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

Free Events This Weekend in Portland: April 25–27

April 25th, 2008

Lots of art and lampreys this weekend. 

Admission is free for all events below. Have a good one!

Friday, April 25

• Oregon Guild Fair—Glass, Potters, Metal Arts, Beads, and Weaving: All weekend, artists from several craft guilds will be showing and selling their work at the Oregon Convention Center. Participants include the Oregon Glass Guild, Oregon Potters Association, Creative Metal Arts Guild, Portland Handweavers Guild, Portland Bead Society, Northwest Fine Woodworkers and Guild of Oregon Woodworkers. Friday and Saturday 10:00 am to 9:00 pm; Sunday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

• Asian Heritage Celebration: In honor of Asian Heritage Appreciation Month, this event includes Thai cuisine, taekwondo, dragon dancers, arts and crafts, raffle prizes and more. East Portland Community Center (740 SE 106th), 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. For more information, visit the Portland Parks website.

• Gideon Freudmann (website) will perform at Edgefield at 7:00 pm. Ages 21 and over. For more information, visit the Edgefield website.

• Chickweed (website) will perform at Rock Creek Tavern at 9:00 pm. All ages until 10:00 pm. For more information, visit the Rock Creek Tavern website.

• Courtney Jones (website) will perform at Borders in Beaverton at 7:00 pm. Visit the Borders website for more information.

• Frank Blair (website) will perform at Borders in Vancouver at 7:00 pm. Visit the Borders website for more information.

• Hunter-Donnaloia Duo (jazz) will perform at Press Club at 8:00 pm. Press Club is located at 2621 SE Clinton St., 503.233.5656.

• Author Alexander McCall Smith will talk about his book The Miracle at Speedy Motors at 7:00 pm at Powell’s Books, Cedar Hills Crossing. Visit the Powell’s website for more information.

• Cartoonist Jen Sorensen will talk about her book Slowpoke: One Nation, Oh My God! at 7:30 pm at Powell’s City of Books on Burnside. Visit the Powell’s website for more information.

Saturday, April 26

• Northwest National Park Family Day: Fort Vancouver National Historic Site is hosting an event showcasing the region’s national parks. Guests will get the chance to speak with park rangers; interact with animals; learn about camping and other topics through displays and presentations; and sample camp cuisine. 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. For more information, visit the Fort Vancouver website.

• Oregon Guild Fair—Glass, Potters, Metal Arts, Beads, and Weaving: All weekend, artists from several craft guilds will be showing and selling their work at the Oregon Convention Center. Participants include the Oregon Glass Guild, Oregon Potters Association, Creative Metal Arts Guild, Portland Handweavers Guild, Portland Bead Society, Northwest Fine Woodworkers and Guild of Oregon Woodworkers. Friday and Saturday 10:00 am to 9:00 pm; Sunday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

• GreenWalks in Lair Hill and Duniway Parks: Park Horticultrist Lance Wright will guide you around these two parks and talk about the plant life including a hundred year old purple beech. 10:00 am to 11:00 am. Meet in front of the old Carnegie Library at 2909 SW Second Avenue. For more information, visit the Portland Parks website.

• Mike Doughty (website) will perform at Music Millennium at 3:00 pm. For more information, visit the Music Millennium website. 

• Eric John Kaiser (website) will perform at Edgefield at 7:00 pm. Ages 21 and over. For more information, visit the Edgefield website.

• The Old Yellers (website) will perform at Rock Creek Tavern at 9:00 pm. All ages until 10:00 pm. For more information, visit the Rock Creek Tavern website.

• Debra Arlyn (website) will perform at Borders in Tigard at 7:00 pm. Visit the Borders website for more information.

• Mt. Hood String Quartet will perform at Borders in Gresham at 7:00 pm. Visit the Borders website for more information.

• Kaitlyn ni Donovan (website) will perform at Press Club at 8:30 pm. Press Club is located at 2621 SE Clinton St., 503.233.5656.

• Día de los Niños y Día de los Libros: A celebration of bilingual literacy with food, music and special activities. North Portland Library from 11:00 am–1:00 pm, or Rockwood Library from 2:00 pm–5:00 pm. For more information, visit the Multnomah County Library website. 

• Author William Sullivan will talk about his book Oregon’s Greatest Natural Disasters at the Hillsdale Library from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. For more information, visit the Multnomah County Library website.  

• Book Release Party: Judy Norsigian, contributing editor of Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth, will talk about the book and the challenges women face in pregnancy and childbirth. In Other Words Women’s Books and Resource, 4:00 pm. For more information, visit the In Other Words website.

Sunday, April 27

• Earth Day Celebration at Tryon Creek State Park: This family-friendly event provides the opportunity to learn about lampreys through arts and crafts, games, stories and more. Guests are invited to come dressed as their favorite animal and participate in a parade. Winners of the 2008 Daryle Seil Tall Tale Contest will tell their stories. Refreshments served. 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm; parade begins at 3:30 pm. For more information, visit the Tryon Creek Park website.

• Oregon Guild Fair—Glass, Potters, Metal Arts, Beads, and Weaving: All weekend, artists from several craft guilds will be showing and selling their work at the Oregon Convention Center. Participants include the Oregon Glass Guild, Oregon Potters Association, Creative Metal Arts Guild, Portland Handweavers Guild, Portland Bead Society, Northwest Fine Woodworkers and Guild of Oregon Woodworkers. Friday and Saturday 10:00 am to 9:00 pm; Sunday 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

• Family Discovery Sunday at the Museum of Contemporary Craft: This month’s theme is Feathered Extravagance. Families will get the opportunity to create art that combines everyday objects with feathers. 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm. For more information, visit the Museum of Contemporary Craft website.

• Power of County, Lael Alderman (website) and Amelia (website) will perform at Towne Lounge at 9:30 pm (doors open at 9:00 pm). Visit the Towne Lounge website for more information.

• Connie Bieberach and Armonia Latina will perform at the Central Library from 2:00 pm–3:00 pm. Visit the Multnomah County Library website for more information.

• Poet Floyd Skloot will talk about his book Selected Poems at 7:30 pm at Powell’s City of Books on Burnside. Visit the Powell’s website for more information.

• Author William Sullivan will talk about his book Oregon’s Greatest Natural Disasters at the Central Library from 12:30 pm–1:30 pm. For more information, visit the Multnomah County Library website.  

• National Poetry Month Celebration: Authors Kate Moses, Leanne Grabel, Paulann Petersen, Anita Helle and Kathleen Worley will read works by and about Sylvia Plath. Looking Glass Bookstore, 4:00 pm. Visit the Looking Glass Bookstore website for more information.

• The film Purple Noon will be showing at Press Club at 8:00 pm. Press Club is located at 2621 SE Clinton St., 503.233.5656.  

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.

Other articles from Around the Sun:

• August 14, 2007 -- “…making a big fuss out of an adult shopping in a junior’s section”
• October 9, 2008 -- Around the Sun Turns Two
• June 8, 2007 -- My New Money-Saving (and Fat-Busting) Game

Entry Filed under: Art, Children, Entertainment, Environment, Events, Food, Free, Frugal living, Literature, Movies, Music, Portland, Workshops