Dave Knows Portland

October 15-17: Offbeat Belly Dance, Art & Beer, Apple Tasting, and Booze

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Friday

Offbeat Belly DanceOffbeat Belly Dance

Every third Friday of the month the Blue Monk (3341 SE Belmont) hosts the Offbeat Belly Dance collective, a club rocking, good timing, genre-defying gang of badass belly dancers.

And this third Friday, October 15 2010 is no different – the Offbeat Belly Dance collectives invites you to Freee! Faaaabulous! Funnnn! [more]

Art and Beer 2010Art & Beer at the Museum 2010

Artist Eric Steen has a knack for combining his passions, no matter how incongruous the combinations might at first appear.

His blog, Beer and Sci-Fi, for example, combines discussion about beer, science fiction, utopian dreams, movies, and tall tales with activism and social art. [more]

Friday-Sunday

Apple Tasting Event2010 Apple Tasting Event at Portland Nursery

The 23rd Annual Apple Tasting Event takes place over the next two weekend (Friday-Sunday, October 8-10, and 15-17) at the Portland Nursery location (5050 SE Stark location).

This has become one of Heather and my favorite annual events. Apple tasting, old fashioned cider pressing, apple desserts, cooking demonstrations, and live music – what’s not to like? Also, Heather just happens to freakin’ loves apples! [more]

Oregon Distillers Guild Spirits Tasting 2010Saturday

Oregon Distillers Guild Spirits Tasting 2010

With the Great American Distillers Festival still over a week away, what’s a tippler to do this weekend?

Here’s an idea: head out to Troutdale, McMenamins Edgefield to be exact, for the 2010 Oregon Distillers Guild Fall Tasting! [more]

For even more stuff to do this weekend, check out Around The Sun, PDX Pipeline, and Blogging Portland on the Cheap!

Portland Nursery Apple Tasting Event 2010

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Pear tasting Saturday morning Heather and I made sure we got to the Portland Nursery Apple Tasting Event right as it opened at 10am – we were determined to get to the tasting tent before the crowds!

The Portland Nursery Apple Tasting Event takes place every October at the 5050 SE Stark location. This year’s event, the 23rd annual, runs this and next weekend (Friday-Sunday, October 8-10, and 15-17). It features old fashioned cider pressing, apple desserts, cooking demonstrations, live music, a hard cider festival ($5 tasting fee, Saturday and Sunday after noon both weekends), and free popcorn! There are also activities for the kids and a huge variety of apples and pears available for sale by the pound. And of course the apple and pear tasting.

We make it to this event every year (read about our 2009 Apple Tasting Adventure here), but always later in the day. So each year the tasting line is daunting, and we have skipped it. There are plenty of other things to do – we’ve explored the nursery, listened to the bands, enjoyed apple crisp and soft serve ice cream, perused the locally produced farm-fresh products, and bought dozens of pounds of apples. And each year we tell ourselves, next year, we’ll arrive before the tasting lines get too long.

So this year we were on a mission. And arriving about five minutes before the official opening at 10am ended up being the perfect strategy. Only one row of tasting tables was open. Being some of the first tasters, we felt like royalty.

King David

The apple and pear slicers had completed the first row, and begun work on the second. The third row awaited the crowds that would soon descend upon the southeast corner of the nursery.

The apple and pear cutters, pears in the foreground

After we had our fill of apples (Heather and I especially like the Spartan variety), we wandered the grounds, checking out the various offerings. At the music tent we listened to Sue Weaver & Lynn Conover play for a while.

Sue Weaver & Lynn Conover

Heather made friends with the balloon hat guy.

Balloon Hat Guy and Heather

And she found a really cute pumpkin.

Heather and Pumpkin

Before we left we perused the apples and pears.

Pears

Next year we’ll be back (heck, we might be back next weekend), and we’ll be getting there at 10am to be first in line!

2010 Apple Tasting Event at Portland Nursery

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Portland NurseryThe 23rd Annual Apple Tasting Event takes place over the next two weekend (Friday-Sunday, October 8-10, and 15-17) at the Portland Nursery location (5050 SE Stark location).

This has become one of Heather and my favorite annual events. Apple tasting, old fashioned cider pressing, apple desserts, cooking demonstrations, and live music – what’s not to like? Also, Heather just happens to freakin’ loves apples!

Last year’s apple tasting featured over 65 varieties of apples and pears, and I have no doubt this year’s will also be spectacular [I’ll link to the lineup when it’s released]. Arrive early before the line gets too long. The same varieties of apples and pears in the tasting are available to take home by the pound.

Wandering Aengus CiderworksA treat last year was the 1st Annual Artisan Hard Cider Festival. Salem’s Wandering Aengus Ciderworks is back again this year as host of the 2nd Annual Portland National Cider Festival with a variety of hard ciders to taste ($5 tasting fee) and buy to take home (on Saturday and Sunday both weekends).

And there’s live music too!

On Saturday the 9th, Sue Weaver & Lynn Conover play from 10am until noon. Followed by the Midnight Serenaders from 1pm until 4pm. Sunday the 10th features Trashcan Joe from 1pm until 4pm.

The next weekend, on Saturday the 16th, Kung Pao Chickens plays from 10am until noon, and the Klezmocracy Quintet from 1pm until 4pm. On Sunday the 17th the Pete Krebs Trio starts things off from 10am until noon, followed by Mood Area 52 from 1pm until 4pm.

July 16-18: Portland International Beerfest 2010

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Portland International BeerfestIt’s a weekend in July, so of course there’s a beer fest: the Portland International Beer Festival starts Friday, July 16th and continues through Sunday, July 18th (Friday 4pm-10pm, Saturday 12pm-10pm, Sunday 12pm-7pm).

This is the expensive one: $25 at the gate for 10 beer tickets and an official glass ($20 if you buy tickets in advance). It takes place up in the the North Park blocks between Davis and Everett. (Don’t confuse this beer fest with the BIG one, which takes place the following weekend, July 22-25th, at Waterfront Park).

The beer selection at this festival is impressive – well over a hundred beers, draft and bottled, from all over the world, with a few ciders and meads thrown in. And though the entry fee is steep, if you hang onto your wristband and glass, you’re welcome back all weekend.

Hot Drinks from Cold Bloggers

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Gluhwein!There’s nothing we can do about the cold weather, but the effects can be ameliorated.

This past weekend I visited House Spirits‘ Holiday Booze Bazaar, and, the weekend before, Season’s Eatings at New Deal Distillery.

Now what’s a poor cold blogger to do with all the acquired booze? Make a warming cocktail of course! And I’ll be starting with these recipes from local blogs the next time an arctic blast™ approaches (or maybe sooner):

Glühwein image above courtesy Anneke Wolf