Admission is free for all events below. Have a great weekend!
Friday, November 14
Christmas Tree Arrival at Pioneer Courthouse Square: At noon, a party will be held at Pioneer Courthouse Square to welcome Portland’s 75-foot Christmas tree. Expect Santa Claus, seasonal music and local dignitaries. For more information, visit the event website.
Lower Fremont 2nd Friday Artwalk and Sidewalk Sale: 40+ local artists and crafters will display and sell their work outside at this monthly event. NE Fremont at 13th & 14th Avenues, 5:00 pm–9:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.
Rock Poster Art Show Opening Reception: Artery will open an exhibit of silkscreened rock posters commemorating some of the most influential bands in the past two decades such as Modest Mouse, Bloc Party, Neko Case, Bright Eyes, Cat Power and more. 4114 N. Vancouver Ave, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.
Army Navy (website) will perform at Music Millennium (3158 E. Burnside) at 6:00 pm. All ages. For more information, visit the Music Millennium website.
Adam and Kris (website) will perform at East Burn (1800 E. Burnside) at 10:00 pm. Visit the East Burn website for more information.
Will West and The Friendly Strangers (website) will perform at Press Club at 8:30 pm. Press Club is located at 2621 SE Clinton St, 503.233.5656.
Mark Alan (website) will perform at Edgefield at 7:00 pm. Ages 21+. For more information, visit the Edgefield website.
The Checkered Present (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.
Author Benjamin Parzybok will talk about his book “Couch” at 7:30 pm at Powell’s City of Books on Burnside (1005 W. Burnside). For more information, visit the Powell’s website.
Saturday, November 15
Gettysburg Address Re-enactment, Talk, Film: From 9:00 am to 11:30 am, Lone Fir Pioneer Cemetery (SE 21st and Morrison) will host a re-creation of the Gettysburg Address, including Union soldier re-enactors in full battle gear, authentic military band, Lincoln presenter Steve Holgate, and more. From 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm, Portland State professor Elliott Trommald will explain the meaning of the Gettysburg Address, and a “Battle of Gettysburg” video will be shown at PSU Smith Memorial Student Union, room 333 (1825 SW Broadway). For more information, visit the event website.
Oregon Humane Society 140th Birthday Bash: The party includes activities for kids, tours and more. Kids will receive a t-shirt, balloon, and a birthday sticker while supplies last. Presents for the animals are welcome and qualify you to receive a discount on adoptions (see website for details). 1067 NE Columbia Blvd, 1:00 pm–4:00 pm. Cake and ice cream will be served from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.
J.D. Roth, author of the blog Get Rich Slowly, will speak at the Central Library (801 SW 10th Ave) at 1:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.
BroadArts Theatre Performance and Discussion: Four speakers from the community will talk about issues concerning Portland, supported by songs and monologues performed by BroadArts Theatre. Afterward, BroadArts will invite the audience to discuss how each of us can contribute to a better future for Portland and our world. Jefferson High School (5210 N. Kerby Ave), 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. For more information and list of speakers, visit the event website.
Lighting of Maddax Woods in West Linn: Enjoy a magical walk down a lit, accessible path through the Woods and to the viewing platform on the Willamette River. Free hot chocolate. 5785 River Street, West Linn, 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.
Bird Walk on Boeckman Road at Coffee Lake Wetlands: The new Boeckman Road extension is an ideal location to view birds such as great blue heron, red-winged black bird, osprey, killdeer and more. Meet Natural Resources Program staff on the bridge (Boeckman Road at Coffee Creek between 95th Ave and 110th Ave, Wilsonville) at 9:00 am. The walk lasts until 11:00 am. Bring your binoculars and dress appropriately for the weather. Kids welcome. For more information, visit the event website.
”Gourdy Pumpernickel’s Harvest Surprise” Puppet Show: Mudeye Puppet Company presents this all-new, all-original, all-ages puppet show about a determined but slightly silly farmer who never gives up. Most suitable for grades K–5. Free tickets for seating will be available 30 minutes prior to the program. Sellwood-Moreland Library (7860 SE 13th Ave), 10:30 am–11:00 am. For more information, visit the event website.
Children’s Play “Raven Steals the Sun”: In honor of national American Indian Heritage month, the library is hosting “Raven Steals the Sun,” a new play based on a Native American tale. Created and performed by Emily Alexander of Tears of Joy Theatre. Most suitable for grades K–5. Belmont Library (1038 SE 39th Ave), 3:00 pm to 3:30 pm. For more information, visit the event website.
OMSI’s Teen-Only Night: No parents allowed! OMSI invites teens (ages 13–18) to check out Mindbender Mansion and enjoy music by a live DJ, Segway rides and more. 1945 SE Water Ave, 7:00 pm–10:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.
Mary Flower (website) will perform at Music Millennium (3158 E. Burnside) at 3:00 pm. For more information, visit the Music Millennium website.
Miss Michael Jodell, Matt Brown and Allen Hunter (website) will perform at Press Club at 8:30 pm. Press Club is located at 2621 SE Clinton St, 503.233.5656.
Lincoln Crockett (website) will perform at Edgefield at 7:00 pm. Ages 21+. For more information, visit the Edgefield website.
The Atonements (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.
Authors Jessica Morrell, Megan Clark, Delilah Marvelle and Monica Drake will speak at In Other Words Women’s Books and Resources (8 NE Killingsworth St) at 4:00 pm. Refreshments and accompaniment music from Vagabond Opera’s Eric Stern. For more information, visit the event website.
Sunday, November 16
Locks of Love Benefit (Free Haircuts): Ruby’s Spa at Edgefield will offer free haircuts to guests of all ages who donate 10 or more inches of hair. These special guests will also receive complimentary refreshments, along with 20% off additional spa treatments for the rest of the day. 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Appointments are required. Call (503) 665-1357 to make an appointment. For more information, visit the event website.
DIY Stories: DIY (Do It Yourself) Stories is an open storytelling forum. Share stories about what brought you to Oregon and what keeps you here. You can just show up to listen to others, but it’s more fun when you participate. Please keep stories to 5 minutes; no reading or performing; think “beginning, middle, end.” Recommended for adults. Space is limited. Central Library (801 SW 10th Ave), 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. For more information, visit the event website.
James Low (website) will perform at Edgefield at 5:00 pm. Ages 21+. For more information, visit the Edgefield website.
“Freedomstate” will be playing at Hotel deLuxe. 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.
“Being John Malkovich” will be showing at Press Club at 9:00 pm. Press Club is located at 2621 SE Clinton St, 503.233.5656.
Alicia Paulson, the creator of the blog Posie Gets Cozy, will talk about her book “Stitched in Time” at 7:30 pm at Powell’s City of Books on Burnside (1005 W. Burnside). For more information, visit the Powell’s 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.
J.D. Roth, author of the blog Get Rich Slowly, will be speaking at the Central Library on November 15. According to J.D., the talk will run “from one o’clock until you all run out of questions.” Admission is free.
The library’s website has a nice description of J.D. and his website:
When J.D. Roth found himself overwhelmingly in debt, he hoped that reading personal finance books would help solve the problem quickly. Instead, he discovered that few people get rich quickly, but almost anyone can get rich slowly. His blog Get Rich Slowly is devoted to sensible personal finance. It was recently named most inspiring money blog by Money magazine. Roth describes his blog this way: “You will not find any get-rich-quick schemes here. Nor will you find multi-level marketing fads or hot stock tips. I am not pitching any product or book. Instead, you’ll find daily information about personal finance and related topics.” Roth lives in Portland and makes his living through blogging. He has been blogging about personal finance since 2006.
I’ve been reading Get Rich Slowly for two years and am looking forward to hearing J.D. speak (and to finally putting a face to the blog). I’m not sure what his presentation will cover. Maybe he’ll talk about how he overcame $35,000 in debt, or maybe some other money-related topic. Regardless, it will be worthwhile. Let’s pack the house.
I’m thrilled to announce that Around the Sun is two years old today.
I’ve heard people say that two years is a big accomplishment for a blog; not many blogs last this long. But honestly, I can’t believe it’s been two years already. I’ve had a blast.
Thanks to Around the Sun, I have done amazing things I never thought I’d do, met and corresponded with the coolest of people, and learned a ton of stuff about Portland. As a result, I’ve fallen deeper in love with this town.
Which leads me to the real reason I wanted to acknowledge this milestone, and that is to say thank you. Thank you to my supporters and readers. Around the Sun would not exist without you.
I hope I can help you save even more money in year three.
Or the time I happened to be at the mall and found out that lotions at Bath & Body Works were 75% off for that day only.
Or the many times I found out about a free event after I posted the weekend roundup.
In all of these instances, the information seemed less like a blog post and more like an alert: time-sensitive and easily conveyed in a few words. As in the case of the root beer float update, all I really wanted to do was warn you with something like, ”Checked out root beer float. It’s tiny.” Useful, but not the kind of information that warrants a new blog post.
To publish information like this, I’ve decided to start a Twitter “micro blog,” which will serve as a supplement to Around the Sun. Through Twitter, I will publish time-sensitive, late-breaking, or useful albeit random news, as well as reminders of events. Ultimately, my hope is that Twitter will help me make Around the Sun a better resource for money-saving ideas.
There are a few ways you can get these updates:
By checking Around the Sun’s sidebar under “News From Around the Sun @ Twitter”
By “following” Around the Sun, if you have a Twitter account
Please note that I will also be posting a Twitter alert each time I add a new blog post to Around the Sun, so Twitter “followers” can use Twitter like a stripped-down RSS reader for ATS.
If you’re unfamiliar with Twitter, please note that messages can be text-only (no pictures) and can contain only 140 characters maximum, but I will try not to let the forced brevity compromise clarity.
If you have any questions or comments about the Twitter companion to Around the Sun, please write a comment about it or email me at atsblog[at]gmail[dot]com.
In case you checked Around the Sun on Friday afternoon/evening (August 1) and got an error message, please note that the problem has been fixed. We’re back up.
If you have a website and use Site Meter, check your website in Internet Explorer to make sure it’s working. On some sites, Site Meter is causing an error message in IE (“Internet Explorer cannot open the Internet site …. Operation aborted”) and IE is unable to open these sites. In fact, the Site Meter website itself currently crashes in IE as well. At this time, the only fix I know of is to remove or comment-out the Site Meter code in your template. Not ideal, but hopefully Site Meter will resolve the issue soon.
Admission is free for all events below. Stay cool!
Friday, May 16
Designers Denyse Schmidt and Heather Ross (www.dsquilts.com, www.heatherrossdesigns.com) will be at Bolt Fabric Boutique from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm for a “casual meet-and-greet, see-new-fabrics-event.” Visit the Bolt website for details.
30 Rooms Art Exhibit Opening Reception: More than 30 local artists will show their work in the loft building of art refuge Milepost 5. DJs such as Jellyfish & Bubbles will perform. 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm. For more information, visit the Milepost 5 website.
Pete Krebs Jazz Trio (website) will perform at Press Club at 8:00 pm. Press Club is located at 2621 SE Clinton St., 503.233.5656.
Mary Kadderly and Dan Gildea (Mary’s site) will perform at RiverPlace Hotel at 8:00 pm. Visit the PDX Jazz website for more information.
Author Nicole Mones will talk about her book The Last Chinese Chef at Tigard Library, 7:00 pm. For more information, visit the Tigard Library website.
Author John Straley will present his book The Big Both Ways at Murder by the Book at 6:30 pm. Visit the MBTB website for details.
Author Garth Stein will talk about his book The Art of Racing in the Rain at 7:00 pm at Powell’s Books, Cedar Hills Crossing. Visit the Powell’s website for details.
Author Will Durst will talk about his book The All-American Sport of Bipartisan Bashing at 7:30 pm at Powell’s City of Books on Burnside. Visit the Powell’s website for details.
Saturday, May 17
Alberta Art Hop: This annual arts festival includes a parade, music and activities for the whole family. In addition, local artists will line the street to show and sell their work. 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. Visit the Art Hop website for details.
Mt. Tabor Art Walk: On May 17 and 18, 40 artists will show their work from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information and a map of participating locations, visit the Art Walk website.
Gateway Fun-O-Rama Parade and Community Fair: Parade starts at 10:30 am at NE Halsey from 132nd to 106th, followed by a fair from noon to 3:00 pm at NE Halsey and 111th. Visit the Gateway Area Business Association website for details.
Children’s/Maternity Clothing Swap: Visit the Milagro’s website for information.
Chinese Lion Dance and Storytelling: Tigard Library will host a lion dancing performance by Lee’s Association Dance Team, followed by Chinese stories told by Margaret Eng. 2:00 pm. For more information, visit the Tigard Library website.
Anna Kramer & The Lost Cause (website) will perform at Music Millennium at 5:00 pm. For details, visit the Music Millennium website.
Carlyle (website) will perform at Borders in Tigard, 7:00 pm. For more information, visit the Borders website.
2 Licks 2 Many Bluegrass Band (website) will perform at Borders in Gresham, 7:00 pm. For more information, visit the Borders website.
Sky in the Road (website) will perform at Edgefield at 7:00 pm. Visit the Edgefield website for more information.
Swing Papillon (website) will perform at Press Club at 8:00 pm. Press Club is located at 2621 SE Clinton St., 503.233.5656.
Mitzi Zilka & French Café (website) will perform at RiverPlace Hotel at 8:00 pm. Visit the PDX Jazz website for more information.
Sharon Wood Wortman will present her book Walking Bridges Using Poetry as a Compass: Poems About Bridges Real and Imagined by 70 Poets, with Directions for Five Self-Guided Explorations at 1:00 pm at Sellwood-Moreland Library. The event will be followed by an optional walk to the Sellwood Bridge (weather permitting). For more information, visit the Multnomah County Library website.
What’s Hot in Comics!?! Find out from the owners of Guapo Comics, Bridge City Comics, Cosmic Monkey Comics and Floating World Comics. Central Library, 3:00 pm. For more information, visit the Multnomah County Library website.
Author Jill Kelly will talk about her book The Making of an Honest Woman at In Other Words Women’s Books and Resources at 2:00 pm. Visit the In Other Words website for more information.
Sunday, May 18
Mt. Tabor Art Walk: On May 17 and 18, 40 artists will show their work from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information and a map of participating locations, visit the Art Walk website.
Learn about TriMet’s Westside Express Service (WES) commuter rail. TriMet staff will be at the Tigard Library to talk about WES, 1:00 pm. For more information, visit the City of Tigard website.
Paul Manousos and the East Bay Wrecking Crew (website) will perform at Music Millennium at 3:00 pm. For details, visit the Music Millennium website.
Makana (website) will perform at Borders in Beaverton, 1:00 pm. Visit the Borders website for more information.
Sonny Hess (website) will perform at Edgefield at 7:00 pm. Visit the Edgefield website for details.
Church of Craft is having its monthly craft class/get-together at the Central Library from 12:30 pm–3:30 pm. This month’s class is Button Pendants. 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.
LeAnn Locher, author of the Portland blog LeLo in NoPo, will talk about her experiences with blogging over the last three years at Hollywood Library at 2:00 pm. For more information, visit the Multnomah County Library website.
The film Solving Immigration will be showing at Hotel deLuxe. 6:30 pm. Contact the hotel to RSVP, 503.219.2093. For more information, visit the Hotel deLuxe website.
Akira Kurasawa’s Rashomon will be playing at Press Club at 9:00 pm. Press Club is located at 2621 SE Clinton St., 503.233.5656.
Children’s and YA authors Joni Sensel, Thatcher Heldring and Sundee T. Frazier will talk about their respective books at 2:00 pm at Powell’s Books, Cedar Hills Crossing. Visit the Powell’s website for details.
Ursula K. Le Guin and Kim Stafford will join editors of In the Blast Zone: Catastrophe and Renewal on Mount St. Helens to talk about the book at this Mt. St. Helens anniversary event. Powell’s City of Books on Burnside, 4:00 pm. Visit the Powell’s website for details.
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.
Every week, I find this blog chock full of interesting stuff in Portland, for which I have to spend nada, zilch, zero.
If taking a look at Around the Sun doesn’t give you some good ideas for something to do, I’ll give you your money back.
That’s right. It’s that good.
I will tell you, I am thrilled and awed every time someone says something nice about Around the Sun. Truly, it means a lot. And I am particularly flattered this time because I think so highly of the contribution that Rick Turoczy is making with his own blog Silicon Florist.
Silicon Florist reports on the new and fresh young things of the tech community in Portland: startups, projects, events, ideas. Someday, one of these sprouts may grow up to be Portland’s next big contribution to the technology industry, and that makes reading Silicon Florist so exciting to me.
Now, moonlighting over at Portland is Awesome, Rick is throwing a spotlight on great Portland blogs. And, of course, I think his taste is impeccable.
Portland is Awesome is a relatively new blog about Portland and looks destined to be as awesome as its opinion of our city. PIA is a community blog, so if you want to share something worthwhile about Portland, contact founder Dawn Foster.
Many thanks to Mr. Turoczy and Portland is Awesome for the great review. The feeling is mutual.
Blog Action Day is a new initiative aimed at bringing bloggers together once a year to discuss a single issue. This year, Blog Action Day will be October 15, and the topic will be the environment.
“We want to display the potential and the power of the blogging community, which is a disparate community but one with an amazing size, breadth and diversity. By bringing everyone together for one day, we can see just how much can be achieved, and how much we can be heard.”
As much as is possible we are aiming not to push any particular agenda. Aside from the choice of theme each year, we encourage bloggers to write their own opinions, give weight to what they think is important and to be themselves.
We believe in unity in diversity, not uniformity.
I’ve registered to participate. If you’re planning to join in, please write a comment with your blog address so I know to read your blog on that day.
