Plus: Merriment awaits at the Sherwood Robin Hood Festival.
 
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Would you like friends with that?

Would you eat dinner with 5 strangers? Timeleft wants to help you make friends in Portland
Two men and two women are seated at a table in a restaurant with plates of food in front of them. They're smiling at the camera.
Matthew, Brittni, Cambrie, and Ediz talked about gardening, cats, “The Bear,” and embarrassing childhood memories. | Photo by PDXtoday
Every Wednesday night at restaurants across Portland, small groups of people sit down to enjoy a meal and conversation. Aside from living in the same area, there’s one thing they indubitably have in common: they’re all meeting for the first time.

Since we’re in the business of meeting folks in the community (and we’ll never say no to making new friends), we gave it a try.

How it works

Timeleft, an app on a mission to curb modern-day loneliness, recently launched in Portland. Users start by creating an account and completing a short questionnaire, where they share their age, career field, interests, diet, religious beliefs, and more. Based on their answers, Timeleft’s algorithm chooses five locals who they’re most likely to enjoy conversations with. Tickets are $16 per booking and attendees are responsible for their bill at the restaurant; Timeleft also offers monthly packages.

The day before the dinner, participants receive safety tips and learn a few details about their mystery dining companions’ stats (i.e. 17% of the table works in the medical field). One secret is revealed on the morning of the excursion: where the group will eat. Timeleft picks the restaurant based on the general area the user indicates and how much they normally spend on a night out.

A hand holds a photo above a lavender plant. The screen is open to the app Timeleft and shows reservation options for Portland, Oregon.

All the information you need is sent via email or is available in the Timeleft app.

|

Photo by PDXtoday

Participants arrive at the restaurant at 7 p.m. and meet their group. During the meal, Timeleft provides a game (think: icebreaker questions) for everyone to play. At 8 p.m., the app reveals the location of the “Last Drink” — an optional after-dinner meet-up point if they group wants to keep the party going.
City Editor Cambrie's experience
Asked

Would you eat dinner with a group of strangers?
A. Definitely
B. Maybe
C. Absolutely not
Asking for a friend
Chamber Music Northwest
 
Events
Thursday, July 18
  • South Waterfront Farmers Market | Thursday, July 18 | 2-7 p.m. | Elizabeth Caruthers Park, 3508 S. Moody Ave., Portland | Free | Shop for seasonal produce, connect with local farmers and artisans, or just wind down the day by enjoying live music in an open-air setting.
  • Broadway Rose Theatre Presents - “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” | Thursday, July 18-Sunday, Aug. 18 | Times vary | Deb Fennell Auditorium at Tigard High School, 9000 SW Durham Rd., Tigard | $20-$35 | Experience this tribute to one of the most successful songwriters of our time, with classic hits like “One Fine Day” and “Natural Woman.”
Friday, July 19
  • Zoo Nights | Friday, July 19 | 5-8:30 p.m. | Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd., Portland | $21-$26 | Spend a summer evening outside with good food, activities for all ages, live music, and opportunities to meet animals that are active during twilight hours.
  • Sherwood Robin Hood Festival | Friday, July 19-Saturday, July 20 | Times vary | Old Town, 22560 SW Pine St., Sherwood | Free | Hear ye, hear ye — join Maid Marian and her court for family-friendly merriment, shopping, live music, a knighting ceremony, and an archery tournament.
Saturday, July 20
  • ilani Tacos, Tequila and Taps Festival | Saturday, July 20 | Times vary | ilani Rooftop, 1 Cowlitz Wy, Ridgefield | $10-$39 | Dine on tacos and Mexican-inspired cuisine from chefs like Jonathan Zaragoza and Guillermo “Oso” Campos, paired with a variety of tequilas and mescals.
Sunday, July 21
  • Pizza Sunday | Sunday, July 21 | 3-9 p.m. | Bauman’s on Oak, 930 SE Oak St., Portland | Price of purchase | Cider slushies and seasonal, wood-fired pies by chef Daniel Green and guest Alexandra Williams of Lovely’s Fifty Fifty await you on the patio.
Events calendar here
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Try This

🛸 Explore close encounters of the fun kind at the Area 51 Encounter
a gif featuring images of the Area 51 Encounter
Prepare to surround yourself with the history and mysteries of non-human visitors to our planet. | Photos courtesy of Area 51 Encounter; GIF by PDXtoday
Did you know? Sunday, July 20 (aka Space Exploration Day) marks 55 years since the first moon landing in 1969.

Today, Portlanders who are fascinated with space and extraterrestrial life have a chance to explore what could be lurking out in space at the Area 51 Encounter.

Visitors are invited to explore everything from life on an alien spacecraft to reproduced alien artifacts, an alien laser hunter game, and a VR station. Grab tickets to this out-of-this-world experience below.
Buy tickets
News Notes
Coming Soon
  • Portland International Airport will debut its new main terminal on Wednesday, Aug. 14. Completion of the first phase in the two-part PDX NEXT project includes new airline check-in areas, new shops and restaurants, the return of PDX’s iconic carpet, 72 live trees, and a 9-acre Douglas fir roof.
Outdoors
  • Let the good times flow. Ira Keller Fountain is back up and running, ending a drought that began in May 2023 when its pump broke down. Repairs were completed this week, allowing 13,000 gallons of water to gush through the historic landmark every minute. (KOIN)
Sports
  • Hillsboro City Council officially greenlighted plans to build a new Hillsboro Hops stadium. Hillsboro Ballpark (formerly Ron Tonkin Field) doesn’t meet Minor League Baseball standards. Its $110 million replacement, which will seat 6,000 people for Hops games and 7,000 for other events, is scheduled to open in 2026. (KOIN)
Development
  • An empty block in North Portland will be transformed into a site with 85 affordable apartments, 20 townhomes, and a hub for Black-owned businesses. Construction on the Williams & Russell project — bordered by North Williams and Vancouver Avenue and Northeast Russell and Knott Street — is slated to begin next spring. (KGW)
Drink
  • Bar Dolly, a companion bar next door to Dolly Olive in downtown Portland, opened this week at 1215 SW Alder St. The bar’s beverage program highlights spritzes and wines from France, Spain, Greece, Croatia, and Oregon, paired with Italian-inspired small plates.
History
  • More than a dozen quilts whose threads carry 150 years’ worth of powerful stories are on display at the Columbia Gorge Museum in Stevenson, Washington. “Ms. Molly’s Voice: Freedom and Family Spoken in Fabric” includes quilts made by an enslaved woman; her great-great-grandson now cares for the collection. (OPB)
Concert
  • Don Toliver’s “Psycho Tour” will make a stop at Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Thursday, Oct. 10. Fellow Texan artists Monaleo and Teezo Touchdown will open the show. General ticket sales open at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 19. Use code “STRUM” to join the Live Nation presale a day early. (KOIN)
Festival
  • The Portland Winter Light Festival is looking for artists, performers, and other creatives interested in joining the event’s 10th anniversary in 2025. “A Light for Tomorrow” is the theme for the free, city-wide festival, which will take place Feb. 7-15. Applications are due by Sept. 20. (Willamette Week)
Listen
  • Donovan Clingan had his best Summer League defensive performance as the Trail Blazers improved to 2-1 in Vegas. Get the biggest stories every day from the local experts with the Locked On Blazers daily podcast.
     
    Plan Ahead

    🏳️‍🌈 ‘Queerest, sportiest’ Pride Block Party

    The Sports Bra winds up for 3rd annual Pride Block Party
    The Sports Bra Portland PDX.png
    The Sports Bra announced plans earlier this year to franchise nationally. | Photo by Shannon Dupre
    The Sports Bra is taking over part of Northeast 26th Avenue later this month for its third annual Pride Block Party.

    Taking place Sunday, July 21, the event is billed as the bar’s “biggest-ever, queerest, sportiest” Pride Block Party to date. Along with an arm wrestling competition with Gabi Dixson, the festivities will include DJs, dancing, food and drinks, games, and performances by:
    • King Kween
    • Wanda Aqua Flora
    • Cheer Portland
    • Kaela Luck
    Freeland Spirits, Heck Brewing, Block 15 Brewing, and Mabaw Sobar will pour drinks, while Salvi PDX, Don Churro, and Yoonique Tea serve food. Guests can also order off The Sports Bra’s menu.

    Tickets start at $7. A portion of sales will be donated to the Portland Community Football Club — a nonprofit working to provide “club soccer to low-income, immigrant, and refugee youth.”
    The Buy

    The Buy 7.18.24 (Affiliate)
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    More worth The Buy
     
    The Wrap
     
    Cambrie Juarez headshot

    Today’s edition by:
    Cambrie
    From the editor
    I’m heading to the airport today for a tour of the new main terminal before it opens to the public — and I think I’m most excited to see The Carpet and the indoor “forest” of living trees. Is there anything you want to know before visiting the space yourself? Shoot me an email.
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