Danke — that’s ‘thank you’ in German

4 things Germans brought to Portland

A historic photo shows a wooden bridge and waterfall in Washington Park around 1908

Until 1912, Washington Park was simply called City Park. | University of Washington: Special Collections

As one of the largest European immigrant groups in the Portland metro area, Germans have definitely helped shape the city into what it is today. Here are a few of Portland’s ties to “Das Land der Dichter und Denker” — the Land of Poets and Thinkers.

🌳 Washington Park

Munich-born Bernard Goldsmith, the 19th mayor of Portland, made a very green decision back in 1871. For $32,000, he purchased 40 wooded acres in the Southwest Hills, which later became the city’s crown jewel: Washington Park.

Goldsmith not only had a heart for the outdoors, but was also a well-established businessman who was one of the first to ship grain from Portland directly to England.

💪 Fitness culture

Being physically and mentally fit was a growing trend in 19th-century Germany. Many Turnvereine (athletics + gymnastics associations) were founded to keep the nation healthy. German political refugees introduced the Turnverein movement to the United States in the late 1840s; the Portland Turnverein opened in 1872 on the third floor of the New Market Theatre.
In addition to their focus on physical education, Turners — as they were referred to in the US — were involved in civic + social matters within their communities. In Portland, for example, the Turners hosted post-parade Thanksgiving dinners and musical events.

🎼 Classical music

Closely linked to the Turners, immigrant Germans also started singing clubs — Gesangsvereine — dedicated to their home country’s classical music. The Portland branch is the Liedertafel Harmonie and has kept this tradition alive since 1923.

These groups are still a vital link in the city’s German community, preserving the culture through concerts and dances. Join their annual Weihnachtskonzert (Christmas concert) or sing along at their meetings every Friday.

CHEERS TO GERMAN BEERS

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Today

Bubbles + Books with Literacy Lady PDX | Fri., Sept. 30 | 10 + 11 a.m. | Hammer + Jacks, 6406 SE Foster Rd. | Suggested $5 donation | Sing and dance at this storytime geared toward babies + preschoolers (older siblings are welcome too). 📖
Fresh Hops Festival | Fri., Sept. 30-Sat., Oct. 1 | Times vary | Oaks Amusement Park | $25 | Celebrate local bounty and beer with 30+ craft breweries from around the state. 🍺
Matt Nathanson | Fri., Sept. 30 | 7:30 p.m. | Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., #203 | $45+ | The artist behind the platinum-selling hit “Come On Get Higher” is in town. 🎟️
41st Annual Portland Regional Gem and Mineral Show | Fri., Sept. 30-Sun., Oct. 2 | Times vary | Wingspan Event & Conference Center, 801 NE 34th Ave., Hillsboro | $7 | Meet dozens of dealers, see presentations + demonstrations, explore a fossil discovery area, and more. 💎

Saturday

Mezcal & Mariscos: Dinner Inspired by a Sense of Place | Sat., Oct. 1 | 6-9 p.m. | House of Tasty, 726 SE Sixth Ave. | $120 | Experience a six-course seafood feast inspired by Oaxacan cuisine + discover the world of mezcal. 🦐

Sunday

Resilience: A Sansei Sense of Legacy | Sun., Oct. 2 | 2 p.m. | Japanese American Museum of Oregon, 411 NW Flanders St., Ste. 100 | Free | Artist Tom Nakashima will deliver a talk to open the museum’s latest exhibit, which examines the consequences of Executive Order 9066.
Dine the Couve | Throughout the month of October | Participating restaurants in Clark County, WA | Times vary | It’s officially dining month in Vancouver, Washington — enjoy 3 for $25 and 3 for $35 specialty menus at participating restaurants.*

Monday

Bear’s Den | Mon., Oct. 3 | 8 p.m. | Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St. #203 | $25 | The London-born folk rock band known for its anthemic songs will be joined by singer Izzy Heltai. 🐻

Tuesday

Live Wire Radio’s Fancy Pants Gala | Tues., Oct. 4 | 7:30 p.m. | Portland Center Stage at The Armory, 128 NW 11th Ave. | $95+ | Put on a snazzy outfit + support this nonprofit’s work to bring interesting and entertaining conversations to public radio. 📻

We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

For tickets to local and regional events, check out our 6AM Tickets resale marketplace.*

WAKE UP, SEPTEMBER ENDS

Meet the pillow made specifically for side sleepers ☁️

Brooklinen-Marlow-Pillow-A-Version-Sept-2022

Marlow’s sleep system is part of the Brooklinen family. | Photo provided by Marlow

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Marlow designed a pillow specifically for side sleepers with:

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The reviews speak for themselves — according to buyers, Marlow’s pillow gave them their best night of sleep in years. Bonus: Marlow offers 365-day returns, and code 6AM saves you 10%, plus buy-more, save-more discounts up to 40%.*

SWEET DREAMS, PORTLAND

Weather

78º | Morning clouds, then mostly sunny | 9% chance of rain

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 7:07 a.m.
Set: 6:52 p.m.

Traffic

Parts of Portland will be closed to drivers this Sun., Oct. 2 for the Portland Marathon. Runners will set out at ~7 a.m. from Waterfront Park on a route crossing the Broadway, Burnside, Morrison, and Sellwood bridges. TriMet MAX lines and buses will also be impacted. 🚦 (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Outdoors

The outdoor burn ban in Multnomah County will be lifted Sat., Oct. 1. Cooler temps + recent rain means recreational campfires, fire pits, and agricultural burning will be permitted on approved burn days; yard debris burning is never allowed within Portland city limits. 🔥
Last summer’s unprecedented heat wave was a once-in-10,000-years event, according to a new study. Analyzing climate simulations and historical data + trends, scientists concluded that the event — which blasted Portland with 116° record-high temperatures — was the result of “climate change plus bad luck.” (OPB)

Open

A speakeasy-style cocktail bar with all the cozy date-night vibes has reopened on North Michigan Avenue after a two-year hiatus. At Bad Habit Room, brewers are invited to collaborate with local mixologists on creative, elegant beer cocktails. Drinks include the Moon Shoes — a blend of marshmallow vodka, citrus + vermouth. (Willamette Week)

Sports

Portland Thorns players + coaches are rooting for forward Sophia Smith to be named this year’s MVP of the National Women’s Soccer League. Smith is tied for the second-highest tally of goals this season at 12. She’d be the youngest player to ever win NWSL MVP if she’s chosen later this year. 🏆 (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)
Merritt Paulson, the owner of the Portland Timbers + Thorns (collectively known as the PTFC), reportedly sold a 15% stake in the franchise to private equity firm Arctos last year. The PTFC is valued at $685 million — making it the eighth most valuable sports franchise in Major League Soccer. ⚽ (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Eat

Meat-free Kenyan cuisine is what you’ll find at the brand new food cart Maisha in Sellwood’s Piknik Park pod. Owner Tachibana Sheikh opened the cart as a tribute to the food of his childhood, with stews + braises that showcase ingredients like spiced tomatoes, potatoes, and curried bananas. 🇰🇪 (Eater Portland)

Travel

Who’s planning on traveling out of PDX for the Thanksgiving holiday? Pro tip: It’s never too early to book those flights. Pro, pro tip: Scott’s Cheap Flights Elite Plan gets you up to 90% off premium economy, business, and first class seats. ✈️*

Real Estate

For Raynette + Jim Costanza, selling their investment property made the transition to retirement even sweeter. See how they did it.*

Learn

Bom dia, Portland. Learning a new language can feel difícil (that’s Portuguese for “difficult”), but with Babbel, it doesn’t have to be. Their bite-size, 10-minute lessons are designed to fit your lifestyle — and right now, you can get 55% off your subscription.*

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No vines = feelin’ fine 🌳

Portland Parks & Recreation’s 19th annual No Ivy Day

Invasive English ivy climbs up a tree in Portland's Marquam Nature Park

Removing ivy helps native plant species flourish. | Photo by PDXtoday

City Editor Ben here. Some things are incredibly satisfying to me. Getting home from a trip to a clean house. Swishing a jump shot from behind the arc.

Now, I can add pulling English ivy off trees to that list. It’s simply... di-vine.

To pick up what I’m putting down, you can join Portland Parks & Recreation’s upcoming No Ivy Day (Sat., Oct. 29), when volunteers across the city will help to remove the invasive plant from our parks and natural areas.

Recently, I spent a couple of hours with a crew working in Marquam Nature Park to clear the climbers from the trees by employing the “girdle” process. We used loppers to cut the ivy at its base and overhead, clearing a ring around each tree.

A before photo of a tree that had ivy crawling up it and after the ivy was removed — Leave it to the dedicated volunteers — they’ll get the job done.

If left unchecked, ivy vines can grow to be as thick as your arm, adding extra weight and stress to the native trees while disturbing the surrounding ecosystem.

Volunteer groups meet in Marquam Nature Park every second Wednesday and last Saturday of the month — but there are plenty of other events going on across the city almost daily.

And remember, there are never any rejection letters from the (No) Ivy League.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Eva (our Arthur F. Burns fellow) and Ben.

Editor’s pick: Hallo, Eva here. My two months at PDXtoday have come to an end — I have to say that time has passed extremely quickly. But that’s the thing when you are having fun, isn’t it?

What I will take back with me to Germany: the friendliness and interest Portlanders had for me during my stay, the great adventures in stunning nature like camping on the coast or hiking the Columbia River Gorge, and my two new journalist friends in the Pacific Northwest, Ben and Cambrie.

Thanks for all the support and Auf Wiedersehen! I will definitely come back.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? We’ve got pumpkin to talk about.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Cambrie Juarez, Ben McBee, Trevor Peters, Britt Thorson, Ashlea Hearn, Emily Shea, Eva Limmer | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

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