Portland Events, Music, Art, Entertainment, Sustainability | PDXPIPELINE.com

2009 Update: Portland's 58th Greek Festival: October 2,3,4

The Greek festival is one of the largest and best festivals in Portland. It also kind of marks the end of the summer festival season. Plus, you can win a trip to Greece, a 42 inch plasma, or a 60 gig iPod. Here is info on the event:

The Greek Festival remains a wonderful opportunity for us to share annually with over 15,000 guests from the Portland Metropolitan area our beautiful Greek Orthodox faith, our cherished cultural traditions, food, music, and dance.

Each year we award a portion of our festival proceeds to worthy philanthropic endeavors in the greater Portland community. Most recently, we have supported

57th Annual Greek Festival
October 3, 4, 5 2008
10am to 10pm Friday and Saturday
Noon to 8pm on Sunday

Adults: $13.00
Seniors 65-plus: $11.00
Children under 12: $6.00
Prices apply all hours, all days

Official Site here

By Peter Hermes, Wideshot Studios

The Portland Lesbian and Gay Film Festival wrapped up its 12th year Saturday night, ending a week of film screenings and parties around PDX.  The PLGFF, a partner of Film Action Oregon, is an annual film festival featuring high quality gay-themed feature, documentary, and short films from around the world.  This year the festival was held entirely at Cinema 21.

Mario Aguilar, a PLGFF volunteer, summed up the sentiment of many of the festival's film-goers when he said, "I'm a film buff.  I am constantly searching for decent gay-themed films above and beyond the Hollywood staples like The Birdcage and Philadelphia."  PLGFF is just that.  It is a home away from Hollywood where the best gay, lesbian, and trans films are put up on a screen for those starved for art to see.

Of this year's 21 films, here are a few of our favorites for you to seek out in the chance you missed the festival:

Ask Not,  a documentary about the US military's "don't ask don't tell" policy was a definite crowd favorite, which surprised PLGFF's Artistic Director Gabriel Mendoza.  "The gay community doesn't usually care about military issues."  This documentary, though, strikes at the heart of the gay struggle by trying to push the military to drop a policy that forces gay service men and women to serve "in the closet."  It screens next at the BendFilm Festival in October.

Otto; or Up With Dead People, drew the largest crowd of the festival.  It is a gay zombie movie from Germany.  It is very surreal and very entertaining.  It does contain graphic violence and sexuality, but Read the rest of this entry »

It's never to early to start planning for Halloween when you live in Portland. Here is one event that is sure to be fun and sell out quickly. From Jen Lane:

Ooky-Spooky Ninth Annual Halloween BarFly Bus Tour!
Friday, October 31st, 2008
7pm-1am
$25 apiece or $200 for ten • All cover charges and appetizers included! Drink specials galore!
COSTUMES MANDATORY – mulitiple costume contests!

Trick or treat to the max onboard the BarFly Bus for Halloween! There'll be thrills and chills all night long as we visit some of the scariest haunts in Portland. Multiple costume contests throughout the night with fun prizes (and sometimes even cold, hard cash!), too. It's our most popular tour of the year for a reason – IT KICKS ASS! Make no mistake – COSTUMES ARE MANDATORY! FYI – all seven of last year's Halloween BarFly Buses sold out weeks in advance.

Click here for tickets for the Ooky-Spooky Halloween BarFly Bus!

• More Portland Halloween parties & events here
• Some Portland Halloween Pictures from last year

*** By the way, I saw the Barfly has a new Portland Bartending Jobs section if you are on the lookout…If you get one, remember that I am a good friend of yours. :)

First Presidential Debate watch party
Living Room Theater, Portland, Oregon
Taken on September 26, 2008
Photo By Julian Chadwick/PDX Pipeline

I went to the first presidential debate at Living Room Theater on Friday. Luckily, Stacy Day had hooked up the reservations early. It was packed and there was no way to get inside one of the four (or five?) theaters without a reservation. The bar room was also full. LRT turned those side wall lights red or blue depending on whether Bush McCain or Obama was speaking.

The Vice Presidential debate is Thursday. You can watch it at Living Room, but make sure to get your reservation in now. If you can't make it there, here is a list of other places to watch Sarah “Assault Rifle” Palin and Joe “Scranton” Biden.

Portland Presidential Election Result Watch Parties info here.

• More (semi-)Daily Stank Image Bank photos here
• If you would like your picture to appear in the "Daily Stank Image Bank", add it to the Pdx Pipeline Flickr Group.

If Sarah Palin performs at the VP debate like she did with Katie Couric, this will be FANTASTIC. New possible presidential bingo squares for Sarah are 1) Hockey 2) “Let me get back to ya” 3) Small town values 4) Bush doctrine

Also, if Joe Biden mentions Scranton more than twice, someone should ask him what happened to Dunder-Mifflin Infinity.

Portland Election Result Watch Parties info here.

Living Room Theatre/Theate: Living Room Theaters will be showing all of the US Presidential and Vice-Presidential debates and the final Nov. 4th election results LIVE ON THE BIG SCREEN…Read more about the Living Room Theater Debate/Election events here.

Update 10/01–Living Room Theater put this on their twitter account today: All, the debate tomorrow is entirely booked. However, there is 1 walk-in theater + the lounge. We recommend arriving as early as you can

Bagdad Theater/Theatre: Thursday, October 2, VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
Televised live from Washington University, St. Louis, MO
Doors 5 p.m.; debate 6 p.m. | Free | All ages welcome

Come to the Bagdad to watch the vice presidential debate live on air with KOIN TV!

Sit in designated Democrat, Republican and Independent sections, do an interview on your perspectives with Mike Donahue or other KOIN talent and maybe even have a beer and some pizza while you watch.

DemocracyLab Vice Presidential Debate watching Party/Benefit: Smart Real Estate, 707 NW 11 ave
Come watch the Biden v. Palin Debate and help support DemocracyLab. DemocracyLab is an innovative Non-Profit is working to change the way citizens engage in politics. A $10 donation will be suggested, Food, Drinks, Music and lively cultural debates will be available for all. ( more info )

Laurelhurst Theater:( website ) Thursday, 10/2, 6:00 – 8:30 pm, Doors open at 5:00pm, 21 &over only.
Come watch the Vice Presidential debate on the big screen. This event is free, first come – first served (200 person capacity). I hear they were turning people away last time, so get there early.

Mt Tabor Legacy: 4811 SE Hawthorne ( 1997-looking website )
I spoke to the new owners Saturday night. They said they were going to screen it. If you like to smoke while you laugh (or cry), this is the place for you.
Update 9/30: They called and said they will definitely screen it, possibly in both rooms if attendance warrants it.

Kellys Olympian: 426 SW Washington St Portland, OR 97204 (website)
The played the Presidential debate last Friday. I don't know why they wouldn't have this one when it could be so much better (especially if Palin brings that assault rifle). Still, I called and emailed to no avail. I'll stop by and update later in the week.

Update 10/01: Kellys will have the debate. Same thing as last time = Projection screen

Clinton Street Theater: (website) 2522 SE Clinton St., Portland, OR 97202
Watch Matt Davis' head explode and the rest of the Mercury staff get loaded at their “cool kids” (air apostrophes)  debate party here.

Roots Brewing: 1520 SE 7th Ave ( website )
Update: According to Amy Ruiz, the Mercury will also be at Roots (it seems Clinton isn't the new venue, but the “second venue”). Double capacity last time, so get there early. “You've been warned”

Watch Online: If you can't make it out to one of these events, you can watch online at PBS.

First Thursday Update: If you are out looking at art during Portland First Thursday festivities, you can see the debates on “Patrick's TV” at Core Art Gallery.

Cubespace Update 10/02: 622 SE Grand Ave. in Portland, Oregon ( website )
“Come watch the VP debate at CubeSpace this evening!” Thanks to @EvaCatHerder for info

Beulahland Update 10/02: 118 NE 28th Ave Portland, OR 97232
Beulahland Myspace: “Come on down to Beulahland and check out the VP Debates!!! 6PM Love Beulah!”

Candidates Gone Green is happening on October 1st at the Bagdad Theater. Ã‚  Come learn about sustainability and energy from local political candidates.

A Forum on the Future of Energy and Sustainability in Portland
Featuring Randy Leonard, Charles Lewis, Amanda Fritz and others

McMenamins Bagdad Theater
Doors 6 p.m.; forum 7 p.m. 'til 8:30 p.m. | Free | All ages welcome

CANDIDATES GONE GREEN will be moderated by Live Wire's Sean McGrath. The event will feature an open question format designed to give participant an opportunity to discuss issues and initiatives related to energy sustainability in Portland. This will not be a political debate. There will be no right or wrong answers to the questions. The purpose of the event is to give Portland citizens an opportunity to learn how their leaders will be looking out for their future.

Participants include:
•Randy Leonard — Portland City Commissioner
•Charles Lewis — run-off candidate for Portland City Commissioner
•Amanda Fritz — run-off candidate for Portland City Commissioner
•Rex Burkholder — Metro Commissioner
•Mike Delman — Candidate for Multnomah County Commissioner

Visit www.futureofenergypdx.org for more information.

Info on Portland Election Result Watch Parties here.

*Photo By jen_maiser

Did you know that women in Oregon won the right to vote eight years before the 19th Amendment granted suffrage to all women in the U.S.? Get a beer and learn about it. From McMenamins:

Hear lively local or regional history (beer! nudity! suffragists!) while you enjoy a frosty pint or two of handcrafted ale. Our first topic is, fittingly, one presented by our own company historian Tim Hills. Gather in the Parsons Room at Kennedy School every last Monday of the month.

September 29: “Neither Head Nor Tail to the Campaign: Why Oregon Women Won the Vote in 1912″

BEER & HISTORY MONDAY
A talk by company historian Tim Hills: McMENAMINS HISTORY BY THE PINT
6 p.m. & 8 p.m. | Free | 21 & over

Kennedy School
5736 NE 33rd Ave
Portland, OR, 97211

*Thanks to Meetin Portland for the tip
** Photo by vj_pdx

This is the third or so (of endless) Oktoberfest in Portland. This one should be one of the better ones since the venue is top-notch and they will have a big plant sale. Very Nice.

Info from McMenamins:

Featuring tons of live bands, bellydancers, a marching band, food and drinks and much more…

Stop by the Edgefield Gardeners Plant Sale to pick up an estate-grown souvenir!
Music starts at 11:00 a.m.; plant sale at 12 noon | Free | All ages welcome (except Winery)

Come out for live music, McMenamins Oktoberfest Ale, German food and drink specials, balloon twisting, and more! Wander about the entire property, beer and bratwurst in hand, to check out the fun. Golf enthusiasts, reserve your spots in the Oktoberfest Golf Tourney that begins at 10 a.m.!

*** SCHEDULE ***
Read the rest of this entry »

John “Wildcard” McCain has agreed to debate Barack Obama tonight since he looked like an idiot “there is progress” in the talks toward the economic giveaway bailout.

Above is a presidential debate bingo card from BobStaake.com. It says to “play at home”. Obviously, Bob Staake doesn't know that there are many fine drinking establishments in Portland showing the debates.

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT SET 1

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT SET 2

Here is a list of Portland Presidential Debate Watch Parties to take your bingo card(s) to.

• More (semi-)Daily Stank Image Bank photos here
• If you would like your picture to appear in the "Daily Stank Image Bank", add it to the Pdx Pipeline Flickr Group.

Presidential Election Result Watch Parties here.

**PS. This is pretty funny: Slate predicts McCain's next 10 Hail Mary stunts.

Example: 9. Sells Alaska to Russia for $700 billion…Read the rest

How big is juggling in Portland? Huge–”The Portland Juggling Festival is the largest regional juggling festival in the United States” I was not aware until this week. There is even a German gold medal winning juggler (yes, it exists–wikipedia page) coming. I have two neighbors who juggle it up, and this is the second time living in Portland that I was living in the midst of Jugglers. Don't look now, but there is one sitting behind you–like Californians, they are taking over. :)

This weekend brings the Portland Juggling festival. Here is the press release info:

The Portland Juggling Festival is the largest regional juggling festival in the United States, with jugglers from around the world and down the street joining together to share their knowledge and show their skills.

We have performers, hobby jugglers, and beginners joining together for a two and a half days of throwing. Expect a big show Saturday evening, workshops for beginning, intermediate, and advanced jugglers, and vendors of every variety of juggling prop.

Dave Knows Portland has a great personal account from one of his friends on last years event. Read here: Entertaining, silly, endearing and creepy: A Juggling Extravaganza to remember

Juggling and Vaudeville Extravaganza
Saturday, 7pm
Benson High School
546 NE 12th Ave.

The Festival
Reed College
Watzek Sports Center
3203 SE Woodstock Blvd.