Portland Events: Waterfront Blues Festival

Even lacking a sweet water craft, you can head down to the Waterfront on 4th of July weekend to soak in the likes of Taj Mahal , Little Feat John Mayall,  Booker T., Portland’s own Curtis Salgado, and tons more. If you’re a Zydeco fan, there’ll be plenty of that, too.  If you’re staying at the deLuxe, stroll on down and skip the parking madness. A very blue way to spend a sunny day.

Begins: Friday, July 2nd at 2pm, ends Monday July 5th at 9pm

Cheers,

Brandon

I’m not sure how many people know that we have the most awesome bartending team in Stumptown. Don’t take my word for it—ask around. Mike Robertson and Kat Hand are making a name for themselves and the Driftwood Room is reaching far beyond our little berg. I recently sat down and chatted with them to get the lowdown. I got enough recon from them to fill a hundred blog posts, so check back for more in this series.

First of all, Mike had just returned from a think tank trip to Seattle for top bartenders around the country. Apparently, the concensus among these in-the-know mixologists was that there are currently three spots in the U.S. known for their innovation when it comes to all things liquor: New York (natch), San Francisco (historically rebellious) and, wait for it, Portland, Oregon. Yep. Spend a couple of hours at the Driftwood, and make sure to ask Mike and Kat for their newest find. It’s a revelation.

Cheers,

Brandon

Well, there’s so much going on in Portland in June, so many reasons to come visit the Rose City: The wild and fabulous Portland Pride Festival and Parade, the season opening of the Farmers Markets in all their fruit and floral glory, the foamy fun of the North American Organic Brewers Festival. But, anyone and everyone knows that June in Portland means one really big thing: Rose Festival.

Even if you’re not the type to brave the Waterfront Village—chock full o’ food booths, rides, live music, strollers and mullets—there is something for every walk of life during the two-week festivities. Check out the Dragon Boat Races, the ships during Fleet Week, the Starlight Run and, of course, the Starlight and Grand Floral Parades. And, I have a bit of soft spot for the Queen’s Coronation, don’t ask me why. Oh, there’s a lot more. That’s because it’s Portland’s Rose Festival.

Ciao,

Emily