Ready to see big, burly lumberjacks grunt and sweat, all for your entertainment?  I am!  The ESPN Stihl Timbersports Series Lumberjack Competition will be held next week, August 24th, from 3:00PM-6:00PM at the Carhartt Store at Cascade Station- 10280 NE Cascades Parkway, right here in Portland.  That’s up near the Portland Airport (PDX).

This is sure to be an exciting event and a great lead in to the big lumberjack competition to be held at the Oregon State Fair’s opening weekend, August 27-29 in Salem.

Stamina, strength and speed is the name of the game as some of the best lumberjacks and lumberjills will be in fierce competition.  This event will feature a chop-showdown by top competing lumberjacks David Moses, the Series U.S. Professional competitor and David Green, Collegiate Series competitor.

This should be a lot of fun for the entire family.  I’ll be there to shoot video of the entire event.  See you there!

When:  Saturday, September 18^th, 10AM to 10PM and Sunday, September 19^th, 10 AM to 6 PM (Talk Like a Pirate Day!)

Where: Cathedral Park, under the St John’s Bridge, Portland, OR

Information: www.portlandpiratefestival.com and (503) 853-1497

Portland PIRATE Festival is a proud sponsor of The Oregon Maritime Museum, helping them celebrate their 30^th anniversary as a non-profit organization dedicated to the maritime heritage of Oregon and the Columbia River Basin. www.oregonmaritimemuseum.org

AHOY Land-lubbers! Climb aboard as the 5th Annual Portland PIRATE Festival sets sail for two exciting days of piratical fun and family adventure under the historic St. John’s Bridge in Cathedral Park.  Featuring a whole fleet of new performers and attractions brought on-board to celebrate the 5^th anniversary.   Be sure to join in the new TAG Scavenger Hunts and try to win yourself some real pirate booty.

- On Saturday, September 18^th enter the 1st Stumptown Beard & Mustache Competition. Watch on as competitors display the fanciest facial hair in the Northwest and vie for prizes and titles in six categories. Sanctioned by Beard Team USA (www.beardteamusa.org) this event is hosted by Stumptown Stash and Beard Collective (www.stumptownsbc.com) and PDXYar (www.pdxyar.org).  Participation is open to the pubic and registration is on the festival website.

- On Sunday, September 19^th come help Portland reclaim our GUINNESS WORLD RECORD™ (www.guinnessbook.com) for “THE LARGEST GATHERING of PIRATES”.  We set the record with 1,670 pirates at the 2009 festival on Sunday, September 20th.  Now the Brits in Hastings, UK have claimed the record with 6,166 at an event held on Aug 6^th, 2010 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-10897861).  In the words of the PPF organizers, “This means pirate war!” The new record attempt will occur on Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day and will be hosted by Cap’n Slappy; world famous co-creator of this international pirate holiday. The good Cap’n will autograph books and debut a new pirate song for the wee buccaneers.

In other news, Kate Larsen (aka “Margot la Mechante de Marseilles”) co-producer and co-founder of the Portland Pirate Festival and “Bilge Rats & Pyrettes” band leader, was elected this spring by Pirates magazine (www.piratesmagazine.com) as one of the first ever members of the nationally recognized “Devil’s Dozen.” Margot was sworn in as one of America’s “Pirate Lords” and a charter member of the “ORDER of the LEVIATHAN”.

For the kids, this year’s lineup includes a host of family friendly entertainment, including the giant strolling puppets of Seattle’s Zambini Brothers, Let’s Pretend’s interactive high energy children’s theater,Dragon Theater Puppet Shows, Pirate Sea Battle strategy game by PDXYar, swordplay, scavenger hunts and interactive games with The Pirates of Puget Sound,  an abundance of colorful parrots and giant inflatable rides on Scupper Monkey Island where every kid gets a free balloon and airbrush tattoo!   

History comes alive as Oberon’s Three Penny Tavern serves old world mead, cider and Nincasi brews, complete with tavern wenches & pub sings, B.O.O.M. Pirates and the King’s Navy recreate cannon and sword battles on the beach, Academia Duellatoria demonstrates and teaches traditional sword play and Jim Rich, Pirates of the Caribbean Blacksmith and other historians provide a wealth of insight into our pirate past.

Three stages will feature two full days of Music at this year’s Portland Pirate Festival.

Music Sailing in from Afar

Aloysius Macknucklepeck (aka Mister Mac) – As a seasoned and well-tarred salt who has weathered many a storm and braved the waters of many a birthday party, Mr. Mac is just the man to handle a new young crew.  In no time he will have lubbers of all ages singing & clapping along as he teaches everyone what it means to be a pirate.

Eric Herman, the internationally acclaimed kindie-rock star whose witty sea shanty style song “Blackbeard, Bluebeard and Redbeard – A Pirate Story” has been made into an animated video.  Herman is also known for his “Elephant Song,” which has had more than 15 million views on You tube. Herman will perf0rm on Saturday only.

The Dreadnoughts – Saturday Night Concert. CBC Radio describes them as “One part roaring sea shanty, one part haunting Irish melody, and a solid chaser of gut-crunching street punk. This live show is not to be missed.” This ragtag group of misfits stays true to the ancient ballads and bawlers that once drove sailors around the world, all the while smashing out modern punk with a fury and intensity that is unmatched in their home city of Vancouver, B.C.

Pirates Charles –Saturday and Sunday – Pirate rock specialists hailing from Southern California. The band combines old-world instruments with modern sounds to create music that is bold, adventurous and strong. Bilgemunkey Radio describes their show as “jovial and shameless… so wonderfully perfect that it’s hard to believe it isn’t secretly (and masterfully) contrived…That such a primitive facade can conceal music so entirely engrossing is a major feat.”

Tom Lewis, dubbed “The Springsteen of Sea Chanteys”, will share his vitally authentic stance, from traditional shanties to songs fashioned out of his own seafaring background after 24 years in the British Royal Navy. Tom accompanies himself on button accordion and ukulele, but it’s his powerful vocal style and infectious humor that keeps audiences coming back again and again!

Music from Local Shores

BilgeRats and Pyrettes –As the OFFICIAL band of the PPF, these rogues perform an acoustic collection of pirate-themed music featuring traditional sea shanties, original compositions and familiar contemporary sounds, all woven together by dramatic interludes which tell the tale of a renegade life on the sea. Their Pirate Vaudeville show delights audiences of all ages!

Chata Addy & Susuma – Professional drummer, composer, dancer, and chorographer from Ghana, West Africa, Chata is a member of the renowned Addy family of musicians in Portland.

Chervona – Mixing together taste and passion of the best Gypsy, Russian, Ukrainian, Klezmer and Balkan musical traditions, Chervona brings the fire of Eastern European carnivals to the land of America. Chervona transforms a celebration into the ultimate Russian Pirate Party! www.starbugs.com/chervona.

Other performers at the festival include: The Lost Highwaymen, Shakesprov, River City Pipe & Drum, Sam Bam Boo, Zimba Marimba, Beltaine, Charley Brown Juggling, Renegade Rose, Jake Duncan Dijeridoo, Fire & Steel, belly dancers from Belissimonde, Gypsy Caravan, Black Spot Cabaret, and wandering performers, from stilt walking pirates to sea dragons!

For more information, schedule updates, and to purchase tickets visit the web site:

WWW.PORTLANDPIRATEFESTIVAL.COM

I really had a fun weekend at the 2010 Bite of Oregon.  The weather was totally agreeable. The Bite had a couple new additions this year: a Dessert Pavilion and the Portland Food Cart scene was represented by five local carts.

Opening day, which was on Friday, August 6, I went by myself and just did some walking around, getting acquainted with all the vendors, and shot some video.  Since it was only the first day and pretty much right when it opened, there wasn’t a huge crowd there yet.  That’s always nice for me when I’m just trying to get things started.

I talked with a few  of the food vendors on video and then went over to one of the entertainment stages and got some footage of a steel drum band called the Trinidad Vipers.  You can check them out on their Facebook page.  When I make an event video of this sort, I tend to shoot a song from a band that acts as an audio overlay when I’m in the editing stage of putting everything together.  That’s what I had in mind when I shot the Trinidad Vipers.  I spoke with them, they consented to my using them in the video, and we exchanged business cards.  That was Friday.

Saturday, I took a day of rest.  I was simply exhausted from the previous week and needed some real down time. I know I probably missed some good stuff, but, hey, I can’t do everything!

Sunday, I took my wife to the Bite.  It was her first time ever and she seemed to really enjoy herself.  By then, the crowds were in full-force, but it was fine.  I did a bunch more video, especially with the chef demos and the Wine Pavilion.  We then just made our way around and I shot things here and there that I found interesting.  Chef Brian Boitano from the Food Network did a demo of a couple really yummy looking dishes, so we both sat and enjoyed that.  I also video’d the entire demo so that my daughter-in-law could see it. We also enjoyed some great blues tunes from Atomic Gumbo.

After a full day there, we grabbed something to eat and hopped back home.  I will be working on putting together the 2010 Bite of Oregon video this week and hope to have it up on the Uniquely Portland Oregon website and my YouTube channel soon.  I’ll let you know.

Tony

The annual Bite of Oregon is here again…and not a moment too soon!  This is a Portland Foodies dream and I’m thrilled to be covering the 2010 offering as I did last year. Come hungry for the entire 3-day event, August 6-8.

This year, The Bite promises it’s usual outstanding offerings of 120 menu items from Portland restaurants with our famous food carts getting into the act. The smells here absolutely make your mouth water, pulling you in every direction for a taste of local flair.

Food Network chef, Brian Boitano and Top Chef, Dave Martin, are center stage this year.  Our own Curtis Salgado will be joined by other talented musicians to entertain us all, plus the Beer Gardens, Wine Pavilion, Dessert Pavilion, games area and so much more will be open for everyone to enjoy. It’s really looking like the event of the summer and should be so much fun!

Hit the Bite of Oregon web site for the entire schedule of events and tickets.

Hit them up on Twitter and their Bite of Oregon Fan Page.

Hope to see you there!

Cost Plus World Market launches Republic of Tea’s “Eat Pray Love” tea with free tastings in Portland stores

“Eat Pray Love” tea sold exclusively at Cost Plus World Market

Inspired by the highly anticipated Sony Pictures feature film “Eat Pray Love” in theaters August 13, 2010

WHO: Cost Plus World Market, the unique specialty store that features an ever-changing selection of home décor, furniture, and gourmet food and wine, is the exclusive retailer of “Eat Pray Love” tea from The Republic of Tea, purveyor of premium teas.

WHAT: Customers will have the opportunity to try the flavorful tea inspired by Eat, Pray, Love author Liz Gilbert’s best-selling novel and her three destinations of self-discovery.  This exotic tea blends succulent blood orange from Italy, smooth black tea from India, and heartwarming cinnamon from Indonesia.  The tea will retail in the Portland Area for $10.99 and is available in recyclable tins containing 50 all natural, unbleached round tea bags free of unnecessary strings, tags, and staples.

WHEN: Saturday, August 7, 2010

WHERE: Participating locations include:

• Cost Plus World Market – Tigard
  10108 SW Washington Square Road
  11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

More information at http://www.worldmarket.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4188892

Long-time Portland cartoonist, writer and songster, John Callahan died on July 24th, 2010 from complications due to his paralysis.

I remember seeing John in his wheelchair, cruising through the streets of North Portland. He was quite a character and completely unmistakable with his shot of bright red hair. His oh-so politically incorrect cartoons is what John was most known for. Since he was a quadriplegic himself (resulting from an alcohol-related car accident when he was only 21), he was allowed and boy were they funny.

The man had absolutely no problem making fun of himself and the handicapped, taking every opportunity he had to do so. Those who don’t take life so seriously (myself included) looked forward to his contributions to the world of cartoons and humor in general. John Callahan did a lot more, but I wasn’t privy to much of his other works. Perhaps I’ll take some time to discover more about him now. His single box cartoons is what I knew him best for.

John died at Good Samaritan Hospital. He was 59. He will be missed.

You can visit John Callahan online at http://www.callahanonline.com

The first ever PDX Bridge Festival kicks off tomorrow, July 23.  This is a huge, two week event, celebrating the gorgeous Portland bridges that span the Willamette.  A very cool Portland event for me since I’m so in love with the bridges already!  It all starts at the early hour of 6am.

The PDX Bridge Festival will host special speakers, music, bridge tours, and a ton of other fun things to do in Portland.

If you’re someone who appreciates the artistic side of these wonderful bridges as well as the romance, set some time aside over the next two weeks for the festival and be a part of history in the making.

For more information and the full schedule of what will be happening, hit the PDX Bridge Festival web site.

Maybe we’ll bump into each other!

My wife and I had a terrific time at the Hoyt Arboretum in Portland this last weekend.

It turned out to be another lovely day with some nice, warm weather. We started out at around 9:00am in an effort to avoid both the afternoon heat and the crowds that we were sure to meet up with. The fact that the Hoyt Arboretum opens promptly at 6am makes it really nice for all the early risers.

Anyway, the day went off without a hitch, we got a good walk in and some equally satisfying bonding (wives love that stuff!). I brought along my new Flip Ultra HD and took a bunch of footage that I still need to compile….but, I got it! hehe. I also took a lot of still shots that I used for my web site.

I just finished the Hoyt Arboretum page on my site yesterday and I think it turned out really well. Read all about this great place in the hills of Portland.

Talk later

Tony

Wow! I finally finished my long-overdue Portland Bridges page on Uniquely Portland Oregon yesterday. It was a real bear for me.

There are a total of 12 bridges that cross the Columbia and the Willamette Rivers, 5 of which are draw bridges. That’s quite a bit of research to do! I wanted to provide my readers with good, solid information, but also wanted to keep the personal tone that I’ve adopted for both of my Site Build It sites. That seems to be something that my visitors appreciate. The opinions, the memories, the hands-on adventures.

First I had be able to identify all the bridges in Portland and then do the research for each. Traveling into the city as frequently as I do helped a lot. And now, it’s up on the site and I am happy with the outcome.

So, I’m sitting here in City Coffee on 4th Avenue, awaiting my court case to come up at City Hall, trying to get myself out of my first ticket ever. I’m scared to death!

Who has had a speeding ticket here and what’s the process like? Soothe my nerves, please!

I love when Spring time hits and Summer is right around the corner.  That signifies to me that Portland is going to be jumping more than normal.  Right now, ticket have just went on sale for the 32 annual Summer Concert series at the Oregon Zoo.

These outdoor concerts smack dab in the middle of the Zoo’s lawn are so much fun. Running from June through August, the 2010 Summer Concert series is bringing 15 artists to town for this summer long event.

Jewel, Portland’s own Pink Martinis, Chris Isaak, the B-52s and others are all coming to Portland to entertain zoo goers and music lovers.

The Summer Concert series at the Oregon Zoo is an extremely popular event and tickets have just gone on sale.  As is the usual case, they are going to sell quickly.  Get your tickets right here and have a fantastic time!  Maybe I’ll see you there!