Portland Rose Festival
(http://www.rosefestival.org/). this award-winning festival, held in early june, is portland's largest event. the portland waterfront is turned into a carnival for a couple of weeks, starting with fleet week as military ships moor alongside waterfront park and culminating with a bunch of festivities on the second weekend, including the centerpiece of the festival, the grand floral parade held on the last saturday. other events include flower shows, other parades, fireworks, and dragon boat races.
Portland Trail Blazers
Rose garden arena 1 center court, +1 503 234-9291, (http://www.nba.com/blazers/). an nba basketball team which plays at the rose garden arena. they are well known for having one of the most loyal crowds in all of sports, so make sure to get tickets before the game as it is very rare to have a game that is not sold out.
Springwater Corridor
(http://www.portlandonline...) a 21-mile multi-use trail extending from se portland to the town of boring, oregon. it is designed to accommodate hikers, bikers, wheelchairs and horses.
"We want you to visit our State of Excitement often. Come again and again. But for heaven's sake, don't move here to live. Or if you do have to move in to live, don't tell any of your neighbors where you are going."-Former Governor Tom McCall, in a 1971 speech.
Since then, the Governor's request has been widely repeated by people who ignore it, then quote it. In recent years, Portland has been one of the hardest cities in which to find work. The official unemployment rate in the city went over 14% in March 2009. Underemployment is a rampant problem, and wages tend to be artificially low compared to the cost of living. These forces combine to make Portland a tough job market to navigate.
PDX Soapbox Derby
A popular event which takes place annually in mid-August and is great for spectators. Some soapbox cars strive for speed and slick design while others are incredibly imaginative and hilarious creations. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy watching the races.
Music
Doug Fir Lounge
830 e burnside st, +1 503 231-9663, (http://www.dougfirlounge.com/). doug fir lounge is portland's slickest, upscale music venue featuring live shows almost every night of the week in the basement, a restaurant on street level and a bar in both. a decidedly hip variety of traveling and local music.
Aladdin Theater
3017 se milwaukee ave, +1 503 234-9694, (http://www.aladdin-theater.com). a great venue revamped from an old theater hall that offers shows almost nightly, featuring local favorites as well as northwest and national acts. food and alcohol available.
Wonder Ballroom
128 ne russell st, +1 503 284-8686, (http://wonderballroom.com/). a large ballroom with cash bar featuring many of portland's favorite music artists and national touring acts.
Roseland Theater
8 nw 6th ave, at burnside, +1 503 224-2038, (http://www.roselandpdx.com/). roseland theater is a great place to go see a rock show or catch a hip hop concert. it is a good size venue but still gives you that crowded rock show feel. this venue is very fun to watch a show because the crowd always gets really into the music. it gets very crowded in some parts of the theater. this theater is standing room only. however there are seats in the upstairs to view the show from there.
Crystal Ballroom
1332 w burnside st, +1 503 225-0047, (http://www.mcmenamins.com...). crystal ballroom often referred to as "the crystal" is one of the nicest venues in town. the ballroom is great size and has great art and period light fixtures. this is a clean, well maintained venue. the crystal has a bar inside with upstairs balcony seating for 21+. the main floor is standing room only which makes the show much more intense. the floor gives under the weight of the crowd and can "bounce" if the crowd decides to jump in unison to bring on an encore, for example. according the crystal's website, at the time of its construction, the crystal's mechanical dance floor now fully restored to proper working order was said to be unique on the pacific coast. today, it may be the only one left in the united states.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
1037 sw broadway, +1 503 248-4335, (http://www.pcpa.com/event...). home to the oregon symphony and the metropolitan youth symphony. contains very immaculate italian architecture in the hall. the concert hall seats 2,776 people and hosts lectures, symphonies, comedians and big name musical acts.
Jimmy Mak's Jazz
221 nw 10th ave between davis and everett, +1 503 295-6542, (http://www.jimmymaks.com/). portland's unofficial home for live jazz music.
Rose Quarter
One center court, +1 503 797-9619, (http://www.rosequarter.com/). the rose quarter hosts the rose garden and the memorial coliseum which are two major arenas. hosting large, international level touring artists. the rose garden is home to the nba's portland trail blazers. ticket prices are usually higher for rose quarter events.
Portland has a pretty good music scene throughout town, with venues holding everything from huge national acts to small underground music groups. Many local pubs and bars offer great local bands on weekends, and the city is developing a national notoriety as the nation's "indie rock capital", with many high and low profile independent rock music acts calling the city home. Despite its reputation for all that is hip, Portland maintains a fairly diverse range of live music options. Check out one of the two weekly alternative newspapers for comprehensive music listings; the Portland Mercury and the Willamette Week.
The 2410
2410 n mississippi ave. a warehouse that has been converted to a semi-legit club that draws the biggest names in electronic music to portland. starting in recent years as a spot for "underground" raves, the spot has evolved and now hosts a variety of 16+, 18+, and 21+ events. the crowd is usually diverse, with 16-year-old ravers with pupils like saucers, aging wallflowers, and neo-hippies all in attendance. check flyers at record stores for information on upcoming events.