Plus: A new jazz club is coming to downtown.
 
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Today’s Forecast

84º | 10% chance of precipitation
Sunrise 6:25 a.m. | Sunset 7:57 p.m.
Full Weather Report | Traffic Report
 

🔊 Turn up the audio, Autio

Meet Autio: A collection of location-based stories perfect for your road trip
A photo shows a gloomy, cloud covered Columbia River Gorge with hints of snow on the upper peaks. The famous Rowena Crest section of the historic highway makes a dramatic horseshoe, doubling back on itself.
Wherever your travels may take you, you’ll have a story. | Photo by Joe Parks
Boy, do we have a story for you — 11,000+ of them, actually — all conveniently located within one app that can serve as your new travel buddy. And just like your favorite local newsletter, each story comes in at ~5 minutes + will leave you more informed about the cities you travel through.

Meet Autio, a location-based storytelling app. Let’s say you were taking a road trip from the Pacific Northwest to California. With Autio, you could hear about an exploding whale while passing through Florence, OR, and later listen as Academy Award-winning actor (and Autio co-founder) Kevin Costner regales you with the history of San Francisco while driving through the Bay Area.

Here’s how it works: Launch the app, connect to Bluetooth, and hit the road. If you allow the app to know your location, it will automatically play stories based on where you are.

Take a look at five episodes you might hear while road tripping from Portland. (PS, five is the number of free stories you get when you make an account, so you can decide if an Autio subscription is for you.)

Queue local history

  • “The Williamette Stone” | Portland, OR | Discover this stone that may have impacted the way the PNW is laid out.
  • “Bridge of the Gods” | Cascade Locks, OR | Learn about the iconic crossing with City Editor Ben’s pick, perfect for a Columbia River Gorge adventure.
  • “The Sisters of the Cascades” | Sisters, OR | This story delves into three sisters who “fight for the love of a bachelor.”
  • “A Sweet and Chocolatey Tacoma Aroma” | Tacoma, WA | Now filled with a rotten egg smell known as the Aroma of Tacoma, the city was once filled with the scent of candy and chocolate.
  • “Mount Shasta Legends” | Mount Shasta, CA | Listen to mythology and legends that date back to the dawn of man.
Interested in going beyond five episodes? Check out Autio’s membership options.
Asked

How do you prefer to fill the time while road tripping?

A. Listening to music
B. Putting on a podcast
C. Don’t care as long as there are snacks
D. Other
Make the miles melt away
 
Events
Monday, Aug. 26
  • Trivia Night (Hosted by Rain Brain Trivia) | Monday, Aug. 26 | 6-8 p.m. | Little Beast Brewing Beer Garden | Free | Pile in with your friends for a pub quiz and a side of Kansas City-style barbecue.
  • Piano. Push. Play. | Monday, Aug. 26-Saturday, Aug. 31 | Locations vary | Free | Summer is winding down, so make sure to visit these instruments and works of art to share your skills.
  • Coraline’s Curious Cat Trail | Monday, Aug. 26-Sunday, Oct. 13 | Locations vary | Free | Track down all 31 decorated sculptures of “Cat” inspired by LAIKA’s award-winning film scattered around downtown Portland; download the app to aid your journey.
Tuesday, Aug. 27
  • The Low Bar Chorale | Tuesday, Aug. 27 | 7:30 p.m. | Revolution Hall | $10 | Sing your heart out alongside a live band and make your on-stage dreams come true — without an audition or judgment.
Wednesday, Aug. 28
  • Kings of Leon | Wednesday, Aug. 28 | 7:30 p.m. | Moda Center | $25+ | This show is on fire — cheer on this rock band as they tour for their ninth studio album, “Can We Please Have Fun.”
Thursday, Aug. 29
  • Street Bazaar at The Square | Thursday, Aug. 29 | 5-9 p.m. | Pioneer Courthouse Square | Free | Stick around to experience the vibrant energy of Portland’s food, beverage, art, and music scenes.
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
Arts

🎨 This local art festival is a stroke of genius
PDX_ArtinthePeal_AUG2024
Festivities will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday. | Photo by Cindy Olmes via Art in the Pearl
Mark your calendars, Portlanders: The 28th annual Art in the Pearl event returns this weekend.

Held Saturday, Aug. 31 through Monday, Sept. 2, this annual fine arts and crafts festival features 100+ visual artists exhibiting and selling various works — from fine wooden furniture to paintings and jewelry.

Attendees can stroll through the North Park Blocks and explore hands-on activities, art demonstrations + more, while browsing high-quality, handmade work.

Psst: Want to lend a hand? Volunteer.
You'll want to pencil this in
News Notes
Transit
  • TriMet’s “A Better Red” project, which extends the MAX Red Line service to 10 more stations between Beaverton and Hillsboro, opens on Wednesday, Aug. 28 with special giveaways at select stops. The improvements also allow direct service to Portland International Airport for Hillsboro riders.
Try This
  • Do you have a hankering for fish sauce wings and papaya salad? Well, you’re in luck — Jeju will host a pop-up for Pok Pok on Sunday, Sept. 8 + Monday, Sept. 9. Although those dinners are sold out, additional patio seating could be released early next month depending on the weather. (The Oregonian/OregonLive)
Biz
  • Since 2010, the building on Southwest Washington Street that once housed Greek Cusina has echoed with emptiness. Soon, the recently renovated space will fill with sound as downtown’s newest music venue, 400. In the basement, guests will also find a speakeasy/jazz club called Corbitt & Macleay. (Portland Business Journal)
Travel
  • Say your travels take you to Washington’s southern coastline when the worst happens. No, not a busted tire but — gasp — your tummy grumbles. Thankfully, the quiet towns along Long Beach Peninsula are not lacking in delicious dining options. (Eater Seattle)
Development
  • Work on the 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance project is underway, and expected through 2026. Improvements on “one of the most dangerous streets in the city” will be focused on important community destinations like McDaniel High School and the Jade District. Expect lane and side street closures and delays, weekdays, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Sports
  • Fans of the Oregon Ducks are likely not very familiar with the Illinois Fighting Illini. Locked On’s Spencer McLaughlin and Sunny Verma discuss the teams’ upcoming matchup on the gridiron, and why it might be a good day for the players in green and yellow.
    Eat
    • Ready, set, grill. Heritage Fire is bringing the heat to Willamette Valley on Sunday, Sept. 8 at the Green Space in front of Evergreen Lodge Chapel. Indulge in an all-you-can-eat + drink spread featuring fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, along with wine, beer, and craft cocktails — all while enjoying live entertainment. Snag tickets.*
    Finance
    • Did you know some credit cards can actually help you get out of debt faster? (It sounds wild, but it’s true.) The secret: Find a credit card with a “0% intro APR” period for balance transfers. These are hands down some of the best.*
     
    Outdoors

    Something swiftly this way comes

    Vaux’s swift watch in Northwest Portland
    Thousands of Vaux's swifts blur together as they enter the chimney where they roost at Chapman Elementary in Portland.
    As many as 7,000 Vaux’s swifts roost in the Chapman Elementary chimney each night. | Photo by Ben McBee, PDXtoday
    As the sun disappears behind the hills in Northwest Portland, hundreds of people lay sprawled upon blankets beside Chapman Elementary School.

    Everyone’s attention is split between the kids sledding down the well-worn, grassy slopes on cardboard — and the sky.

    They’re all waiting to see the Vaux’s swifts — little birds that look like cigars with wings — which return to sleep in the school’s chimney late August through September. But before they rest, they swoop and dive, munching on flying insects while putting on a show with their aerial acrobatics.

    This particular group is thought to be the largest roost of the species in the world. They’ve been making the same layover on their migration route to Central America and Venezuela since the late 1980s.

    Volunteers with Bird Alliance of Oregon are on-site every weeknight to count the swifts and share interesting facts — like how Vaux’s swifts don’t perch, but instead cling to vertical surfaces like trees or brick structures.
    What to expect
    The Buy

    The Buy 8.26.24 (Affiliate)
    An Amazon Essentials men’s long-sleeve poplin shirt, currently 55% off for Labor Day. Stock up on this wardrobe basic in classic patterns and colors (think: French blue, washed black, and blue-white checked).
    Shop Amazon's Labor Day sale
     
    The Wrap
     
    ben-mcbee-headshot-2024.png

    Today’s edition by:
    Ben
    From the editor
    Growing up, my family made several road trips to Mt. Bachelor to shred the slopes; now, the ski resort is up for sale. Its Utah-based parent company, Powder Corp., is also offloading resorts in New England, Colorado, and British Columbia.
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