Dave Knows Portland

El Grito y Fiestas Patrias (15-September-2011)

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El Grito 2011Join Consul Enrique Romero-Cuevas and Portland Mayor Sam Adams in celebrating Portland’s El Grito y Fiestas Patrias at Pioneer Courthouse Square on Thursday, September 15 2011 from 11am until late.

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 2011 version of el Grito from the balcony of the palace to the assembled masses in the Plaza de la Constitución. Through out Mexico, and parts of the world with Mexican expatriate communities, similar celebrations will take place.

The Portland festival features live music, ballet folkórico dancers, La Voz de Independencia (a singing competition!), and more!

Labor Day Weekend 2011 – Portland-Area Amusements

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The end of summer may be nigh, but the summery events aren’t over yet. This Portland weekend has something for everyone: the Pirate Festival, the State Fair, Movies in the Park, a big ol’ union picnic, and much more!

Ongoing

Oregon State FairOregon State Fair 2011

The 2011 Oregon State Fair runs from Friday, August 26 through September 5, at the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem. Heather and I had a blast at last year’s fair.

Competitions this year include 4-H of course, along with categories such as fine art, farm and garden, photography, floral, creative living, and grill offs. And of course there will be horse shows, and exhibits of livestock and the best part: small animals. [more]

Movies in ParksMovies in the Park

Movies in the park this weekend:

Thursday: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 @ Columbia Park
Friday: Roman Holiday @ Director Park
Saturday: Gulliver’s Travels @ Wallace Park [more]

Swift WatchChapman Vaux’s Swift Watch 2011

So here’s the deal. Every September thousands of Vaux’s Swifts come to Portland. They spend their days eating lots of bugs. In the late afternoon the Swifts begin flying in a giant undulating swirl in the sky about the school. Around sunset they swirl more tightly, like a ground pepper tornado, and begin disappearing, measure by measure, down the chimney. On the lawn below, hundreds of Portlanders gather on lawn chairs and blankets to stare at the sky, mesmerized. Boos erupt when opportunistic Peregrine falcons occasionally get lucky. The crowd cheers, however, when the predators are thwarted. Meanwhile unruly oblivious children scream and roll down the grassy hill. [more]

Portland Timbers NASL era logoSoccer City USA: The Portland Timbers and the NASL Years, 1975-1982

The Oregon Historical Society‘s newest exhibit, Soccer City USA: The Portland Timbers and the NASL Years, 1975-1982, kicked off the day after the Timber’s home opener, and runs through Sunday, September 4, 2011.

The exhibit curators have assembled an exhibit which focuses on the years the Timbers played in the original North American Soccer League, and is the largest collection of Timbers artifacts in one place at one time. [more]

Friday-Sunday

Art In The Pearl

Our 15th annual festival will be held this coming September 3th to September 5th, 2011 and hopes to be one of our best ever. Our festival fills the Northwest Portland Park blocks with art, theater, music, and hands-on activities for people of all ages …

Art In The Pearl® is a wonderful community event. Over one hundred artists show and sell work ranging from fine wooden furniture to beautiful paintings to photography, glass, clay, metal, jewelry, and much more! Art In The Pearl is ranked in the TOP 25 Fine Art events nationwide by the Art Fair Sourcebook. [more]

Reptiles and Amphibian ShowOMSI Reptile and Amphibian Show

Crawl, creep, and slither your way to one of the largest gatherings of reptiles and amphibians in the Pacific Northwest when OMSI presents the Reptile and Amphibian Show, Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-5, 2011. Over 100 exotic animals will be on display at this popular event, including a large variety of captive-bred snakes, lizards, turtles, alligators, and more. [more]

Friday

Who Framed Roger RabbitCort and Fatboy’s Midnight Movie: Who Framed Roger Rabbit

This is the original 35mm film, filling the Bagdad’s screen with Bob Zemeckis’ genius, Bob Hoskins’ grumpiness, Roger’s ridiculousness and Jessica’s allure, with Bugs, Mickey, Donald, Daffy, Betty Boop, Droopy Dog and about a hundred other classic cartoons sharing the screen for the first and likely only time together. [more]

Saturday-Sunday

Portland Pirate FestivalPortland Pirate Festival

The sixth annual Portland Pirate Festival invades Historic St. Helens, Oregon this Saturday and Sunday, September 3 and 4, 2011.

I have never made it to this event (for one thing I have no swashbuckling outfit), so all I can vouch for is what they say on the website – looks like fun! The fest features pirate-themed and non-pirate-themed music, dance and performance, historical reenactments (with cannons!), stuff for kids, and of course there grub and grog! [more]

Monday

Union YesLabor Day Picnic at Oaks Park

Oregon was the first state to officially recognize the Labor Day holiday in 1887, so it’s only fitting that to this day we throw huge Labor Day picnics throughout the state.

The largest local union picnic, which an estimated 20,000 people attended last year, is the Northwest Oregon Labor Council‘s Labor Day Picnic held Monday, September 5 at Oaks Amusement Park from 10am until 5pm. [more]

And for even more weekend events and activities, check out the Dave Knows Calendar, and visit Blogging Portland on the Cheap, PDX Pipeline, and Oregon Events at OregonLive.com.

Weekend Amusements (July 8-10, 2011)

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The part of the summer where there are more worthy festivals and events happening each weekend than you can possibly make it to is upon us. Behold:

Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Movies in ParksMovies in the Park

The second 2011 installment of Portland Parks and Recreation movies in the park kicked off a couple weeks ago, but now things really kick in – with a movie every night this weekend!

Friday, July 8: Imagine That at Dickinson Park
Saturday, July 9: The Karate Kid (2010) at Brooklyn Park
Sunday, July 10: Shrek Forever After at Wilshire Park.

Pre-movie entertainment begins at 6:30pm and movies begin as soon as it’s dark. [more]

Friday

Churn-A-MentChurn-A-Ment: Ice Cream Competition

Dairy Farmers of Oregon presents the first annual Churn-A-Ment (pdf) on Friday, July 8, 2011 at Pioneer Courthouse Square. From 11am until 1:30pm witness celebrity chefs creating ice cream the old fashioned way, and enjoy free ice cream! [more]

All Female Artists ShowcaseFAB PDX: All Female Artists Showcase

Join FAB PDX, “a custom fabrication company operating in the heart of the industrial arts district in SE Portland,” for a special All Female Artists Showcase this Friday, July 8, 2011. The showcase opening event takes place the FAB PDX Art Space (1317 SE 9th) from 6pm to 9pm. [more]

Saturday

Mississippi Street Fair 2011Mississippi Street Fair

The 10th annual Mississippi Avenue Street Fair takes place Saturday, July 9, 2011 from 10am until 9pm – on North Mississippi Avenue, of course, between Skidmore and Fremont. [more]

The Cans FestThe Cans Fest

The Can Fest takes place Saturday, July 9, 2011 at The Guild Public House (1101 East Burnside).

This first annual event “provides an opportunity for local and out-of-town beer enthusiasts to taste canned craft beers.” [more]

Bastille DayBastille Day Festival in the Pearl

The 9th Annual Bastille Day Festival takes place Saturday, July 9, 2011, from noon until 8pm at Jamison Square Park in the Pearl District. Admission is free.

The Fête de la Bastille commemorates the storming of the Bastille Prison on le quatorze juillet, 1789. [more]

Sunday

Portland TimbersPortland Timbers vs Seattle Flounders

The Portland Timbers (5-8-3) host the Seattle Sounders (8-4-8) for the first time ever in MLS league play on Sunday, July 10, 2011 at Jeld-Wen Field. Kickoff is at 1pm.

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.

Mississippi Street Fair (9-July-2011)

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Mississippi Street Fair 2011The 10th annual Mississippi Avenue Street Fair takes place Saturday, July 9, 2011 from 10am until 9pm – on North Mississippi Avenue, of course, between Skidmore and Fremont.

This is still my favorite Portland street fair. Only five blocks from Skidmore to Fremont, you’re guaranteed to run into your friends amongst the 30,000 or so other festival goers.

“Grandfather” Leonard Smith’s BBQ Rib-Off contest is unique to the festival, and is back again this year. And there’s a Craft Beer Garden, food carts, and other great restaurants. Moloko will be celebrating 5 years with a special street fair anniversary party.

Five stages feature 36 bands throughout the day.

And of course over 100 local vendors will be on hand offering their wares, causes, and notions.

Read my posts about previous Mississippi street fairs to see how much fun it is: Mississippi Avenue Street Fair 2010, 2009, and 2008.

Visit the Mississippi Ave website for the press release, fact sheet, entertainment schedule, and more, and see you on July 9th, 2011 on Mississippi!