WEEKEND ON THE CHEAP:
– It’s the final weekend for the Friends of the Hillsboro Library Spring Used Book Sale, now until Sunday at the Hillsboro Main Library.
– Submission redux from Tim: “Get 2 tickets for the price of 1 regular adult admission to see the world premiere of LAZARILLO at Miracle Theatre May 5, 6, 7 or 8, 2011! This offer is valid for performances May 5, 6, 7, or 8; subject to availability. Use coupon code CHEAP to order tickets online anytime from www.milagro.org or by calling 503-236-7253 M-F, 8:30pm – 5:00pm.”
– Free admission all day this Friday to the Cinco de Mayo Festival at downtown’s Waterfront Park; stay for the free fireworks beginning at 10:00pm, courtesy of Woodstock Chiropractic! The festival features kids activities, carnival rides, Zumba, Mariachi music, an artisan village and more.
– Portland Children’s Museum First Friday free admission from 4:00pm – 8:00pm.
– Portland’s Eastside Galleries First Friday from 6:00pm – 9:00pm. Features over 50 participating galleries and venues with new exhibits and artist receptions. Please see web site for map and a list of participating venues.
– Willamette Week’s Eighth Annual Best New Band Showcase starts at 9:00pm this Friday, at Mississippi Studios. Admission is free!
– Cort and Fatboy present Cinco de Lebowski VI, featuring live music from Here Come Dots & The Troublemakers this Friday at McMenamin’s Bagdad Theater. VIP admission ($10) and preshow at 7:30pm, general admission ($3) doors at 9:00pm, film at 11:00pm.
– Submission: 14th Annual Camas Mother’s Day Plant & Garden Fair this Saturday from 9:00am – 4:00pm. This event features 100 booths of plant and garden related items. Admission is free and located on the campus of Camas High School.
– Hollywood Whole Foods Market Spring Fever Street Fair this Saturday from 10:00am – 2:00pm with a Flash Kitchen demo, free compost and other free activities.
– Portland’s Festival of the Birds is this Saturday from 9:00am – 3:00pm at Sellwood Park. This free event features birding walks, make a bird feeder, live music, exhibits and much more.
– Submission from Brett: The Oregon Commons invites you to join us at the Commons Convergence, a free event for learning, networking, and celebrating the commons! Our local work is part of a national movement to claim our commons—things that belong to all of us and are the basis of our collective well being. Join us for an inspiring afternoon with local and national advocates, dreamers and doers who are re-imagining and bringing to life a just and sustainable world.” This Saturday from 1:00pm – 4:00pm at St. David’s Church, 2800 SE Harrison in Portland.
– Saturday is National Train Day at Union Station, 10:00am – 4:00pm, free events and activities for all. From web site: “Meet notable train artist J.Craig Thorpe, see the 4449 Steam Engine and other train equipment on display, be entertained by the Rose Festival Character Clown Corp, and receive information on trains, railroad history, model trains and lots of destination cities that can be reached by taking Amtrak. Stay for entertainment including Gadget and Cha-Cha the clowns.”
– Saturday is also Free Comic Book Day with a number of Portland area shops participating with free comics and special guest appearances. GeekPortland has a write up here and a listing of all the comic book giveaways.
– Crafty Wonderland Super Colossal Spring Sale on Saturday at the Oregon Convention Center from 11:00am – 6:00pm, free admission all day long and the first 200 shoppers in line receive a free goodies bag.
– Champoeg State Park Founders’ Day on Saturday from 1:00pm – 4:00pm features living history programs, tours, free admission to the Robert Newell House Museum and more. Admission is $5 per vehicle.
– Submission from Emily: Bank of America’s Museums on Us program offers free admission to the Portland Art Museum, Pittock Mansion and the Lan Su Chinese Garden this Saturday and Sunday. To qualify for Museums on Us, customers must present their Bank of America or Merrill Lynch credit or debit card along with a photo ID to gain free general admission.
– Submission from Kaisa: The first annual “MSSP Mother’s Day Tea, Concert, Fashion Show & Silent Auction” will be held from 2:00pm – 4:30pm this Sunday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel – Lloyd Center. Donations will be accepted at the door to benefit the local Multiple Sclerosis Society.
– For more ideas on what to do this weekend, please visit Aroundthesunblog or PDXPipeline.
SPOTLIGHT: PORTLAND AREA FARMERS MARKETS, FARM STANDS & U-PICK
The sun is out, the temperatures are warming up and the fruits and veggies are fresh and coming your way via the multiple Farmers Markets, farm stands and U-Pick opportunities spread out all over our region, 7 days a week. Here are our picks for guiding you around town!
– Pick up the the Tuesday May 3rd Oregonian or hunt for the freebie “Food Day” that was delivered earlier this week for a hardcopy full-page guide to the markets, or click on their featured story “A fresh start for Portland-area farmers markets” and their interactive maps for a complete listing of markets for the 2011 season.
– This month’s Portland Monthly Magazine has a cover story on area famers markets, including profiles on Portland, Beaverton, Hollywood, Hillsdale and People’s Co-Op markets with suggestions on what to eat and what to buy.
– Oregon Environmental Council has their guide to farmers markets, listed by city and includes dates and times, locations and web links.
– The Oregon Farmer’s Market Association has a helpful online Oregon 2011 Farmers’ Market Directory covering the entire state and posted with complete market information including market times, dates, location and type of payments accepted.
– Oregon Farm Direct, a directory of roadside/farm stands and farmers markets. Use the drop down menus to search by county, city, and by type (farmer’s market or roadside stand).
– Tri-County Farm Fresh Produce is an organization of local farms offering produce for sale directly to the public through u-pick and farm stands in Washington, Clackamas and Multnomah counties. Sweet!! Click here for their four-page 2011-2012 printable guide (PDF), complete with map and crop availability chart.
– Oregon Farm Bureau Farm Stand Guide, a publication that lists Farm Bureau members’ roadside stands, u-pick fields, booths at farmers markets, vineyards, ranches, or other agriculture ventures. The listings are organized by region; opening date; and alphabetically. You can also download the full 2011 Oregon’s Bounty Guide at this link (PDF).
– U-Pick Farms and Orchards guide and listing, sorted by county.
Now get out there and eat your fruits and veggies, and Happy Mother’s Day!
