Grow your Portland knowledge with these local podcasts
City Cast Portland’s content diet covers local issues ranging from equity and livability to the best local donut. | Photo by John Notarianni
Whether you want to learn more about a local topic, hear someone else’s perspective, or simply take a break from the world around you, these Portland podcasts offer insight into everything from sports and real estate to music and food. Just put on your headphones and hit that play button.
News
“Think Out Loud” Oregon Public Broadcasting’s daily podcast covers topics like politics, music, sports, books, the environment, and global issues through a PNW lens.
“Beat Check with The Oregonian” Take a deeper dive into current headlines from across the state with episodes hosted by journalists Shane Dixon Kavanaugh, Gosia Wozniacka, Elliot Njus, and Therese Bottomly every Monday.
“City Cast Portland” Hosted by locals, for locals, this daily podcast aims to build listeners’ relationships with their city by breaking down current events and attempting to answer tough questions from a Portland perspective.
“The Portland Real Estate Podcast” Realtors Steve Nassar and Joe Fustolo share insight into the local housing market, invite experts to share their perspectives, and unpack often complicated concepts.
Arts
“Portland at the Movies” From “Halloweentown” to “Without a Paddle: Nature’s Calling,” expand your knowledge of flicks filmed locally with the help of three hosts, including Brian “The Unipiper” Kidd.
“A Mid Portland Night Scene” Portland sisters Kanda and Gabie bring their “theatrical upbringings as Black Queer Femmes” to bear on this podcast covering local stage productions.
Food
“Right at the Fork” Maybe don’t listen to this if you’re hungry (or do, it might help you figure out where to eat). Either way, expect to hear Portland restaurant owners, chefs, and others in the food industry share their backstories and goals for the future.
“The Liquid Lifestyle with Ryan Magarian” Quench your thirst for Portland beverage industry facts and news as the host and bartender dives into local bars, coffee shops, breweries, distilleries, restaurants, and more.
ConCocktail, Hosted by Dr. Xander Gerrymander | Monday, April 1 | 9 p.m. | Star Theater, 13 NW Sixth Ave., Portland | $10-$75 | Watch some of the region’s best bartenders show off their skills across three timed rounds and compete for the favor of local mixologists.
Yozakura Festival | Monday, April 1-Tuesday, April 2 | 7-11 p.m. | Gresham Japanese Garden, 124 S. Main Ave., Gresham | Free | See the park’s 13 mature Akebono cherry trees illuminated each night while their brief blooms last.
Tuesday, April 2
Forest Bathing | Tuesday, April 2 | 3-5 p.m. | Hoyt Arboretum, 4000 SW Fairview Blvd., Portland | $25-$30 | Feel stress melt away and your mood lighten on this two-hour guided therapeutic walk through the arboretum’s unique collection of trees.
Ned Blackhawk: 2024 Hatfield Lecture | Tuesday, April 2 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, Portland | $46-$111 | The professor of history and American studies at Yale University will discuss his new book, “The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History.”
Wednesday, April 3
Master Gardener Series: Attracting Hummingbirds | Wednesday, April 3 | 5:30-6:30 p.m. | Vancouver Community Library, 901 C St., Vancouver | Free | Learn how to cultivate an outdoor space that benefits these tiny, charismatic birds, their basic needs, and which species you can expect visits from.
“Whose Live Anyway?” | Wednesday, April 3 + Friday, April 5 | 8 p.m. | Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., Ste. 110, Portland | $32-$80.50 | Improv pros Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis, and Joel Murray take their Emmy-nominated TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” on the road, inventing witty scenes with the help of audience members.
Book a session with The Couples Clinic of Portland’s newest therapist
Pro tip: He specializes in couples and family therapy, but also offers individual therapy. | Photo by Lisa Wells
The dynamics between family members can be hard to navigate. Having an experienced therapist like Josh Wilson can help you improve your communication and resolve conflicts together.
Josh is married with a child of his own, so he understands how challenging it can be to maintain a healthy relationship amidst all the obstacles life can bring.
Introducing the 2024 Rose Festival Court. Each of the 15 students selected from Portland metro-area high schools will receive a $3,500 scholarship and one-on-one mentorship with women executives. They’ll be busy traveling around the community for various outreach opportunities leading up to the festivities in May and June. (KGW)
Eat
April is Filipino Food Month. Find special menu items all month long at 15 local Filipino-owned eateries participating in the inaugural Filipino Food Month crawl, including Magna Kusina, Sugarpine Drive-In, and Baon Kainan.
Real Estate
Portland is among the top 10 US cities where people can save the most money by renting instead of buying, according to Realtor.com. In February, Portland’s median monthly rent payment was $1,655, while buying a starter home was 84.4% higher, costing about $3,051 per month. (Realtor.com)
Family
Oaks Amusement Park is now open. When it first welcomed guests on May 30, 1905, the park had nightly fireworks shows, a bathhouse, and exotic animals; today, it continues offering family fun on the banks of the Willamette River with rides, mini golf, free carousel and train rides, and more. (KOIN)
Community
Good in the Hood will take a hiatus this year. The multicultural festival got its start in the early 1990s and is traditionally held the last weekend of June at Northeast Portland’s King School Park. “Current leadership is undergoing a process of renewal,” organizers said, and the festival will return in 2025. (KOIN)
Closed
McCormick & Schmick’s has closed its last remaining Portland location. The chain of seafood restaurants got its start in Old Town in 1979 (that location closed in 2009), then expanded to the now-shuttered RiverPlace complex before going national. The last local McCormick & Schmick’s is in Tigard. (Willamette Week)
Feel Good
Cookie has been to shell and back. The 10-year-old red-footed tortoise injured his leg while his owners were away. It was amputated in early March, but thanks to DoveLewis Veterinary Emergency & Specialty Hospital — and 3D printing technology — Cookie is now cruising around on a prosthetic wheel. (KGW)
Sports
Looking ahead to the next season is all Trail Blazers fans can really do at this point. So which players will stick around? Locked On Blazers shares some predictions in its latest podcast episode.
Wellness
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Pets
🐣 Get chicky wit it
How to raise chickens in your backyard
Our tips will help you rule the roost. | Photo by Cambrie Juarez, PDXtoday
Spring means chick season and if you visit a feed store, you’ll likely see brooders full of the peeping little fluff balls. Brush up on Portland’s backyard chicken-raising rules before giving into temptation and bringing some home.
Research pecking orders
Official Portland ordinances allow for up to “four domestic fowl” on residential plots — which is kind of a lot — and even more for properties over 10,000 sqft. But the law bans backyard roosters. Those early wake-up calls aren’t cool for your neighbors.
Don’t just wing it
This isn’t like getting a goldfish — raising and caring for poultry requires a lot of work. Be sure to review Oregon’s avian influenza information and basic animal husbandry practices. If you’re still feeling clucky, you’ll need:
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