Portland and Area Activities Planner - September 6, 2024

by Geri And Tim Penner

WHAT'S UP THIS WEEKEND?
Excerpts From
TravelPortland .com
TualitinValley.org
TravelOregon.com

	ROSE CITY COMIC CON Portland’s premier pop culture event, Rose City Comic Con, is produced locally with a weird and wonderful vibe unique to the Pacific Northwest. Now in its twelfth year, the ultimate goal remains the same — to deliver the most rewarding, memorable, laughter-inducing weekend ever. While comic books and their mega-talented creators remain the cornerstone of RCCC, fans of all ages can also access top-tier celebrity guests, video and tabletop gaming, cosplay, anime, science fiction, fantasy, and everything in between. Rose City Comic Con is produced by LeftField Media, a boutique event company made up of passionate fans and experienced convention organizers.
	PORTLAND DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL Enjoy Portland's annual Dragon Boat Festival, featuring dragon boat racing along with food vendors, a beer garden and more. DragonSports USA Portland Dragon Boat Festival features over 40 Oregon, Washington, and California teams. The Portland Dragon Boat Festival is a family-friendly event including food and merchandise vendors, a beer garden, and 500 m races, on the Willamette River in Downtown Portland. This year’s event marks the 25th anniversary of the festival. The Portland Dragon Boat Festival is a great way to wrap up summer festivities.
	FALL KITE FESTIVAL Held on the beach at the D River State Recreation Site, the annual Fall Kite Festival is a longstanding family vacation tradition. Experience two days of kite-flying activities and let your heart soar! Enjoy exciting kite demonstrations by experts, kite-making, and of course the colorful, giant kites floating above the beach! The Fall Kite Festival is an event like no other, with brilliant shapes and colors filling up the sky for the whole weekend.
	EL GRITO Join in the most important holiday celebrated by the Hispanic community in Oregon. El Grito features the rich traditions of the Latinx community with delicious Mexican cuisine and family-friendly entertainment, folkloric and Aztec dancers, live mariachi, salsa, cumbia and pop music, and interactive and educational community booths. The event also features contests, prizes, raffles, and the traditional “El Grito de Independencia” ceremony. As the Mexican President presents the nation’s traditional El Grito in Mexico City, so will Portland commemorate Mexico’s independence at the Moda Center/Rose Quarter Commons.
	PORTLAND SERBIAN FEST The Annual Serbian Festival celebrates Serbian culture and customs through the food, music, dances and the spirit of Serbian hospitality. Many festival goers have come to enjoy the flavors of traditional Serbian food and join in the traditional kolo dancing and singing. This has helped raise money to keep cultural programs and activities running.
	TUALATIN VALLEY PICKLEBALL TOURNAMENT Join the 3rd annual amateur, round-robin-style pickleball tournament. Medals will be awarded to the top three teams in each division. Events will be held in Rogers Park Forest Grove and Harleman Park Cornelius.
	PORTLAND TAIKO FARM FESTIVAL Farm Festival is a full-length taiko concert plus food trucks, family-friendly fun and beautiful scenery. Bring your camping chairs, picnic blanket and favorite snacks. Food and drinks will also be available for purchase on-site. Arrive early to explore the farm and meet some adorable animals. Gates open at 4:00 pm, the performance begins at 5:00.
	THE CORN MAIZE AT THE PUMPKIN PATCH Located on Sauvie Island, , a rural escape just 13 miles (21 km) north of downtown Portland, the Corn Maize offers visitors eight acres (3 hectares) of exciting twists and turns. But it’s not all about getting lost in nature; Two 16-foot (5 m) observation bridges provide picturesque panoramas with great views of the island and Mount Hood, as well as the maze itself. Every year, the cornfield is carved with a different pattern, and the design is always sure to stump maze-goers while delighting fans of public art. Starting at the end of August, the maze is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and stays open until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays in October (and on select days leading up to Halloween).
	ROSE CITY FRESH HOP FESTIVAL Join the inaugural Oregon Hop Festival at TopWire Hop Project in the heart of the Willamette Valley. Set against the backdrop of lush hop fields at Crosby Hop Farm, this event is a celebration of all things lupulin, bringing together hop enthusiasts, craft beer lovers, and families for a day of memorable experiences.
	THORNS FC vs CHICAGO RED STARS Watch the Thorns play at Providence Park. Established in 2012, the team began to play in 2013 and placed third in its inaugural season and, in the playoffs, won the first NWSL championship. The club won the NWSL Shield in 2016 and a second NWSL Championship in 2017. 2020, they won the Community Shield with the best record in the 2020 NWSL Fall Series. In 2021, the Thorns won the NWSL Challenge Cup, the Women's International Champions Cup, and the NWSL Shield.[4] They followed up in 2022 by winning the NWSL championship.
	PDX POP NOW! PDX Pop Now! was created when 14 people envisioned local music emboldened by local recognition and were driven to ignite it. The idea that Portland’s self-sustained scene had reached a level deserving of recognition, discovery, enhancement, stimulation, participation, accessibility and — most importantly — celebration. Thus, the PDX Pop Now! music festival was born in 2004. Each year, the stellar lineup of grassroots events works toward this end. Artists, businesses and individual volunteers donate time and resources to producing a two-disc compilation album of local music, benefit events and outreach programs leading up to the organization’s annual signature festival — aptly named PDX Pop Now!
	CHAPMAN SWIFT WATCH Great blue herons, bald eagles and peregrine falcons are just a few of the Rose City avian residents routinely spotted by visitors. But to really “put a bird” on a Portland memory, mark the calendar for September’s Chapman Swift Watch — the time of year when thousands of Vaux’s swifts drift through the city on their annual migration from Canada to Central and South America. The tiny birds spend their days hunting for insects and their evenings roosting, bat-like, in trees and chimneys.
	PORTLAND WEIRD FEST Join Weird Portland United for the Inaugural Portland Weird Fest: Embrace the odd, strange, and bizarre. Greetings, fellow aficionados of the strange and wonderful. Get ready to dive headfirst into the wonderfully weird world of Portland at the inaugural Portland Weird Fest. Join a day of unapologetic oddities, offbeat entertainment, and a celebration of Portland's uniquely quirky culture. Throw out the rulebook and embrace the bizarre in all its glory. Join the Weird Side: Whether you're a seasoned oddball or just curious about Portland's peculiar charm, Portland Weird Fest is your ticket to a day filled with laughter, awe, and the unexpected.-
	DAHLIA FESTIVAL Celebrate the season of DAHLIAS. A Rainbow of Color. Stroll through almost 40 acres and a beautiful display garden of stunning dahlias featuring over 370 varieties. The beautiful fields are open from August to September each year, closed on Monday and Tuesday. Pick out and order your favorite dahlias for Spring delivery and planting. Purchase a beautiful bunch of cut dahlias to take home with you or to make someone’s day. Visit the Gift Shop with hundreds of local treasures, open year-round. Fill your belly with yummy treats from Food Carts, relax and enjoy the Live Music, attend the Sunday farmers’ market, or take one of the Classes throughout the festival dates.
	PORTLAND FASHION WEEK Portland Fashion Week, the Sundance of Fashion Weeks, is the 3rd oldest fashion week series in the United States, TIME Magazine’s “BEST Indie Fashion Week in the USA since 2012, and the only carbon-negative fashion week in the world as outlined by The Huffington Post. From top-of-the-line eco-chic fashion experiences to our support for the local fashion community and the community, it’s no wonder Portland Fashion Week is on the “Top 100 Things to Do Before You Die” Portland Bucket List. With something for everyone, the Scooped Ice Cream Festival is the perfect way to end the summer on a high note. Attendees can indulge in unlimited ice cream, enjoy a variety of food options, and experience live entertainment throughout the day.
	SNACKFEST SnackFest is a food-focused festival featuring all your favorite treats from hot food vendors, food trucks, food purveyors, retail stores, and other F&B-related products. You'll experience live entertainment, demos, educational breakout sessions and opportunities to meet the makers of your favorite food and products. You'll also be able to experience special, one-off pop-ups from chefs from near and far. SnackFest exists to ensure everyone has access to premium experiences around something that Portland deeply loves…. food and the artists and makers who create it. To ensure the community can spend their money on their favorite products and makers rather than on ticket and entry fees, this a nonprofit event.
	OAKS PARK OKTOBERFEST Head to Oaks Amusement Park for their annual Oktoberfest, where you can expect several beers on tap, delicious German food, live bands and performances by dance groups. "Willkommen" back to Oktoberfest, the first one since 2019. This fall family festival returns with three days of authentic German food and beer, polka music, dancing, kids' activities, cooking shows, thrill rides, and more. All ages of visitors are welcome.
	CIRQUE DU SOLEIL: KOOZA Undeniably the most daring Cirque du Soleil touring production, KOOZA takes audiences on a thrilling, emotional ride with its nail-biting, mind-boggling acrobatics. Inspired by traditional circus arts from around the globe, the show’s performances display remarkable showmanship, exceptional execution and incredible agility — notably in the High Wire, Teeterboard and Wheel of Death acts.
	BIGFOOT ADVENTURE CRUISE Explore the history and lore of Bigfoot while traveling 80 miles (129 km) roundtrip on a high-speed jetboat from Portland to Multnomah Falls. See the landmarks along the Willamette and Columbia Rivers that make the Northwest famous while listening to exclusive narration by Cliff Barackman (star of Animal Planet‘s “Finding Bigfoot”) and a live tour guide. You’ll enjoy curated information about the legend of Bigfoot and sightings in the Columbia River Gorge on this exhilarating, informative journey.
	ENCHANTED FOREST The Enchanted Forest has been a destination for Oregon children since it opened in 1971. Generations of kids have slid down the creepy witch slide, delighted in the Crooked Man’s house, and ridden on the carousel. The Enchanted Forest is a theme park – there is a section with carnival rides and a haunted house – but what most people remember is the creative world contained in the paths and structures of the park.
	LENTS INTERNATIONAL FARMERS MARKET The Lents International Farmers Market (LIFM) is the only one in Portland with an intentional international focus. LIFM provides fresh, affordable and culturally appropriate produce to the diverse community of Lents neighbors. Founded in 2006 by a community of volunteers and then run by Zenger Farm, it is an important sales outlet for immigrant and new farmers and small food-business owners. The market features culturally specific products, including Northwest-grown traditional Mexican produce and Asian greens.
	STERNWHEELER RIVER TOURS This once primary mode of transportation has become more of a fun commodity for tourism, as river cruise ships provide visitors a chance to get out on the water and take in the sights of their new surroundings. Oregon joined in on the trend in the early 1980s. Since then, several non-steam-powered sternwheel riverboats have been built and operated on major waterways in the state, primarily on the Willamette and Columbia Rivers in Marion County. Each is a fun ride for visitors and locals alike as they seemingly tug along and transport them to yesteryear.
	HIGH LIFE ADVENTURES Enjoy a tour of 8 zip lines in a beautiful setting. Join two tour guides on an exhilarating zip line experience around and over a seven-acre lake. A mile of zipping, sure to create lasting memories for the whole family. Take your team to the next level: High Life Adventures also offers customized Team Building Programs to challenge your group while bringing them together as a team.
	PORTLAND SATURDAY MARKET Combining the vibes of an art show, a live street concert and an open-air bazaar, the Portland Saturday Market has been a beloved Rose City tradition since 1974. In fact, the market is considered the largest continually operating arts-and-crafts fair in the United States, drawing up to one million visitors during its annual season.
	ST JOHN'S FARMERS MARKET The St. Johns Farmers Market will be open 9 a.m.-2 p.m. every Saturday May 4 through November 23, the weekend before Thanksgiving. There will also be a Holiday Market on Saturday, December 14, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The market is held at the corner of N. Charleston Ave. and N Central St, next to the St. Johns Bachelor Club. The 2024 season has a full vendor roster, including new and returning small businesses spanning local, sustainably-grown agriculture, artisan food, and handmade arts and crafts, Some exciting new products at the market this year include organically grown vegetables and quail eggs from Tiny Acre, a St. Johns-based small scale organic farm; breakfast burritos from Poblano Pepper Mexican Food; and plant-based, farmer-forward pastries and treats from Poppy Shop. To see which vendors are scheduled for each week, check out the interactive market map: https://maps.managemymarket.com/6336
	PORTLAND INDIGENOUS MARKETPLACE Portland Indigenous Marketplace will host the Indigenous Marketplace. Over 30 vendors, food, art exhibits, and more will be present. A marketplace specifically for Indigenous/Black vendors, all the artists/entrepreneurs featured on Indigenous Marketplace have Indigenous/Black ancestry. Vendors sell their hand made and original designs.
	KENTON FARMER'S MARKET The Kenton Farmers Market is located in the heart of the historic Kenton neighborhood in North Portland. Founded in 2012, the market’s live music and the festive street-fair atmosphere thrive in this growing business district. Proximity to a MAX station and easy access for bicyclists and those on foot make this market a lively and convenient mid-week destination for fresh, local food.