On Sunday, June 9th, HONK! Fest PDX will return to the Montavilla neighborhood for a free community festival of marching bands, drum lines, and other acoustic street bands. Last year’s celebration filled the streets with sounds, dancers, and neighbors from all over the area. Building on that success, the event organizers are back on SE Stark Street for its second day of sound celebration. Unlike last year’s HONK season-starter that occurred within Portland’s inner Eastside, the June 8th opening event will take place in East Portland at Lents Park. The proximity of the locations should allow more people to participate in both days.
Images courtesy HONK! PDX
HONK! bands draw inspiration from Klezmer, Balkan-Romani music, Brazilian Samba, Afrobeat and Highlife, Punk, Funk, Hip Hop, and the New Orleans second-line tradition. People attending the Saturday celebration should arrive at the south end of Lents Park on SE 92nd Ave and SE Steele Street between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. On Sunday, area residents and visitors to Montavilla Town can enjoy free music at the SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street plaza, Milwaukie Lumber parking lot, and a Beer Bunker-hosted stage from noon to 7 p.m. HONK! features Open Jam sessions each day where organizers encourage the audience to join the festival, playing their own instruments.
Honk! PDX 2024 Festival Bands
Analog Brass (Bellingham, WA)
Artesian Rumble Arkestra (Olympia, WA)
Beat Crunchers (Eugene, OR)
Brassless Chaps (Portland, OR)
Bug Complex (Portland, OR)
Chaotic Noise Marching Corps (Seattle, WA)
Cimarrona La Original Domingueña (Costa Rica)
Couch Brass (Portland, OR)
8-Bit Brass Band (Seattle, WA)
The Fighting Instruments of Karma Marching Chamber Band/Orchestra (Eugene, OR)
Filthy FemCorps (Seattle, WA)
Jesters Brass Marching Band (Portland, OR)
Kef (Eugene, OR)
MADBand (Eugene, OR)
Neon Brass Party (Seattle, WA)
Portland Samba (Portland, OR)
Portland Taiko (Portland, OR)
The Power Pep Band (Portland, OR)
Tacomarama Community Street Band (Tacoma, WA)
Unpresidented Brass Band (Portland, OR)
Event organizers recommend people bring chairs, picnic blankets, water, snacks, sunscreen, hula hoops, flowtoys, bubble makers, and dancing shoes. Although well-behaved dogs are allowed on a leash, the HONK! team cautions that the loud noises and crowds can overwhelm some animals. This June 8th and 9th event suits all ages, with music spanning a wide range of tastes. People interested in attending should mark their calendars for one or both days and consider donating to the event to help keep it going for years to come.
On May 8th, Verizon, Hacienda CDC, and Portland Community College (PCC) hosted an open house for the Jade District Learning Center. It is one of three new centers intended to remove barriers between low-income Portlanders and tech resources. Elected officials, corporate sponsors, and community organization leaders spoke at the late afternoon event while letting people explore the tech-focused maker space. Community access to technological resources was the common theme of the event, with each speaker reinforcing the need for initiatives that create opportunities for workforce development, digital literacy, and entrepreneurial learning. Unlike similar resources in educational settings, program operators will not restrict this center to PCC students.
Verizon Community Forward partnered with Hacienda CDC to bring this updated Learning Center to the PCC campus at 2305 SE 82nd Avenue. The work on these centers ramped up in 2022 and built on Hacienda CDC’s technical access work. People can visit the two-room center on the second floor of the Student Commons building right off SE 82nd Avenue in the former PCC STEM Center location. Visitors can access free internet, 3D printers, laser cutters, virtual reality tools, and free programming centered around STEM education.
Speakers, Michael Dembrow (Oregon State Senator), May Yadanar Linn (Colorful Myanmar), Khanh Pham (Oregon State Representative) Dr. Adrien Bennings (President PCC), and Rudy Reyes (Verizon) among other project partners.
The Jade District Learning Center has open lab days on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m., with an additional day on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month. The center’s primary goal is to bring cutting-edge technology to historically underserved communities. However, it is open to all those looking to expand their understanding of technology and keep up with a progressively digitally dependent world.
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On April 27th, the 18th Annual 82nd Avenue Parade entrants marched down SE 82nd Avenue. Elected officials, community groups, and organizations started the precession from Eastport Plaza Shopping Center, heading north towards SE Yamhill Street. Hundreds of community members lined the streets to watch the 90-minute event, cheering and clapping. Portland Police and event organizers cleared barricades by 11 a.m., reopening the busy street to cars. However, attendees lingered on the sidewalk for a while longer, filling the pedestrian realm on 82nd Avenue to a degree not seen since last year’s parade.
Event organizer Nancy Chapin remarked that it has never rained on this parade. Drops only started to fall after the precession moved off 82nd Avenue, securing another dry year of community celebration. Organizers hope to increase parade fundraising efforts to bring back the event’s live stream for those unable to make it in person.
List of registered parade participants (in order of appearance)
City of Portland Police Bureau – East Precinct – Commander Jake Jensen
Parade Banner presenters
Troop 24 (BSA boy troop) and 5024 (BSA girls troop)
Grand Marshals
The Royal Rosarians
Portland Rose Society
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757
Portland Rose Festival Foundation
Ascension Catholic Church
TenBridge Partners/ The BlackPearl Friesian Dance Troupe
Montavilla Farmers Market
56th Army Band
Mysti Krewe of Nimbus
Portland City Commissioner Carmen Rubio
PageantsNW Miss Oregon USA | Miss Oregon Teen USA
Past Queen & Princess
Saint Anthony Catholic Church
Beneficial State Bank
White Lotus Dragon & Lion Dance
Portland Commissioner Mingus Mapps
Portland Winterhawks Booster Club
Madison South NA
SEI King SUN School Drill Team
Chelsea McManus with MORE Realty and Aidan Keller with Guild Mortgage
East Portland Rotary Clubs
Portland Raging Grannies
Rip City Scooter Collective
Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers
Portland Skyliners Tall club
Portland Commissioner Rene Gonzalez
KC Cars Inc.
Military Vehicle Collectors Club of Oregon
PCC Gateway to College & Yes to College
Kim’s Taekwon-Do
Squares of Warmth
SEI Kalros PDX Sun School Drill Team
State Representative Thuy Tran and Multnomah County Commissioner Julia Brim-Edwards
On April 13th and 14th, Personal Beast Pet Supply invites people to shop at the store to help fund significant storefront repairs after a person smashed most of their windows. Since January 2024, staff have had to progressively cover the storefront in plywood at 8119 SE Stark Street, replacing broken glass from the acts of a vandal. Artistic pet images decorate the wood panels, while a handwritten sign assures people that the boarded-up shop is open. The store’s owner, Sara Philbrook, is now working to restore the glass and protect it with expensive polycarbonate coverings. This project is more than the shop’s budget can cover, even with support from the building’s owner. So, they worked with local supporters and vendors to develop a fundraiser with multiple ways to participate.
Personal Beast works with family-owned pet food companies and other vendors who regularly support the independent stores selling their products. Some of those brands will donate to the storefront repair for each pound of food sold on April 13th and 14th. Other vendors and supporters have donated goods for baskets that people can try to win in a raffle. Those without a pet can buy pet food to donate to a charity partner or contribute through the GoFundMe campaign.
Many Montavilla businesses have suffered broken windows. Sometimes criminals smash glass during a burglary, but this recent string of damage comes from vandalism, and its frequency is a dramatic change from what the Personal Beast has endured during its fourteen years. “This is the first time we’ve felt the financial burden of vandalism. Specifically, our door was broken the first time last summer,” recalled Philbrook. Other businesses had the same experience in June 2023. Glazers came out and replaced the door glass, and business returned to normal. However, in January 2024, a person was seen on camera breaking the windows next to the door. Then, over the next few months, the person smashed two more windows and the door. Philbrook says the video shows what looks to be the same person throwing rocks. Not all the rocks break the windows on each attempt, and the person never enters the building after breaking the glass.
Personal Beast owner Sara Philbrook sitting in front of plywood covered windows
Although these attacks span months and seem focused, this is not the only store facing similar vandalism. “Unfortunately, I think it’s location. I don’t think that we’re being targeted. I don’t feel like there’s anything that we’ve specifically done that makes us more likely to get hit than another business. I think it’s just that we are in proximity to a major artery,” explained Philbrook. The store is one of the closest storefronts to SE 82nd Avenue and next to the McDonald’s parking lot. Philbrook said they have witnessed several drug-related crimes around the block and feel that their proximity to that behavior may contribute to the recent string of trouble.
Regardless of the issues, this pet store has served the community since 2008, and its owner is committed to remaining in Montavilla. “We’re really happy to be here regardless of what’s going on. As frustrating as it is, knowing that it’s just one person, it’s not like it’s something that we have to look forward to forever, and hopefully she can get some help,” said Philbrook. “Obviously, we’ll be pressing charges, but I understand that mental illness is a real crisis here, and my parents struggled with drug addiction. So, I have a lot of empathy for people who are in active addiction and can’t get services. I hope we can find a way to get her some help and move on from this situation.”
For Personal Beast, the first step in moving forward is replacing the glass panels. However, to protect the windows, they will install Riot Glass® on the outside of existing frames, creating a flexible barrier designed to take the impact of rocks without breaking. Other Portland stores have used this product, and it offers other benefits over cheaper solutions. “It’s one of the only polycarbonates that doesn’t yellow with direct sun exposure, which is why we chose it,” explained Philbrook. “We have this lovely southern exposure here, and any other polycarbonate would discolor so quickly that it wouldn’t be worth it.”
Sara Philbrook and the staff at Personal Beast have maintained a good attitude about the situation and hope the community’s support will help them restore the shop they love. People able to support the storefront improvements should shop there on April 13th and 14th, buy a raffle ticket, or contribute to the GoFundMe campaign. Personal Beast’s renowned shop cat will appreciate any help repairing the windows so they can return to watching over Stark Street again.
Correction: An earlier version of this article had an incorrect event date.
Article and photos by
Jacob Loeb
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On April 6th, Jade District organizers will host a series of interactive workshops focusing on greenspaces in East Portland. The two-part workshop takes place from noon to 3 p.m. on April 6th and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 20th. People should sign up online for the free in-person events held inside the APANO Community Space at 8188 SE Division Street. In May 2024, teams will distribute the mosaic planters designed at the workshops and invite local businesses and community members to help fill their planters with new plants.
The Jade District Planters project allows community members and small businesses to learn about inequities in green infrastructure and join efforts to address this issue in East Portland. Attendees will learn how green spaces impact health for all residents, particularly those near busy roads like 82nd Avenue, SE Division Street, and the Interstate-205 freeway. This community art project will create unique mosaics placed on planters around the Jade District. Planters alone will not address higher temperatures seen during heat events. However, this initiative will spotlight the positive effects of adding greenery to the streetscape and possibly encourage more investment in future green spaces in the area.
The first workshop focuses on plants’ role in keeping neighborhoods happy and healthy. Groups will get an introduction to mosaic creation and meet to create their unique mosaic designs. The second workshop provides open studio time for community members to meet and work on making their mosaics. Participants can come to work on the project at any time during those hours. People are encouraged to learn about how communities benefit from access to trees, parks, and gardens. Attendees will hear about the work planned that addresses missing greenspace and discover how they can get involved in community efforts.
Zwickelmania® is an annual celebration of Oregon craft beer during Oregon Craft Beer Month organized by the Oregon Brewers Guild. Member breweries open their production facility to the public for a behind-the-scenes view of their operation and to offer unique sampling opportunities. The event’s name stems from the word Zwickel, describing the valve or sample port mounted outside a cask or tank. Brewers use those ports to test the product during fermentation, and this annual event allows people 21 years or older to taste beer from a producer’s perspective.
New cask beer engine at Montavilla Brew Works. Image courtesy Montavilla Brew Works
Montavilla Brew Works will offer brewery tours with free Zwickel samples from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests can meet the brewers and purchase special beer releases throughout the day. The brewery owners will unveil their new cask beer engine and pass out special giveaway items to mark the occasion.
From 1 to 4 p.m., Threshold Brewing & Blending will invite attendees behind their roll-up door into the production area with hourly tours and Zwickel pours. Cousins Maine Lobster food truck will sell its crowd-pleasing food from noon to 8 p.m. on the 17th in partnership with Threshold, allowing people to make a day of Zwickelmania® in Montavilla.
Threshold Brewing & Blending owners Jarek and Sara Szymanski. Image courtesy Threshold
This weekend’s Zwickelmania® is taking place outside of Montavilla as well. More than 50 breweries across Oregon are participating, including beer producers StormBreaker Brewing and Gigantic Brewing Company, which have sales locations in Montavilla. However, the event focuses on beer production at the brewing location. Consequentially, those brands will greet Zwickel-seeking guests at their primary locations. A complete list of participating locations is available online at the official Zwickelmania® site.
Zwickel sample. Image courtesy Montavilla Brew Works
For people who miss this beer-rich opportunity on the 17th, Threshold Brewing & Blending will hold its 5th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, February 24th. That event will offer five beer releases served in exclusive and limited glassware. A line-up of DJs will provide entertainment, and wood-fired pizza from guest food truck Hearth and Soul will feed the hungry guests. February is a good month for exploring Montavilla’s brewing community, and walking to the potentially inebriating events is easy.
By
Jacob Loeb
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TriMet will honor Rosa Parks with free rides for all passengers this Sunday. Starting February 4th, the transit operator will suspend fare collection until 3 a.m. February 5th. Portland Streetcar and C-TRAN operators will also offer rides without cost this Sunday in observation of the civil rights icon’s 111th birthday.
Graphic courtesy TriMet
In 2020, TriMet’s District 5 Director Keith Edwards proposed the resolution declaring Parks’ birthday as a day of remembrance across the public transportation system. That year, TriMet adopted the fare holiday across the 533-square-mile service district to recognize Parks’ contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. Ticket machines will not allow ticket purchases on February 4th, and if riders tap their Hop card or ticket that day, they will receive a confirmation of valid fare, but TriMet’s systems won’t charge their account.
Update: The Keep Alive the Dream organizers have postponed the 39th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute at Highland Christian Center due to inclement weather conditions. People are invited to attend the rescheduled event on Saturday, February 17th, at 7600 NE Glisan Street. The program begins at 1 p.m., with the Victory Village opening at noon. This will shift the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration to coincide with Black History Month.
Original Article published January 9th, 2024
For over a decade, Montavilla’s Highland Christian Center has hosted the annual Keep Alive the Dream tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on his federally recognized holiday. This 39th occurrence will take place at 7600 NE Glisan Street starting at noon on January 15th with the opening of the Victory Village marketplace. Performances and speakers will begin at 1 p.m. and continue until 4 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend the event with a suggested donation of $5 or 5 cans of non-perishable food items.
Since 1976, the World Arts Foundation has celebrated Oregon’s African-American community through Keep Alive the Dream. It is a family-friendly event that honors pioneering activists, community leaders, artists, musicians, and youth. This year’s speakers include Dr. James Mason of Care Oregon, George Hocker, and Lifetime Achievement awardee Ken Boddie from KOIN News. Musical performances by the MLK All-Star Band, under the direction of Charlie Brown III, will entertain attendees between speakers.
This year’s Executive Producer, Kevin Berry, is in his second year running Keep Alive the Dream. Last year, he ran it with his cousin, Sandra G Wadsworth. Before that, Kevin Berry’s brother, Ken Berry, produced the annual tribute. Wadsworth passed away last September, leaving Kevin Berry in charge with the help of her daughter, Jasmine Wadsworth, and several other committed community members.
Past years have drawn upwards of 800 people to this event throughout the day. People are expected to come and go during the four hours of programming, and organizers encouraged them to explore the vendors and tabling organizations in the Village. “Everybody is welcome, if you come out you will enjoy the program and it’s something that, if you’ve never been, it’s definitely something that you should attend,” said Kevin Berry.
Starting at noon next Monday, guests can purchase food from Le Bontemps Café & Catering and visit Victory Village booths. An hour after that, the structured programming will begin. XRAY radio will again broadcast Keep Alive the Dream at 91.1FM, 107.1FM, or xray.fm for those who can not attend in person. Attendees should park on the street, take transit, or walk to the Highland Christian Center on NE Glisan.
On Saturday, December 2nd, Oregon State Representative Khanh Pham will host a Community Forum regarding proposed Interstate 205 Tolling. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) intends to charge usage fees for the Portland area freeways to generate funds for several large infrastructure projects and maintenance. People can attend the forum in person from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Portland Community College’s Southeast campus Community Hall Annex at 2305 SE 82nd Avenue or by emailing your testimony.
ODOT proposes two Tolling programs that could impact traffic flow on and around I-205 as early as 2026. The I-205 Toll Project would charge a toll for drivers crossing the Abernethy Bridge, which spans the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn. Collected funds would pay a portion of the construction costs for the Abernethy Bridge Earthquake Ready project. The other fee collection method under consideration is called the Regional Mobility Pricing Project. That proposal could impact traffic congestion, street safety, and air quality in the neighborhoods near I-205. This tolling option would charge users as they travel the freeway system. ODOT is still reviewing feedback from an October survey ahead of revealing the exact mechanism used to asses usage fees.
Supporters of the tolling proposals feel it will reduce congestion as people adjust their trips to times when the tolling fees cost less. They also think it will appropriately charge users of the freeway system for its use with direct funding for maintenance and expansion. People opposed see it as an additional tax levied on people who already fund ODOT’s Freeway operations. Neighborhood concerns tend to center on local congestion caused by people avoiding the toll by driving on parallel side streets like 82nd and 122nd Avenues. Expanded usage would undo much of the traffic calming, safety, and livability improvements underway for 82nd Avenue and introduce more air pollution into the community. There are also equitability concerns around charging economically strained people for Interstate access and burdening minority communities with increased spill-off traffic.
This weekend’s special listening session on tolling will provide legislators and state officials with the community’s perspective on ODOT’s proposals. People’s comments in person or through email can influence decision-makers and help elected officials form a vision for transportation investments. Attendees should sign up to provide testimony 30 minutes before the meeting. People who cannot make the forum are encouraged to submit testimony via email to JTSSTP.exhibits@oregonlegislature.gov with the subject “December 2nd Hearing, PCC – Southeast.”
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The Montavilla 2023 WinterFest begins on December 2nd with the Holiday Tree Lighting in the Plaza at SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street. The Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) has made an annual tradition of this districtwide celebration that offers events throughout the month, including Santa or Hanukkah Harry pictures, shopping, and a self-guided boozy-tasty tour of the neighborhood.
Once again, the shops of Montavilla have coordinated a festive itinerary for residents and visitors alike. It starts with the ceremonial Tree Lighting in the Plaza on December 2nd at 5 p.m. For two hours, beginning at 4 p.m., people can purchase mulled wine and beer or enjoy complimentary hot cocoa while listening to festive music in the plaza. Attendees are encouraged to bring an ornament to hang on the community tree provided by Red Shed Christmas Trees.
Those looking to take their Santa and Hanukkah Harry pictures can visit Board Bard Games on Saturday, December 9th, without the high prices or arduous journey to the mall. The free three-hour-long do-it-yourself (DIY) photo event starts at 11 a.m. within the storefront at 7960 SE Stark Street. Dress up and swing by with your camera or phone to snap a photo with one of the holiday icons.
On December 16th, people can enjoy the food and beverage event Merry Montavilla Soiree at locations throughout Montavilla. Select locations in the business district will offer special menu items and seasonal drinks from 4:00 p.m. until the close of business. Check the METBA website for updates and participating locations.
Then, on December 17th, people are encouraged to support neighborhood businesses with a special Shop Local Montavilla event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This day represents an opportunity to look for those unique holiday gifts that do not require a click and a containership to deliver.
Recognizing that the winter season is not all about personal joy, METBA is hosting a districtwide donation drive throughout December. Businesses throughout the neighborhood will collect items for Montavilla Collective to distribute to those in need. They accept outerwear, blankets, sleeping bags, socks, boxers, gloves, hats, and scarves. See the donation drive’s webpage for details about item condition requests and drop-off locations.
