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

Free Events in Portland: October 21–23

October 20th, 2011

In addition to the events below, I want to make sure you know about Smart Saving, a series of financial workshops sponsored by Multnomah County Library. Upcoming workshops include “Alternatives to Foreclosure” and “Holiday Shopping on a Budget.”

Note: The following events offer free admission, but might charge for activities or food and drink.

Events are sorted by start time. And if I missed anything, please leave a comment.

Every day through Halloween

Davis Graveyard: Each October, the Davis’s transform their property into a realistic, haunted graveyard. Get the full experience (sound, fog, ghost effects, and animations) every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through Halloween from dusk to 11:00 pm (10:00 pm on Sunday). Get the lite version (lights only) every Monday through Thursday from dusk to 10:00 pm. 8703 SE 43rd Ave in Milwaukie.

All Weekend

Portland Nursery Apple Tasting: Sample more than 50 varieties of apples and pears. Enjoy kids activities, music, and more. 5050 SE Stark, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Friday, October 21

Unhappy Hipsters Book Signing: The creators of UnhappyHipsters.com present their new book, It’s Lonely in the Modern World. Land, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

Fall Family Fun Night: Crafts, obstacle course, roller skating, family swim, bouncy castle, face painting, and indoor park. Mt Scott Community Center, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Admission is free; need to purchase tickets for activities.

Author David Guterson (Snow Falling on Cedars) talks about his new novel, Ed King, at Powell’s Books at Cedar Hills Crossing, 7:00 pm.

Saturday, October 22

Tualatin National Wildlife Refuge Bird Walk (registration required): Learn about the birds and wildlife of this diverse refuge. Meet at the Lower Boones Ferry Backyard Bird Shop to carpool, 8:00 am. Registration required.

Community Action Energy Fair: Join Metro toxics reduction educator Caran Goodall and many other experts for workshops about energy, healthy eating, green cleaning, and more. Lincoln Street Elementary, 9:30 am to 2:00 pm.

Portland Financial Planning Day: Dozens of Portland-area financial planners will offer free one-on-one counseling and seminars, no strings attached. Portland Building, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

West Coast Giant Pumpkin Regatta: The highlight of this event is a series of wacky races around the Lake at Tualatin Commons by costumed participants in 1000-lb pumpkin boats. Races start at 2:00 pm. Activities and entertainment, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Water 2011: Workshops, activities, bike tour, and exhibits on a variety of water quality and quantity issues: conservation, pollution prevention, natural gardening, and more. Humboldt School, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Portland Fire Station 31 Open House: Opening ceremony, station tours, and refreshments. 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Documentary: Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women: This movie tells the story of Alcott’s quest to rescue her family from poverty and to find wealth, fame, and happiness for herself. Capitol Hill Library, 10:30 am.

Happy Valley Harvest Fest: Free pumpkins, tractor hayrides, treasure in the hay hunt, face painting, food vendors, and live music. Happy Valley Park, 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.

YA authors Stacey Wallace Benefiel, Angela Carlie, Laura Elliott, Rebecca Knight, and Lisa Nowak: Meet them at A Children’s Place Bookstore, 1:00.

Sewing for Boys: Shelly Figueroa talks about her innovative boys-only pattern book. Powell’s City of Books on Burnside, 2:00 pm.

Musical Storytelling with Brother Askari: A historian of West African culture, Askari combines hand drumming, songs, harmonica, and storytelling to educate, inspire, and entertain. Woodstock Library, 3:00 pm.

Costume Carnival: Games, face painting, and crafts. East Portland Community Center, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, costume parade at 6:50 pm. Appropriate for preschool/grade school ages with an adult. Admission is free; need to purchase tickets for activities.

The Switch Poetry, Art and Music Series presents Brooklyn poet Sue Landers and Portland’s own Michelle Erickson. Art and snacks too. Switchyard Studios, 6:00 pm.

Sunday, October 23

So Percussion: Enjoy a concert by this Brooklyn-based quartet, who has been called “astonishing and entrancing” by Billboard Magazine and “brilliant” by The New York Times. Central Library, 1:00 pm.

Homemade Vinegars: Learn how to make your own vinegars. Leave with some “mother” (thick, jellylike substance used in fermentation) to get you started at home. Hollywood Library, 2:00 pm.

Credit Score Got You Down? Learn how to manage credit well to secure your financial future. This is one in a series of financial workshops called Smart Saving. St. Johns Library, 2:00 pm.

Poets Melissa Stein and John Beer present their prize-winning books at Powell’s Books on Hawthorne, 4:00 pm.

Poet Tess Gallagher talks about her new anthology, Midnight Lantern: New and Selected Poems, at Powell’s City of Books on Burnside, 7:30 pm.

More free events

For more free and low-cost events, check Portland on the Cheap, PDX Pipeline, and Dave Knows Portland.

For kids events, check UrbanMamas and PDX Kids Calendar.

For free concerts, see Concert Co-op.

Entry Filed under: Free