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Portland’s Hot Glass Studio Invitational

Elements Glass Gallery in NW Portland has collected the creative talents of 12 top glass blowers to unveil their collective work in an exhilarating look at the state of the glass blowing art in the metro area.
The work showcased will range from funky, psychedelic designs to creative remarks on the urban vs. rural worlds.

As an interactive feature of this nearly month-long event, visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artists, attend live demonstrations, and discover glass-blowing techniques.

Elements Glass also offers classes for those interested in pursuing this hands-on art form. As someone who used to participate frequently in this specific medium, I can’t say enough great things about it. It’s truly a fun and exhilirating experience, whether you create pieces for hobby/personal use or as a profession. With the holidays approaching, this is also a fun gift for those hard to buy for creative types.

Click on the embedded links for more information on classes or their Studio Invitational.

Details: Event runs through November 29th.
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11:00-6:00pm & Sunday 11:00-4:00pm
Location: Elements Glass Studio
1979 NW Vaughn Street

~ jean

* For those of you who haven’t been, Tacoma’s Museum of Glass is a must-see. * Read More

Trash Couture

One man’s trash is another man’s… formal wear? This annual Portland event aims to educate the masses about waste reduction, recycling, and creative re-use. What better way to do this than with a couture fashion show based on wearable art and “trash”? Cool!

This year Junk to Funk is also collaborating with Scrap in their education goals; who will be onsite with a DIY table for all you audience members. Should you be inspired by the crafty runway models, you can try your hand at recycle fashion here.

There will be music and performances by Junquestra as well. This all ages event will be hosted by Mayor Sam Adams and Marjorie Skinner from The Portland Mercury. Don’t be fooled, this is one serious runway show.

Event Details:

Date: Saturday, November 14th
Time: Doors at 7pm. Show at 8pm.
Venue:Crystal Ballroom
Cost: $17/advance & $20 day of.

You can purchase tickets directly at the Crystal Ballroom, SCRAP, or via Ticketmaster.

For more details, or to volunteer, visit JunktoFunk.org.

Go, be arty.

~ jean

Crystal Ballroom
1332 W Burnside St Read More

Zenger 10th Anniversary Dinner Tonight!

Zenger Farms, the locally loved urban farm in SE, is celebrating 10 years of educating youth, farmers, and families about sustainable agriculture. What does this mean for you? An evening of great food, wine, conversation, and an awesome silent auction to boot!

Chef Joe McGarry of Bon Appetit will be serving five delicious, locally grown courses, paired with local beer and wine. A member of Chefs Collaborative National Board and a 2008 Slow Food Terra Madre delegate, Joe has been a prominent chef in Portland for over ten years.

Before you get your food and drink on, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a silent auction.
Here’s a list of some of the items up for bid this evening:

*A custom-designed chicken coop from Bake’s Binster!

*A dinner for eight at the farm with Chef Joe McGarry.

*One night at Hotel Modera, Blazers tickets and a dinner at Nostrana.

*A VIP mixology tour/tasting for you and five friends from House Spirits Distillery.

*Gift certificates to Portland’s best restaurants: Toast, Biwa, Ned Ludd, Pok Pok and more!

*A spa package with a 60-minute massage, beautiful hand-made soaps, and Loyly sauna visits.

*Cooking and preserving classes including a sausage making class for six with Linda Colwell, a pie baking class for eight with Marie Johnson, and a preserving class for eight with Cara Haskey.

*A “cheese lover” package to include Tami Parr’s book, Artisan Cheese of the Pacific Northwest, a Mozzarella/Ricotta DIY cheese making kit and a gift certificate to Steve’s Cheese.

*And, of course, a Zenger Farm Thanksgiving turkey.

Details:
Date: Tonight! Friday, November 6th
Time: Silent auction begins at 6:30. Dinner served at 7:30.
Location: OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave.
Ticket price: $100 per person.

Reserve your spot by emailing Jill at jill@zengerfarm.org or call 503.282.4245 for tickets.

Enjoy!
~ jean Read More

Cultural Uprising

Portland is full of movements and collaborations of all sorts. For 3 days only, audiences will be treated to an unusual, but intriguing, pairing. The goal? To shatter stereotypes.

Oregon Ballet Theater and Mississippi Studios are teaming up to introduce ballet and dance to intimate venues and new audiences. Uprising’s debut performance, choreographed by Candace Bouchard, will be pairing OBT dancers with local indie/folk band Horsefeathers.

Come witness the Uprising at Mississippi Studios November 3rd – 5th. Tickets are $15 in advance/day of. However a limited number of tickets will be available at the door.

If you haven’t been to the remodeled Mississippi Studios yet, what have you been waiting for?! This is your perfect excuse. Purchase tickets online through their official website.

~ jean

Mississippi Studios
3939 N. Mississippi Read More

Oregon Haunted Houses

Halloween is this weekend, but you can get an early dose of screams at one of Oregons many haunted houses from Portland to Salem. We have already told you about the award winning, bone-chilling fun found at the 13th Door, but there are plenty of other haunted houses for the adrenaline junkie located all over the area. Be sure to check out:

Milburns Haunted Manor

Has two different attractions for adults, the Haunted House and the Wickedwood Forest. Both attractions are $8 (save $1 if you buy tickets to both). This haunted house continually wins the #1 or #2 spot for the best haunted house of the season. Boo Lane is a haunted house that is more kid friendly. They also have the “Last Ride” which simulates being carried in a locked casket and buried alive. Located at 11503 Broadacres Rd NE.Hubbard, Oregon 97032503-982-1232

FrightTown

FrightTown is located beneath the Portland Memorial Coliseum and will be open until November 1.

The Nightmare Factory

Located at the Oregon School for the Deaf and one of the top 3 haunts of the season for 6 years running.

999 Locust Street NE Salem Oregon Read More

Willamette Week 2009 Restaurant Guide

The 2009 Willamette Week Restaurant Guide is officially out! The Restaurant of the Year? Beaker & Flask at 727 SE Washington St. Pretty good for a joint that’s been open a whopping four months. Apparently it was extra-tough choice this year, because WW picked not one but two runners up: Laurelhurst Market (3155 E Burnside St) and Red Onion Thai Cuisine (1123 NW 23rd Ave).

This 2009 Guide gives you the scoop on 100 of Portland’s finest eateries, including many we’ve reviewed here. Pick up a copy and use it as a proxy for those moments when you can’t check Portland Octopus for a recommendation. There’s a helpful paper map (not as cool as our interactive map, but serviceable) for navigation. Listings are organized by cuisine – my favorite catagory is Northwest Locavore, which encompasses the many farm-to-table restaurants around town. I also love the High Five boxes (there are 14 total), where you given five places that will satisfy specific dining needs like “Vegan-Compatible Dinners,” “Safe Places to Take Grandma,” or “Bars with Good Food.” Helpful and hilarious.

Is it too early to look forward to 2010? I think not, and on the horizon I see quite a fewpromising new spots opening up within the next year:

Pok Pok moves the Whiskey Soda Lounge kitty-corner to 3131 SE Division! Keep an eye out for Lovely Fifty-Fifty (4039 N. Mississippi Ave.), a pizza and ice cream shop slated to open next door to Lovely Hula Hands. Also, Bunk Bar? Brought to you by Tommy Habetz and Nick Wood of Bunk Sandwiches…sure to be awesome! Read More

Ay Carumba!

Okay Portlanders, this is your chance for cartoon glory. The Simpson’s are looking for a new character to help celebrate their 20th anniversary.

We like to think we’re a creative bunch and we already have home court advantage – what with so many of the series’ names and places taken from our fair city. So it’s time to get the lead out, literally. Matt Groening and his lackeys are looking for a new character for an episode debuting at the end of January 2010. The winner will be flown to L.A. to work with one of the show’s animators to bring your special little someone to life.

The rules are simple: it must be yellow, feature their infamous overbite, and be human. Include a name for your character, a catchphrase, and a brief description of it’s attributes. Awesomeness.

You can find details or submit your entry at their official website.

Good luck, and for added pressure, entries must be received by Saturday. D’oh!

~ jean Read More

PDX Latin American Film Fest!

It’s that time of year again. The 3rd annual Latin American Film Festival is rolling into Portland.

For 5 days, October 14th – 19th, Portlanders are treated to great documentaries, short-films, and regular, full-length films. Entries this year include works from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, and Spain.

The films change by day, so make sure to check the calendar for the day and time. I’m especially looking forward to the documentary, “Papers”, on Thursday, October 15th, showing the struggles and stories of our undocumented youth. Sure to be thought-provoking.

After tonights kick-off at the Whitsell Auditorium (followed by a reception), the remaining festival films will be shown exclusively at the Regal Broadway Metroplex 4.

For tickets, showtimes, along with film details & trailers, please see the official website. ¡Que divertido!

~ jean

Regal Broadway Metroplex 4
1000 SW Broadway Read More

Portland Walking Tours: Beyond Bizarre

Portland Walking Tours has an amazing tour perfect for the Halloween season. Toting real ghost hunting equipment with real members of the International Ghost Hunters society you can crawl through passageways and explore known sites of paranormal activity. Come for the tour after 10pm (18+, no kids allowed) and they will show you the sites of actual murders and suicides, all said to now be haunted by those who died. This is not a performance, this is an actual look into the paranormal side of Portland. Nothing is staged, and no ghost sightings are guaranteed. Make sure to get your tickets in advance in order to actually operate the ghost hunting equipment. Check out Portland Walking Tours for more information and ticket purchases. Read More

The 13th Door

Haunted Houses are one of my favorite parts of Halloween. Going in to see what creative creatures and horrors have been put together to try to scare the crap out of the kids. Sounds like fun. Portland has some of the best haunted houses, and plenty of choices even for an enthusiast. Among the very best, the 13th Door has been scaring the daylights out of people for years and opens up shop this year on Friday October 9th. 13,000 square feet of horrors and gore all for your entertainment. Grab tickets online early here. This haunted house is rated PG-13 so no children will be allowed without a parent. This truly frightening haunted house manage to scare nearly all children and most adults; and does not give refunds or new shorts if you wet yourself or leave early. Come give it a try (and bring the kids if they are brave) from 7-10pm on weekdays and 7-12 on weekends.