Archive for the ‘Holidays & Festivals’ Category

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PELA News: See Art in the making in the Pearl!

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

This Labor Day Weekend is a great time to attend the Art in the Pearl Festival, held just north of PELA in the North Park Blocks.  Art in the Pearl is a community event where Portlanders get to enjoy creativity in many forms–dance, drama, painting & sculpture–as well as see art being made by local artists.  You can even create your own art!

Some of our PELA students will be attending this event as part of our Volunteer Program.  They will be greeting guests, helping artists, working information booths, and helping run various activities and events throughout the weekend.

At their Music Stage, you will enjoy music and dance performances from cultures around the world.

You can find information on the location and hours for Art in the Pearl here.

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PELA News: Enjoy Italian food & dance this weekend!

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

At the Festa Italiana, held from August  26th to 28th at Pioneer Square, you can stomp grapes to make wine, enjoy music and dance performances, and eats a lot of Italian food!  And admission to the festival is FREE!

Beginning Thursday, there will be live musicians and dance performers on stage every hour.  A dozen different Italian shops and restaurants will have booths at Pioneer Square, serving everything from anti pasta to Italian breads and gelato! 

Ciao!

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PELA News: August Volunteer Activities

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Portland is a great place to not only learn English; you can participate in dozens of Volunteer Activites throughout the year! Volunteer activities are also great opportunities to use your English with locals!

Here’s three events PELA Volunteer+English program students are participating in this month:

8/18 - At the Portland Nature Conservancy, students will  help produce and distribute fliers, meet and talk with American volunteers, and work towards promoting greater awareness on what we can do to protect the natural beauty of Oregon!

8/21 – Alberta Street Fair is a day-long event in Northeast Portland is a great opportunity for our students to practice English and experience American culture.  With live music and performances, 150 vendors, childrens parade, and a beer garden, this is one really fun festival!  Money raised from the Fair go towards the Community Cycling Center. Our student Volunteers will work at the information booth, selling t-shirts and handing out festival information pamphlets.

8/26, 8/27, 8/28 – At the Festa Italiana, you can stomp grapes to make wine, enjoy music and dance performances, and eats a lot of Italian food!  Volunteers will help with admissions, helping out at the information booth, setting up displays, and helping to dismantle tents and booths at the end of the festival.  Volunteers will also receive a free meal!

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PELA News: Enjoy a mix of cultures at the Glendi Festival!

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

Want to experience a wonderful mix of cultures right here in Oregon?  Then you need to attend the Glendi Festival!  Held on Saturday and Sunday, August 20th & 21st  from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., this festival brings together Greek, Middle Eastern, Russian and Ethiopian cultures together under one tent.  There, you can taste food and drink from these cultures and nations, enjoy live music and dance, as well as learn about customs and traditions unique to those countries and people.

Admission to the festival is FREE to attend the festival.  Once there, you may buy $1 tokens to use to taste the food and drinks (you can get a refund for any unused tokens).

Click here to see the location of and directions to the Glendi Festival is held.  You can also see a schedule of events here.

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PELA News: Take a delicious “Bite of Oregon”!

Friday, July 30th, 2010

Get ready to experience the best food and drink in Oregon!

The Bite of Oregon is an amazing food & beverage festival held each year at Waterfront Park in downtown Portland. It is Oregon’s biggest food festival. At “The Bite”, you can taste dishes made by the best local chefs, as well as Oregon wines and beers, and (of course!) 3 days of local musical performances! The festival grounds are divided into different “regions” of Oregons, such as Eastern, Central and Southern Oregon, the Willamette Valley, the Coast; and the Portland area.

It runs August 6-8th, from 10:00 a.m to 10 p.m., and only costs $10 to enter the festival (food and beverage inside does cost extra, from $3-$12 per dish or drink).

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PELA News: Fun Summer Break @ Pioneer Square!

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

Next week is summer vacation for PELA, so if you are looking for something fun to do, head on down to Pioneer Square !

7/16-7/18 Sand in the City - (Pioneer Square) Come and see huge sand scupltures in the Square, with live music every day!  Click here for a schedule of events and music.

7/19 Portland Farmers Market (Pioneer Square, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.) - come and sample delicious, locally-grown fruit, vegetables and other products made here in Oregon. 

7/20 & 7/22 Noon Tunes - (Noon – 1:00 p.m.) every Tuesday and Thursday come down and enjoy live music in the sun while you eat your lunch!

7/23 Movie at the Square – (begins at sundown, around 8:30 p.m.) Come watch a movie on the big screen outside!  On 7/23, you can watch “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off“, a classic teen movie from the 1980s. 

Happy Summer Vacation!

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PELA News: Watch Fireworks on the 4th of July!

Friday, July 2nd, 2010

This Sunday is Independence Day in the U.S.A., so be sure to get out of the house and watch some fireworks!  There are 3 places you can go in Portland to see some great displays!

Waterfront Park – Fireworks begin at 10:05 p.m.

At Waterfront Park on the Willamette River, you can enjoy both the Waterfront Blues Festival and a Fourth of July fireworks display!   You do not have to pay to find a place on the grass next to the river and enjoy the fireworks.  If you want to the fireworks burst above the Portland skyline, then watch from the east side of the river from the East Bank Esplanade!

Oaks Park - Fireworks begin at 9:55 p.m. 

This is a park on the east side of the Willamette River, a few miles south of downtown Portland.  Picnic spaces are available (first come, first served), and there will be live music on the Comcast Stage throughout the day. Admission is $4 for age 16 and older, $2.50 for 15 and younger.

PGE Park – Fireworks begin at 7:05 p.m.

The Portland Beavers baseball team plays against the Las Vegas 51s (Admission $8-$15). After the game, you can watch a fireworks display.  You can watch from the bleachers, or from 18th Avenue  for FREE!

 Happy Birthday, America!

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PELA News: Drink Beer and save the Earth!

Friday, June 25th, 2010

If you love beer and love the Earth, then you must come this weekend to the North American Organic Brewers Festival, at Overlook Park in North Portland!   At the festival you can taste organic beers and ciders from around the world, listen to live music, try organic food, and learn about what you can do to protect the Earth through recycling. This festival is one of the best kept secrets of Portland!

Admission into the Festival is free, but to taste beer you need to buy a glass and tokens. On Friday & Saturday, the Festival runs from Noon to 9 p.m. , and on Sunday from Noon to 5 p.m.

To get to the Festival, take the MAX/Yellow Line north to “Overlook Park” Station. Overlook Park is located at 1301 N. Fremont Street.  If you take the MAX, you get a $1 discount off your tasting glass!  Click here for a schedule of live music. See you there!

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PELA News: Don’t miss the Festival of Balloons!

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

Looking for something fun to do later this month? Then you must head to the Festival of Balloons, held just south of Portland at Cook Park, during the weekend of June 25th – 27th. Get there early in the morning to watch the balloons launch into the sky, then spend the afternoon exploring the arts & crafts booth, listening to live music, enjoying carnival rides, and tasting local food and drink at the Rogue Brewery Beer Garden!

Be sure to stay until Friday & Saturday night, when the balloon are lit up from the inside and launched once again to glow in the night sky. It’s a wonderful opportunity experience a one-of-a-kind Oregon festival!

Admission cost is $5; parking, rides, food and drink cost extra. Click here for directions and maps on how to get to the Festival of Balloons. See you there!

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PELA News: Last Weekend of Rose Festival Fun!

Friday, June 11th, 2010

For two weeks now, our students have beening enjoying fireworks, live music, parades, and carnival rides at the 101st Portland Rose Festival.  A number of PELA students were also able to tour the U.S. Navy ships docked at Portland Waterfront Park, where they got to explore the innerworkings of modern battleships.

Tomorrow, Saturday June 12th, beginning at 10:00 a.m. is the climax of the Rose Festival, the Grand Floral Parade!  Click here for a map of the parade route. 

Next week, we will welcome students from many countries, including Brazil, Turkey, Thailand, and Saudi Arabia!

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