Transport — Page 8

Portland Streetcar Central Loop Grand Opening Celebration (22-September-2012)

September 19, 2012 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

The Portland Streetcar Central Loop Grand Opening Celebration takes place Saturday, September 22, 2012. The celebration at the OMSI Plaza starts with speeches and a press event at 10 a.m. At 11 a.m. the first, ceremonial train departs.

The Central Loop will connect with the existing streetcar on 10th & 11th in Downtown Portland. From there it will cross the Broadway Bridge traveling along Broadway, Weidler, 7th, MLK and Grand connecting to the Rose Quarter, Lloyd District, Oregon Convention Center, the Central Eastside Industrial District and OMSI. This is the first streetcar project in the country to be funded with a Federal Grant and includes new vehicles made by United Streetcar located in Clackamas, Oregon.

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.

Portland Weekend Amusements (September 7-9, 2012)

September 6, 2012 by Dave Knows 1 Comment

September always treats Portlanders to the best summer-like weather of the year; perfect for the furious rush of street fairs and festivals! This weekend treat yourself to Baconfest, Widmer’s Oktoberfest, the Belmont Street Fair, and more!
Ongoing

Portland Movies in the Park – last weekend!

Portland Parks and Recreation has released the 2012 summer schedule of Movies in the Park. From June 29 through September 18 sprawl out at one of Portland’s fine municipal parks several times a week for an evening of free entertainment.

Friday 9/7: Funny Face (1957) @ Director Park
Friday 9/7: Hugo @ Multnomah Arts Center
Saturday 9/8: Pee-wee’s Big Adventure @ Wallace Park [more]

Chapman 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]

Friday

Exhibit Opening: Streetcars Build a City

Streetcars Build a City, the new exhibit at the Architectural Heritage Center (701 SE Grand), opens Friday, September 7, 2012 with a free showing from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

“In Portland, our urban neighborhoods are a product of the pre-automobile era.” [more]

Friday-Saturday

Widmer Oktoberfest

The eighth annual Widmer Brothers Brewing Oktoberfest expands to two days this year, taking place Friday and Saturday, September 7 and 8, 2012 at the brewery (929 N. Russell Street).

Widmer’s beers, brats, chicken schnitzel wraps, sauerkraut, and pretzels are available, and of course there will be accordions! [more]

Saturday

Belmont Street Fair

The 16th Annual Belmont Street Fair takes place Saturday, September 8, 2012 from noon until 7 p.m. The fair extends from 20th to 48th on Southeast Belmont, with car free blocks from 34th to 38th.

The fair features over 100 craft booths, two music stages, food vendors, and activities for the kids. There will be a beer garden at SE 33rd! [more]

PDX Baconfest

The fourth annual Portland Baconfest takes place Saturday, September 8, 2012 at 18th and East Burnside, adjacent to the East Burn (1800 E Burnside), from noon until 9 p.m. – it’s a giant street festival celebrating bacon!

Thousands of bacon lovers attended last year’s fest, thoroughly lubricating their cardiovascular system and contributing hundreds of pounds of food to the Oregon Food Bank. [more]

Kennedy School Oktoberfest

When you imagine Oktoberfest, what comes to mind? Oom-pah bands, loads of beer, bratwurst and hamburgers and more! One and all are welcome to participate in the German celebration that is Oktoberfest! Begun as a wedding party for Germany’s Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese in 1810, today Oktoberfest is celebrated all over the world with music, singing, dancing, beer, food and revelry. [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.

Exhibit Opening: Streetcars Build a City (7-September-2012)

September 5, 2012 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

Streetcars Build a City, the new exhibit at the Architectural Heritage Center (701 SE Grand), opens Friday, September 7, 2012 with a free showing from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

In Portland, our urban neighborhoods are a product of the pre-automobile era. Although far-slung suburbs may be a result of America’s love affair with the private automobile, inner city residential districts owe their location, street alignment, and pattern of growth almost entirely to the advent of the street railway. Current Portland roadmaps still reflect those early “streetcar suburbs.”

Portland and its street railway system grew together and expansion into the open spaces beyond downtown was rapid. Until the coming of the automobile streetcars were also the only easy means of getting around town and had become an integral part of most inner city neighborhoods.

But the heyday of streetcars only lasted a few decades. Already by the 1910s the automobile had begun to change the way people moved about the city. By the 1920s traffic around the city was frequently snarled by the volume of automobiles and the existing (and abundant) streetcar lines. The 1930s marked the “beginning of the end” as streetcars began to be replaced by electric “trolley buses” while the old rails were buried under layers of asphalt.

The guest curators are Dan Haneckow (blogger at Cafe Unknown) and Richard Thompson, author of Portland’s Streetcars (Images of Rail) (2006) and Portland’s Streetcar Lines (2010). Regular AHC hours are Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Portland Weekend Amusements (August 24-26, 2012)

August 23, 2012 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

Ongoing

Portland Movies in the Park

Portland Parks and Recreation has released the 2012 summer schedule of Movies in the Park. From June 29 through September 18 sprawl out at one of Portland’s fine municipal parks several times a week for an evening of free entertainment.

Friday 8/24: Hugo @ Laurelhurst Park
Saturday 8/25: Gamera vs Zigra @ Sewallcrest Park
[more]

All Weekend

Fiesta Italiana

The 21st Festa Italiana turns Pioneer Courthouse Square into a piazza Thursday through Saturday, August 23 through 25, 2012.

One of my favorite Portland festivals, and not just because of the strolling accordionists, I recommend you arrive early to secure a table in the beer and wine garden! [more]

Saturday

Powell’s Block Party

Powell’s Books, Portland’s pride and joy and the largest independent bookstore in the world, opened 41 years ago this year on West Burnside.

Through the end of the year Powell’s is celebrating with special author events, sweepstakes, and this Saturday, August 25, 2012 – a Block Party to kick things off! [more]

UnRock the Bowl

Let’s make a beach in downtown Portland! UnRock the Bowl will take place Saturday, August 25 at Tom McCall Waterfront Park – in the grass bowl just south of Hawthorne Bridge.

Rip-wrap rocks installed in the 1980’s have migrated to the water’s edge. We will simply pick these rocks up and put them back on the bank. [more]

Cascadia Cup Match: Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps

Cascadian rivals Vancouver Whitecaps (10-9-7) and the Portland Timbers (5-13-6) meet again at Jeld-Wen Field on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

The only bright spot this season is that the Timbers sit atop the Cascadia Cup standings – tied with Seattle . . . a good result against Vancouver Saturday will put them back in the driver’s seat . . .

Sunday

Southeast Portland Sunday Parkways

The fourth of five 2012 Sunday Parkways takes place this Sunday, August 26, 2012 in Southeast Portland.

From 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. wind your way on bike or foot through mostly residential streets free of car traffic, from one park to the next. This year’s route is 9 miles long. [more]

Hawthorne Street Fair

The 2012 Hawthorne Street Fair takes place Sunday, August 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. – on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard.

For the fourth year running the fair coincides with the Southeast Portland Sunday Parkways . . . Most of the street fair activities take place between 12th and 51st . . . Clusters of arts, crafts, and food vendors pepper the side streets, sidewalks, and adjacent parking lots. [more]

42nd Avenue Street Fair

The third annual 42nd Avenue Street Fair takes place Sunday, August 26, 2012 at Northeast 42nd and Alberta Court.
Join the fun from noon until 5 p.m.

The fair features live music, kids’ activities, vendors, a beer garden, and more! [more]

Zack’s Shack Hot Dog Eating Contest

The 9th annual Zach’s Shack Hot Dog Eating Contest takes place Sunday, August 26, 2012 at the shack (46th and SE Hawthorne).

The entrance fee is a mere $5, and includes all the hot dogs and buns you can eat in 10 minutes – but remember, regurgitation is grounds for disqualification. No puking! Spectators get in free. Shit goes down at 4 p.m. [more]

And 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.

Southeast Portland Sunday Parkways (26-August-2012)

August 20, 2012 by Dave Knows Leave a Comment

The fourth of five 2012 Sunday Parkways takes place this Sunday, August 26, 2012 in Southeast Portland.

From 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. wind your way on bike or foot through mostly residential streets free of car traffic, from one park to the next. This year’s route is 9 miles long.

Spend a warm summer day walking and rolling around the Southeast Sunday Parkways…and for a challenge climb your way up Mt. Tabor! That’s right we have added Mt. Tabor back to the route. Activities, food, vendors, music, and fun will be in Laurelhurst, Colonel Summers, and Mt. Tabor Parks.

Download the PDF map and find out more at PortlandSundayParkways.org.

« Previous Page