins Historian Tim Hills presents A History of the Bagdad Theater: Hawthorne’s Oasis of Entertainment on Sunday, 16 August 2015 at the Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthorne) at 11 AM until noon.

Mighty Mites Session Beer FestHawthorne Street Fair, The Mighty Mites Session Fest

[V]endors will populate the street from 31st to 38th, there will be two beer gardens . . . , kids activities at 35th, music at the stage at 34th, and more. The Bazi Bierbrasserie (1522 SE 32nd Ave) beer garden is also the 4th Annual The Mighty Mites Session Fest, an all-ages friendly outdoor beer garden featuring a special cocktail, outdoor games, and food vendors.

India Fest 2015India Festival

Bring your friends and family and come to Pioneer Courthouse Square for a free taste of Indian Culture! Get ready to experience a day of back-to-back dances, musical performances, and food from Portland’s finest Indian restaurants.

Ongoing

Movies in the Park

Movies in Parks

Friday, August 14

Saturday, August 15

Sunday, August 16

Concerts in the Park

Concerts in the Park 2015

Friday, August 14

Sunday, August 16

History Pub: A History of the Bagdad Theater: Hawthorne’s ‘Oasis of Entertainment’ (16 August 2015)

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Almost Real Camel for the BagDad Theater (Sunday Oregonian, 2 January 1927)

McMenamins Historian Tim Hills presents A History of the Bagdad Theater: Hawthorne’s Oasis of Entertainment on Sunday, 16 August 2015 at the Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthorne) at 11 AM until noon.

From “Her Big Night” on January 14, 1927, to “Fantastic Four” that’s playing tonight, the Bagdad Theater has endeared itself to generations of Portlanders, and endured the colossal volatility of the movie industry over the past 88 years.

Few expenses were spared and a church and cider mill were sacrificed to create this Eastside movie palace, dubbed an “Oasis of Entertainment.” Capitalized by the deep pockets of Universal Studios, the Bagdad was called “a triumph of artistry and craftsmanship.” In 1927, it stood as the city’s largest theater outside of downtown.

This event is part of the Hawthorne Street Fair, which will be happening outside the theater all day.

This History Pub is all ages and free. Doors open at 10:30 AM.