Today’s Forecast

49º | Showers | 84% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:50 a.m. | Sunset 4:40 p.m.

A black and white image of a large carousel.

The Jantzen Beach Carousel in the yard outside the C.W. Parker Amusement Company in Leavenworth, KS. | Photo by C.W. Parker Archives, Barbara Fahs Charles collection

Watching the world spin by from the back of an ornately carved and painted animal, bathed in the warm glow of incandescent bulbs, is a cherished experience for kids and adults alike. In Portland, one particular carousel delighted people for decades — but it’s now in dire need of a new owner.

The Jantzen Beach Carousel was built in 1921 by the C.W. Parker Amusement Company. It debuted on a Southern California pier before making its way to Oregon, opening in 1928 at the Jantzen Beach Amusement Park on Hayden Island.

Two carousel horses are in a room. A person leans over one of them with a paintbrush. — Painter Cora Finney works on one of the carousel’s “pelted” horses.
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Photo by Stephanie Brown, Restore Oregon director of carousel planning and education

The park closed in 1970 and the carousel moved into the shopping mall that took its place. There it remained until development plans forced it to move into storage in 2012. Five years later, the carousel was donated to local nonprofit Restore Oregon.

As its temporary stewards, Restore Oregon has charted a preservation roadmap for the carousel’s full restoration, which is to be completed by a future owner. It’s a hefty undertaking: The wooden carousel measures 28 ft tall and nearly 67 ft across, weighs 20 tons, and features two chariots and four rows of 72 horses — along with 10 additional spare horses.

Stephanie Brown, Restore Oregon’s director of carousel planning and education, said the organization estimates the work will cost at least $4 million. Some of the cost could be offset through community partnerships (Miller Paint, for example, donated paint during the preservation testing phase) and in-kind donations of products, services, and even labor.

A design rendering shows a carousel in an outdoor pavilion surrounded by people and city buildings along a waterfront area. — In an urban or suburban setting, the carousel could be a focal point for the community.
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Rendering by PLACE via Restore Oregon

But the payout could be huge. As Restore Oregon’s webpage states, restoring the carousel and providing it a permanent home would “save a treasured piece of local history and create a new landmark with the potential to become as representative of the Pacific Northwest as food trucks, beer, and artisan coffee.”

If a new owner isn’t found by Restore Oregon’s Sept. 15 deadline, the carousel may have to leave the state.

Visit the exhibit, reopening this summer

Events

Friday, March 24

Seven Guitars | Friday, March 24-Sunday, April 9 | Times vary | Brunish Theatre, Antoinette Hatfield Hall, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland | $25-$38 | The 10-part Pittsburgh Cycle examines African American life in each decade of the 20th century; this installment, sixth in the cycle, takes place in 1948.
Pong Tournament | Friday, Mar. 24 | 8-10 p.m. | Pono Brew Labs, 1728 NE 40th Ave., Portland | Price of purchase | Kick off Spring Break by bringing your A-game to this beer pong competition. Don’t worry, the brews are markedly better than those you remember from college.

Saturday, March 25

Raising Mason Bees | Saturday, Mar. 25 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Portland Community College Rock Creek, 17705 NW Springville Rd., Portland | Free | Join the Washington County Master Gardener Association for a presentation on environmental needs, nesting behaviors, and housing to attract these native, solitary pollinators.
Frankenstein’s Comicbook Swap | Saturday, Mar. 25 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Lloyd Center, 1405 Lloyd Center, Portland | $1-$5 | Bring your old comics and take home new treasures at this fun swap in the former H&M store.
Portland Opera’s “Rusalka” Preview | Saturday, Mar. 25 | 2-3 p.m. | Walters Cultural Arts Center, 527 E. Main St., Hillsboro | Free | Enjoy selections from Dvorak’s gorgeous fairy tale opera in which a water nymph and a human fall in love.

Sunday, March 26

Portland Thorns vs. Orlando Pride | Sunday, Mar. 26 | 2 p.m. | Providence Park, 1844 SW Morrison St., Portland | $25-$85 | Hope your cheering voice is ready — the title defense starts here.
2023 Building Stories | Sunday, Mar. 26 | 3:30-5 p.m. | Architectural Heritage Center, 701 SE Grand Ave., Portland | $15-$25 | Watch three original shorts created by PNW filmmakers and learn little-known stories about Portland’s unique history, architecture, and culture at this fundraiser supporting the center’s work.

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

Click here to have your event featured.

Get your weekend started

News Notes

Weather

46º | Rain showers | 69% chance of rain
Storms may drop hail and some snow over the next couple of days, potentially leading to dangerous road conditions across the Portland metro area. PBOT said drivers should be prepared to go slow or pull over and park to wait for conditions to improve. Get more winter weather travel tips.

Sunrise + Sunset

Rise: 7:06 a.m.
Set: 7:28 p.m.

Civic

Portland Parks and Recreation has narrowed down its search for the future home of the North Portland Aquatic Center to three parks: Columbia, Northgate, or University. Share your pick at the next community workshop on Thursday, April 27, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the César Chávez School cafeteria.

Opening

Need some fun Spring Break plans? Oaks Amusement Park will open this Saturday, March 25 for its 118th season, offering everything from rides to mini golf to food. Visitors will find new menu options (like slow-roasted pulled pork sandwiches) and arcade games. It’s open daily through Sunday, April 2. (KOIN)

Coming Soon

A nanobrewery is moving into 61 SE Yamhill St. — the former home of Hair of the Dog Brewing Company. Labyrinth Forge Brewing will open its first tasting room and commercial brewery in the space sometime this summer and share its kitchen with nonprofits during off hours. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Community

Boaters can explore the Columbia River from the Bonneville Dam to Astoria with more peace of mind. TowBoatUS Portland relaunched its 24/7 on-water towing service, staffed by U.S. Coast Guard captains and two 26-ft response vessels. The company also offers jump starts and fuel deliveries. (Portland Tribune)

Festival

Pickathon revealed a 2023 music festival lineup that features international flare spanning many genres, from bluegrass banjo and Venezuelan harp combo Larry & Joe to Zambian psych rockers W.I.T.C.H. It’ll be a full weekend of tunes, art, and camping, Thursday, Aug. 3-Sunday, Aug. 6, at Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley.

Travel

Heading out of town for Spring Break? Portland International Airport offers 60+ nonstop destinations across 18 airlines. Before you get to PDX, check out our airport guide to make your trip plane and simple.

Shop

Looking for a unique hostess gift? Enter PDXPOP!, a small-batch popcorn created from all-natural ingredients. Bonus: All proceeds benefit Meals on Wheels People. Add to cart. *

Number

$241. That’s the real price of a roundtrip ticket from Boston to Barcelona sold this year via Going — a travel membership that alerts you when flight prices drop. Sign up for a free membership or try an Elite membership for free if you’re interested in business and first class tickets, too.

DYK

Did you know today is the last day to enter our Six & Main Spring Forward Contest? The winner + two of their friends will receive a prize from one of our coffee/tea brand partners. Spring on over to Instagram to learn more.

Cause

👓 Share the gift of clear vision

A hand holds a pair of eyeglasses over a donation box.

Tax receipts for donations are only available at the OLSHF office on Northwest 22nd Avenue (tip: ship your donation directly to the main office if you can’t drop it off in person). | Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday

If you wear prescription glasses, there’s a good chance you have a stash of old pairs collecting dust in a forgotten drawer. Add “exhume eyeglasses graveyard” to your spring cleaning checklist this year and donate those old prescription spectacles to a local cause.

The Oregon Lions Sight & Hearing Foundation (OLSHF) manages a recycling program that collects more than 75,000 eyeglasses every year around the state. There are 30+ dropoff locations in Portland, from optometry clinics and pharmacies to retirement homes and grocery stores.

Donations are cleaned, calibrated, repaired, and sorted with the help of a program at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. OLSHF distributes nearly 120,000 donated eyeglasses each year to organizations that connect them with people in need all over the world.

Looking for another way to help? Schedule a sorting party at the Lions Eyeglass Recycling Program warehouse in Northwest Portland.

The Wrap

Today’s Edition By:
Cambrie Juarez

From the Editor

The Oregonian/Oregon Live asked an interesting question this week: What should Oregon’s official movie be? I can’t decide between “The Goonies” and “Stand By Me” (can you tell I’m a fan of coming-of-age adventure flicks?), but “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” is a solid contender because, well, it was simply incredible. Which film would you choose?

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Develop a skill or pick up a new hobby at one of these fun classes we found for adults.

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