Dave Knows Portland

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 Labor Day Weekend Amusements (2015)

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Labor day weekend!

Saturday and Sunday

Romanian Folk and Food Festival

Romanian fest 2015ROMANIAN COMMUNITY CELEBRATES ITS HERITAGE AND CULTURE IN ITS GENUINE WAY

BBQ, traditional foods, pastries, beer, wine, live music, dance, kids activities, and much more!

The fest takes place at Saint Marys Romanian Orthodox Church (135th and SE Stark)

Labor Day (Monday 7 September 2015)

2015 Labor Day Picnics

Union YesThe largest gathering by far takes place at in Southeast Portland. Sponsored by the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, the picnic attracts members from multiple unions who enjoy barbecue, music, games, carnival rides, raffle drawings, vendor booths, and time to visit with local politicians. Gov. Kate Brown has confirmed that she will be in attendance.

The picnic runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Political speeches take place at 1 p.m.

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.

Portland Film Festival

Portland Film Festival 2015The festival focuses on the people, ideas, technology, skills and artistry behind filmmaking and provides both entertaining and educational opportunities to the public. The festival is anchored with outdoor screenings, offering its filmmakers one of the largest audiences available on the West Coast.

The festival is spread across seven theater and education venues including some of the oldest historic theaters in Oregon

Movies in the Park

Movies in Parks

Friday, September 4

Saturday, September 5

Sunday, September 6

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

Drive-In at Zidell Yards (27-31 August 2015)

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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.

Sure, you can drive, but consider bicycling or taking the streetcar or the 35 – Macadam – bring a chair or a blanket! Gates open at 7 PM, movies start at dusk. Food carts will be selling refreshments.

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

The entrance to Zidell Yards (3030 SW Moody Ave) is a few blocks north of the streetcar stop at the base of the aerial tram. Admission is $8 – outside food and drink not permitted. Sound will be broadcast over FM radio and outdoor speakers.