Dave Knows Portland

Portland Weekend Amusements (September 21-23, 2012)

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Truly the best weekend of the year, the third full weekend in September never quits. My two favorite fall festivals take place this weekend, the Oaks Park Oktoberfest and the Polish Festival, and this year we also have Feast PDX, Rheinlander’s Oktoberfest, train and streetcar events, and lots more – and weather looks delightful!

Ongoing

Swift WatchChapman Vaux’s Swift Watch 2012

Every September thousands of Vaux’s Swifts come to Portland. After spending their day eating bugs, the Swifts coalesce in Northwest Portland, flying in a giant undulating swirl in the sky above the school. Around sunset the swirl gets more compact, like a ground pepper tornado, and begins disappearing, measure by measure, down the chimney. On the lawn below hundreds of Portlanders stare mesmerized at the sky, from the comfort of lawn chairs and blankets. Boos erupt when opportunistic Peregrine falcons get lucky. [more]

All Weekend

Feast PortlandFeast Portland

Feast Portland, a celebration of Oregon Bounty, takes place Thursday through Sunday, September 20 through 23, 2012.

Presented by Bon Appétit, the fest is a four-day dynamic exchange of ideas, inspiration and dialogue that Feast Portland will create with food enthusiasts from Oregon, across the U.S. and around the globe. [more]

Bier!Oaks Park Oktoberfest

The 2012 Paulaner Oktoberfest at Oaks Park takes place Friday through Sunday, September 21 through 23.

This is one of Heather‘s favorite Portland festivals, because of the weiner dog races of course. I’m especially fond of the beer and accordion music! [more]

Friday

Offbeat Belly Dance

Avast! Noble Portlanders!

This Friday! Grab your party hat and head to the Blue Monk for the September edition of Offbeat Belly Dance!

Ah yes, the Blue Monk! Home of delicious beer! Complex and intriguing mixed drinks! Tasty food! Air conditioning! [more]

Friday-Saturday

Der Rheinlander Oktoberfest

Portland, Oregon’s favorite Rheinlander Oktoberfest will be Friday, September 21st & Saturday, September 22nd. Our family day “Family Fest” on Saturday from noon – 5pm.

Raise a Stein in the Rheinlander and Gustav’s Bier Stube’s Oktoberfest beer garden on the corner of NE 50th & Sandy Blvd! [more]

Saturday-Sunday

Heather at Portland Polish Festival 2010Polish Festival

The 17th annual Portland Polish Festival, my favorite local cultural event, takes place on Saturday and Sunday, September 22 and 23, 2012.

Below the masthead on the festival website are the words: the best kept secret of Portland, Oregon. This statement hasn’t been true for several years – the Polish Fest is the premier fall festival in the Portland area. [more]

VegFestPortland VegFest 2012

Oregon’s largest plant-based food event!

VegFest celebrates and promotes sustainable, compassionate and healthy food choices and lifestyles. This low-cost, fun and food-filled event welcomes everyone! [more]

Saturday

Portland Streetcar Central LoopPortland Streetcar Central Loop Grand Opening Celebration

The Portland Streetcar Central Loop Grand Opening Celebration takes place Saturday, September 22, 2012.

As part of the celebration, streetcar rides are free all day Saturday and Sunday, September 22 and 23, 2012. Catch a ride to OMSI between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. to attend the celebration. Visit the Portland Streetcar website for a full schedule of celebration events. [more]

SP 4449Oregon Rail Heritage Center’s Grand Opening

The grand opening celebration for the Oregon Rail Heritage Center takes place Saturday, September 22, 2012 from 10am -5pm. “See the three steam locomotives in their new home!”

Giveaways & Prizes * Live Music * Gift Shop * Kid’s Activities * Guides to tell you about us * Light Refreshments * ADA Accessible [more]

Back Fence PDXBack Fence PDX

As always we have an amazing lineup of storytellers ready to tell never-been-told-before true stories based on the theme HASHTAG NERD. From Portland: Iron Man comic book scribe, MATT FRACTION, Best Selling Thriller writer, CHELSEA CAIN, Co-host along with Felicia Day of a Geek & Sundry podcast, KIALA KAZEBEE, and Former High School Mathlete GABE CARLETON-BARNES. From Seattle: Jezebel staff writer LINDY WEST and math genius/creator of video games, BRUCE OBERG. [more]

For even more weekend events and activities, check out the Dave Knows Calendar, and visit Around the Sun, Blogging Portland on the Cheap, and Oregon Events at OregonLive.com.

Oaks Park Oktoberfest 2012

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Bier!The 2012 Paulaner Oktoberfest at Oaks Park takes place Friday through Sunday, September 21 through 23.

Entertainment (PDF) is provided by the usual suspects, including Greg Meier, the Polkatones, Still Kickin’, the Country Dutchmen, Wisler Accordion, and more.

Compete in (or watch) contests (PDF) like the pretzel toss, condiment art, chicken dance, the sausage eating contests, and the Oktoberfest Bear Hug Race throughout the weekend.

In addition there’s a vendor village where you can buy lederhosen and dirndls, and plenty of stuff for the kids.

This year the food menu gets interesting, with multiple food vendors offering their own take on Oktoberfest food, including (click links for PDF menus) EastBurn, Edelweiss Deli, Eis Hutte and Schnitzel Haus, the Scandinavian Cafe, Urban German, and more – everything is reasonably priced, and two festhallen and a multitude of outdoor picnic tables means there are plenty of places to sit down with your beers and friends.

Admission is $5 for adults 16 to 61, $3 for 62 and over, and kids get in for $2. Friday the fest goes from 3 p.m. to midnight (rides 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.), Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight (rides noon to 10 p.m.), and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (rides noon to 7 p.m.).

This is one of Heather‘s favorite Portland festivals, because of the weiner dog races of course. I’m especially fond of the beer and accordion music!

We usually attend on Friday night, which is usually rather laid back (it is Senior Excitement night at the fest after all). But it serves as a nice way to ease into a full weekend of festing (Saturday night we usually hit the Polish Festival, which unfortunately is always on the same weekend). This year the weekend is also shared by Feast Portland – whew, what a busy weekend! To give you an idea of what to expect, check out our reviews from past years:

Heather’s:

Mine:

And here’s a weiner dog race video!

Weiner Dog Race! from Mile73 on Vimeo.

Feast Portland (September 20-23, 2012)

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Feast Portland 2012Feast Portland, a celebration of Oregon Bounty, takes place Thursday through Sunday, September 20 through 23, 2012.

Oregon’s soil produces amazing fruits and vegetables. Our vineyards grow grapes that make award-winning wines. Our hops are the reason Portland has more breweries than any other city in the world. Our ocean provides sustainably caught salmon, Dungeness crab and tuna. And our beef, pork and chicken are organic and raised to the highest standards. We grow much of the country’s hazelnuts, marionberries and green beans. And our forests are home to so many exotic mushrooms the Japanese have us on speed dial. Best of all, we have marvelous chefs who know what to do with all this abundance. So we decided it’s high time we had our own world-class celebration of food, drink and everything else that makes Portland awesome. We’re calling it Feast Portland.

Presented by Bon Appétit, the fest is a four-day dynamic exchange of ideas, inspiration and dialogue that Feast Portland will create with food enthusiasts from Oregon, across the U.S. and around the globe.

Locally and internationally famous chefs and restauranteurs participating include: Vitaly Paley (Paley’s Place), Naomi Pomeroy (Beast), Andy Ricker (Pok Pok), Cathy Whims (Nostrana), Adam Sappington (Country Cat), Gregory Gourdet (Departure), Jenn Louis (Lincoln), David Machado (Nel Centro), Elias Cairo (Olympic Provisions), Philippe Boulot (The Heathman), Jason French (Nedd Ludd), Stephanie Kimmel (Marche), Ben Bettinger (Imperial), and Tommy Habetz (Bunk) welcome a roster of visiting chefs such as Duff Goldman, April Bloomfield (Spotted Pig), Eddie Huang (Baohaus), Nancy Silverton (Osteria Mozza), Seamus Mullen (Tertulia), Brad Farmerie (PUBLIC), Chris Cosentino (Incanto), Gabrielle Hamilton (Prune), Anita Lo (Annisa), Amanda Freitag, Hedy Goldsmith (Michael’s Genuine), Lee Anne Wong, Matt Lightner (Atera), Paul Kahan (Publican), Daniel Patterson (Coi), Sean Brock (Husk), and Inaki Aizpitarte (Le Chateaubriand, Paris).

The fest consists of classes, demos, presentations, speakers, and grand tastings – check out the website and Facebook page for event details and tickets.

I hope to see you there! I have media credentials and will be attending, and tweeting, many of the events, all weekend!

El Grito y Fiestas Patrias (15-September-2012)

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El Grito 2012Join Consul Enrique Romero-Cuevas and Portland Mayor Sam Adams in celebrating Portland’s El Grito y Fiestas Patrias at Pioneer Courthouse Square on Saturday, September 15 2012 from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m.

El Grito refers to the battle cry of the Mexican War of Independence. The event is remembered and celebrated each year on the night of September 15. Mexican President Calderón is expected to ring the bells of the National Palace in Mexico City, and give his 2012 version of el Grito from the balcony of the palace to the assembled masses in the Plaza de la Constitución. Throughout Mexico, and parts of the world with Mexican expatriate communities, similar celebrations will take place.

The Portland festival entertainment features ballet folkórico and Aztec dancers, live mariachi, salsa, cumbia, pop music. Food and beverage and other vendors and booths will be on hand as well. And don’t miss the singing contest! Visit ElGritoNW.com for more details.

Portland Serbian Fest 2012

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Serbian Fest 2012The sixth annual Serbian Fest takes place Saturday and Sunday, September 15 and 16, 2012 at St. Stephen in Milwaukie (11447 SE 27th).

The fest features delicious serbian food: barbecue, roast pig and lamb, desserts and live music, National Dance, beer & wine, kids’ activities, and much more!

Entertainment includes a performance by The Krebsic Orkestar.

Admission is free and this festival is all ages. The fest runs Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit the Facebook page for more details and festival photos from previous years.