In Portland, Ore., people have gone beyond the trend of Little Free Libraries, creating all kinds of sidewalk installations to spark joy.
By the time tropical dream pop group Caicedo hit the stage at 6:30 pm, nearly every complimentary squiggly straw had found its way into the hands of eager festivalgoers swaying to the band's irresistible Latin grooves and hazy, late summer hooks. In beautifully all-ages PDX Pop Now! fashion, the crowd consisted of scene kids with purple hair nodding their heads, as well as children with giant earmuffs jumping up and down alongside their bigs.
If you're reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury' s newsreporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can't do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support!
Big changes and a rebrand are coming to Lil' America, a food cart pod that initially made headlines for its mission to exclusively host BIPOC- and LGBTQ-owned food carts. Opened by local restaurant group ChefStable in April 2023, Lil' America promised to provide mentorship to its tenants, host cultural events, and offer amenities like dry storage, a dish pit, and a walk-in fridge.
IN LOCAL NEWS: In 2002, when the city of Portland initially granted Zenith Energy permission to continue operating its fuel transport and storage facility in Northwest Portland, it did so with a number of conditions-in an attempt to limit further potential for local pollution. Environmental advocates who disagreed with the permit subsequently sued, and now a city attorney has admitted that the city does not believe it can enforce those compromise conditions at all. For the Mercury, Abe Asher has more.
Who's ready to have some fun? Well, the Mercury is here to help with FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland's best concerts and events-our way of saying thanks to our great readers and spread the word about some fantastic upcoming performances! (Psst... if you want to say thanks to the Mercury, please consider making a small monthly contribution to keep us alive and kickin'!) And oh boy, do we have some fun events coming at ya this week! CHECK IT OUT!
We often revel in the artistic craftsmanship of hand-built bikes. For most, owning one is like owning an original Picasso, only you also get to ride it. Many of us will settle for reading about handmade frames and bikes online or attending events showcasing them. And very few of us will actually attempt to build one. Surely, the know-how aspect is a huge barrier, as many may not have a mind bent toward frame building.
Dan McLean got an eviction notice at his apartment last week, instructing him to be out in less than five days. But McLean, who lives at a property owned by Home Forward-and is severely visually impaired-didn't know he'd been served previous eviction papers or that he was behind on rent. He says the housing voucher he receives wasn't covering his full rent, but no one at The Yards at Union Station apartments bothered to tell him, and he started racking up back rent and fees. To make things worse, court summons were being sent to a mailbox he didn't have access to.
GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! 👋 Expect another day of extreme "hot" with temps expected to hit 95 degrees before "cooling down" (HAHAHAHAHAAAA!) on Tuesday with a high of 92. The rest of the week is predicted to be much more reasonable, with the temps varying between the low-80s and mid-70s, but don't pack away those thongs just yet! Instead? Let's pack away some NEWS.
While it feels like the bullpen on the Major League roster has a pretty large disparity between the high-leverage guys and the stinkers, Justin Slaten had another lockdown inning against Jacksonville ( Marlins AAA) on an afternoon where not many Jumbo Shrimp looked too great. This game had some tension in the late going as three straight pitchers allowed a run, but, luckily, the WooSox had gotten off to a 7-0 lead and got some balls batted into the stands from their infielders:
Brian Ferriso, director of the Portland Art Museum since 2006, is resigning to become director of the Dallas Museum of Art in Texas. Oregon Public Broadcasting broke the story Friday morning, Aug. 20, citing a press release from the Dallas museum. Ferriso, who has spent the past several years guiding the Portland museum's massive, $111 million redesign and addition, will leave after the unveiling of the completed project on Nov. 20, and will take the reins in Dallas on Dec. 1, 2025.
In July, Nguyen, Tran, and a Beaverton coffee shop that hosted a Whisk & Bloom event all received letters in the mail threatening legal action if they didn't stop selling Marukyu Koyamaen, a brand of high-end matcha often considered the gold standard of Japanese tea makers.
The Portland Trail Blazers reportedly have a new owner, Tom Dundon, who wants to keep the team in Portland. This change comes after years of uncertainty.
The 'Long Strings' project featured an impressive array of handcrafted instruments built from discarded materials found at Zidell Yards, showcasing creativity in repurposing junk.