PORTLAND DRIZZLE

Wednesday and here it comes! high of 63 with a 100% chance of drizzle. I’ve planted a few trees around my neighborhood, so every time it rains I know they’re happy and then I’m happy too. In the news we have some art shows, some divided opinions about Abe Lincoln, and a city councilor gets sued for records.

A wave of pop-up art shows are drawing crowds around Portland, and if you miss the night, you miss it entirely. Organizers behind "The Dog Days Show" recently packed a Southeast Belmont industrial space with work from 22 local artists, a DJ, food carts, and pop-up merch. Similar one-night exhibits from the group Ethereal Reflections have taken over spaces like downtown's Design Portland. Organizers say the no-repeat format is the whole point: it pushes people to actually show up, and turns a gallery show into something closer to a party. Axios

Didt I warn y’all about these art shows? No I did not. I didn’t know! Where are they getting posted because baby I am hunting for events.

Portland will hold a public forum September 8 on how to bring back the Abraham Lincoln statue toppled during 2020 protests. The city wants to place it on a low base at ground level in the South Park Blocks rather than restore it to its original pedestal, a plan Mayor Keith Wilson supports. Critics, including musician Thomas Lauderdale and civil rights advocate Kathleen Saadat, call the lower placement a symbolic demotion. The forum runs 6pm at the Portland Art Museum. Admission is free, but registration is required. Oregon ArtsWatch

The Portland Mercury filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the City of Portland and Councilor Dan Ryan for withholding public records dating back to January 2025. The paper had requested Ryan's communications with a local real estate broker, the police union, and business lobbyists, after an image last November showed the broker feeding Ryan talking points he then repeated publicly. The city responded that no such records exist, despite evidence suggesting otherwise. Ryan is one of the few current councilors who also served under Portland's old commission system. Portland Mercury

Cocina de Mary opened in February on NE Alberta. Lynette and I went in search of something new, and it was so much better than we were expecting. It’s traditional Guatemalan food, which is unfamiliar to me. First came chips with a roasted dark red salsa that I coudn’t stop eating. I had la cochinta pibil- it was marinated pork served with fresh blue corn tortillas. It was so tender and flavorful. Lynette had pipian which is chicken in recado sauce and she was just blown away. Oh also I have to mention the paloma. I love a paloma but everyone makes it different. This one had Squirt (I think) with a tajin rim and it was the best I’ve ever had. It might not be everyone’s favorite but it’s mine. Loved this place.

Jerry Turner led the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to national fame and a Tony Award before dying on this day in 2004.

Mississippi Studios Presents Nitzer Ebb | Mississippi Studios | 8:00 PM
Mini Trees w/ Coral Grief | Polaris Hall | 8:00 PM
Trivia with Sam at Allgood Brewing Co | Allgood Brewing Co.
RAV - The Exopocalypse Tour | Jack London Revue | 8:00 PM
Tabor Dance | Mt. Tabor Park | 6:00 PM

The Tom Kah cocktail at the Observatory might be the best cocktail in town. I had two before writing this 😁 It’s spicy though!

by Michael Simpson Contact: [email protected]