Plus: It's 503 Day.
 
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Sunrise 5:54 a.m. | Sunset 8:21 p.m.
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May the Fourth be with you

SaberForge in Oregon City makes lightsabers for all, no midi-chlorians required
Several glowing lightsabers in a range of colors and styles lead against a wall.
Some sabers are combat-ready, meaning you can put on armor and duel with your friends (without the fear of lopping off a limb with a sword made of plasma). | Photo by Ben McBee, PDXtoday
Owning a lightsaber traditionally requires a perilous quest on a Force-saturated planet to mine a rare crystal followed by telekinetic assembly and years of training, not to mention the prerequisite midi-chlorian count.

Or you could just visit SaberForge in Oregon City.

Your inherent Jedi (or Sith) abilities don’t matter when you step through the shop’s front door and enter a showroom that looks like a Star Wars film set. Expect to make eye contact with life-sized replicas of creatures from George Lucas’s space opera — that is, if your attention isn’t immediately drawn to the dozens of illuminated swords lining the walls.

Dozens of lightsaber emitters in a range of styles hang from pegs on a wall.

Every segment is customizable, from the glowing “blades” to the metal emitters and hilts (pictured here).

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Photo by Ben McBee, PDXtoday

SaberForge makes and sells specialized sabers that are both fun and functional. We stopped by to meet founder Phillip Isherwood and see what goes into building a saber (in our galaxy, anyway) in honor of May the Fourth, aka Star Wars Day.

Building sabers started as a hobby for Isherwood, but that changed in the wake of the Great Recession. He shifted to selling his creations on eBay, then started SaberForge in 2009 from his home in California. Moving to Oregon in 2013 allowed him to scale up, expanding into the spaces the company now occupies. Currently, SaberForge employs a couple dozen people whose jobs range from installing electronic components to powder coating aluminum hilts in nearly any shade imaginable.

Phillip Isherwood holds a saber with a yellow-orange blade in front of a wall of other glowing sabers.

Isherwood said The Saber Legion is a good place to start for those who want to put their sabers to use.

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Photo by Ben McBee, PDXtoday

Saber shoppers won’t find much variance in the LED technology from brand to brand. What sets SaberForge products apart, Isherwood explained, is “the complexity of our designs and the quality of our machine work.”

SaberForge is not Star Wars™ licensed, so you won’t find exact movie replicas, but most of the company’s customers go the custom route anyway. And in Isherwood’s words, their average buyer isn’t the stereotypical “25- to 45-year-old dude, single, who has a lot of disposable income” because, let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to have a glowing space sword that makes cool sounds when you swing it?

“Seeing people come in [to the showroom] — it’s everybody.”
Soaring saber demand
 
Events
Friday, May 3
  • Portland Cinco de Mayo Fiesta | Friday, May 3-Sunday, May 5 | 11 a.m.-11 p.m. | Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 98 SW Naito Pkwy., Portland | $10-$25 | Immerse yourself in Mexico’s music, flavors, culture, and artistic performances at this 37th annual festival presented by the Portland Guadalajara Sister City Association.
  • Sarah Braunstein in Conversation With Natalie Serber | Friday, May 3 | 7 p.m. | Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside St., Portland | Free | Hear from the author of “Bad Animals,” a novel about “one woman’s search for agency and ultimate reckoning with the kind of animal she is.”
  • “Legally Blonde The Musical” | Friday, May 3-Sunday, May 19 | Times vary | Winningstad Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland | $31.75-$62.25 | The 2001 romcom film has been given the musical makeover — but don’t worry, it’s still as pink, upbeat, and delightfully dedicated to self-discovery as ever.
  • Alison Roman Gives Solicited Advice (Live) | Friday, May 3 | 8 p.m. | Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., Portland | $37.50 | The New York Times bestselling cookbook author brings her advice-hotline podcast to the stage, taking questions from audience members alongside Carrie Brownstein.
Saturday, May 4
  • St. Johns Farmers Market | Saturday, May 4-Saturday, Nov. 23 | 9 a.m.-2 p.m. | North Charleston Avenue and Central Street, Portland | Free | Swing by this neighborhood market’s opening day to browse farm-fresh produce, handcrafted pottery, hot food, and more.
  • Indigenous Culture Day | Saturday, May 4 | 9 a.m.-3 p.m. | Friends of Tryon Creek, 11321 S. Terwilliger Blvd., Portland | Free | All are invited to attend the sixth annual event featuring educational forest walks, a salmon bake, and handcrafted goods and language demonstrations by Indigenous leaders.
Sunday, May 5
  • Kodomo no Hi, Children’s Day | Sunday, May 5 | 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. | Portland Japanese Garden, 611 SW Kingston Ave., Portland | $15.95-$21.95 | Bring the family to watch taiko performances, learn origami, and enjoy displays of festive streamers; plus, explore the gardens using a new map by artist Mike Bennett.
  • Bombay Bicycle Club | Sunday, May 5 | 8 p.m. | Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., Ste. 110, Portland | $30 | The indie rock band has traveled far from their London home to share their sixth album with Portlanders.
Sunday, May 12
  • Mother’s Day Farm to Plate Brunch | Sunday, May 12 | 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Topaz Farm, 17100 NW Sauvie Island Rd., Portland | $10-$110 | Enjoy a private day on the farm with a five-course prix fixe meal for adults, brown bag lunches for kids, and family activities.*
Events calendar here
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News Notes
Environment
  • Meteorologists and utility companies are looking ahead to prepare for summer weather. Our region saw a normal amount of precipitation this rainy season, but the coming months are expected to swing the opposite direction; hotter, drier conditions than normal will once again put the PNW on wildfire alert. (KGW)
Community
  • Local organizations can now apply for a new grant program that aims to reduce gun violence. The city’s Safer Portland Grant initiative will give out $500,000, prioritizing groups “that serve culturally specific communities, women and female identifying communities, African Immigrant/Refugee communities, and the LGBTQIA+ community.” (KGW)
Asked
  • If you missed the recent public information sessions about Lone Fir Cemetery’s future memorial, it’s not too late to share your thoughts with Metro. You can learn about the project’s development and leave anonymous feedback on the latest design options in an online survey by Wednesday, May 15.
Development
  • The Opal, an affordable apartment complex serving older adults, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community, is now open in Cedar Mill. Half of the development’s 54 units are for households making 31%-60% of the area’s median income; the other half is for those making 30% or less.
Tech
  • You need fast fingers to score an online reservation at some of Portland’s more popular eateries — at least, for those that even take them. Appointment Trader offers an alternative: users of the platform can buy or sell hard-to-get bookings. Whether Portlanders develop a taste for the technology is up in the air. (Eater Portland)
Plan Ahead
  • Have you heard of the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Raintree Empire? The Vancouver nonprofit serving the LGBTQ+ community will be showcased in the Wednesday, June 12 edition of “History on Tap” at Kiggins Theatre. Learn about the history of drag and the group’s five decades of community outreach.
Drink Up
  • Drink Up Week — our annual celebration of Portland’s vibrant beverage culture — is coming July 22-July 26. If you’re a local business, you’re going to want to get in on the buzz. Be our exclusive presenting sponsor and advertise your brand with us during Drink Up Week.
Sports
  • Locked On Blazers host Mike Richman has a season review for Toumani Camara, Jabari Walker, and Kris Murray. Tune in for an in-depth analysis of the Blazers’ “young wing trio.”
    Wellness
    • Therapy isn’t a one-size-fits-all practice. The Couples Clinic of Portland’s team supports couples, individuals, teens, and families through in-person or online sessions. Find out more by exploring their bios or emailing them so they can help you find a good fit.*
     
    Holiday

    Dial 503 for a good time

    Celebrate 503 Day in Portland
    A vantage point above a city reservoir surrounded by trees with a skyline in the distance.
    Portland is your proverbial oyster on 503 Day — and every day. | Photo by PDXtoday staff
    Today, we celebrate an unofficial Portland holiday — 503 Day — which we first proposed way back in 2022. My, how time does fly.

    The city of Portland hasn’t gotten around to making it official *insert mental image of a journalist with crossed arms and a tapping foot* but don’t let that stop you from celebrating this most important of dates honoring our area code. Let nothing stand between you and the commemoration of 503 Day... not even your own phone number. (In all fairness, we would support 971 Day if it worked.)

    With only a hint of irony, we’ve put together an itinerary where you’ll actually never feel the need to look at your phone (unless you’re taking pictures) because you’ll be having the time of your life.
    TGIF + 503 Day
    The Buy
    Ingredients for a perfect margarita. Try the Simple Times Mizers Margarita Bundle to get a taste of something new, like the Strawberry Safe mix.
     
    The Wrap
     
    Cambrie Juarez headshot

    Today’s edition by:
    Cambrie
    From the editor
    Your PDXtoday city editors had the honor of meeting one of the cutest creatures in our community this week. Oregon Zoo staff introduced us to Moshu, an elderly red panda whose laid-back demeanor and cartoon-like features have endeared him to countless visitors. We’ll share visuals from our encounter on Instagram soon.
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