06.22.2023

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Today’s Forecast

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

‘Tourism means business’

New Portland Visitor Center to open as summer crowds return

Two men walk away from an open shop door next to large glass windows.

The entrance of the Portland Visitor Center’s new location in the heart of Portland’s vibrant downtown. | Photo by Travel Portland

The list of reasons to spend time in Portland is getting longer (it’s home to the country’s official best new restaurant and is about to host Formula E, for starters). As the Rose City’s star rises, so too does the number of people coming to visit — and they’ll soon find a new place to start their adventure.

Travel Portland will open a new visitor center Thursday, June 29, in the heart of downtown. Located at 1132 SW Harvey Milk St., the center will be a hop, skip, and jump away from top attractions like Powell’s City of Books, McMenamins Crystal Ballroom, and Block 216.

A small group of people mills about an indoor room with a polished concrete floor. — People attend a preview event at the new Portland Visitor Center.
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Photo by Travel Portland

This won’t be Portland’s first visitor center; the previous location was shuttered during the pandemic. City officials believe that reopening an informational hub for tourism signals a major milestone in Portland’s recovery.

In 2022, regional tourism drove more than $5.1 billion in visitor spending, Mayor Ted Wheeler said at a preview event for the new visitor center. It’s not quite back to pre-pandemic levels, but Travel Portland expects the city to surpass 2019 figures within the next few years.

“Research shows that people who visited us in the past view us more positively and are far more likely to visit us again. So our mission is to get people to come to Portland and see it with their own eyes,” Wheeler said. “Tourism means business for Portland.”

Four city officials cut a flower garland while two people each end inside a well-lit room featuring a large city poster. — Portland Metro Chamber President & CEO Andrew Hoan, Travel Portland President Jeff Miller, Mayor Ted Wheeler, and Commissioner Carmen Rubio joined in a ribbon cutting.
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Photo by Travel Portland

At the Portland Visitor Center, people will find information about the city, local events, dining options, attractions, natural areas, and more to help them maximize their trip. There are also plans to offer the center’s resources pop-up style at major gatherings.

Initially, the Portland Visitor Center will be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sundays in July before opening full-time by August. An open house will be held Wednesday, July 26, with 1,500 partner businesses and the downtown community.

Events

Thursday, June 22

Summer At Your Library Ice Cream Kick-Off | Thursday, June 22 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Three Creeks Community Library, 800 NE Tenney Rd., Vancouver | Free | Enjoy a chilly treat and sign up for the summer reading program.
“Stages of Beauty” | Thursday, June 22-Friday, June 23 | 7-8:45 p.m. | Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, 12625 SW Crescent St., Beaverton | $29-$33 | See guest artists from the Oregon Ballet Theatre dance alongside Oregon International Ballet Academy students as they perform the second act of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” and debut Ye Li’s “Player.”

Friday, June 23

Tigard Festival of Balloons | Friday, June 23-Sunday, June 25 | 5:45 a.m. | Cook Park, 17005 SW 92nd Ave., Tigard | $15-$45 | Get up early to see 16 hot air balloons rise with the dawn, then stick around for a day of carnival rides, food, a beer garden, live music, shopping, and more.
Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts | Friday, June 23-Sunday, June 25 | Times vary | Lakewood Center for the Arts + George Rogers Park, South State Street, Lake Oswego | Free | This festival has been bringing together artists, musicians, food vendors, volunteers, and community members since 1963.
Risk/Reward Festival | Friday, June 23-Sunday, June 25 | 7:30-9 p.m. | The Judy Kafoury Center for Youth Arts, 1000 SW Broadway T-100, Portland | $20 suggested donation | Regional indie artists will perform seven new works that blur the lines between the boundaries of theater, music, and dance.

Saturday, June 24

5th Annual Edgefield Brewfest | Saturday, June 24 | 12-7 p.m. | McMenamins Edgefield, 2126 SW Halsey St., Troutdale | $5-$30 | Raise a glass to celebrate all things hoppy, malty, fruity, and thirst quenching at this festival featuring live music and 100+ of the top beer and cider makers in the PNW.

Events calendar here

Click here to have your event featured.

Outdoors

🛥️ Summer bucket list: Cruise the Columbia River Gorge on a jet boat

a jet boat cruising on a bright blue river on a sunny day

“7 Wonders of the Gorge,” which runs at 2 p.m., joins the “Bigfoot Adventure Cruise” (runs at 9 a.m.) as Portland Spirit’s second daily tour. | Photo by Aaron Greene

Did you know? Not only does the Portland Spirit have its own jet boat dedicated to cruising the Columbia River Gorge, but they’ve also launched a brand-new cruise experience.

Portlanders can hop aboard to experience “7 Wonders of the Gorge,” a new guided tour to learn about the gorge’s geography and its unique wonders, including:

Cape Horn
Multnomah Falls
Crown Point
Rooster Rock
Beacon Rock
Mount Hood
and more

Explorer Jetboat cruises run at 9 a.m. + 2 p.m., Wednesdays-Fridays (closed Tuesdays) from July-September.*

Book your summer adventure

News Notes

State

Oregon lawmakers have outlined a spending plan for the Interstate 5 Bridge Replacement Project. The bill, which would allow the state to borrow $1 billion for the project over the next eight years, needs House and Senate approval before the current legislative session ends on Sunday, June 25. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Community

The Royal Rosarian Milk Carton Boat Race celebrates its 50th anniversary this Sunday, June 25. Watch as kids and adults compete in 42 handmade boats — kept afloat by the buoyant powers of milk jugs — at Westmoreland Park’s Casting Pond. You can support the Paddle to Prevent Hunger by donating a non-perishable food item.

Travel

Escape the PNW winter blues and party in the city where the heat is on. Starting Friday, Nov. 17, Alaska Airlines will offer direct flights between PDX and Miami — the “largest underserved city from Portland.” It will be the airline’s fourth nonstop route between Portland International Airport and Florida.

Try This

Were you dying to see WSU Vancouver’s blooming corpse flower last summer but missed your chance? The plant, dubbed Titan VanCoug, is expected to bloom again at the end of this month or in early July — a rare occurrence, since corpse flowers typically rest for several years between their stinky shows. (KOIN)

Arts

The first woman artistic director at Oregon Ballet Theatre has big plans for the Portland company’s future. Dani Rowe plans to drop apprenticeships — a position that makes little to no money within the industry at large — by 2030. She also hopes to grow OBT’s roster to 40 dancers and boost their pay. (OPB)

Environment

The Portland Urban Beekeepers usually respond to dozens — or even hundreds — of reports of honeybee swarms every spring. But this year, they were only called to a couple. Members of the club and an apiculturist at Oregon State University suspect wet springtime conditions are to blame for lower colony counts. (KOIN)

Asked

Recently, we asked you to get creative and make Portland into a unique flavor of ice cream using one to three locally procured ingredients. What flavor are you crafting up? Share it with us and we may feature it in an upcoming newsletter.

Drink

A crushable summer beverage that won’t leave you with a hangover the next day? Try Ritual Zero Proof’s All Day Margarita made with alcohol-free tequila.*

Active

🚲 Party in the streets

Portland Sunday Parkways offers car-free fun this summer

People walk their bicycles on a paved street with food booths.

There will be plenty of food options along the Cully route for when you work up an appetite. | Photo via Portland Sunday Parkways

This summer marks the 16th anniversary of Portland Sunday Parkways, AKA “the city’s biggest family street party.” On dedicated days, the city closes some public streets to traffic and clears the way for Portlanders to walk, bike, roll, and play without worrying about cars.

There are two remaining Sunday Parkways events this summer: Sunday, June 25 in the Cully neighborhood and Sunday, Sept. 10 in Southwest Portland. Each route is accessible, family-friendly, and people are welcome to hop on at any point along the way from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Participants can enjoy live music, free Biketown rides, water bottle fill stations, bike tune-ups, food pop-ups, and workshops (think: skateboarding clinics and circus training) at parks and stops along the Cully route. Be sure to join the Kaiser Permanente Sticker Hunt and redeem your completed map for a special bike bell.

To receive event updates and information about scheduled activities, text “Cully” or “Southwest” to (888) 520-0526. You can also sign up to volunteer.

The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Cambrie

From the editor

Summer is when frozen desserts take the spotlight. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to find dairy-free options that don’t sacrifice flavor here. Eater Portland put together a handy map of treat spots around town that either offer an exclusively dairy-free menu or have stand-out vegan goodies. I’m always up for new recommendations — send your dairy-free dessert tips my way.

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