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Portland Juggling Festival and Vaudeville Extravaganza (September 30-October 2, 2011)

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Portland Juggling FestivalThe 19th annual Portland Juggling Festival takes place this weekend, September 30 through October 2, 2011 at the Reed College Sports Center (3202 SE Woodstock).

The Portland Juggling Festival is one of the largest regional juggling festivals in the United States, with jugglers from around the world and down the street joining together to share their knowledge and show their skills. We have performers, hobby jugglers, and beginners joining together for a two and a half days of throwing. Expect a big show Saturday evening, workshops for beginning, intermediate, and advanced jugglers, and vendors of every variety of juggling prop.

Attendees have dozens of workshop options and multiple vendors‘ wares to peruse. And Saturday night take in a show: The Juggling and Vaudeville Extravaganza, which features a family-friendly assortment of local and national juggling and variety acts in one live performance highlights the festival on Saturday night. Performers include Luke Burrage, SMIRK, The Poetic Motion Machine, and lots more!

Visit the festival website and Facebook event page for festival admission details and full schedules.

And check out this review of the 2008 extravaganza by guest blogger Lesley: Entertaining, silly, endearing and creepy: A Juggling Extravaganza to remember

September 24-26: Oktoberfest, Juggling Fest, Polish Fest, and last Sunday Parkways of 2010

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So here’s what I would do: Head to Oaks Park Friday night for a lead in to your weekend; enjoy a bratwurst, a beer, and the oompah. Turn in relatively early. Saturday take in some of the workshops at the Juggling festival, and then around sunset make your way to North Portland for the Polish Festival (here are some tips). Fill up on pierogies and beer and dance the night away to Chervona. Whew. Sunday, dust off your bike and head up to NW Portland for a leisurely ride around the Sunday Parkways route. If you’re feeling ambitious spend sunset Sunday evening at Chapman school watching the Vaux Swifts!

Friday-Sunday

Oktoberfest at Oaks ParkOktoberfest at Oaks Park

The 2010 Zenner’s Oktoberfest at Oaks Park takes place Friday through Saturday, September 24-26.

The authentic German beers and food options (e.g. bratwurst, chicken schnitzel, braised red cabbage, sauerkraut, German Potato Salad, and Tater Tots!) are reasonably priced, and there are enough places to put in your order that the lines don’t often get too long. [more]

Friday-Saturday

Juggling FestivalPortland Juggling Festival and Vaudeville Extravaganza

The 18th Annual Portland Juggling Festival takes place Friday through Sunday, September 24 through 26. Prop manipulation, juggling, and unicycling workshops are just a part of this event held at the Reed College Sports Center (3203 SE Woodstock).

A highlight of the festival is The Portland Juggling & Vaudeville Extravaganza, held on Saturday, September 25th at the Benson High School Auditorium (546 Northeast 12th). [more]

Polish FestPortland Polish Festival 2010

The Polish Festival is one of this Portland’s best annual cultural events, and my personal favorite. It takes place this year on Saturday and Sunday, September 25 and 26.

Take in non-stop music (much of it featuring accordions!), dance performances, a street dance, and polka contests while enjoying Polish food like pierogies, kielbasa, gołąbki (cabbage rolls), placki ziemniaczane (potato pancakes), and other delectable options – and of course delicious Polish beer! In the vendor village, check out the jewelry, clothing, Polish pottery, and sundries for sale. [more]

Sunday

Sunday ParkwaysNorthwest Portland Sunday Parkways

The final Sunday Parkways of 2010 takes place Sunday, September 26th in Northwest Portland.

Take the opportunity to spend a pleasant (hopefully) summery Sunday morning and afternoon (10am to 3pm) winding your way on bike or foot through the mostly car free streets of Northwest, and a sliver of Southwest, Portland. [more]

September 24-25: Portland Juggling Festival and Vaudeville Extravaganza 2010

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The 18th Annual Portland Juggling Festival takes place Friday through Sunday, September 24 through 26. Prop manipulation, juggling, and unicycling workshops are just a part of this event held at the Reed College Sports Center (3203 SE Woodstock).

A highlight of the festival is The Portland Juggling & Vaudeville Extravaganza, held on Saturday, September 25th at the Benson High School Auditorium (546 Northeast 12th).

Vaudeville ExtravaganzaPerformers include:

  • Doug Sayers: Winner of the 2009 International Jugglers Association Stage Competition, Doug Sayers of whatsup juggling is a high-octane, world-class professional juggler.
  • Bronkar Lee: Bronkar offers up a unique, foot-tapping, grin-inducing spectacle for the ears and the eyes. He combines rhythm — body percussion, drumming and vocal percussion (A.K.A. beatboxing) — with highly skilled juggling along with some humor to wash it down.
  • Bekka Rose: Inspired by a wide variety of styles and techniques in her time spent in Europe, Bekka Rose has developed her own poetic and fluid style of juggling.
  • Bill Robison: Using his rubber-like face, elastic body, and limitless energy, Bill Robison transports audiences to a zany, unpredictable and hilarious world.

Check out this review of the 2008 extravaganza by guest blogger Lesley:

Entertaining, silly, endearing and creepy: A Juggling Extravaganza to remember

Register for the whole festival ($20-$35) or buy individual Extravaganza tickets ($8-$16). Visit the festival and extravaganza websites for more information.

August 6-8: The Bite of Oregon 2010

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Bite of OregonThe 2010 Bite of Oregon celebrates the food and wine of Oregon at Waterfront Park, Friday through Sunday, August 6 through 8.

An impressive lineup of restaurants from all over the state will be preparing all manner of food, and of course craft beer and wine will be flowing.

Several stages sport live music and tv stars. The Community Stage, with magic acts, juggling demonstrations, acrobats, a steel drum band, and Irish and Scottish dancing looks particularly promising.

$8.00 gets you in for a day, a weekend pass is $10. Show up before 2pm Friday or or 1pm on Sunday and the Earl Bird Special admission is only $3. (General admission fee covers entrance and entertainment but does not included food and beverage.)

January 16: J.R.R. Tolkien Birthday Celebration

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J.R.R. Tolkien Birthday CelebrationThe Hobbit was one of the first “real” books I ever finished as a child. I excitedly read the rest of the The Lord of the Rings trilogy, growing less and less interested in the whole thing, finally falling a sleep a few pages into The Silmarillion.

So if I attend the J.R.R. Tolkien Birthday Celebration this Saturday, January 16th at the Kennedy School (5736 NE 33rd), it won’t be for the Peter Jackson films (I know these films are some people’s Star Wars, but I just couldn’t get into them). It will be for the beer, jugglers, and live music.

J.R.R. TOLKIEN BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
With jugglers, live music by the Freak Mountain Ramblers, the entire LOTR trilogy and more! Come in costume to compete for prizes! . . .

Celebrate the birthday of Tolkien by coming dressed as your favorite Hobbit, elf, wizard or other character from one of his amazing novels. We’ll have Hobbit-inspired food specials, the entire “Lord of the Rings” trilogy in the Theater, performances by Willamette Radio Workshop and much more.

The celebration begins at 11am and the live music starts at 7pm. It’s free to get in, but $3 or an Oregon Food Bank donation gets you into the movies.

Find more information, including the schedule, at the Kennedy School event page.