Rose City Rollers: Portland’s elite roller derby athletes
A team’s “jammer” (each wears a star on their helmet) tries to score points by lapping opposing team members. | Photo by Regularman Photography
Rose City Rollers “skate fast, hit hard, and defy stereotypes about athletes in women’s sports.”
Founded in 2004 by Kim Stegeman, Portland’s roller derby league offers an opportunity for people to find community, empowerment, and a full-contact sport to sink their teeth into.
Meg Patterson, the marketing manager for Rose City Rollers, told us the league is the largest in the world with 500+ skating members.
“What’s really amazing about the sport is there is a level of finding belonging for a lot of people who probably would have never seen themselves as any type of athlete,” said Meg, “or potentially for people who have encountered incredible social barriers to competing in sports. We have a number of trans and non-binary skaters who are members.”
The Rose City Rollers (RCR) league encompasses 17 different teams and programs, including four adult home teams, two junior derby programs, and a recreational program for skaters of all ages.
Competing at the national and international levels is the RCR all-star team — and reigning world champions, no big deal — the Wheels of Justice, along with their B-team component, the Axles of Annihilation. The Wheels of Justice are four-time world champions, second only to the Gotham Derby of New York City when it comes to championship titles.
Four blockers from each team try to protect their jammer while preventing the other team’s jammer from passing through.
This weekend marks the return of the Rose City Rollers’ three-day tournament, the Hometown Throwdown, for the first time since 2019. Teams from all over the world will be rolling in to compete Fri., Nov. 4-Sun., Nov. 6 at The Hangar at Oaks Amusement Park. Tickets are available online.
Learn more about joining a team or booking a mobile skating rink at a private event with the help of RCR’s Skatemobile.
The Art of Food | Wednesday, Nov. 2-Saturday, Dec. 3 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at PSU, 1855 SW Broadway, Portland | Free | Feast with your eyes on a veritable smorgasbord of art pieces.
Marvel Universe of Super Heroes | Wednesday, Nov. 2-Tuesday, April 25 | Times vary | OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave., Portland | $24-$30 | Avengers, assemble! From film props and interactive displays to original comic book pages and a life-sized Hulk, fans of the Marvel universe will be super-charged by this traveling exhibit.
PBF Cover to Cover: Word Play! A Write Around Portland Mini-Workshop | Wednesday, Nov. 2 | 6:30-8 p.m. | Two Rivers Bookstore and Weird Sisters Yarn, 8836 N. Lombard St., Portland | Free | Write, share, and stretch your literary muscles at this event featuring group writes, speedy writes, and more.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies | Wednesday, Nov. 2 | 7 p.m. | Moda Center, 1 N. Center Court St., Portland | $17+ | You know that rule about playing dead if you’re attacked by a bear? Yeah... RIP City won’t be doing that.
Thursday, Nov. 3
Trevor Hall | Thursday, Nov. 3 | 8 p.m. | Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W. Burnside St., Portland | $30 | The musician who blends folk, roots, and reggae brings his 2 Oceans Tour to Portland with special guest Gone Gone Beyond.
Friday, Nov. 4
Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony | Friday, Nov. 4-Monday, Nov. 7 | Times vary | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, Portland | $25 | This sweeping symphony is one of Beethoven’s most celebrated works, featuring broad strokes of sound to convey his feelings about life.
“It’s A Wonderful Life Jr. The Musical” | Friday, Nov. 4-Sunday, Nov. 13 | Times vary | Eastside Theater, 3445 SE Hillyard Rd., Gresham | $10-$15 | This adaptation of Frank Capra’s classic film, performed and written for youth theater, will remind you that every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.
Portland Winterhawks vs. Seattle Thunderbirds | Friday, Nov. 4 | 7 p.m. | Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 300 Winning Way, Portland | $26-$65 | It’ll be all thunder, no lightning from the visiting flock at this avian showdown.
We have amonthly 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.
Young patients at Portland’s Doernbecher Children’s Hospital recently teamed up withNike for the 18th annual Doernbecher Freestyle — making six designs to be auctioned off. Every penny raised through the auction + retail shoe sales will go directly to Doernbecher hospital. 👟 (KGW)
Civic
Portland’s second Safe Rest Villageis expected to open sometime this month. The village — one of the city’s six planned Safe Rest locations — will be located at the Menlo Park & Ride near Southeast 122nd Avenue and East Burnside Street. City leaders hope the villages provide a gateway to permanent housing. (KGW)
Open
Beer + tacos, anyone?Great Notion Brewing isteaming up withMatt’s BBQ Tacos to give Portlanders the ultimate combo. As of today, the Austin-style breakfast taco cart has a permanent residence inside the brewery — serving signature flour tortillas filled with potatoes, eggs, and slow-smoked meat. 🌮 (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)
Biz
Daimler Truck North America, headquartered on Swan Island, announced plans to make all of its trucks electricby2039 — with the first zero-emission Freightliners scheduled for delivery in the coming weeks. The project also aims to put truck charging stations along popular routes, encouraging more companies to make the switch. 🔋 (KOIN)
Number
17 tons. That’s how much sausage is being smoked for the 88th annualVerboort Sausage and Kraut Festival on Sat., Nov. 5 in Forest Grove. Volunteers are preparingnearly 8,000 dinners showcasing traditional flavors. All proceeds from the festival will go to Visitation Catholic Church. (KOIN)
Try This
Ready to paws and reflect a bit? The Oregon Zoo is offering half-price admission Mon., Nov. 7-Fri., Nov. 11. “The grounds are beautiful this time of year, and it’s a great chance to see what’s new at the zoo,” said Director Heidi Rahn. Reserve your tickets online. 🦧
Film
Portland filmmaker Dawn Jones Redstone’s first feature film, “Mother of Color,” will start screening at the Hollywood Theatre this Fri., Nov. 4. The film, which tells the story of a single mother who receives dreams from her ancestors while pursuing a dream job opportunity, premiered last month at the Tacoma Film Festival. 📽️ (Portland Tribune)
DYK
Did you know you can share your Black Friday deals with our PDXtoday readers? Promote your business with us by submitting a deal to be included in our Fri., Nov. 25 newsletter. Pricing varies by market + must be submitted by Wed., Nov. 16.
Shop
The holiday season is just around the corner and we have the perfect wine chiller to keep your bottle of sparkly cool when hosting guests. Not only is it stainless steel and vacuum insulated, but its three different styles — teakwood, black marble, and calacatta gold — are sure to pop against your holiday decor. 🍾*
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Eat
Soaring back into downtown 🐘
Flying Elephants at Fox Tower reopens in downtown Portland
Flying Elephants is open Mon.-Fri., 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. | Photo via Elephants Delicatessen
Another business is breathing life back into downtown Portland. Flying Elephants reopened inside Fox Tower this week — and it’s sporting a fresh new look. The restaurant and market at 812 SW Park Ave. was remodeled and reorganized to provide a more modern, brighter experience.
Flying Elephants at Fox Tower first opened20+ years ago. It offers gourmet deli fare and dine-in or to-go items like breakfast burritos, salads, soups, sandwiches, desserts, wine, beer, and more. Guests will also find a new line of hot baguette sandwiches, which debuted at the new Lake Oswego location last week.
Pro tip: Try a bowl of hot Mama Leone’s soup before hitting the shops at Pioneer Place.
Editor’s pick: We’re at the peak of the leaf-peeping season right now, so I thought I’d share a neat spot I found in Vancouver where you’ll see a fiery display of autumn color: Proto-Cathedral of St. James the Greater on West 12th Street. This Gothic Revival-style church is stunning on its own — but the added pop of color from the trees next to it makes it look like a European postcard.
If you’re hungry, stop by Feral Public House(kitty-corner from the church) and try the tacos.
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