Dave Knows Portland

Statehood Day Free Day at Oregon Historical Society (14-February-2012)

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Oregon Historical SocietyThe Oregon Historical Society (1200 SW Park) celebrates Oregon’s Statehood Day with free admission* on Tuesday, February 14, 2012.

Help Oregon celebrate its 153rd birthday by coming to OHS for free! We will be cutting Oregon’s birthday cake at noon with our special guests, past Governors Victor Atiyeh and Barbara Roberts. We will also be unveiling brand new additions to the Treasures of the Vault exhibit, extended through April 1.

The museum’s hours Tuesday are 10am to 5pm.

* The museum is always free to Multnomah County County residents

Local Motion: Portland Mayoral Candidates Discuss Active Transportation (6-February-2012)

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Local MotionThe PSU Planning Club presents Local Motion: Portland Mayoral Candidates Discuss Active Transportation on Monday, February 6, 2012 at the Lincoln Performance Hall (1620 SW Park).

The [Mayoral Candidates] Forum will pose questions to the candidates regarding active transportation issues such as transit, pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, funding concerns, and major projects such as the CRC.

This event is co-sponsored by a strong team of student clubs and regional non-profit organizations, including the PSU Environmental Club, 1000 Friends of Oregon, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, Coalition for a Livable Future, the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition, the Community Cycling Center, Ride Connect, and OPAL Environmental Justice.

Three mayoral candidates will be present, Eileen Brady, Charlie Hales, and Jefferson Smith. Portland Mercury’s Sarah Mirk and Larry Wallack, Dean of PSU’s College of Urban and Public Affairs, will serve as emcees.

This event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 6:15pm (light refreshments will be served in the lobby), and the forum will run from 7pm to 8:30pm. A reception with the candidates will follow the forum.

OMSI Science Pub: Lust, Chocolate and Prairie Voles (6-February-2012)

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Omsi Science PubLust, Chocolate and Prairie Voles: The Neuroscience of Pleasure and Love is the topic of of the next OMSI Science Pub on Monday, February 6, 2012:

Is the brain chemistry behind our love for chocolate equivalent to that which drives infatuation with a new lover, the love of a particular song, or addiction? How does the brain sort out pleasure and discomfort? What drives our decisions to stay with one person for life or go from one lover to another, never settling down? This pre-Valentine’s Day Science Pub will focus on these and other questions that reveal much about how neurochemical changes can have major effects on our behaviors—how we love, what we love, and who we love.

The presenter is Larry Sherman, PhD, professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at OHSU and a Senior Scientist at the Oregon National Primate Research Center.

This science pub takes place at the Bagdad Theater (3702 SE Hawthorne) from 7pm until 9pm, but arrive early (5pm doors open) to secure your beer, grub, and a seat! There’s a $5.00 suggested donation/cover charge. Minors with adults are welcome, otherwise this event is 21 and over.

Other Things To Do in Portland on Super Bowl Sunday (2012)

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Super Bowl Sunday is American’s biggest [mostly] secular holiday. And it’s happening this Sunday, February 5, 2012. But what about those of us who cannot tolerate American-football? Sure, we could swallow our smugness and drink bud light and eat cheese dip with the neanderthals, but that’s not the only solution:

Sunday will be a good day to enjoy parks; museums; and pubs, taverns, and bars that don’t have TVs – they’ll all be almost empty.

OMSIIt’s the first Sunday of the month, so OMSI admission is only $2! (But it will be very crowded; Heather and I visited two years ago on Super Bowl Sunday and had a great time, but were unpleasantly surprised by the crowds of kids. Apparently cheap admission prices trumps Super Bowl for many parents.)

Crowds will certainly be thinner at the Oregon Zoo, and the forecast actually looks delightful!

Bargain Hunting PDX 2012If you’re in a shopping mood, visit the Crystal Ballroom and Lola’s Room (1332 W Burnside) for Bargain Hunting 101‘s mother of all clearance sales:

Bargain Hunting is the Mother of All Clearance Sales, but what does that really mean? It means that you can expect to find some of the most unique, one of a kind, limited runs and close outs discounts from handmade indie artists and local boutiques. In other words, Bargain Hunting has highly desirable merchandise at prices you NEVER find on this type of inventory.

Celebrate SuperBach Sunday with the Bach Cantata Choir at 2 pm on Super Bowl Sunday. The concert is FREE and will be held at Rose City Park Presbyterian Church, 1907 NE 45th Ave (NE Sandy & 45th). The program:

Jan Sweelinck (1562-1621): Laudate Dominum
Johann Christoph Bach (1642-1703): Cantata, Es erhub sich ein Streit
Georg Phillip Telemann (1681-1767): Viola Concerto – Karen Vincent, soloist
J.S. Bach: Cantata #11, Ascension Oratorio

And of course Powell’s Books (1005 W Burnside) is open.

Really, the world is your oyster if you’re free from the clutches of the NFL on Super Bowl Sunday.

Share your own Super Bowl Sunday alternative events and activities in the comments below!

Portland Art Museum Free Day (27-January-2012)

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Portland Art MuseumThe Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park) is offering free admission on Friday, January 27, 2012 from 5pm until 8pm.

And there will be food carts!

The museum offers free admission ever fourth Friday (5pm-8pm) of the month, so if you can’t make it this week, mark February 24, 2012 on your calendar!

Regular adult admission is $12 ($9 for seniors 55 and up and college students, 18 and up, with ID; free admission for children up to 17).