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

Free Events This Weekend in Portland: August 7–9

August 6th, 2009

Admission is free for all events below. For more concerts, visit Concert Co-op.

Have a great weekend!

All weekend

• Masque Alfresco will perform Goldoni’s “The Liar” on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 6:30 pm at George Rogers Park Memorial Garden in Lake Oswego. For more information, visit the event website.

Friday, August 7

• Portland Twilight Criterium: Watch the area’s fastest cyclists compete for the region’s biggest purse. The course surrounds the North Park Blocks of downtown Portland, creating an island oasis of 360-degree viewing, music, food and beverage. 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Free Admission Night at Portland Children’s Museum: Admission to the museum is free from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. 4015 SW Canyon Road. For more information, visit the event website.

• First Friday Art Openings: Check the Central Eastside Arts District website for a list of open galleries. Tilde, Artful Goods, SCRAP and Press Club will also host an artist reception.

• First Friday in Multnomah Village: During this monthly event, shops and galleries stay open late and offer special events, sales and complimentary refreshments. 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. For more information, visit the Multnomah Village website.

• First Friday Art Walk in Downtown Camas: This month, there will be live music performances, face painting, magic, balloon art, and chef demonstrations. For more information and event schedule, visit the event website.

• Tualatin Crawfish Festival: Admission is free on Friday. The event includes a crawfish cook-off and live music. For more information, visit the event website.

• Tualafest: Hear teenage bands from around the metro area compete for prizes and the Tualafest title. Enjoy food, henna tattoos, raffle prizes and more. Tualatin Community Park (8515 SW Tualatin Rd), 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Writing Workshop: Ibex Studios hosts a free writing workshop on the first Friday of every month. There’s room for 12 people, so be sure to come early enough to get a seat. 2021 SE Clinton, 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Portland SummerFest Opera in the Park will present “La Traviata” by Verdi at Washington Park at 6:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Ezra Weiss (website) will perform at Three Degrees Lounge at the RiverPlace Hotel (1510 SW Harbor Way), 8:00 pm. For more information, visit the PDX Jazz website.

• Kat Mann (website) will perform at Edgefield (2126 SW Halsey St, Troutdale) at 7:00 pm. Ages 21+. For more information, visit the Edgefield website.

• The Old Elbows (website) will perform at Rock Creek Tavern (10000 NW Old Cornelius Pass Rd, Hillsboro) at 9:00 pm. All ages until 10:00 pm. For more information, visit the Rock Creek Tavern website.

• ”Jurassic Park” will be showing at Pioneer Courthouse Square at dusk. Free popcorn provided. For more information, visit the event website.

• “Hairspray” will be showing at Willamette Park (SW Macadam Ave & Nebraska St) at dark. Pre-movie entertainment begins at 6:30 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” will be showing at Multnomah Arts Center (7688 SW Capitol Hwy) at dusk. Pre-movie entertainment begins at 8:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• ”My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding” will be showing at Beaverton City Park at dusk. Pre-movie entertainment begins at 8:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• “Muppets Take Manhattan” will be showing in downtown Vancouver at 23rd Street and Main Street. Show time is at 8:45 pm. There will be live, local music starting about 7:30 pm or 8:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• “Everyone’s Hero” will be showing at Main Street Park (219 S. Main Ave) in Gresham. The movie starts at dusk. Live music at 7:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Author Judy Sumner will talk about her book “Knitted Socks East and West” at 7:30 pm at Powell’s City of Books on Burnside (1005 W Burnside). For more information, visit the event website.

Saturday, August 8

• Central Library Block Party: The event includes The Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers, zoo animals, an all-ages clothing swap, circus skills demonstration, art projects, and more. Central Library (801 SW 10th Ave), noon to 4:00 pm. Ask the library for the schedule of the swap. For more information, visit the event website.

• Passport to Sellwood-Westmoreland: There will be entertainment in each neighborhood including a variety of live music, stilt walkers, and more. Collect stamps from local businesses (no purchase required) to enter to win prizes. 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Celebrate Hillsboro: This two-day event includes live music and other entertainment, kids activities, a street soccer tournament, and more. For more information, visit the event website.

• Guided Walk of St. Johns Waterfront: Enjoy a challenging and very scenic route through downtown St. Johns, Cathedral Park and Willamette Cove. Meet at N. Philadelphia & Lombard, by the Town Clock, at 9:00 am. For more information, visit the event website.

• Saturday Guided Nature Walks at Tryon Creek State Park: Join a park ranger for a free, guided nature hike to explore the forest and stream ecosystems and natural history at Tryon Creek State Natural Area. Appropriate for all ages. Parents must accompany kids on all hikes. 10:00 am to 11:30 am. For more information, visit the event website.

• Portland Actors Ensemble will perform “The First Part of King Henry IV” at Washington Park (SW Washington Way, in the lower park, just north of the Holocaust Memorial) at 3:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Belly Ice Cream Social: According to Willamette Week: “Belly restaurant opens its doors to the neighborhood every Saturday through the end of August to dish out free ice cream.” 3500 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• The Toy Trains will perform at 3:30 pm at Holgate Library (7905 SE Holgate Blvd). For more information, visit the event website.

• Portland Festival Symphony will perform works by Haydn, Mendelssohn and Beethoven at 6:00 pm at U.S. Grant Park (NE 33rd Ave & US Grant Pl). For more information, visit the event website.

• Devin Phillips will perform at Washington Park at 6:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Mia Nicholson will perform at Three Degrees Lounge at the RiverPlace Hotel (1510 SW Harbor Way), 8:00 pm. For more information, visit the PDX Jazz website.

• Rachel Taylor Brown and Sean Flinn will perform at Press Club at 8:30 pm. All ages. Press Club is located at 2621 SE Clinton St, 503.233.5656.

• Eddie Parente (website) will perform at Edgefield (2126 SW Halsey St, Troutdale) at 7:00 pm. Ages 21+. For more information, visit the Edgefield website.

• Jack McMahon (website) will perform at Rock Creek Tavern (10000 NW Old Cornelius Pass Rd, Hillsboro) at 9:00 pm. All ages until 10:00 pm. For more information, visit the Rock Creek Tavern website.

• “Coraline” will be showing at Dickinson Park (SW 55th Ave & Alfred Ct) at dark. Pre-movie entertainment begins at 6:30 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• “The Goonies” will be showing at Mary S. Young Park in West Linn at dusk (around 8:45). Kids activities start at 6:30 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• “Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3-D” will be showing after sunset to Tualatin Commons. For more information, visit the event website (PDF file).

• Colleen McKee and Sara Ohlin will read from “Are We Feeling Better Yet? Women Speak About Health Care in America,” an anthology of twenty-one personal essays by women around the country. In Other Words Women’s Books and Resources (8 B NE Killingsworth St), 3:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

Sunday, August 9

• Happy Meal’s 30th Birthday: Pioneer Courthouse Square will host family activities that include a visit from Radio Disney, the Portland Children’s Museum, and Ronald McDonald. 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Celebrate Hillsboro: This two-day event includes live music and other entertainment, kids activities, a street soccer tournament, and more. For more information, visit the event website.

• Portland Actors Ensemble will perform “The First Part of King Henry IV” at Washington Park (SW Washington Way, in the lower park, just north of the Holocaust Memorial) at 3:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Portland Festival Symphony will perform works by Haydn, Beethoven and others at 6:00 pm at Peninsula Park (700 N. Rosa Parks Way). For more information, visit the event website.

• Art Abrams’ Swing Machine will perform at Washington Park at 6:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Adam Shearer (Weinland) and Justin Power will perform at Doug Fir starting at 3:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Millennium Brass will perform at Tryon Creek State Park at 2:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Americana Music: Enjoy multiple genres of Americana music, from Appalachian to bluegrass, from cowboy to the Kingston Trio, and many points in between, with local artists the Stumptown Stars. St. Johns Library (7510 N. Charleston Ave), 2:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Vienna Teng (website) will perform at Millennium Plaza Park (First & Evergreen Streets, Lake Oswego), 6:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.

• Lynn Conover will perform at Edgefield (2126 SW Halsey St, Troutdale) at 5:00 pm. Ages 21+. For more information, visit the Edgefield website.

• “Donnie Darko” will be showing at Press Club at 9:00 pm. All ages. 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, please contact me.

Entry Filed under: Art,Children,Food,Literature,Movies,Museums,Music,Theater