Top 10 Picks for the Dog Days of Summer

August 14, 2015 by Marketing

Sunday Parkways. Don’t miss the last two rides.

It’s the end of days, folks; the dog days of summer. Before you know it the trees will be changing and the weather will be cooling back down. I love fall in Portland but I’m definitely not ready to let summer go. You can’t beat the warm evenings and hot weekend days–and it’s been HOT! Before it’s too late, we recommend you get your barely clad booty out to some of these uniquely Portland outdoor happenings.

For your handy end of summer planning, we’ve listed our top 10 picks:

Concerts in the Park: There’s still a few of these left in late August. Grab a picnic, a blanket, and a buddy and enjoy some outdoor music.
Movies in the Park: Some good ones still left in August and early September, lots of family friendly titles including: Back to the Future, Toy Story, and Maleficent.
The 2nd Annual Jade Night Market, August 22nd

Sundown Concerts / First Thursdays: These concerts happen every summer and coincide with First Thursdays in the Pearl. The next concert is Sept. 3, presented by EcoTrust and will feature two bands: Horse Feathers and School of Rock.
Rooftop Cinema: NW Film Center presents movies under the stars downtown all summer (atop Hotel deLuxe), the last one will be Monty Python’s the Meaning of Life!
Urban Air Market: August 30th in the Pearl District, the Urban Air Market is a curated outdoor marketplace for sustainable design. Head out to shop local!
Jade Night Market: August 22nd, the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon and the Jade District will be hosting the second annual Jade International Night Market. The Jade International Night Market will feature 80 vendors representing the diverse culture of the Jade District, including food, retail and
The last Sundown Concert is Sept. 3rd. Featuring kids who rock: School of Rock!

non-profit booths.
Concerts at the Zoo: What what? Upcoming performers include Chris Isaak, Huey Lewis and the News, Weird Al, and Garrison Keillor.
Sunday Parkways: SE Sunday Parkways is coming up on August 23rd. Tilikum Crossing/Sellwood ride is on Sept. 27th. This is an awesome event and we will be out there too on the big bikes. Great for the whole family and lots of giveaways throughout the ride. And it’s FREE!
The 2nd Annual Grilled Cheese Invitational: The month long East Burn fundraiser for the Portland Women’s Crisis Line culminates with the Invitational, August 29th at 5pm. 9 local restaurants will compete to win “Best Grilled Cheese.” Games and live music too. Half of all ticket sales go to the Portland Women’s Crisis Line.
Get thee to the river: If you haven’t yet swum in a river, you gotta do it ASAP. Get thee to a swimming hole, Portlander! Here’s a good list of Oregon’s 25 best.

Grab your fanny pack and make it happen, friends. See you on the streets!

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The Party Starts at Sundown!

July 8, 2014 by Jon Elias

There’s nothing like those warm July summer nights. A time for sandals, cool drinks, and hot music at the fifth annual Sundown Concerts!

Ecotrust is heating up July evenings with the fifth edition of the Sundown Concerts. Sundown is everything that makes summer so great in Portland – equal parts indie concert, block party, and classic Portland street fair. It’s back for an even better fifth year, Thursdays in July starting 7/10 at 5:30 pm, at the Ecotrust Natural Capital Center. And it’s still free!

In case you are not aware of the organization, Ecotrust is working to build a new economy that restores nature and invests in people. Ecotrust’s many innovations include co-founding the nation’s first environmental bank, starting the world’s first ecosystem investment fund, creating a range of programs in fisheries, forestry, food, farms and indigenous affairs, and developing new scientific and informational tools to improve social, economic, and environmental decision-making. Ecotrust works locally in ways that promise hope abroad, and it honors and supports the wisdom of Native and First Nations leadership in its work.

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Sundown EcoTrust Concert Series and Innovation Showcase

July 10, 2012 by stacy

Have you had a chance to learn about important issues regarding your local region lately? If not, have we got the event for you! Join Portland Pedal Power and the “Sundown Community” every Thursday in July at the Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center (a.k.a. The Eco Trust building) off SW 9th ave for the “Sundown EcoTrust Concert Series“. This concert series centers around one Portland-centric and praised theme, living local effectively.

Each week they will feature a different topic of conversation, beginning with ‘Protecting Water’ last week (July 5th), and in the proceeding weeks covering the topics ‘Reimagining Energy‘ (July 12), ‘Honoring Food‘ (our favorite July 19), and ending with ‘Treasuring Forests‘ (July 26). At the event they feature a variety of local businesses (including yours truly) and non-profits as well as a phenomenal list of participants, hosting interactive booths to educate you about important issues around where you live, and to light a spark under your butt to inspire some creative thinking on economic and ecological development!

If that isn’t enough to tickle your fancy because you’re fairly insensitive to local issues (you non eco-friendlyanti-Portlander you) then there is food, good music, great people, and as always, beer! NOT TO MENTION that if you come visit us at our Portland Pedal Power booth, we will be giving away free stuff! This Thursday (July 12th) we’ll be giving away a free lunch for two. The following Thursday we will be giving away a free t-shirt! The Thursday after that, who knows! We’ll find something in our bag of amazing! Any suggestions?

The music selection for this week (July 12th) will be Laura Gibson with Grandparents! Lara Gibson is a local artist with a poppy sound who grew up along the south coast of Oregon. She released her first ep back in November 2004 and has since become a national sensation. (Read more about her here). Grandparents feature a bit of a different sound, but definitely on the indie rock scene. The show in all should be fabulous.

Headlining the food front are some of your Pizza and Rice bowl favorites, Hot Lips Pizza and Laughing Planet will be there to provide great sustenance that will complement your adult appetite and beverages quite well.

So join us Thursdays in July at Ecotrust’s Natural Capital Center, a hub for ideas and urban community, for a series of free outdoor concerts and street exhibitions that tell a story about living deliberately in our region. Concerts feature a cream-of-the-crop, homegrown music lineup, plucked from Portland’s hopping music scene, plus frosty beverages and delicious fare.

Each concert hosts the Innovation Showcase, a street fair-style exhibition with interactive booths that connect attendees with organizations whose work corresponds with each evening’s theme.

JULY 5 | PROTECTING WATER
Music: Typhoon with AU

JULY 12 | REIMAGINING ENERGY
Music: Laura Gibson with Grandparents

JULY 19 | HONORING FOOD
Music: Holcombe Waller with Sarah Jackson-Holman

JULY 26 | TREASURING FORESTS
Music: The Builders and the Butchers with Kelli Schaefer

All concerts will be powered by a biodiesel/wind/solar generator and bike commuters will be rewarded with a free bike valet on-site.

Pedal, Listen and Connect on Thursdays in July at Ecotrust.

About Ecotrust:
Ecotrust’s mission is to inspire fresh thinking that creates economic opportunity, social equity and environmental wellbeing. Our goal is to foster a natural model of development that creates more resilient communities, economies, and ecosystems here and around the world.

For more information about events around Portland and other PPP news, stay tuned and subscribe to our blog! Or follow us and keep in touch on Facebook!

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