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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Students from Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Japan, Brazil, Taiwan, Korea and Mexico

Last month, we welcomed students from countries such as Argentina, Pakistan, Korea, Ukraine, Colombia, Libya, Brazil, Taiwan and Malaysia! 

This month we will be joined by students from Turkey, Russia, China, Georgia (in Asia), Spain, Vietnam,  Japan and Saudi Arabia!

We hope you can join us soon and make many life-long friends with people from all around the world. 

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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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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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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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A Soapbox Derby is a race where the vehicles (mostly made of wood) are unpowered–only gravity makes the cars move down the track. 

Portlanders design elaborate soapbox racecars, which can be steered by one, two or three people.  Spectators are encouraged to come and have a picnic next to the race course and enjoy the show! 

Click here for a map of where Mt. Tabor is located–you can take Bus #15 or Bus #4 to get to the park.

See a map of the Soapbox Derby course here.

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In addition to the open art galleries, First Thursday also hosts a Street Art Fair on NW 13th Avenue, just a 10-minute walk from PELA. At the Street Art Fair, many up-and-coming local artists show and sell their art–it is like a giant, open-air art show!

Generally, First Thursday hours are Thursday evening, 6pm to 9pm. Most galleries are in NW Portland, between NW Everett & Hoyt Streets, and between 6th & 13th Avenue. See a map of First Thursday Galleries here.

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).

Money raised from this event are used to purchase medical equipment for schools and non-profit organizations, as well as supporting various health programs throughout the city. 

The race begins (depending on which course your take) between 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.  You can find more registration information and see the various bike routes at their website, too.

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!