Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Today is the first day of the Saturday Farmers Market. Come down to the South Park Blocks to do your St. Patty’s Day shopping… we’re not sure how much corned beef they will have on hand… but we guarantee they’ll have all the potatoes and cabbage you’ll need to celebrate in Irish style. (Providing, of course, that you get there early.) The Saturday Farmers Market runs from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
We hope to see you there!
Portland is not usually described as a sports-crazy town. But this weekend we’re giving the lie to that characterization.
Even though our beloved Trail Blazers are still on the road, we have lots of sporting events going on – to watch or to play in:
1. NCAA “March Madness” – Eight teams began play in the Rose Garden yesterday for the right to head to New Orleans on April 2, including the tradition-rich Indiana Hoosiers and Louisville Cardinals, in the annual basketball classic. Buy tickets for Saturday’s four games here.
2. Shamrock Run and Fitness Fair - The annual 5K/8K/15K race/stroll kicks off Sunday morning, and while all the running slots have sold out, you might find an available ticket on e-Bay or Craigslist from someone who’s decided they just can’t make it after all. The Fitness Fair, with over 40 vendors of fitness gear and apparel plus live entertainment, starts today at the Oregon Convention Center at 11AM so you can mentally prep for Sunday’s race.
3. The Portland Timbers soccer team is on the road in Dallas, but you can catch their games at various watering holes around town. There’s even an official list of Major League Soccer pubs to consult.
4. Same goes for our mighty Trail Blazers who take on the Bulls in Chicago. The Tanker Bar on Hawthorne at 48th seems to be ground zero for the diehard faithful.
Portland’s fascination with all things good, new and innovative continues on the food front.
Recently Stumptown added its 700th food cart. Yummy offerings dot the cityscape with options ranging from African to Venezuelan, Cajun to Chicago-style and Maine to Malibu.
On a sunny, warm day like today, it’s a perfect time to peruse the pods and treat the tastebuds with a taste of a curbside kitchen.
It’s a perfect way to replenish the energy banks after a refreshing walk around the city on, say, a Best of Portland tour… or to charge up before diving into Portland’s underbelly on the Underground Portland tour.
Just sayin’.
The Portland Saturday Market is back for its 39th year. If you’ve never been… or haven’t been in a while… you should definitely make time to come check it out. There’s food, music and handmade arts and crafts by local artists and artisans.
If that’s not enough of an enticement… you can also make a day of it by taking our Underground Portland tour, which begins nearby outside of Old Town Pizza (226 NW Davis).
It doesn’t USUALLY snow in Portland in March.
But it’s kind of fun when it does, isn’t it?
Especially if you’re a ski buff and – as is the case this week – it’s dumping FEET of snow on the mountains.
Perfect opportunity for a free ski day, don’t you think?
It’s our Portland winter equivalent of “Gone Fishin’.”
“Wicked,” the musical by Steven Schwartz based on the Gregory Maguire novel of the same name, has obtained significant publicity for its upcoming blast through Portland next month. And it’s a great show, definitely worth seeing. It’s strong evidence that Portland is on the map theater-wise and on the radar for national companies seeking enthusiastic audiences for live performance.
But it’s not the only show in town. Portland’s local theater scene is bursting with new shows, some opening in the next few weeks, at venues both large and small, including:
With literally dozens of live theater companies and venues in the greater metro area, the opportunities to see professionally produced fresh work of all kinds are boundless. Check it out. It’s what helps make Portland great. (And sitting in a theater is a great way to relax after a fun afternoon walking tour!)
Portland’s history is just as rich and diverse, if not moreso, as its current population (although perhaps not quite as “diverse” as portrayed on the hit IFC series, “Portlandia”). Because we are such a forward-thinking city, however, many people remain unaware of the contributions of our African-American historic figures.
This Black History Month, why not change that? Let the new film “Red Tails” inspire you to learn more about the unsung heroes of Portland’s past.
Two of our tours can help. The Best of Portland Walking Tour will focus on the most positive elements of our history (e.g., York and the Voyage of Discovery). The Underground Portland Walking Tour focuses on the… not so positive stories. (Ask your guide about Vanport.)
Both tours are fun and informative. And with a long weekend ahead of us, a walking tour is one of the most fun things to do in Portland. (And TripAdvisor agrees!)
This year, don’t just celebrate Valentine’s Day.
Indulge, with the Chocolate Decadence Tour.
Over two hours of chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate for your sweetheart.
If you’re all booked up for the weekend (good for you, Romeo!), don’t worry. You can still treat her any time this year – but get credit now. Gift Certificates are available now and can be under your sweetie’s pillow in less than a day.
Come on. Do the sweet thing. Your Valentine will love you for it… even more.
Hungry? Thirsty? You might want to head on over to the Oregon Convention Center this Friday and Saturday (Feb 3-4) for the Portland Seafood and Wine Festival.
Enjoy live music, sand sculpture demos, award-winning wines and, of course, seafood. (It’s Dungeness Crab season, so expect a fair number of our pincer-clawed friends to be on display… on plates, of course!)
Cost – $12 Adults, $10 Seniors and kids, children under five get in free. $.50 of every ticket goes directly to the Oregon Chapter of the National MS Society. So you can do good by eating well this weekend.
It’s the year of the dragon according to the traditional Chinese calendar. In celebration the Lan Su Garden is hosting a variety of special activities and demonstrations all weekend. You can find a full schedule of events on their website. There will even be Lion Dances on both Saturday (1/28) and Sunday (1/29) at noon. It should be a great excuse to get out of the house, soak up a little culture and maybe check out that dim sum restaurant you’ve always wanted to try out.
