Street fairs and block parties…

Lots of interesting things to do this weekend — and being Portland at least one of them has to do with beer. 

Bridgeport Brewery is celebrating their 25th anniversary with a block party on NW 13th outside the brewery, Saturday from 4 -10. There will be live music and maybe a couple of birds. Bonus for helping them celebrate is that $1 from every beer sold will go to Audubon Society of Portland.  Official press release with schedule.

Also on Saturday is Multnomah Days which starts with a pancake breakfast at 8am. Special activities in Multnomah Village including an arts and crafts sale at the Multnomah Arts Center from 9-3. Link here for more info. Note that this site doesn’t allow anyone who isn’t a registered user to see some information.

Sunday take a stroll down Hawthorne and enjoy the Hawthorne Street Fair from 11-5.  Music, children’s activities and local vendor events all along Hawthorne. More info at http://thinkhawthorne.com/happenings/#event_88    This year’s Street Fair coincides with the Southeast Sunday Parkway event which goes on from 9am-4pm and covers several neighborhoods including Hawthorne.

If you’d rather visit art in the woods, the Arts Festival in the Forest is on both Saturday and Sunday from 10-5 down in Mary S. Young Park in West Linn.  It’s fun to stroll through the trees and find artworks, musical performances or aerial dancers. More info at http://www.marysyoungartsfestival.com/

 

July may be over but beer is not…

OK, so it’s the end of Craft Beer Month, but there’s another beer event this weekend, August 1 and 2, over at Rogue Brewing in the Pearl.

This is the 15th annual Bones & Brew — a chance to to eat some BBQ and drink microbrews.  They close off a couple of streets around Rogue so it’s an outdoor party.   Family friendly, children and dogs welcome — there’s even a charity dog wash.

Opens at 11AM each day and the $3 admission charge goes to support the Oregon Zoo.

Read more details at http://www.rogue.com/events/bones-and-brew.php

 

Buzz at the OBF

New this year at the Oregon Brewers Festival is the Buzz Tent which will feature new creations and experimental beers with limited selection and quantity. Open only on Friday and Saturday, the Buzz Tent is a separate $20 admission but should be an interesting set of beers. They’ve done something like this before but not in an organized way, so it’ll be interesting to see how this works out.

Only 1000 tickets for each day will be sold. Each ticket will include 8 four-ounce tastes. Full info at OBF- Buzz Tent 

 

Oregon Brewers Festival — just for me

When I first moved to Portland several years ago, I was charmed to find that the Oregon Brewers Festival was held the last full weekend in July — or in other words the weekend closest to my birthday.

I’d been to beer festivals and tastings and such in several places — although admittedly they weren’t as frequent as they are now. OBF is much the nicest festival and the venue can’t be beat. Tom McCall Waterfront Park is a beautiful location, whether it’s cloudy and breezy (good beer-drinking weather) or hot and sunny (even better beer-drinking).

Sample a few beers, take a break and watch the river go by and indulge in the ever-popular people watching. It’s a great way to spend a summer afternoon and my favorite birthday celebration.

 

Oregon Brewers Festival is here (Thursday)

THE event in Beervana — starts Thursday July 23 and continues on through Sunday.  We have hot weather in Portland so wear your sunscreen (but not the highly scented ones that interfere with beer tasting), wear clothes that can go under the misters, and take it slow. Lots of beer and undoubtedly lots of people looking to have a good time.

Hours and beer lists and general info at:

 

Beer event choices 7/21/09

I’m sure there are other beer events that I just haven’t noticed but there are at least three interesting ones tonight (Tuesday 7/21). Two are free and the third is a paid event with the ever-entertaining Fred Eckhardt.

Fred’s Beer & Cheese Tasting takes place at Rogue on NW Flanders at 5pm. He’ll lead the tasting and discuss the combinations. Call Rogue to get ticket details — I believe they’re $35 at the door if it isn’t sold out. (503) 222-5910

Also at 5PM, the Horse Brass on SE Belmont will have a Ninkasi night, with the brewmaster and several of their brews, including Maiden the Shade, brewed for the Oregon Country Fair. Love the name and looking forward to tasting the beer.

Over at the Green Dragon on SE Ninth at 6PM, Green Flash (from San Diego) will be on hand with several of their beers, including the Green Flash Imperial IPA.

All good choices for a hot summer night.

 

Keep cool this weekend…beer, Indian art, movies.

Wow, I completely lost this week. And I can’t even say the heat addled my brain because I’m originally from the South and I like heat — as long as I’m not working directly in it in the middle of the day.

There are things to do to keep your cool this weekend. Naturally there’s a beer festival — it’s July in Portland. The Portland International Beer Festival is underway in the North Park Blocks. Nice and shady under the trees there and beer is always good in hot weather (or cold or really any time).

If you start your Saturday with the Portland Farmers Market at PSU — always fun and wonderful fruits and veggies — you can stay in the Park Blocks a little longer and go to the Downtown Yard Sale in the South Park Blocks between Market and Clay from 9 to 5.  It’s outside but who knows what cool things you might find. I believe this is the first time for a downtown yard sale.

Want something cool and indoors — surely you’ve heard that the new Harry Potter movie just opened.  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince  is playing at several local theaters and promises to take your mind off the heat.

Something else indoors — how about visiting the Portland Art Museum and its celebration for Ganesha—the elephant-headed, dancing Hindu god of yoga, wisdom, and new beginnings. Sunday, July 19, is a free family day at the Museum and there will be Indian music, art projects, yoga sessions in the Park Blocks and Indian food carts in the Museum courtyard. The Museum Sunday hours are 12-5. See more details here.  If you drive downtown to the Museum on Sunday remember that the new parking rules have gone into effect and parking meters will need to be paid from 1-7.

That’s just a few of the things you could do — and I’ll be doing some of them. Just not sure which ones yet.

 

Not to mention beer…

Multiple beer events this weekend as well — it is July aka Craft Beer Month. Here are just a few.

At Belmont Station — 4500 SE Stark — Puckerfest starting at 6PM Friday and continuing through Monday. Celebration of sour (as in sour cherry etc) beers. Details at http://www.belmont-station.com/

At Raccoon Lodge (7424 SW Beaverton Hillsdale) Saturday afternoon — Beer, Brats & Music held in the outdoor Beer Garden.

At Bailey’s Taproom (213 SW Broadway) Saturday 1-4 — S.N.O.B party. Support Native Oregon Beer and become a member at the party.

At Cornelius Pass Roadhouse (4045 NW Cornelius Pass Road) Saturday 11AM-10PM — Eight McMenamins breweries and live music.

 

July in Beervana

OK, it really is July and even feels like it today — temps going up to the 90’s. Still not too hot for those of us who migrated here from humid east coast cities, but just right for a cool beer.

July is Oregon Craft Beer month with dozens of events planned to celebrate beer and beer-making. You can find a list at Oregon Craft Beer . You can also follow them on Twitter or  Facebook.

Get out to enjoy the weather, enjoy an Oregon beer and don’t forget that July wraps up with the best beer festival in the country.

 

Beer Festival time

First of the summer (as in after June 21) beer festivals is this weekend — opening Friday at noon.  It looks like Portland weather won’t be as hot this year but still good beer-drinking weather.

North American Organic Brewers Festival (NAOBF) is held in Overlook Park.   There’s no parking but MAX Yellow line stops right at the festival.  Validated MAX ticket gets you $1 discount on a tasting mug — or if you’re walking or biking bring 3 cans of food for the Oregon Food Bank.

Festival is presented by our own Roots Organic Brewing.  For full details, beer list, and directions, go to www.naobf.org.