WEEKEND ON THE CHEAP:
– New addition: Friday is National Doughnut Day and Krispy Kreme is giving away one free doughnut of any variety to its loyal customers. Good at the Beaverton and Clackamas locations.
– The Rose Festival is in full swing this weekend with the Waterfront Village, Starlight Run, Starlight Parade and free tours of Naval vessels from the United States Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and the Canadian Maritime Forces. See web site for full event details.
– Children’s Museum First Friday free admission for all from 4:00pm – 8:00pm.
– Central Eastside Arts District First Friday Art Openings, 6:00pm – 9:00pm.
– Holocene 7th Anniversary party this Friday at 8:00pm with lots of free live music.
– Portland’s Amateur Comedy Contest 2010 holds its final two shows this Friday at the Hangout Bar & Grill in Gresham and on Saturday night at the Wichita Bar & Grill in Oregon City.
– 2010 Beaverton Recycling Day, 9:00am – 2:00pm this Saturday at the old Westgate Theater. Free, but recyclers are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food donation.
– Beaverton High School’s fifth annual Spring Intertribal Pow Wow begins at 1:00pm this Saturday with the first grand entry. There will be drumming, dancing, concessions and more. Free admission.
– The Port of Portland shows off their new headquarters with an open house for the public this Saturday from 11:00am – 3:00pm. There will be activities for everyone in the family and parking will be validated for the event.
– Doernbecher Children’s Safety Center Injury Prevention Day this Saturday from 10:30am – 4:00pm, located just outside the Children’s Museum. Free.
– Portland Mercury 10th Birthday Party this Saturday at Rotture (315 SE 3rd) starting at 7:00pm with an all-ages parking lot party and then a concert at 10:00pm for those 21 and over. Free!
– 11th annual Wilsonville Festival of Arts this Saturday and Sunday at Town Center Park in Wilsonville. Free.
– Bank of America Museums on Us at the Portland Art Museum and Pittock Mansion, this Saturday and Sunday. Just show your Bank of America debit card, credit card or ATM card and get free admission.
– Oregon Surplus Property sale this Saturday, 9:00am – 3:00pm. Sale is in Salem and includes unclaimed items from theft cases, state government surplus and more.
– REI 2010 Paddle Demo Day this Sunday at Vancouver Lake, 10:00am. Free, though there is a $3 parking fee.
– OMSI admission is just $2 for all this first Sunday, June 6th.
– Portland Latino Gay Pride Festival this Sunday, 4:00pm – 8:00pm at the Jupiter Hotel with music, performances and more. $5 suggested donation.
– For more picks for free stuff do to this weekend, please visit Aroundthesunblog.
– The OSU Food Innovation Center has another taste test opportunity, this time for granola:
The Sensory and Consumer Group at the Oregon State University Food Innovation Center is looking for participants for a taste test to take place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, June 14th – 16th. The taste test will be about 60 minutes and the compensation is $60.
We will also be holding three additional optional focus groups after three of the taste tests. These focus groups will take an additional 45-60 minutes and will pay an additional $50. If you are interested, please click on this link to submit a questionnaire. If you are selected to participate, we will contact you via email by Tuesday, June 8th where you must reply and confirm your intent to participate. We will then send you another reminder email the day before the test. We only contact those who were selected to participate and will be sending out those confirmation emails by June 8th. Photo ID will be required to participate in this test.
SPOTLIGHT: SAVING AT THE OREGON ZOO AND STRATEGIES FOR VISITING
This Tuesday, June 8th is the second Tuesday of the month and that means the Oregon Zoo will charge general admission of just $2.00 per person. If you can’t make it during the once a month $2 admission day, try these suggestions:
– Get a membership! Individual memberships begin at $49 and family memberships at $79. This will give free admission for an entire year, free parking at the zoo during regular zoo hours and free reciprocal admission benefits at over 120 zoos nationwide (including the Wildlife Safari in Winston and the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle). Pay a little more for the ‘Plus’ membership and receive one free guest admission with each day’s visit, free admission to Zoolights and free admission to the Wednesday Zoo Tunes concerts in the summer. Inquire about a $5 off membership promotion that the zoo sometimes mails out every so often.
– Pack your own food and drinks. There are lockers available for rent, and AfriCafe also has a microwave available for public use.
– The zoo will charge a mandatory $2 parking fee per vehicle, so if you drive expect to pay that even if you come alone. Ride the MAX and show proof of fare and they’ll knock off $1.50 per admission charge for each rider (this also includes the $2 second Tuesdays—get into the zoo for just fifty cents!).
– Go early in the morning. The zoo opens its gates at 8:00am. Not only will you avoid the crowds (and snag one of the few parking spaces at the zoo), but the animals are more active in the morning before the heat sets in.
– Take advantage of the free extras like:
* Wildlife Live show will debut on June 19th
* the Rain Forest Thunder Storm is scheduled to run on the half hour and lasts for 3 minutes
* Penguin feeding at 2:45pm daily
* Keeper talks
* Summer activities run from June 19th – September 6th. Click here for complete schedule.
– If visiting from out of town, take a look at the zoo’s hotel partners and packaging discounts.
Sample menu prices from our May 11th, 2010 visit:
Rentals:
Single stroller, $6
Double stroller, $9
Wheelchair, $7
Wagon, $7
Electric Scooter, $25
All rentals require a $20 refundable deposit
Food:
Corn dog, $2.85
Bowl of chili, $4.25
Kid’s Meal, $6.95
16 oz. soda, $2.25
12 oz. souvenir cup and soda, $3.95
32 oz. souvenir cup and soda, $5.95
Coffee, tea or hot chocolate, $2.50
Pizza by the slice, $2.95 – $3.95
Whole pizza pie, $21.95 for cheese to $24.95 for meat lover’s
Hot dog, $2.80
Regular ice cream cone, $3.80
Regular ice cream in waffle cone, $5.30
Elephant ear, $3.95
Small popcorn, $3.75
Combo Meals (include bag of chips and soda)
Cheeseburger, $7.95
Hamburger, $7.50
Chicken Strips, $8.25
Veggie burger, $7.95
Grilled chicken breast, $8.45
Grilled cheese, $6.00
Hot dog, $5.30
Bratwurst, $6.75
Regular Zoo Admission:
Adults (12-64), $10.50
Seniors (65+), $9.00
Youth (3-11), $7.00
Free under the age of 3
Zoo Train:
Zoo loop ride, $3.50 general admission, $3.00 for members
Prehistoric Predators animatronic dinosaurs trail costs $3.50 additional and runs through September 6th.
Enjoy!
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Oregon Zoo fare update – we went on Tuesday, and the train loop cost is now $5 for nonmembers and $3.50 for members.
Also, call first to see if the whole zoo is open – the Great Northwest section was closed because they’re integrating new black bears and a new cougar into the zoo.
Still, a great deal!