Around the Sun: A Blog About Saving Money in Portland, Oregon, and beyond

Free Events This Weekend in Portland: Dec 7–Dec 9

December 7th, 2007

Admission is free for all of the events listed here. Have a great weekend!

Friday, December 7

• According to DIY Alert: The 100th Monkey Studio is hosting the opening of its art show in response to HIV/AIDS. The event will be from 6:00 pm–9:00 pm and is free and open to the public. Local artist Chris Haberman will be doing live painting to help raise money for the studio’s scholarship fund. The show will hang in the studio from 12/7/07–12/31/07. Artists participating in this show created art in response to HIV/AIDS. World AIDS Day is December 1, 2007. The 100th Monkey Studio plans to have the following artists and organizations represented: Chris Haberman, Beth Ann Short, Joy Leising, Troy John McCray, Kevin Quirke, Dayna Kirk, SD Elliott, Joel Kimble, Luiza Vasiliu, artists from The Zimbabwe Artist Project and artists from Africa Aids Response. To learn more about the 100th Monkey Studio, visit their website.

• The Christmas Ship Parade will be sailing this evening. For route details and more information, visit the Christmas Ship Parade website.

• Multnomah Village is hosting “A Holiday in the Village.” The First Friday event will feature the lighting of the Village tree at 6:42 pm. Santa will be available throughout the evening. There will be local school choirs caroling around the village. Carriage rides will be available from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm starting at Key Bank with donations benefiting Neighborhood House’s “Season of Sharing” program. Food, special exhibits, sales and other festivities will be going on all evening. For more information, visit the Multnomah Village website.

• The City of Camas is having its holiday celebration. Enjoy holiday entertainment, Santa, community tree lighting and more in downtown Camas, NE 4th Ave and Cedar, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. For more information, visit the Camas website.

• The City of Tigard will be hosting its annual tree lighting ceremony at Liberty Park, across from McDonald’s on Main Street. Festivities begin at approximately 6:45 pm. Singing by children from Mitch Charter School & their band. Children from Gaarde Christian School will be singing at Crowne Carpet. Santa Claus will arrive around 7:20 pm in a fire truck. After the tree lighting, join Santa and Mrs. Claus for cookies, cocoa and children’s activities (coloring, decorating pine cones, create a Christmas Mouse and write a letter to Santa) at Crown Carpet. The Tigard Police Department will be providing free photos of children visiting with Santa. For more information, visit the Tigard website. 

• Tualatin is going to light a floating tree at its Starry Nights and Holiday Lights Celebration on the Tualatin Commons from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. The event will include music from local youth choirs, the tree lighting, face painting, children’s activities, refreshments and more. There’ll also be a canned food drive benefiting Tualatin’s Food Pantry. For more information, visit the Tualatin website.

• James Faretheewell will be performing at Edgefield at 7:00 pm. Ages 21 and older. For more information, visit the Edgefield website.

• Will West Combo will be performing at Rock Creek Tavern at 9:00 pm. All ages until 10:00 pm. For more information, visit the Rock Creek Tavern website.

• The Morals, Tractor Operator and John Vecchiarelli will be performing at Mississippi Studios at 8:00 pm. For more information, visit the Mississippi Studios website.

• Editors Keith Gessen and Chad Harbach of n+1 will read and discuss pieces from current and past issues of the magazine, on topics ranging from environmental apocalypse to writers and money. n+1 is a biannual literary magazine that publishes essays on politics, literature, and culture, as well as fiction. The event takes place at Looking Glass Bookstore at 7:00 pm. For more information, visit the Looking Glass Bookstore website.

• Naomi Klein will be reading from her new book The Shock Doctrine at the First Unitarian Church in downtown Portland. Seating is limited to first come, first served. 7:00 pm. For more information, visit the Powell’s website.

Saturday, December 8

• Multnomah Village is hosting “A Holiday in the Village.” There will be free photos and cocoa with Santa at Neighborhood House from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. There will be carriage rides from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm starting at Key Bank with donations benefiting Neighborhood House’s “Season of Sharing” program. Strolling carolers and musicians from area schools will be providing entertainment throughout the day. For more information, visit the Multnomah Village website.

• The City of Milwaukie is celebrating the holidays with its annual Umbrella Parade & City Hall Tree Lighting Ceremony. The Umbrella Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony will take place at 4:00 pm. All are invited to join the Milwaukie High School Band as it parades through downtown. Santa Claus will be on hand for the City Hall Tree Lighting Ceremony that will follow at 4:30 pm. Meet in the Waldorf School parking lot at 3:45 pm to take part in the parade. For more information, visit the Milwaukie website.

• Eldred Marshall will perform the final concert in his eight-concert series of Beethoven piano sonatas. The concert will take place at the Portland Community Music Center, located at 3350 SE Francis Street, at 8:00 pm. Marshall will perform Sonatas 28, 30, 31 and 32. Upon concluding the series, he will become the first African-American to join the ranks of master pianists who have publicly performed the entire series of the 32 Beethoven piano sonatas from memory. Admission is free, but $20 is the suggested donation. For more information, click here.

• Looks like the Whiskey Hill Jazz Club is performing at Pioneer Courthouse Square from 12:45 pm to 2:00 pm. I can’t find any more information about it. You can check the Pioneer Courthouse Square website or the Whiskey Hill Jazz Club website to learn more.

• The Christmas Ship Parade will be sailing this evening. For route details and more information, visit the Christmas Ship Parade website. View the ships on your own or join these events: At 5:00 pm, meet at the Umpqua Innovation Lab (3606 SW Bond) to walk to the water and view the parade. Heating, caroling, and lots of great treats provided. Wilsonville High School Choir (Acapella) will perform. For more information, visit the Umpqua Bank website. If you’re in the Lake Oswego area, go to Foothills Park from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm and enjoy free hot cocoa and cider while you watch the boats go by. For additional information, visit the Lake Oswego website.

• Lincoln Crockett will be performing at Edgefield at 7:00 pm. Ages 21 and older. For more information, visit the Edgefield website.

• Ida Viper will be performing at Rock Creek Tavern at 9:00 pm. All ages until 10:00 pm. For more information, visit the Rock Creek Tavern website.

• Jeffrey Ashton will perform a seasonal program of guitar music, featuring Renaissance and Baroque selections as well as standards and carols, from 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm at Woodstock Library. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit the Multnomah County Library website.

• Joni Kabana, author & photographer of the book Torina’s World: A Child’s Life in Madagascar, will be at Looking Glass Bookstore at 10:00 am. For more information, visit the Looking Glass Bookstore website.

• The Grinch will be at Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 1:00 pm, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. For more information, visit the Powell’s website. 

• Sharon Wood Wortman will be presenting her book Walking Portland’s Bridges Using Poetry as a Compass at 1:00 pm at Powell’s City of Books on Burnside. The reading will be followed by a bridge walking tour. For more information, visit the Powell’s website.

• Author Eric Kimmel will share his favorite holiday classics including The Chanukkah Guest and Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins at A Children’s Place Bookstore at 11:00 am. Story time, craft making (dreidels!) and cookies to enjoy. For more information, visit A Children’s Place Bookstore website.

Sunday, December 9

• The Church of Craft is meeting at the Central Library at 12:30 pm. This month’s class is Paper Strip Ornaments. Seating is limited to 70 people, and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For the list of supplies you’ll need to bring and more information, visit the Multnomah County Library website.

• The Christmas Ship Parade will be sailing this evening. For route details and more information, visit the Christmas Ship Parade website.

• Petty Saints will be performing at Edgefield at 5:00 pm. Ages 21 and older. For more information, visit the Edgefield website.

• Murder by the Book is hosting an open house from noon to 5:00 pm. Authors Chelsea Cain, George Wright, Carola Dunn and Michael Hoeye will be there. There will also be a free rare-book appraisal from mystery lover and antiquarian Jack Walsdorf (one book per person). Champagne, goodies, discounts, and more. For more information, visit the MBTB website.

If you know of any other free events happening this weekend, please write a comment about it. If you’d like me to include an event in a future round-up, feel free to contact me.

Entry Filed under: Books,Children,Classes,Entertainment,Events,Food,Free,Frugal living,Holidays,Kids,Music,Portland