The City of Portland hasn't done this yet, but didn't it feel good to read that?

Apparently, some people feel so strongly about it that they are actively parking these cars on the street to make it happen. Personally, I do think it is past time for this to happen. The sidewalks are just no enough room for the art and thousands of viewers visiting the street. I am sure that the congestion on the sidewalks cause many families with small children to not attend.

Jonathan Maus at Bike Portland has the full run-down on this great idea. Can we donate funds to these people to get more cars and pay for their towing fines? Can anyone tell me a reason why we shouldn't support the closing of this street to cars during Last Thursday?

Watch a live stream of the Waterfront Park fireworks projected on big screens, and since you are so close, you'll hear them as well. Here is an Old Town/Chinatown Portland Fourth of July Party.

Click here for more Portland Fourth of July Events

From Summer/Art of Politics:

Announcing the Official Art of Politics Poster Launch Party-Life, Liberty and Libations

July 4, 2008 Backspace and The Someday Lounge, Portland, OR

On the 4th of July the top 30 winning political posters and a couple of the organizers picks ) will be go on display at Backspace (115 NW 5th Ave). The posters will be up for an entire month, but the real haps will go down at the launch party on the 4th-we decided if we were going to do this-we are going to do this BIG.

5 p.m. -8 p.m. at Backspace: The party kicks off with the political poster unveiling, a weenie roast (provided by Old Town Computers and will include meat and veggie options), DJ Corban Lester, beer garden, giveaways from Suburban Riot and voter registration information from The Bus Project.

It gets better, keep reading after the jump…

Read the rest of this entry »

A message from Anna:

Please join us this first thursday for a look into the Apocalypse…

…As Portland Artists Troy John McCray and Tim Rickard base an art experiment on the seamingly inevitable idea of Global Warming.

All I will say is that it involves Ice, Oil, Lasers, and Fog; and a really cool soundtrack!!

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART
First Thursday ONLY!
625 NW Everett #230
Portland, OR, 97209

http://www.corepdx.com

July, 3, 2008 6PM-9:30PM

Due to the complex nature of this piece, it will only be available for viewing on first thursday.

Here is another July Fourth Portland activity. I highly suggest this one because the Barfly knows how to party and less people drinking and driving is always welcome.

Click here for more Portland July 4th information

From Jen Lane:

BUS OF INDEPENDENCE! FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS BARFLY TOUR
Friday, July 4th, 2008
6pm-12am
$25 apiece or $200 for a group of ten • Pay no covers, get complimentary appetizers and drink specials all evening!

Take BarFly to the front row of the Vancouver fireworks, then hop back on the Bus to paint PDX red, white and blue! Hit an all-american mix of bars, clubs, dives & lounges, pay no covers, get discount drinks + free apps. Here's a fun, patriotic fact: The Fourth of July is the #1 night for DUI busts nationwide. Leave your driving to BarFly, and keep your focus on fun! We'll start off with a little bar-be-que snack-shawn at the top-secret meet-up spot, but we encourage you to b.y.o. munchies and beverages for consumption during the festivies. Natch, you will be required to comply with local container laws, etc., during fireworks, tough guy. This is the U.S.A., after all. Consider yourself hipped. Please note the earlier than usual start time of 6pm.

Please click here for your tickets to the Bus of Independence.
You'll be directed to the Fourth of July, page of barflymag. com, where you'll find handy, dandy PayPal buttons for purchasing your tickets to paradise.

Fireworks and all-you-can-eat hamburgers, hot dogs and COOKIES. Nice. Of course, you don't have to shell out $35 for the special.

Click here for more Portland July 4th events

From the Portland Beavers website:

The Portland Beavers and Portland General Electric (PGE) are teaming up to celebrate the nation's independence on Friday, July 4, with a host of activities — including a special post-game fireworks show — as the Beavers play host to the Tacoma Rainiers at PGE Park.

Tickets for the game, which annually draws one of the largest crowds of the season, are available at the PGE Park box office, located at 1844 S.W. Morrison, or through Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (503) 224-4400 or on-line at www.ticketmaster.com. Advance tickets range from $8-$14.

Update: 2010 July Concerts in the Park Schedule: Portland Summer Concert Series

Related: Our Portland events list

The Summer Concert Series begins in under two weeks at Sellwood and Mount Tabor Park. This is one of the best free activities Portland has to offer. The concerts are family-friendly and free. It is definitely advisable to bring your pick-i-nick baskets, chairs, and perhaps some wine and beer.

This is a picture from last year at the first Mt Tabor concert. A great feature of the Mount Tabor concerts is the location. It's warm with good light, but plenty of shade. I'll see you there.

• Click here for more July events in Portland, Oregon
• Click here for more August events in Portland, Oregon

Here is the full concert schedule (continue after the jump):

SELLWOOD RIVERFRONT PARK* Mondays 6:30 PM
SE Spokane at Willamette River
July 7 Paul Thorn (gospel infused blues)
July 14 Renegade Saints (NW rock)
July 21 Caña Son (Cuban dance party)
July 28 Tony Furtado (contemporary Americana)

MT TABOR PARK *Tuesdays, 6:30 PM
SE 69 & Taylor
July 8 The Insomniacs (jump blues)
July 15 Jackstraw (bluegrass)
July 22 Connie Bieberach & Armonia Latina (Latin American pop)
July 29 The Menace Band (classic rock)
KENTON PARK Tuesdays, 6:00 PM
N. Delaware & Kilpatrick
August 12 Pete Krebs Gypsy Jazz (hot club swing)
August 26 Lewi Longmire Band (down-home rock)

DAWSON PARK *Wednesdays, 6:30 PM
N. Stanton & Vancouver Ave
July 9 Voodoo Bar-B-Q (zydefunk)
July 16 Patrick Lamb (R&B soul)
July 23 Aguamiel (salsa)

WILLAMETTE PARK *Wednesdays, 6:30 PM
SW Macadam & Nebraska (south end picnic area)
July 9 Michael Manning & the Carolina Pump Station (5 speed originals)
July 16 The Buckles (country)
July 23 The Touchables (classic rock ‘n' roll)
July 30 Freak Mountain Ramblers (country rockabilly)
Tuesday, August 5 Celebrating National Night Out with Koral Jam (Hawaiian)

WALLACE PARK *Thursdays, 6:30 PM
NW 25 & Raleigh
July 10 Chata Addy the Music Man (Afro highlife)
July 17 The Quick and Easy Boys (funky tonk)
July 24 Brian Wait Band (family fun)
July 31 Dirty Martini Trio (acoustic pop)

COUCH PARK *Thursdays, 6:30 PM
NW 20 & Glisan
August 7 The Stolen Sweets (‘30s swing jazz)
August 14 The ChaPMan Swifts (alt blues rock) Read the rest of this entry »

Update:

• 2009 Portland July 4th Events & Parties
• Where to Watch Fireworks on July Fourth in Portland | Many Suggestions

There are a lot of events in Portland this coming 4th of July including many places to watch fireworks. Here is a few of the activities. Please add to the list with your own knowledge.

• Click here for Portland Fourth of July Activities.
• Click here for other July activites in Portland, Oregon

Waterfront Blues Festival and Blues Cruise:

Boogie-blues-rock pioneers Canned Heat and the Los Angeles-based all-star group The Mannish Boys — with special guests Kid Ramos, Kirk Fletcher and Finis Tasby will headline July 4th. The stellar line-up includes a Tribute to Freddie King, featuring Phillip Walker, Sherman Robertson and Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones; the punkified blues of The Legendary Shack Shakers; Pianorama Northwest and more.

North 45: 4th of July BBQ:

We here at North 45 love BBQ and big, loud fireworks. We can't endorse the fireworks on our property, but our chef Bart can sure throw together a mean BBQ (and yes it is a sport to us). Join us all day Friday July 4th for our BBQ. The pub will open at 12pm and we'll have Bart's famous ribs, chicken, corn, beans, and a couple other special treats available for the whole family.

Watch fireworks at Oaks Park:

Annual 4th of July Celebration. Gates open at 10 am, rides start at noon. All picnic spaces are first come first serve. Gate fee is $4.00 for 16 and over, $2.50 for 15 and younger. All personal fireworks and alcohol are prohibited (bags and coolers will be checked). Ride bracelets valid all day… stay and play from noon to midnight! Live entertainment on the Comcast Stage throughout the day. Fireworks begin at 9:55 pm.

Watch Fireworks in Vancouver, Washington:

Better known as the Fort Vancouver fireworks festival, this is the largest fireworks display in the area and one of the largest fireworks displays west of the Mississippi. The event actually kicks of the day before with a outdoor showing of Happy Feet at dusk. On the 4^th there is a pancake breakfast followed by entertainment, a carnival and food vendors, a blood drive and a kids play area. The Fort Vancouver National Historic Site and Pearson Air Museum are also open for an interesting educational experience. The fireworks display is a 30 minute show and is accompanied by live music. The show starts at 10:10 PM.

Updates with more info on what to do (what are you looking for?) coming throught the week. Perhaps, you should subscribe to the Pipeline feed to keep up-to-date.

Related: Where To Watch USA vs Brazil (Confederations Cup Final!) in Portland | June 28

There are several bars/venues to watch the game in Portland, but here are a couple that I have enjoyed:

Beulahland, NE 28th Ave: I watched several of the last World Cup games here including the final in the picture; it was always a great experience. There are a couple regular TVs in the bar and a large projection screen in the dining area. It is sure to be packed.

For those of you in NW, try out North 45. Here is a message from Josh:

Euro Cup Final, Sunday at 11am
North 45 will be showing the UEFA Final this Sunday, June 29th. The pub opens at 11am and kick-off is 11:45am. It's been an amazing year in futbol and this final is one not to be missed. Come down, have a pint and support your club.

Some other places likely to carry the game: Kell's, Thirsty Lion, JAX, Claudia's, Belmont Inn, that new hipster sports bar by the Bar of Gods, etc, etc..

Also, there is a non-bar Casey Ferguson at the Mercury mentioned a while back, Redwing Coffee Shop on 1700 SE 6th….website here

Other suggestions?

***Also, all of you coming here to watch online. That's illegal! I have heard of this place called Justin.tv. I'm just saying is all…

Brooklyn Park
3400 SE Milwaukee Ave
Portland, OR 97202

These are the current “Amenities” of Brooklyn Park listed by PortlandOnline:

Includes basketball court, disabled access play area, disabled access restroom, horseshoe pit, paths — paved, picnic tables, playground, softball field, statue or public art, wading pool or water play feature, and WiFi.

During last year's Waterfront Blues Festival, I was walking across the Hawthorne Bridge when a rocking Portland Spirit sailed (floated?) underneath. While sitting up on the hill with 30,000 other people at this great festival is definitely a good time, perhaps grab an extra $20 or $30 and look into a little Blues Cruisin' as well. From the website (several cruises still available):

Delta Music Experience Blues Cruise tickets now on sale

Cruise the beautiful Willamette River and hear the blues in an intimate setting on the Portland Spirit. A no-host hors d'oeuvres buffet and full bar are available on all cruises.

Afternoon cruises are all ages. Evening cruises are for ages 21 and over only. Photo ID is required to board the Portland Spirit for all cruises. Exception-children 12 and younger do not need photo ID.

Advance tickets for afternoon cruises are $20 and evening cruises are $30. Tickets can be purchased through Tickets Oregon at the links below.

Here is a short YouTube video I took of the Blues Cruisers from atop the bridge.

• Click here for more Portland July 4th information
• Click here for more July festivals in Portland, Oregon