Archive for August, 2009

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It’s Vegas Weddings…Portland Style

August 31st, 2009

SCRAP and Opera Theater Oregon marry glitz & glam all for a good cause, Sept. 26

WHAT: What do opera, Elvis and the environment have to do with one another? It all bubbles up to a show-stopping party that audiences won’t soon forget.

SCRAP, Portland’s favorite source of environmentally friendly creative inspiration, is hosting a Vegas-style party featuring the singers of the Live Opera Jukebox. For donations, singers will accept requests to perform timeless Vegas show tunes in opera-style for the crowd.

In true Vegas spirit, a real officiate will be on hand to perform marriage ceremonies on demand during the event and attendees will be able to express their own creativity by making festive veils, corsages or bouquets from recycled art supplies provided by SCRAP.

Tickets for the event are $20, which also include light refreshments. The Wedding in Vegas party benefits SCRAP and Opera Theater Oregon (thank you, thank you very much).

WHEN: SCRAP’s Wedding in Vegas party is Saturday, Sept. 26, 7 p.m. Tickets are limited and can be purchased in advance at www.scrapaction.org

WHERE: CMD Agency, one of Portland’s leading creative marketing agencies, located at 1631 NW Thurman in Portland.  Parking is free in CMD’s parking lot.

For more information, contact:        Darcie Meihoff, CMD, (503) 488-4252, dmeihoff@cmdagency.com, twitter @darciemeihoff

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Wade vs Mancakes 2 – The Rematch

August 29th, 2009

Wade vs MancakesIt’s official. Wade Pack of Vancouver, WA has, once again, thrown down the gauntlet and taken the re-match with Stepping Stone Cafe’s 13″ Mancakes.

Brought to the forefront of attention by Adam Richman of the Travel Channel’s “Man vs Food” show, the Portland restaurant has been producing and reproducing these specialty pancakes, hand over fist. Everyone knows about them now and that is what prompted Wade to take the challenge in the first place. FYI, Adam never attempted the challenge…he excused himself, claiming a time constraint. Yeah, right, Adam! ;(

Wade knew there was an empty hole in his life and that a victory over the Mancakes was the only way to fill it. ;)

As you may or may not know, his first attempt was a failure…the Mancakes beat him to a bloody pulp. Wade has assured me that things WILL be much different this time. His strategy is top secret, so I need to respect that.

The time and date for “Wade vs Mancakes – Round 2″ has yet to be determined, but, rest assured, it is going to happen. I’m headed over to Wade’s private gym today to talk with him about his re-match with the Mancakes. I have a load of questions for him and I’ll have that for you soon, as well as the date and time, if you care to attend this Portland event.

Will this time around turn out to be a Mike Tyson knock-out blow for Wade or will the sheer intimidation factor of this hill he must climb eat him alive? Regardless of the outcome, this will surely be the match of the century. Can you tell we’re having a lot of fun with this? ;)

In the meantime, here is Wade Pack’s first go at the awesome Mancakes and a promo for the next. Enjoy and we’ll talk soon.

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Portland Japanese Garden – Sip Sake in the Moonlight

August 28th, 2009

Portland Japanese GardenThere is no better place in Portland to share the romance and mystery of the full moon in autumn than from the eastern courtyard of the Portland Japanese Garden Pavilion, cup of sake in hand, gazing at the harvest moon as it rises above the city.

Moonviewing, or O-Tsukimi, is a traditional Japanese festival which honors the full moon in autumn. Guests enjoy a quiet evening in the Garden, observe a candle-lit tea ceremony in the Kashin Tei Tea House and listen to the elegant music of Mitsuki Dazai as she performs traditional autumn favorites as well as her own impressions of this magical time of year on a stringed instrument called the koto.

Poetry has also been part of traditional moonviewing events in Japan for centuries. Garden guests are invited to write their own poetry in honor of the autumn moon, and sake and tea will be served along with a light sampling of seasonal Japanese foods. Participants can experience a rare walk through the lantern-lit Garden during moonlit hours and watch the moon rise from the Garden’s spectacular east-facing overlook with a view of the city skyline below.

“Moonviewing is one of our most romantic events,” commented Diane Durston, the Garden’s Curator of Culture, Art, and Education. “Watching the moon rise, strolling the Garden in the moonlight, writing a few words of poetry and enjoying the company of friends—this custom goes back more than a thousand years in Japan and it is such an elegant way to spend an autumn evening.”

Moonviewing will be held on three different nights, October 2, 3, and 4 from 5:30-8pm. Tickets are $25 for Garden Members and $35 for Non-members and reservations are required by September 21. Sign up online at www.japanesegarden.com/events/moonviewing or call (503) 542-0280. Moonviewing is sponsored by the The James F. & Marion L. Miller Foundation and The Collins Foundation.

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Admission to OMSI Only $2, Sept. 6

August 28th, 2009

OMSI exhibit in PortlandWould you like to see the wonderful world of OMSI for only $2? On September 6, you can.

OMSI is a terrific place to bring the entire family and enter the world of every type of science there is. Learn about the earth, animals, robotics, your body and more just by traveling down to 1945 SE Water Avenue in Portland.

The grooviest of days, when it comes to OMSI, is the 1st Sunday of every month. That is when they open their doors to the public for only $2 per person. Yup, 2 bucks will get you in and all you have to do is show up.

So, if you’re interested in a cheap day at Portland’s Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, pack up the kids and head down there on Sunday, Sept 6th.

For more information, visit my OMSI page.

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Food Activist Bryant Terry Visits Sunday King Market on August 30

August 28th, 2009

PFM_logo_4c2Portland Farmers Market welcomes food activist, eco chef and cookbook author Bryant Terry to host “Local Lunch Box,” an educational event to enable local kids to experience nutritious food.

School-aged participants can: take part in a market scavenger hunt to learn more about good versus bad food choices, learn about a day in the life of a farmer, and experience fresh and/or new fruits and veggies. Other planned activities include an opportunity for children to cook simple recipes similar to Portland Farmers Market Kids Cook classes, nutrition bingo, make-your-own lunch box, and a blind box produce game where children can identify fruits and veggies based on touch and smell.

Visuals

* Bryant Terry speaking, interacting with local children
* Teams of children racing around the market for a scavenger hunt
* Kids cooking, making lunch boxes, trying foods
* Market-goers playing nutrition bingo

WHO

* Bryant Terry is known for his cookbooks Grub and just released Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine. Terry has spent the last nine years working to build a more just and sustainable food system and uses cooking as a tool to illuminate the intersections between poverty, structural racism, and food insecurity. In 2002 he founded b-healthy! (Build Healthy Eating and Lifestyles to Help Youth), a multi-year initiative designed to empower youth to be active in creating a more just and sustainable food system.
* Ann Forsthoefel, executive director of Portland Farmers Market
* Anna Curtin, education and events manager for Portland Farmers Market
* Local children from the North/Northeast neighborhoods surrounding market

WHEN
10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, August 30

WHERE
New Sunday King Market
The Sunday King Market, which opened in May, is located at NE 7th and Wygant Streets between NE Alberta and Prescott. Due to the success of this new location, Portland Farmers Market will extend the length of the market season at the Sunday King Market until Sunday, October 25, 2009.

HOW
Portland Farmers Market is asking parents/children who are interested to RSVP to the event by calling (503) 241-0032 or emailing contact@portlandfarmersmarket.org.

CONTACT
Deborah Pleva, deb@leeweinstein.biz, (503) 250-4750

SPONSORS
The King Sunday Market is sponsored by New Seasons Market. Portland Farmers Market is generously supported by community partners West Coast Bank and Mix.

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Portland Farmers Market Extends Length of Sunday King Market Season Through October

August 27th, 2009

Portland Farmers MarketPortland Farmers Market has announced that the Sunday King Market, the newest of Portland Farmers Market’s five weekly markets, will stay open until Sunday, October 25, 2009. Shoppers, farmers and other food artisans requested the neighborhood market located in North/Northeast Portland remain open an extra month.

This location first opened May 3, 2009, through a partnership with Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN), an umbrella organization for 12 neighborhood associations and more than 30,000 households located in inner North/Northeast Portland. The market is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays, near the intersection of NE 7th Avenue and Wygant Street. It was originally slated to close its inaugural season at the end of September.

“The Sunday King Market has exceeded our expectations to date and we expect it will keep growing in both sales and attendance,” said Ann Forsthoefel, executive director of Portland Farmers Market. “It has become a wonderful weekly gathering place for neighborhood residents.”

The market hosts eight produce vendors, including Groundwork Organics, Wintergreen Farms and Natures Fountain Farm. Other food artisans include Jacob’s Creamery, Ancient Heritage Dairy and Linda Brand Crab. The market has featured bands like James Clem, Shorty & the Mustangs and Sour Mash Hug Band. Every week, rows and racks of bicycles line areas around the market and the adjoining playground is often filled with families with children.

Foodshare Fund Northeast
In early July 2009, NECN with the support of the Portland Farmers Market launched the Foodshare Fund Northeast (FFNE), an incentive program to improve the access of low-income residents of North and Northeast Portland to the Sunday King Market. FFNE supplements food stamps with a dollar-for-dollar match, providing up to $5 per person per week in matching funds.

The success of the program has contributed to the overall success of the market location. Since the program was launched, the average number of food stamp customers at the market has more than doubled, from 25 to 52 per week and the average amount of food stamp tokens purchased has nearly doubled, from $420 to $780 per week. Because the Foodshare Fund tokens are unique, vendors can readily see the increase in sales due to FFNE and several have expressed their appreciation for the program.

David Sweet, co-chair of the King Farmers Market Community Advisory Council, said, “Community members have told us that they came to the market for the first time because they heard about the matching program. We are delighted by the response to this program and grateful for the generous support of the Northeast community that makes it possible. This is a part of our continuing effort to make the Sunday King Market welcoming to everyone in our community.”

The Sunday King Market is sponsored by New Seasons Market. Portland Farmers Market is generously supported by community partners West Coast Bank and Mix.

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Oregon State Fair Starts Friday!

August 26th, 2009

Oregon State Fair funOregon’s biggest event of the year – the 146th Oregon State Fair – is set to open its gates at 10 AM on Friday, August 28. This year its guests – expected to exceed 365,000 in number – will experience a fair that’s BIGGER than ever, with new events and activities, plus all of the traditional favorites.

OPENING DAY HIGHLIGHTS

10 a.m.   FAIR OPENING with State Fair Acting Manager Connie Bradley, staff and volunteers and The Big Tomato (a 13½ -foot-tall juicy guy on a 1935 International pickup truck). In celebration of Oregon’s 150th birthday, the Oregon State Fair will be passing out free party hats and noisemakers to the first 1,000 people through the gates. PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Crowds entering the main gate (Gate J on Sunnyview Road NE)

3:30 p.m.   GOVERNOR TED KULONGOSKI AND FIRST LADY MARY OBERST will dedicate the new, 50’ tower at the 2009 Oregon State Fair and present the Oregon State Fair the first Oregon Heritage Traditions Award. At the end of the ceremony, Radio Disney will lead the crowd in singing Happy Birthday to Oregon in celebration of the state’s 150th birthday. Location: State Fair tower, located in the center of the fairgrounds, between the Natural Resource Area and Center Stage. PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: Governor and new iconic Fair tower.

8 p.m.   “OREGON! OREGON! 2009” – a rollicking Stan Freberg/Thomas Lauderdale musical with the  234th Army Band – Oregon National Guard and an all-star Oregonian cast, including former Governor Barbara Roberts, columnist Margie Boule and Pink Martini’s China Forbes – debuts in celebration of Oregon’s 150th birthday. After the 21-minute musical, there will be a full Pink Martini concert. PHOTO OPPORTUNITY: This update of the original 1959 Centennial radio play features live performers, a 9’ tall Beaver and the always colorful Thomas Lauderdale, master of the grand piano. The theme song includes the line “Celebrate, Beaver State!” **SPECIAL PRESS PASS REQUIRED TO ATTEND THIS SHOW. Contact sara.hamler-dupras@state.or.us or (503) 947-3259.**

Where
Oregon State Fairgrounds, 2330 17th Street NE, Salem, OR

When
Friday, August 28, 10 AM-11 PM

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Oregon Rodeo Queens Reign at 2009 Oregon State Fair

August 24th, 2009

Oregon Fair Rodeo QueenSeven finalists vie for the 2010 Miss NPRA Queen title September 3-4

Queens from around Oregon provide spectacular opening to NPRA Rodeo Finals September 1-4

Salem, Ore., August 24, 2009 – In her 2000 book “Rodeo Girl,” former Vogue and Mademoiselle fashion editor Lisa Eisner documented the world of rodeo queens and shared her “fascination with the… individual style, and the ceremonies and rituals of rodeo.”

The 2009 Oregon State Fair promises to dazzle visitors as it draws rodeo queens from every corner of Oregon, as well as queens from Washington, for two days of competition and four evenings of pageantry.

“It’s going to be an amazing event,” said Acting State Fair Director Connie Bradley, who grew up outside of Salem where she was a 4-H member and showed livestock animals at the Marion County Fair and the Oregon State Fairs. “These intelligent cowgirls have worked incredibly hard for their communities, promoting rodeo and our western heritage. We want this to be a night that they, their families and Oregon never forget.”

There are seven finalists competing for the 2010 Miss NPRA Queen title:

* Caylee Cooper (St. Helens, Oregon; attending Mt. Hood Community College)
* JoAnna Fischer (St. Helens, Oregon; attending Portland Community College)
* Michelle Hunter (Ellensburg, Washington; attending Central Washington University)
* Stephanie Larson (The Dalles, Oregon, graduate of Oregon State University)
* Amanda Paul (Corvallis, Oregon; attended OSU and Linn-Benton Community College)
* Nicole Schrock (Corvallis, Oregon; attending Linn Benton Community College)
* Katherine Waynette Rickert (Salem, Oregon; graduate of Montana State University)

On Thursday, September 3 from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM, the 2010 Miss NPRA Queen contest begins with the finalists demonstrating their horse riding skills in the Pavilion. The day’s competition includes the following categories: Horsemanship (Pattern, Flag Run, Arena Run, Calf/Steer Push), a Horsemanship Interview, and a written Rodeo Knowledge Test.

On Friday, September 4 at 1 PM, the competition continues as the contestants, dressed in formal rodeo attire, show off their poise and speaking skills on the new Bi-Mart Spirit of Oregon stage. The categories of the competition include Modeling and Speech, and each contestant will participate in a mock TV interview.

The 2010 Miss NPRA Queen, whose reign with begin January 1, 2010, will be announced and crowned at the Down in the Dirt party takes place after the final rodeo on September 5. Starting at approximately 9:30 PM, the party also features country music star Aaron Tippin. Tickets for the Down in the Dirt Party are $10.00 (without Fair admission).

To see a multitude of queens on parade, fairgoers can come to the NPRA Rodeo Finals at 6 PM on September 1-4. The queens, all in full regalia and wearing their crowns, will open the rodeos with their Grand Entry. Entry to the rodeo finals is free of charge.

For more information about the 2009 Oregon State Fair, visit www.oregonstatefair.org or call the Fair Information Line toll-free at 1-800-833-0011.

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Get Your Fill at 2009 Musicfest NW

August 21st, 2009

Moving into it’s 9th year, Musicfest NW is a Portland event brought to you by the local publication, Willamette Week, that celebrates the diversity of music genres throughout the city of Portland over a 4-day jaunt.

Bluegrass, Hip Hop, Indie, Punk and mucho more music styles will be rocking they city at various venues around the city from September 16 – 20th, 2009. The Roseland Theatre, Satyricon, Ash Street Salloon, the Wonder Ballroom and other locations will be hosting multiple bands each night. You could actually turn it into a sort of Scavenger Hunt, if you’re into games, as you hop from place to place, in a mad attempt to catch all the tunes. ;)

Here’s a taste of what you can expect. This is Helio Sequence.

For a full run-down on the who, what, when, and where at this year’s Musicfest NW, visit them online at http://www.musicfestnw.com

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Uniquely Portland Oregon.com Tweet Up 2 Date Change

August 20th, 2009

Hi, gang!

twitter_birdI need to make a date change to the upcoming Uniquely Portland Oregon.com Tweet Up 2.

Rather than Thursday, Nov. 12th, the event will happen on Tuesday, Nov. 10th. Let me explain….

Yesterday, I found out that Ignite Portland 7 will be happening on….TADA! NOVEMEBER 12TH!

I didn’t want to compete nor force anyone into a choice between the
two events. Ignite is a lot of fun, but we are, too! ;)

So, re-mark your calendars for TUESDAY, NOV. 10TH. Same time and
same venue. Also, spread the word and forward this email to all
your friends…they’ll love you for it! ;)

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at
tony@pdxguyinc.com

Thanks for understanding and see you there!

Regards,

Tony
http://twitter.com/ThePDXGuy
http://pdxtweetup.com

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