Art in the Pearl – Art In The Pearl, the annual arts festival, occurs every year on Labor Day weekend. This annual festival will be held this coming September 3th to September 5th, 2011. The festival fills the Northwest Portland Park blocks with art, theater, music, and hands-on activities for people of all ages.

Romanian Festival -  Sept 3 – 4 from 11:00am to 8:00pm. Taste the Romanian cuisine while listening to centuries old Romanian authentic ballads. The traditional Romanian folk dance can only be savored when sipping wine made in a truly Transylvanian method. The guest team of folk artists will be joined by the local Romanian-American children, proving their heritage through song, dance, and representative old country poems.

Portland Pirate Festival – Sept 3 -4 10:00am to Midnight.  This years festival has been relocated to St. Helens. The Portland Pirate Festival brings you an amazing mix of entertainment for pirates of all ages. You’ll be immersed in the best of pirate culture as St Helens transforms into a bustling dock-side village full of wandering buccaneers, redcoats, giant puppets, jugglers and balladeers.  Surprises abound at every turn Featuring music, dance, performers, historical displays and, of course, grub and grog.

The Oregon State Fair – Aug 25 – Sept 5. The biggest fair of the year!  With live entertainment, attractions, displays, carnival rides, and much more!

Labor Day Weekend at Nehalem Bay Winery – Sept 3 -4. Live music and BBQ both Saturday and Sunday!! Free admission both days.

Labor Day Weekend Wine Tastings in Clackamas County – Sept 3 -5. Visit wineries of the Chehalem Mountains Winegrowers with award winning wines and special Labor Day deals.

Oregon Road Runners Club – Sept 4 is the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon.  Sept 5 ORRC Wildwood Trail 10K.

Behind the Shoji Art Show and Sale – Thru Sept 5.  Annual art show and sale. This year’s Behind the Shoji Art Show and Sale will feature a collection of handmade items including pottery, glass, jewelry, wood carvings, textiles and more. This one-of-a-kind show features Asian-inspired original artwork and unique gifts for sale. There’s something for every taste and budget.

Edgefield Concerts On The Lawn – Sept 2. Held at the Roseland Theater. This is Edgefield’s sixth year of Concerts on the Lawn, an outdoor music series that has become a summer tradition for fans throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The Oregon Coast Aquarium Family Sleepover -  Sept 3, Sat 6:00pm – Sun 9:00am.  You’ll have the Aquarium to yourself as you travel through exhibits on a scavenger hunt, participate in hands-on activities, and experience early morning behind-the-scenes at the Aquarium! After a fun-filled evening exploring life under the ocean, be lulled to sleep by the soothing sights of the Passages of the Deep tunnels. All sleepovers include a dinner of hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers, a green salad, chips and soda. A late snack and a light breakfast of cereal, fruit, granola bars, coffee, and juice are provided.

Oregon’s Second Annual Glass Pumpkin Patch – Sept 3-4. There will be approximately 1,000 hand blown glass pumpkins in a wide variety of colors, sizes, and prices for you to choose from. $35 and up. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 1738 Hwy 101 in the Kelp Forest Gallery parking lot. Newport, Oregon

Fort Stevens Battle Reenactment and Living History – Sept 3-5.  The Northwest Civil War Council and the Friends of Old Fort Stevens will host their annual Battle Reenactment event on Labor Day Weekend. This reenactment takes place in the historic area of the fort each year. Fort Stevens is the Northwest Civil War Council’s largest event, drawing reenactors from all over the northwest, including Washington, California, Nevada, Canada and Idaho. The reconstructed earthworks, originally built in 1863 – 1865, is Oregon’s only direct link to the Civil War. It’s appropriate that this is the site of a battle and living history encampment honoring that link. The battlefield is located in front of the Spanish American War concrete batteries. The public will be able to view the battles from the top of the west battery near the park museum. It is a crowd pleaser and a great camera viewpoint.

July 22-23, 2011  Oregon Berry Festival Portland, Oregon.  A fun family event with a children’s activities, live entertainment, and a Portland chef berry cook-off.  Buy some of the season’s best berries, sample amazing products made with Oregon’s berry bounty and eat your fill of berries.

July 28-31, 2011  24th Annual Oregon Brewers Festival Portland, Oregon. One of the nation’s longest running craft beer festivals. The Festival exists to provide an opportunity to sample and learn about a variety of craft beer styles from across the country. Eighty craft breweries from all parts of the nation offer handcrafted brews. Live music, beer-related vendors, beer memorabilia displays, beer writers and publishers, hop growers, home brewing demonstrations, and an assortment of foods from a variety of regions. The Crater Lake Root Beer Garden offers complimentary handcrafted root beer for minors and designated drivers.

July 29-31, 2011 International Pinot Noir Celebration Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon.  More than 60 Pinot noir winemakers from around the world show up for this event in McMinnville, Ore., located in the heart of the Oregon wine country. This limited-attendance event (small numbers give attendees more one-on-one time with the vintners) features three days of seminars, tastings, tours and fabulous food paired with, naturally, Pinot noir.

August 2011 Mt. Hood Jazz Fesitival Gresham, Oregon.  Gresham’s Mt. Hood Jazz Festival, held the first weekend of August, has attracted top musicians from around the world for more than 25 years. Held in historic downtown Gresham, 30 minutes east of downtown Portland, the festival spans two days and features performances on an outdoor stage and at nearby restaurants.

August 6, 2011 Best of Oregon Food and Wine Festival Millennium Plaza Park Lake Oswego, Oregon.  Best of Oregon Food and Wine Festival showcases the very best of Oregon’s culinary culture — world class wineries and food artisans.  There will also be a golf tournament Aug 5^th!

August 12-14, 2011 North Plains Garlic Festival North Plains, Oregon.  A celebration of the Elephant Garlic.  Over the weekend there will be a car show, music, food, 10K & 2 mile run/walk plus a Garlic Grunge (5K for adults and 1/2 Mile for kids) adventure race obstacle course!

August 12-14, 2011 Tualatin Crawfish Festival Tualatin, Oregon.  Good family fun can be found at the Tualatin Crawfish Festival, the nation’s oldest crawfish celebration offering a wide variety of food and family entertainment.

August 12-14th, 2011 The Bite of Oregon Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon.  This annual event includes wine, craft beer, food, music and more…come taste all Oregon has to offer. Spend several days tasting, sampling, enjoying our local music and watching talented chefs and aspiring chefs show off their cooking abilities with various and highly entertaining cooking competitions.

September 3-4, 2011 Portland Pirate Festival St. Helens, Oregon.  The Portland Pirate Festival brings you an amazing mix of entertainment for pirates of all ages. You’ll be immersed in the best of pirate culture as St Helens transforms into a bustling dock-side village full of wandering buccaneers, redcoats, giant puppets, jugglers and balladeers.  Surprises abound at every turn Featuring music, dance, performers, historical displays and, of course, grub and grog.

September 4, 2011  Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon Willamette Valley, Oregon.  The 2011 Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon features a scenic course meandering through the heart of the Willamette Valley in Yamhill County, beginning at magnificent Stoller Winery and finishing in the town of Carlton for the popular post-race Wine & Music Festival.  Less than an hour south of Portland this area is dotted with small towns, orchards, Christmas tree farms, vineyards and ranches. Come experience this inviting wine region when the weather is ideal and the vines are full and ready for harvest.

September 9-11, 2011 65 Annual Cranberry Festival Bandon, Oregon.  Celebrating the harvest in the Cranberry Capital of Oregon.

September 15-18, 2011 Mt. Angel October Fest Mount Angel, Oregon.  There is no more appropriate setting for an American version of the “Old World” Oktoberfest than in Mount Angel, Oregon. The small community was settled by German pioneers in the 1800s and readily reminds one of the rich Bavarian countryside. Oregon’s oldest and best-loved Oktoberfest began in 1966 as a traditional harvest festival to celebrate the bounty of the earth and the goodness of creation. It is Oregon’s largest folk festival.

October 1, 2011  PNW Wild Mushroom Cook-off Lincoln City, Oregon.  See what our local Oregon chefs have prepared in an effort to dazzle your taste buds! Admission is free, with tasting sized portions available for a small fee. Sponsored by the Lincoln City Visitor & Convention Bureau, in cooperation with the Lincoln County Mycological Society; come enjoy a lecture on foraging and wild mushrooms, foraging tour, live cooking competition, wild mushroom identification booth, food vendors, wild mushroom books, people’s choice award and more!

October 8, 2011  Canyonville Pumpkin Festival Canyonville, Oregon.  An annual event with live music, giant pumpkin weigh-off, pumpkin carving, bake-off, scarecrow contest, pie eating contest and more.

October 14-16, 2011  Yachats Village Mushroom Fest Yachats, Oregon. Enjoy wild forest mushroom cuisine, expert led mushroom walks, talks and exhibits, culinary and fungi arts workshops, culinary mushroom markets, wine tasting, and live entertainment.

November 12, 2011  Lincoln City Chowder Cook-Off Lincoln City, Oregon.  The comfort food of the Oregon coast, prepared by some of the best chefs in the Pacific Northwest, will be yours for the tasting at the Lincoln City Chowder Cook-Off.

November 25th – 27th 2011 Thanksgiving Extravaganza Pheasant Valley Winery, Oregon. Delicious Hors d’Oeuveres paired with fabulous wines. Enjoy new releases, Door Prizes, Special 30% off Case sales for wine club members, 20% off for Non Wine Club Members!

November 25-27, 2011 Wine Country Thanksgiving Willamette Valley, Oregon.  More than 150 Willamette Valley wineries throw open their doors during the holiday weekend, including many small operations that aren’t normally accessible. The whole winemaking community gets into the holiday spirit, with special offerings like deals on new releases and barrel-tasting opportunities.

2011 Hood River Fruit Loop Hood River, Oregon. Looking for some family fun?  Take this 35-mile, scenic drive through the valley’s orchards, forests, farmlands, and friendly communities. Sample delicious fruits and take your favorites home, visit a winery, experience fields of fragrant lavender, meet adorable alpacas, savor delicious baked goods, and create memories by participating in family activities hosted at Fruit Loop locations throughout the year.

For more Wine Country Events visit http://www.oregon.winecountry.com/events.html

If you have an event you’d like added to our blog page please let us know!

• Regal’s Summer Movie Express! – This summer Regal Theaters will offer select P and PG movies for only $1 Tuesday and Wednesday at 10:00 am.  Visit www.regmovies.com/summermovieexpress for movies showings in your area.
• Kids Bowl Free – Receive 2 free games a day, plus there are great offers on family passes available when you sign up.  Visit www.KidsBowlFree.com to register your family for a location near you.
• Movies in the Park! – Portland Parks and Recreation offers free movies all summer long at various locations.  Great fun and entertainment for the whole family.  Pre-entertainment  starts at 6:30 pm with movies starting at dusk. Visit www.portlandonline.com for a complete list of showings and locations.
• Concerts in the Park! – Portland Parks and Recreation also offers free concerts in the park all summer long.  For a complete list of concerts visit www.portlandonline.com
• Portland Walking Tours! – One of the top 5 walking tours in the nation! Tours daily!  Epicurean Excursion, Best of Portland, Underground Portland, and Roses Gone Wild tours are available seven days a week and the Chocolate Decadence and Beyond Bizarre are every weekend year-round. Visit www.portlandwalkingtours.com for prices and dates.
• Portland Museum of Art – Check out the latest exhibits and events such as Movies at the Museum and Child’s Play at www.portlandmuseum.org.
• Oregon Zoo -  The Oregon Zoo offers loads of fun all summer long. Visit for the day or join one of their summer camps! www.oregonzoo.org
• OMSI – Always great fun and educational.  Check out OMSI’s summer events!  www.omsi.edu
• The Children’s Museum – Great family fun and learning!  www.portlandcm.org
• Salem’s Riverfront - Riverfront Park is a 23-acre park located in downtown Salem along the Willamette River. View a site map. Riverfront Park has an amphitheater, play equipment, a covered Pavillion and large grassy areas. This beautiful park is home to Salem’s Riverfront Carousel which opened in June 2001, A.C. Gilbert Discovery Village, and the EcoEarth Globe .

Did you know your local library may have cultural passes you can check out to use for local area attractions such as OMSI & The Children’s Museum.

It’s that time again! Fireworks displays will light up the sky every night this weekend, with the biggest and best saved for Independence Day on Monday. Here’s our list. Let us know what we missed.

Oregon Coast 

• The Northern Oregon Coast is getting ready for the 4^th of July with many events planned this year! For a complete list visit www.beachconnection.net

Portland/Vancouver Metro Area

• Waterfront Blues Festival, July 1st-4th, fireworks July 4th at 10:05pm – The largest Blues festival on the west coast and 2^nd largest in the nation benefits the Oregon Food Bank.  Over 120 performances on 5 stages.  www.waterfrontbluesfest.com
• Fort Vancouver – Back for 2011!! The biggest fireworks show west of the Mississippi. This year the show will be launched inside the park instead of off the barge so the best views will be from inside the park. Gates Open at 8:00 am, entertainment starts at noon, fireworks at 10:05 pm.  www.fortvan.org
• Oaks Park – The park opens at 10:00 am, rides start at noon, fireworks at dusk.   www.oakspark.com
• Blue Lake Park – Park opens at 8:00 am, live music starting at 3:30, fireworks at dusk. www.oregonmetro.gov/bluelake
• Estacada – Parade starts at noon downtown with fireworks at 10:00 pm. www.estacada4thofjuly.com
• Lake Oswego – A family celebration, including a parade, music, face painting and BBQ in downtown Lake Oswego.
• McMinnville – At the Evergreen Aviation Museum at 10:45 pm.  Make a day of it and visit the new Evergreen Waterpark! www.evergreenmuseum.org
• Molalla Buckeroo Rodeo – July 2-4^th.  Kids parade July 2nd at 6 pm.  Fireworks at 8:00pm July 2, 3&4^th! Plus a giant street parade July 4^th at 9:30 am.  www.molallabuckeroo.com
• St Paul Rodeo, July 1-4^th – Best rodeo in the Portland Metro area!  Youth rodeo and family day celebration on the 4^th with free activities including pony rides, parade, wagon rides, & carnival rides. www.stpaulrodeo.com
• Tigard High School – Festivities start at 6 pm with clowns, live music, kid’s games, police and fire vehicles, with fireworks at dusk.
• Sandy – July 4^th Fireworks at Sandy High School at Dusk
• St. Helens – July 4^th Fireworks at Sand Island at Dusk
• Vernonia – Fireworks at Vernonia High School July 4^th at Dusk
• Corbett Fun Fest **New Addition (Thanks Lisa N!)**- July 4th – Largest community sponsored show in Oregon and third largest display in Portland area. Music starts at 1 pm, fireworks at dusk. www.corbettfunfest.com

Other

• Goldendale – Maryhill Museum.  Free Admissions to the Museum from 5-8 pm. Kids art activities at 6 pm.  Pack a picnic and watch the laser light show starting at 10:00 pm. www.maryhillmuseum.org
• Hood River – Parade, BBQ festival, live music, games and firework show over the Columbia River. Events are from 9:00 am – 10:30 pm www.hoodriver.org
• Cascade Locks -  Fireworks show over the Columbia River at Cascade Locks. 9:00-11:00 pm www.hoodriver.org

Shows start at 7:00 pm, rain or shine.

Tickets may be purchased at the Zoo or at Ticketmaster (with service charges).

6/23 – Taj Mahal with Joan Osborne $24.00

6/25 – Mary Chapin Carpenter with Marc Cohn $24.00

7/08 – AfroCubism $19.00

7/14 – Plena Libre with Ricardo Lemvo & Makina Loca $14.00*

*(Free to Oregon Zoo Members Plus Level and Above)

7/22 – Indigo Girls with Mount Moriah $24.00

7/24 – Los Lobos with Los Lonely Boys – $26.00

7/28 – Matisyahu with Tea Leaf Green $22.00

7/29 – Chris Isaak $39.00

7/30 – Brandi Carlile $26.00

7/31 – Bela Fleck & the Fleckstones with Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers*

*(6pm Start) $26.00

8/3 – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy $14.00*

*(Free to Oregon Zoo Members Plus Level and Above)

8/7 – George Thorogood and the Destroyers $24.00

8/10 – Imelda May $14.00*

*(Free to Oregon Zoo Members Plus Level and Above)

8/11 – Peter Frampton $27.50

8/12 – K.D. Lang and the Siss Boom Bank $36.00

8/13 – the Go-Go’s “Ladies Gone Wild” tour $24.00

8/18 – Miranda Cosgrove $25.00

8/19 – Carolina Chocolate Drops and the Be Good tanyas $19.00

8/20 – Aimee Mann with the Weepies $20.00

8/27 – Huey Lewis and the News $39.00

For more events and area attractions visit the Portland Home Team!

The Portland Rose Festival kicks off the summer season in Portland with many exciting opportunities for FUN — all located in Tom McCall Waterfront Park, in downtown Portland, Oregon! 

The weather this weekend is looking to warm up – a perfect time to enjoy the Rose Festival activities!

Starlight Parade & Run 6/4
Junior Parade 6/8
Rose Cup Races  6/17-6/19(PDX Internat’l Raceway)
Fleet Week  6/8-6/12: US Navy and US Coast Guard Vessels open for Free Tours
123rd Annual Spring Rose Show 6/9-6/10
Queen’s Coronation 6/11
Dragon Boat Races 6/11-6/12
Grand Floral Parade 6/11
Grand Floral Parade Float Showcase 6/11 – 6/12
Fun Center Open from  5/27-6/12

Visit the official Portland Rose Festival web site for complete Rose Festival coverage.

Get outside and support our local farmers at these markets:

Beaverton Farmers Market (Hall Blvd between 3rd & 5th Streets)
Saturdays, 8:00am-1:30pm, starting 5/7/2011
Wednesdays, 3:00pm-6:00pm, starting 6/22/2011

Cedar Mill Farmers Market (NW Cornell across from Sunset H.S.)
Saturdays, 8:00am-1:00pm, starting 5/7/2011

Hillsdale Farmers Market (Behind Hillsdale Shopping Center)
Sundays, 10:00am-2:00pm, starting 5/1/2011

NW 23rd Farmers Market (NW 23rd & NW Savier St)
Thursdays, 3:00pm-7:00pm, starting 6/2/2011

Pioneer Courthouse Square (SW Broadway and SW Morrison)
Mondays, 10:00am-2:00pm, starting 6/20/2011

Portland State University (South Park Blocks)
Saturdays, 8:30am-2:00pm, starting 3/19/2011

For a complete list visit www.PortlandFarmersMarkets.com

Independence Day 2010 hails the return of fireworks to Fort Vancouver, and the Portland Waterfront Blues Festival show promises to be better than ever. Here are the fireworks displays we could find in the Portland area:

Independence Day at Fort Vancouver

• Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, 612 E. Reserve St, Vancouver, WA (Mill Plain exit from I-5)
• July 4th, 2010, 10:05 pm
• The park opens at 8:00 am. Four stages will host entertainers.
• Once the largest display west of the Mississippi, the fireworks display at Fort Vancouver is back after missing 2009 for lack of funding. Fireworks will be launched from within the park, not from a barge in the Columbia River, so viewing is best inside the park.
• General Admission is $7 at the gate, $5 in advance. Prime Viewing Area Seating available for $50 ($25 if you’re under 21).

Waterfront Blues Festival

• Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland
• July 4th, 2010, 10:00 pm
• The 24th year of the Blues Festival runs Friday, July 2nd through Monday, July 5th. Check out this year’s incredible lineup.
• Admission: See web site for pass information. Fireworks can be seen from many viewpoints free of charge.

Oaks Park 4th of July Spectacular

• 7805 SE Oaks Way, Portland, OR 97202
• July 4th, 2010, 9:55 pm
• Gates open 10:00 am, rides start at noon. The park is open until midnight for rides and entertainment.
• All picnic spaces are first come first serve.
• Gate fees are $5 for 16 and over, $2 for 15 and younger, and $3 for seniors 62 and up.

Blue Lake Park – Fourth of July Fireworks at Blue Lake

• 20500 NE Marine Drive, Portland (Exit 14 from I-84)
• July 4th, 2010, 10:00 pm
• What: The park is opens at 8:00 am.  Live music begins at 3:30: The Stingrays from 3:30 to 5:30 pm, Aguamiel from 6:00 to 7:30 pm, Linda Hornbuckle from 8:00 to 10:00 pm.
• Admission: $10 per vehicle, $15 for large vans

The kids think we put on a pretty good show in our own neighborhood, so we’ll probably miss the big shows. Tell us how they are.

Travel & Leisure magazine named the Portland Building, the iconic 1980′s post-modern masterpiece by Michael Graves, the ugliest building IN THE WORLD! You have to wonder if the writers at T&L actually travel much. Read more and learn where their remaining eyesores reside in Travel & Leisure’s October, 2009 issue.