09.26.2023

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Today’s Forecast

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

🕸️ Get caught in an educational web

Explore the world of bugs at the Portland Insectarium

Visitors can pay an extra $5 to hold mantises, jumping spiders, or tarantulas. | Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday

Insects go largely unnoticed in our daily lives — unless one finds its way into the house or decides to take a bite. But what the tiny creatures we share this planet with lack in size (not that we’re complaining), they make up for in numbers and purpose. Personal preferences aside, Earth simply wouldn’t function without them.

At the Portland Insectarium, visitors will find, if not a love of the critters, at least a healthy respect for their individual roles in the web of life. Billed as the city’s “first zoo and museum dedicated entirely to insects and arachnids,” the center invites the public to learn about bugs by getting up close and personal with them. Literally.

Located inside Millieu Collective in the Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood, the Portland Insectarium displays numerous terrariums housing a variety of live critters along with pinned specimens and educational materials. Visitors pay an admission fee ($9 for adults) to explore the single large room, chat with volunteer staff, and handle some of the multi-legged residents.

portland insectarium pdx bug zoo — Pet jumping spiders and enclosures can also be purchased at the Portland Insectarium.
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Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday

What you’ll see

We met a Venezuelan suntiger tarantula named Apricot and a rose hair tarantula named Ursula — and even held one of the hairy creatures. Guests can also interact with the isopods (aka pill bugs), cockroaches, and beetles.

More exotic members of the bug zoo include vinegaroons — alienesque desert predators reminiscent of scorpions but without the stinging tail — horrid king assassin bugs, velvet ants, and water bugs that ambush prey.

Museum with a mission

Jessica Szabo and Molly Radany founded the insectarium, launching the concept first as a pop-up, mobile zoo in 2018, hosting tea parties (Miss Spider, anyone?) and visiting classrooms. It opened in its current location in 2022, providing space for insect and arachnid enthusiasts — and the less-than-enthusiastic — to connect and learn.

Events

Tuesday, Sept. 26

U-Pick Tomatoes & Peppers | Tuesday, Sept. 26-Friday, Sept. 29 | 11 a.m.-3 p.m. | Velvet Acres Gardens, 18905 NE 83rd St., Vancouver | Free | Ditch the supermarket and visit this farm to pick end-of-summer produce for $1.50 per pound.
The Spirit of Halloweentown 2023 | Tuesday, Sept. 26-Tuesday, Oct. 31 | Locations vary, St. Helens | Free+ | The town where cult-favorite flicks “Halloweentown” and “Twilight” were filmed revives the magic of the season each year with decorations, haunted history, and special ticketed attractions.

Wednesday, Sept. 27

Portland Latin American Film Festival | Wednesday, Sept. 27-Thursday, Nov. 30 | Times vary | The Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., Portland | $9-$14 | Seven films and documentaries from Argentina, Colombia, Cuba, Chile, Mexico, Panama, and the US will be presented for this event’s 17th running.

Thursday, Sept. 28

Papa Ulana Launiu - Weaving with Coconut Leaves | Thursday, Sept. 28-Sunday, Oct. 1 | Times vary | ALoHā Resource & Community Center, 12655 SW Center St., Ste. 321, Portland | $20 | Support those displaced by wildfires in Hawaii and learn how to weave a fan or hanging basket for your home.
“Misery": A Live Immersive Theatrical Event | Thursday, Sept. 28-Saturday, Oct. 28 | Times vary | Beaverton Masonic Lodge, 4690 SW Watson Ave., Beaverton | $5-$175 | Step into a live performance of Stephen King’s chilling tale about an author who’s held hostage by an unhappy fan.

Friday, Sept. 29

Oregon Zoo Fall Beer and Cider Festival | Friday, Sept. 29-Saturday, Sept. 30 | 5-10 p.m. | Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd., Portland | $25-$55 | Usher in the start of a new season alongside musicians, zoo keepers, food vendors, and more than 40 local brewers and cider makers.

Saturday, Sept. 30

PlantFest | Saturday, Sept. 30 | 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. | Portland Community College Rock Creek, Building 9, 17705 NW Springville Rd., Portland | Free | Join the Hardy Plant Society of Oregon’s fall plant sale; tickets are available for a lecture on incorporating drought-tolerant native plants into your garden.

Events calendar here

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News Notes

Number

$351,000. That’s how much the highest-paid city of Portland worker made last year, according to data collected by The Oregonian/Oregon Live. The news outlet published a list detailing every city employee’s salary and position; in all, about one-seventh of the $5.4 billion Portland expended went to workforce compensation. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Community

Rainier, cooler days are here — and the risk of wildfires has fizzled. Multnomah County’s outdoor burn ban will be lifted on Sunday, Oct. 1, as a result. Fire officials urge residents to observe safe burning practices and follow local regulations.

Arts

A subdivision of Wilsonville is now home to a bronze rendering of its namesake: Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. The 6-ft-tall statue depicting an infant Charbonneau cradled by his mother, Sacajawea, was unveiled at a ceremony attended by Sacajawea’s great-great-great-grandniece, the monument’s 94-year-old creator, and members of the Warm Springs, Klamath, and Paiute tribes. (Here is Oregon)

Plan Ahead

Portland’s FashioNXT Week will command the catwalk for its 10th anniversary, Thursday, Oct. 5-Saturday, Oct. 7, at the US Bank Building on Southwest Broadway. Peep collections by international and local designers, glimpse innovative creations like 3D-printed shoes by STUDIO LINQ, and mingle with industry pros before and after runway shows. (KOIN)

Award

Oregon is a brew-tiful place. Breweries across the state took home 23 medals over the weekend at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. Breakside Brewery led the pack with four total medals. Other local recipients included Hopworks Brewery, Little Beast Brewing, Grains of Wrath Brewing, and Grand Fir Brewing. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Environment

For native amphibians hopping from Forest Park to the Willamette River, life may soon look less like a high-stakes game of Frogger. The Oregon Wildlife Foundation has proposed building an underpass on US 30 in Northwest Portland with a concrete culvert providing red-legged frogs safe passage to their breeding grounds. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

Today Is

… the first day of the fall term at Portland State University. Students can ease back into their studies with the help of free donuts and coffee offered on campus. About 22,000 students are currently enrolled, down from nearly 30,000 enrolled a decade ago. (KOIN)

Ranked

You’ve heard of “Sleepless in Seattle”... but what about “Plant-based in Portland”? Sounds like a 5-star rom-com, if you ask us. WalletHub ranked Portland the No. 1 city in the country for vegans and vegetarians based on the cost of groceries and the number of eateries with meatless options. (WalletHub)

Wellness

Fact: Fall is a busy time for everyone. That’s why The Couples Clinic of Portland offers a wide variety of scheduling options to meet your needs. With flexible evening availability, and virtual or in-person options, scheduling doesn’t have to be a barrier to becoming a happier, healthier you. Book online.*

Finance

Peek the perks. A $200 welcome bonus, unlimited cash back, and 0% interest into 2024 all with no annual fee almost sounds too good to be true — but this card has it all.*

Community

🪚 It’s tool time

Borrow instead of buying at one of Portland’s neighborhood tool libraries

Two green shipping containers with doors and lawn equipment outside.

The East Portland Tool Library also accepts donations of non-gas-powered items. | Photo by Jacob Loeb - Montavilla News

You finally set aside some time to knock out that home project you’ve been putting off, but just as you settle in to start, you realize you don’t have the right drill. Or maybe your extension cord fell victim to an enthusiastic rodent. Whatever the case, the hiccup has thrown a major… ahem… wrench into your day.

Depending on where you live, there might be a solution that’ll save you a trip to Home Depot.

A handful of tool libraries scattered around Portland give residents the opportunity to borrow repair, maintenance, and crafting equipment — from wire strippers to reciprocating saws. The East Portland Tool Library is the newest outpost in the city, operating out of two shipping containers in the Cherry Park United Methodist Church parking lot at 1736 SE 106th Ave.

For eligible residents, donation-based, pay-what-you-can membership unlocks access to the library’s collection, which is open every Saturday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., for week-long rentals.

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The Wrap

Today’s edition by:
Cambrie

From the editor

I’m back after spending some days soaking up plenty of sunshine in Arizona and taking time to rest away from the computer. While the end of summer felt somewhat abrupt, I’m ready to jump into fall (and at least a few piles of leaves) — I have a long list of books to read, corn mazes to explore, and garden produce to preserve... specifically a mountain of ripe pears.

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