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Portland Weekend Amusements (11-13 September 2015)

September 10, 2015 by Dave 1 Comment

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

It’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

The 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

Big 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

As 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

Please 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

In 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 the Park

Friday, September 11

Multnomah Arts Center – Big Hero 6

Oregon Symphony Waterfront Concert and Fireworks (3 or 4 September 2015)

September 2, 2015 by Dave Leave a Comment

Join the Oregon Symphony on Thursday, 3 September 2015 (rain date: Friday, 4 September) for the
Oregon Symphony in the Neighborhoods Waterfront Concert – an afternoon musical festival and concert – at Tom McCall Waterfront Park.

The afternoon music festival runs from 1 PM to 6:30 PM where you’ll have an opportunity to see and listen to the OSU Steel Drum Choir, Irish Fiddler Kevin Burke, Hillsboro School District Mariachi Band ‘Una Voz,’ Stephanie Schneiderman and Tony Furtado, and other performers.

The Oregon Symphony concert starts at 7 PM and wraps up about 9:30 PM. The traditional grand finale is a performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture with an elaborate fireworks show, which includes shots from military cannons from the Oregon Army National Guard 218th Field Artillery.

Visit the Oregon Symphony website for more information, including the full schedule, symphony program, and a list of arts partners participating.

The concert is free! No tickets needed. Bring a picnic and low chairs or blankets for the lawn seating.

Fireworks photo credit: “Lacroix display WFC2010” by Fieldington at English Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons.

Chapman Vaux’s Swift Watch 2015

August 31, 2015 by Dave Leave a Comment

Join the Audubon Society of Portland in September for the annual Swift Watch in Northwest Portland.

In 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.

Vaux Swifts 2009 from Mile73 on Vimeo.

The Audobon Society of Portland maintains the Swift Watch webpage, which includes details on the best times to show up, explanations of the phenomena, and FAQs answering all your questions on the natural history of the swifts, the bird counts, and sundry. Oregon Field Guide did a segment on the Vaux Swifts fifteen years ago, and there’s even a movie, called On The Wing.

In 2008 and 2009 Heather and I blogged about our first visits to see the Chapman swifts:

Your moment of Zen, courtesy of Mike Vogel:

Portland Weekend Amusements (21-23 August 2015)

August 20, 2015 by Dave Leave a Comment

A Timbers match is a nice way to start a weekend, and three cheers for fireworks and hot dogs! Sunday Parkways isn’t a bad way to top it off.

Friday

Portland Timbers vs. Houston Dynamo

The Timbers (11-8-6), undefeated in August and on a two match winning streak, host Houston Dynamo (8-9-7) at Providence Park this Friday, 21 August 2015 at 8 PM.

Houston lost on the road at New England last week, while the Timbers are coming off a rare road win at Salt Lake City.

The Timbers are in 4th place in the West. Houston, in 7th, is one spot out of the playoffs and four points under the Seattle Sounders, who the Timbers travel to face next week.

Saturday

Summer Spiritsfest

Saturday from 11 AM to 4 PM Portland Saturday Market is throwing a booze fest!

Spiritsfest highlights local distillers who are shaking up Portland’s vibrant scene. It is all about meeting the makers of the local crafted spirits and the wonderful concoctions people can create using local spirits.

Zach’s Shack 12th Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest!!

8 entry fee, sign up at the Shack.
Participant space is limited so sign up early!

But there is plenty of room to come on down and cheer on your favorite wiener! (har har)

Last year the champion consumed 24 dogs in 10 minutes! Who will go home with the belt this year, and how many dogs will it take?!

MAX Orange Line Picnic and Fireworks Spectacular

Celebrate the impending opening of the new MAX line and Tilikum Crossing at the MAX Orange Line Picnic and Fireworks Spectacular on Saturday, 22 August 2015 at Zidell Yards (3030 SW Moody Ave.).

The picnic starts at 5 PM. The fireworks begin at 9 PM. Though there will be picnic tables and benches, bring a lawn chair for the show.

Sunday

Southeast Sunday Parkways

Make your Sunday drive a bike ride – or walk – through mostly residential streets free of car traffic, from one park to the next on the 2-way, 7-mile Southeast Portland Sunday Parkways route connecting Laurelhurst, Colonel Summers, Ivon Parks, and Sewallcrest Park.

Ongoing

Movies in the Park

Friday, August 21

Laurelhurst Park – Cinderella

Saturday, August 22

Sewallcrest Park – Napoleon Dynamite

Concerts in the Park

Friday, August 21

Lovejoy Fountain Park – Portland Community Wind Band – Celebration of American Music

Portland Weekend Amusements (14-16 August 2015)

August 13, 2015 by Dave Leave a Comment

An amazing Portland weekend is afoot: multiple beer fests (include one of my favorites)j, street fairs (including one of the biggest), and even a rare weekend History Pub for good measure.

All Weekend

North American Organic Brewers Festival

One of my favorite Portland beer fests celebrates its 11th year with more than 60 organic beers, ciders – and even some meads and braggots – from 35 breweries. Live music, food and vendors; and activities for the kids make this festival one of the most family friendly beer fests of the summer.

Saturday

Port of Portland Seaport Celebration

Come join the fun on the waterfront at THE family-friendly event of the summer! On Saturday, August 15, the Port of Portland’s Terminal 4 will open up to the public for a unique opportunity to go inside the fences of a working marine terminal that is normally closed to the public. Best of all, parking and admission are free!

Timbers Army Block Party

The 2nd annual Timbers Army Block Party takes place Saturday, 15 August 2015 in front of the Fanladen (1633 SW Alder) between 16th and 17th.

Of course there’s a big tent for shade – and a beer and cider garden (21 and over, $4 beers for 107ist members), in addition to food vendors, a bouncy castle for the kids, music, games, and more.

Multnomah Days

This year’s fair, which runs through the heart of Multnomah Village on Southwest Capitol Highway, will feature more than 100 vendors who are every bit as eclectic as the Village itself. Booths will be open from roughly 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

PDX Adult Soap Box Derby

Once a year a brave group of racers convene on the daunting slopes of Mt. Tabor to test their metal to their mettle. These pages are dedicated to all those who have spilled their blood, or even worse, spilled their BEER. We thank the community and our beloved volcano for allowing us to tickle her spine.

Sunday

History Pub: A History of the Bagdad Theater: Hawthorne’s ‘Oasis of Entertainment’

McMenamins Historian Tim Hills presents A History of the Bagdad Theater: Hawthorne’s Oasis of Entertainment on Sunday, 16 August 2015 at the Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthorne) at 11 AM until noon.

Hawthorne Street Fair, The Mighty Mites Session Fest

[V]endors will populate the street from 31st to 38th, there will be two beer gardens . . . , kids activities at 35th, music at the stage at 34th, and more. The Bazi Bierbrasserie (1522 SE 32nd Ave) beer garden is also the 4th Annual The Mighty Mites Session Fest, an all-ages friendly outdoor beer garden featuring a special cocktail, outdoor games, and food vendors.

India Festival

Bring your friends and family and come to Pioneer Courthouse Square for a free taste of Indian Culture! Get ready to experience a day of back-to-back dances, musical performances, and food from Portland’s finest Indian restaurants.