- 20th Annual Cascade Festival of African Films continues with screenings this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Admission is free, see web site for film synopses, times and locations.

- Electronic Recycling Fair for Beaverton Schools at Stoller Middle School this Friday from 8:00am – 10:00am and Saturday from 9:00am – 2:00pm. Recycle your old computers, microwaves and cell phones.

- Free Pretzel Day on Saturday from 10:00am – 3:00pm at area Auntie Anne’s Pretzel locations. Free original or cinnamon sugar, limit one per person please!

- NorthWest Bike Show, Saturday and Sunday at the Portland Expo Center. $7 adult admission, children 12 and under are free. Get $2 off by showing your ‘Boomer Expo’ ticket, or checking the Oregonian A&E section (the February 12th edition had a $2 off coupon, and hopefully the February 19th edition will also have one).

- Saturday is Portland International Raceway’s Opening Day Celebration with free admission and a free lunch. Activities all day long, donations requested for some events, see web site for details (will open a pdf).

- 2010 Baby Boomer Lifestyle Expo, Saturday and Sunday, also at the Expo Center. Admission is free, and despite the name, this showcase is geared for all active adults.

- Diabetes Expo, Saturday only, 9:00am – 4:00pm at the Oregon Convention Center. The Expo is free and includes health screenings, cooking demonstrations, product and service exhibitors and information seminars.

- TravelZoo exclusive: one night only, get tickets for Oregon Ballet Theatre’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for half-off. Tickets are for the Thursday, March 4th 7:30pm performance. All price levels are valid, from Balcony to Orchestra. A limited number of discounted tickets are available, must book by February 28th. See web site link for details and to access the promotion code.

- Willamette Week’s new Cheap Skate Deal Box includes a free concert, a book reading, a $3 screening of Sonicsgate and more.

- For the rundown on totally free events and happenings for this weekend, please check out Aroundthesunblog

Spotlight: Red Star Tavern Happy Hour

We were downtown this past weekend and were in the mood for good food at happy hour prices. Unfortunately, many of the places we know only offer happy hour Monday-Friday, and only from 4pm – 6pm. It was a Saturday night, 6:30pm, where to go?

Red Star Tavern to the rescue!

Red Star Tavern is located at the corner of SW 5th and Alder, adjacent to the Hotel Monaco and housed inside a historic building. The bar area offers a couple TVs that were showing Olympic coverage when we were there, and you can sit right at the bar or choose from cozy couples’ tables to larger and taller tables. We positioned ourselves close to front-of-kitchen, where we enjoyed watching food being prepared and assembled for service delivery. Our service was prompt and the ambiance was inviting, which just made our happy hour all the better!

Happy hour runs 4:00pm – 8:00pm every single day, and you are not required to purchase a drink, although you will probably be tempted when you take a look at the pricing that follows:

$3 drinks
Draft beer
Bottled beer
Wine by the glass (changes daily)
Well Liquor

$5 cocktails
Red Star Signature cocktail
Lemon Drop
Cosmopolitan
Manhattan
Margarita
Well Martini (vodka or gin)

$3 small plates of food
Honey roasted nuts
Truffled popcorn
Citrus cured olives
Crispy French fries
Organic green salad with mustard vinaigrette
Whole leaf Romaine salad with lemon anchovy dressing
Oysters with jalapeno-lime mignonette
Cornmeal Hushpuppies with remoulade
Sausage and cream cheese stuffed jalapeño
Popper wrapped in bacon
French Fry “nachos” (slow cooked beef, cheddar cheese, onions and gravy)
Two sliders (choose from meatloaf, pulled pork, ham & Brie or three cheese)
Two tacos (choose from beef, carnitas, chicken or veggie)

Our total bill came to less than $20, and the variety of the small plates of food was satisfying and delicious. We will definitely return to try some of the other dishes we were too full to order this time around. As with all happy hours, the valid hours and menu items may change at management discretion, so please call ahead! Happy grazing and enjoy the weekend!

- Karaoke on the cheap added to our Entertainment section

- Milagro Theater 2 for 1 tickets

- Portland on the Cheap’s Resource Central for recommended books

- Discussion boards:  where to find day-old goods and free or almost-free coffee

And for the month of February, keep on the lookout for these great deals!

- Alaska Airlines introductory fare for Portland to Maui, just $169 one way, must purchase by next Thursday, February 12th.  Click here for all the fine print terms and conditions

- First Thursday Portland, First Friday Portland, First Friday Art Walk Newberg, Third Saturday Art & Wine Walk McMinnville, Last Thursday Alberta Street and much more

- Children’s Museum free admission on First Friday, February 6th

- Portland Fix-It Fair this Saturday, February 7th at George Middle School

- Forum of Beaverton:  Connecting People & Ideas this Thursday, February 5th and again on Thursday, February 26th

- Free chocolate tastings this weekend, Saturday February 7th & Sunday February 8th at all New Seasons Markets

- Portland Chinese Garden free admission this Sunday, February 8th from 5:00pm – 7:00pm

- $2 Oregon Zoo admission on the second Tuesday, February 10th

- Chocolate Fantasy at Jenkins Estate on Friday, February 13th (small admission charge)

- Oregon Sesquicentennial bash at the Oregon Historical Society Saturday, February 14th and Sunday, February 15th:  free admission, exhibits, activities and cake!

- Portland Diabetes Expo on Saturday, February 21st:  free admission for all

- Tuesday, February 24th is National Pancake Day and IHOP is celebrating by offering a short stack of pancakes, free!

- Marie Callender’s is offering up their famous pies for just $6.99 plus tin all month

- Keep checking back to our main site for our daily updates, or subscribe to our RSS feed.  Thanks for reading!