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

Free Events This Weekend in Portland: October 17–19

October 17th, 2008

Update: See Comments for more events.

Admission is free for all events below. Have a great weekend!

All weekend (October 17 to 19)

• Portland Nursery Apple Tasting Event: There will be 60 varieties of apples and pears available for tasting, live music, kids’ activities and more. 5050 SE Stark, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website. 

Friday, October 17

• Kidical Mass Family Bike Rides: Wear your Halloween costume or decorate your bike. Blinkies will be handed out while supplies last. Information on different rides:

  • Downtown Ride: Meet at 5:30 pm and leave at 5:45. Meet at the North Park Blocks Playground at NW 8th and Davis. Thanks to Nancy at Central Portland Families you can attend a pizza party at the end of the ride, but you must RSVP to nancy@zcommunitycenter.org. More info can be found here.

  • Outer NE Ride: Meet at 6:00 pm (leaving promptly at 6:15) at Knott Park, near the baseball field (near the corner of NE 112th and NE Sacramento). We will return to the same location.

  • SE Ride: Meet at 6:00 pm at the Sunnyside Environmental School playground. Leaving promptly at 6:15, ending at Sunnyside.

  • Sellwood Ride: Meet at 6:00 pm at the Sellwood Pool, and the ride will leave at 6:15, ending at the Sellwood Pool.

  • For more information, contact Angela Koch, 503-226-0676 x19.

• Fall Family Fun Night at Mt. Scott Community Center: Bouncy castle, face painting, obstacle course, crafts, roller skating, swimming, and indoor park. Admission is free. Activities cost 25 cents, family swim is $1. Bring donations of canned goods and receive 4 free tickets ($1 value). 5530 SE 72nd, 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. For more information, visit the event website. 

• Beta Collide will perform at 8:00 pm in the White Stag Building (70 NW Couch St). Performers include Roger Hayes (live painter), Nicholas Isherwood (bass-baritone), Justin Kagan (cello), Lisa McWhorter (violin), Phillip Patti (percussion), Molly Barth (flute) and Brian McWhorter (trumpet). For more information, visit the Beta Collide website. 

• Tartufi (website) will perform at Music Millennium (3158 E. Burnside) at 5:00 pm. For more information, visit the Music Millennium website.

• Dirty Dozen Brass Band will perform at Music Millennium (3158 E. Burnside) at 6:00 pm. For more information, visit the Music Millennium website.

• Leigh Marble CD Release Party: The evening will include performances by Marble, Teledubgnosis, and Auditory Sculpture featuring Infamous Coatcheck Girl, as well as video by Abstract Machines. Press Club, 8:30 pm. Press Club is located at 2621 SE Clinton St, 503.233.5656.

• Ashia (website) will perform at East Burn (1800 E. Burnside) at 10:00 pm. Visit the East Burn website for more information.

• Mark Alan (website) will perform at Edgefield at 7:00 pm. For more information, visit the Edgefield website.

• The Troublemakers (website) will perform at Rock Creek Tavern at 9:00 pm. Visit the Rock Creek Tavern website for more information.

• Author Shalom Auslander will talk about his memoir “Foreskin’s Lament” at 7:30 pm at Powell’s City of Books on Burnside (1005 W Burnside). For more information, visit the Powell’s website.

Saturday, October 18

• Oregon Historical Society Free Day: The theme of the day is archaeology. There will be presentations on rock art and flintknapping, art projects for the kids, an activity that will show you what an excavation is like, and more. For more information, visit the event website. 

• Oregon Bounty Fresh Hop Beer Tastival: Admission is free; glasses/mugs cost $5, and are required for tasting beer. Tastes of the individual beers are $1 each. Hopworks Urban Brewery (2944 SE Powell Blvd), noon to 9:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Learn about Buckminster Fuller from Allegra Fuller Snyder (UCLA professor, founder and board chair of the Buckminster Fuller Institute, and Bucky’s only living child) and D.W. Jacobs (director/playwright of R. Buckminster Fuller: THE HISTORY (and Mystery) OF THE UNIVERSE). Gerding Theater (128 NW 11th Ave), 2:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website. 

• OMSI’s Teen-Only Night: Plan a date night and send the teens to OMSI from 7:00 pm–10:00 pm. Teens will get to see the new Mindbender Mansion exhibit, and there’ll be Segway rides, a DJ and cheap food. For more information, visit the OMSI website.

• Fiesta con Animales/Party with the Animals: In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, some of the Oregon Zoo’s animals will visit St. Johns Library (7510 N. Charleston Ave) from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website. 

• Library Appreciation Day at West Linn Library: See juggler Rhys Thomas perform, hear the West Linn Community Chorus sing, and talk about the library with your neighbors. For more information, visit the event website. 

• Family Resource Fair at Beaverton Library: Get information from local family-friendly organizations, make crafts with your kids, learn about home school resources, and find volunteer opportunities right in your back yard. 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Apple Tasting Event at Tigard Library: Games, crafts, apple tasting and more. An “a-peeling” good time for the whole family. 1:30 pm. For more information, visit the event website. 

• GreenWalks: Explore Mt. Tabor with a guide from Portland Parks & Recreation. 10:00 am to 11:00 am. Appropriate for adults and families. Meet at the Crater Amphitheater near the playground. For details, visit the PP&R website.

• Ben Weaver will perform at Music Millennium (3158 E. Burnside) at 3:00 pm. For more information, visit the Music Millennium website.

• Sudden Anthem (website) and The Raining (website) will perform at East Burn (1800 E. Burnside) at 10:00 pm. Visit the East Burn website for more information.

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

• Jimmy Bivens (website) will perform at Edgefield at 7:00 pm. For more information, visit the Edgefield website.

• The Scott Gallegos Band (website) will perform at Rock Creek Tavern at 9:00 pm. For more information, visit the Rock Creek Tavern website.

• Children’s pop-up book master David Carter will present his new book at 11:00 am at A Children’s Place Bookstore (4807 NE Fremont St). For more information, visit the event website. 

• Author Clare Langley-Hawthorne will talk about her book “The Serpent and the Scorpion” at Murder by the Book (3210 SE Hawthorne Blvd) at 1:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website. 

Sunday, October 19

• Fiesta con Animales/Party with the Animals: In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, some of the Oregon Zoo’s animals will visit Gregory Heights Library (7921 NE Sandy Blvd) from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Dead Beetles (website) will perform at Music Millennium (3158 E. Burnside) at 5:00 pm. For more information, visit the Music Millennium website.

• More History and Mystery of the Blues: Musician-author Steve Cheseborough will present the music of Mississippi. Central Library (801 SW 10th Ave), 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website. 

• “Ed Wood” will be showing at Press Club at 9:00 pm. Press Club is located at 2621 SE Clinton St, 503.233.5656.

• Sunday Movie Night at Hotel deLuxe: “Hear and Now” will be playing. The Screening Room, located off the hotel lobby, opens at 6:00 pm, the movie begins at 6:30 pm. RSVP to 503.219.2093. For more information, visit the event website.

• Authors Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson will talk about “Science Fair,” their new book for young readers, at 2:00 pm at Powell’s Books, Cedar Hills Crossing (3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd). For more information, visit the Powell’s website.

• Book Release Party for “HELP! A Bear is Eating Me!” Join author Mykle Hansen for a spoken word show/drinking opportunity to celebrate the release of his new book. PLAN B (1305 SE 8th Ave), 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Ages 21 & older. For more information, visit the event website.

• Moms Night Out/Scrapbook Basics: Join instructor Heidi Brehm for an introductory class on the basics of scrapbooking. Each participant is encouraged to bring personal photos to create a two-page layout, all other materials will be provided. St. Johns Library (7510 N. Charleston Ave), 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. For more information, visit the event 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, please contact me.

Other articles from Around the Sun:

• January 4, 2009 -- 1/8–1/29: 21 Days of Free Yoga Classes
• January 1, 2009 -- Free Events This Weekend in Portland: Jan 2–4
• December 30, 2008 -- Peacock Lane Photos, Last Day to See Lights Is New Year’s Eve

Entry Filed under: Art, Books, Children, Education, Entertainment, Environment, Events, Food, Free, Frugal living, Kids, Literature, Movies, Museums, Music, Portland