The Montavilla Farmers’ Market began in 2007, but this is not Montavilla’s first such market. The earliest one opened in a nearby location on July 7, 1914. Back then—whether large or small—such markets were called public markets. But the economics were similar: farmers sold directly to their customers rather than to a middleman. That meant better profits for farmers and better prices for customers.
Produce from the Montavilla School garden was for sale at the Montavilla public market in 1914 and 1915. Photo courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society
In the early 20th century, a well-known example of a large public market was Seattle’s Pike Place Market. So popular was this market that on opening day, August 17, 1907, produce was sold out by lunchtime. Within three months, this Seattle market had its own building.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer cartoon shows direct selling from farmer to consumer at Pike Place Market on opening day, August 17, 1907. Cartoon by George Hager. Source: Wikipedia Commons
Portland didn’t get on the public market bandwagon until 1912. At that time, there was a big push to establish a large public market in the City. Had it passed, the bond measure on the 1912 ballot would have financed a large building. It lost by a mere 493 votes.
Portland’s Times newspaper advocated the establishment of public markets—from large to small—in various parts of the city as a way to cut the profits of the middlemen. They called for large markets on the east side and west side of the Willamette. They also advocated for neighborhood markets in Montavilla, as well as Albina, St. Johns, Sellwood, Kenton, Arleta, and Woodstock.
Portland’s Times newspaper of November 1, 1912 predicted the public market bond issue would pass. It did not. Source: Historic Oregon Newspapers
Although the 1912 ballot measure failed, local interest in public markets persisted, and in 1914, another push to establish public markets in Portland emerged. At this time, there is evidence that Montavilla’s interest in a public market was rising. Two Montavilla businessmen—A. N. Searle of the Montavilla Board of Trade and Dr. C. B. Zeebuyth of the Montavilla Civic League—served on the Progressive Business Men’s Club committee assigned to study the public market issue.
In Montavilla, public market advocates were pushing for a Montavilla public market in 1914. The Montavilla Civic League said it favored opening parts of the neighborhood’s suburban streets for farmers to market their goods. The League invited Josephine R. Sharp, a well-known advocate for neighborhood public markets, to speak at their April meeting. At this time, Mrs. Sharp was helping to establish a public market in the Alberta neighborhood. Meanwhile, Montavilla activist Sarah H. Wilder was advising the Montavilla Parent Teachers’ Association to organize a public market similar to the one about to open in Alberta.
Josephine R. Sharp, advocate of neighborhood public markets, spoke to Montavilla Civic League members in April, 1914. Photo from the Oregon Daily Journal of May 24, 1916
Montavilla public market enthusiasts were probably encouraged by the success of the new Yamhill Street market, which opened in downtown Portland on May 16, 1914. The huge market had 300 feet of booths lining the street. On opening day, thousands gathered to watch the opening-day parade and then headed for the stalls. The farmers’ offerings were sold out in less than an hour and a half, according to the May 17 Oregonian.
Opening day of the downtown Yamhill Street Market. Source: The Sunday Oregonian, May 17, 1914 (Historic Oregon Newspapers)
In June, 1914, two Montavilla School students sold their own produce in the children’s section of the Yamhill Street market.
Montavilla students in their stall in the children’s section of the Yamhill Street public market. Source: Oregonian, June 27, 1914 (Historic Oregon Newspapers)
Montavilla public market advocates may also have been encouraged by the success of the Albina neighborhood market on Knott Street. On the second day of this market, 10 to 15 wagons filled with farm products arrived and quickly sold out, according to the Oregonian of May 3, 1914.
You might wonder why the Montavilla PTA—rather than a community activist group—spearheaded a Montavilla public market project. No information came to light about this. Perhaps the Montavilla School garden was a factor. Produce from this garden could—and would—supplement what local farmers and neighborhood gardeners provided. Produce from all three sources were on sale in the actual Montavilla market, according to newspaper accounts.
The Montavilla School Garden viewed from the school building (date unknown). Photo courtesy of the Oregon Historical Society
The Montavilla market was scheduled to premiere on Tuesday, July 7, at the corner of Stark and 81st. But when the PTA farmers’ market committee members arrived to set up the six display booths built by Montavilla students, they had vanished. They began to search and finally found them in a nearby alley. They had them assembled by the time the first customers arrived at 6 p.m. Opening day was a success. When the market ended at 10 am, all the produce—including the school’s bumper popcorn crop—had sold.
The Montavilla market continued throughout the summer on Tuesdays and Saturdays. In its August 3, 1914 edition, the Oregonian declared the Montavilla market a success.
On June 22, 1915, the Montavilla PTA held a mass meeting to consider whether the market should continue. The answer was “yes.” This time, a market association with a board of officers was formed. The market would again be held on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but it would open half an hour later, at 6:30 p.m.
The 1915 Montavilla market opened on June 29 in a slightly different location: 79th Street on the north side of Stark. Now there were ten booths instead of six. And there was a big sign on Stark to call attention to the market. As before, the market offered produce grown by school children and teachers, private gardeners, and farmers. The Oregon Journal of June 30, 1915, listed the farmers’ offerings: peas, carrots, beets, turnips, new potatoes, and cherries.
Was this the last Montavilla public market? It is not clear, but I found no further press coverage. The Alberta market celebrated its third anniversary in 1917, but then, it too, faded from the press.
Montavilla School garden during World War I, 1918. Source: Portland City Archives, P/11266
Whether or not the Montavilla market continued, the Montavilla School garden did. And it was greatly enlarged and produced food to support the war effort. But that’s another story…
By
Patricia Sanders
Title image digitally restored
This is part of Montavilla History Questions Answered, a series of history related articles. If you have questions about Montavilla’s past that you’d like answered, local historian Patricia Sanders will investigate your question. Please email your questions to history@montavilla.net and we may feature it alongside Patricia Sanders’ research in a future.
This year, deconstruction crews mostly demolished the former Burgerville location at 3504 SE 92nd Avenue, leaving just one wall standing. They proceeded to construct a practically new fast-food restaurant with a drive-through around that wall. This process of leaving minimal structure allowed the project to file for permits as a remodel project, rather than a new development, and to bypass a 2018 Portland City Council-enacted ban on new drive-throughs in commercial zones. This is a similar process used to create a new Chick-fil-A restaurant near Mall 205, where its Central Commercial (CX) zoning would not allow low-density construction. This process relies on rebuilding provisions in code designed to respect a property owner’s need to enhance an existing site by permitting work under its previous zoning rules. Consequently, the exceptions for built properties create additional real estate value for existing buildings that harbor attributes some businesses want, such as drive-throughs.
Permit applications noting the Oregonian’s incoming business and property ownership research identify Panda Express as the presumed future tenant of this building. It fills an Eastside gap in the American Chinese fast food brand’s Interstate 205-adjacent distribution and will give it a drive-through option for Portland customers, as it has at its Happy Valley, Oregon, location. Panda Express has not officially announced this location or stated if it will relocate an existing store to this space. This is possible because of a provision added when the City Council updated the rules. “Existing drive‐through facilities are allowed. Existing facilities can be rebuilt, expanded, or relocated on the site” for Commercial Employment (CE) zones in city code Chapter 33.130.260.
Panda Express online location map with MV News illustrations showing 3504 SE 92nd Ave
That text allows property owners to build a modern building for their business while still offering prohibited functions, such as drive-throughs. To some observers, the tactic used at 3504 SE 92nd Avenue appears to be an exploited loophole that circumvents city climate goals. However, to certain members of the business community, it is a necessary exception to code or zoning changes that officials enact before market changes support the new use of those sites. In this case, the new owners of the property at SE 92nd Avenue and Powell Boulevard expect that a drive-through-related business will continue to do well at the location, particularly given its location off a State Highway and near a freeway. They could have rebranded the previous building and opened it with minimal investment. Instead, they wanted to modernize the structure and worked within the confines of Portland regulations.
Until City officials remove prior-existence exemptions for projects like this, only market forces will reduce the number of drive-throughs in the city. When the property becomes more valuable for higher-density uses, people can expect redevelopment that does not retain its more car-centric character. Consequently, for fast-food restaurants in Portland, the famous real estate phrase may become “There are three things that matter in property: location, location, and an existing drive-through.” Work at the site is underway, with much of the exterior work completed.
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For sixteen years, the Landmark Saloon served the community below the western base of Mt Tabor at 4847 SE Division Street before closing on February 13th. Regulars at that establishment, Graham Talley and Scott Phillips, feared the loss of an affordable community gathering space in an area undergoing significant redevelopment. They took over the lease of the converted 1906-era house and brought on Nick Wilson, who previously owned the Landmark, to guide them as they spruced up the place. On Friday, July 24th, they will begin a two-day grand opening celebration for the Switchback Saloon with drink specials and live music.
The Switchback Saloon is a cultural continuation of the Landmark, but it’s also a new business that draws inspiration from the community and staff as it constructs its future. The owners want to make sure Landmark regulars feel at home in the updated establishment, but they also want to make their space inviting to all people looking for a third space—a location that is neither home nor work. “We’ve met a lot of folks here over the years, and it’s been a good community gathering space,” explained Phillips. “The watering hole that everyone goes to.” However, they know the national trend shows people drinking less adult beverages. Consequently, they are embracing non-alcoholic drink options that include mocktails and NA-beers. They are also looking at serving coffee in the morning with breakfast items that will not price out a neighborhood regular. “We really want to be a resource to serve the community,” said Talley. “We probably won’t be doing anything really fancy, but if someone can come and spend $10 to $12 to get a good filling breakfast, and a cup of coffee under $5, I think that would be great.”
The well liked photo-booth will remain but the arcade games will be replaced by a pooltable
People will have to wait for some of the new additions. Work to this point has focused on repairing the hardwood floors inside, completely reconstructing the two bathrooms to remove their “dive-bar” aesthetic, updating the kitchen, and general decluttering of the building. As they make changes and plans for the future, the partners say they are involving staff in those choices. “We’re passionate about alternative business models and methods, a more democratic workplace where the staff gets to decide the policies, not just us dictating them,” explained Talley. They will be instituting profit-sharing programs and keeping the books open, letting employees see the finances.
Both the new owners are experienced businesspeople, but have never owned a foodservice or bar establishment. That is why they are seeking help from the former owner and the people who know the space well. “The decisions we’re making around here are coming from literally interviewing the customers and our staff to figuring out what they want to see,” said Talley. “There definitely seems to be a demand for a little more low-scale offerings, like the cowboy breakfast and cowboy coffee.”
Outdoor stage for scheduled performers
The nod to the cowboy in the menu is intentional. The Landmark Saloon was a well-received country and western music venue with small stages for recognizable regional performers and developing musicians in the genre. The Switchback Saloon will continue that to a degree but will also make room for other tastes. “We’re planning on expanding outside of just the classic kind of country western honky tonk, still doing live instrumentation, but we’ll be expanding into jazz, funk, and soul,” said Talley. They removed the permanent stage at the front of the interior seating area to make room for more tables, but will replace it with a convertible stage that can transform from a guest area in 30 minutes on event nights. The existing outdoor covered stage will remain the primary venue space, as it is centrally located in the large private yard adjacent to the saloon.
Covers outdoor seating and racked corn hole game boards
The new owners acknowledge that there are several other bars in the area, but note that this one offers a unique format that is not easy to replicate in an area where available land is rapidly being redeveloped for multifamily projects. The saloon’s property features a large outdoor patio that is several times the size of the bar’s interior. Within that fenced outdoor area is a stage, a secondary bar serving canned beers and shots, and clusters of covered seating fill all corners, and bark-chip-covered grounds make room for outdoor game play, including corn hole. Within the exterior space is Leroy’s Familiar Vittles food cart. That independent business operates overlapping hours with the saloon and is the primary food service provider. The menu features smoked and grilled meats along with mac and cheese, collard greens, and other classic country dishes.
Their drink menu features mostly local beers on tap and whisky. The owners explained that they sell a healthy number of packaged beers, with some notoriety. “We sell a ton of cans. I think at some point, [Landmark Saloon] was like number five for Rainier sales in the entire country,” recalled Talley. “We still sell out of Rainier cans every weekend,” added Phillips. They will add craft beer and some top-shelf whisky to meet higher-end interests, but appreciate the affordability of canned beer. “It’s one of our cheapest drinks. Buying a Tallboy, coming out here, hanging out with friends, that’s very much one of the things that we want to keep alive,” said Talley. “Regardless of what is in your bank account, people should have that third space they can go to and just actually hang out with old friends and new ones.”
Second bar outside for cans and shot sales
The regulars are already back in the space as word of the reopening spreads, but the owners know they will need to find new people looking for a social space. “Gen Z’s not as active in the bar scene, and I think in Portland you’ve seen less activity in some of these local bars, which is why they’ve closed,” said Phillips. He hopes their investment in the Switchback will keep Portlanders invested in their local bar spaces and help bolster personal interactions. “Whether it’s for music, or events, or just to hang out with their friends after work, whatever it is, just keeping that social connection alive.” Talley acknowledges it will take work to keep this space alive. “I know from experience it’s not easy running a small business, and there are a lot of bars shutting down. I’m just hoping we keep getting the support that we’ve been getting so far from the Portland community, so that we can keep going.”
New owners Scott Phillips (left) and Graham Talley (right)
The Switchback Saloon’s grand opening spans Friday to Saturday, July 24th and 25th. They currently serve people from 3 pm to midnight on weekdays and open an hour earlier on the weekends. Times will adjust as they update offerings. The event will feature live music both nights and a mustache-shaving service, where the new owner, Graham Talley, will remove his well-groomed lip hair in solidarity with patrons who want to start the long and awkward grow-out period. Past patrons and interested people are invited to the grand opening of the Switchback Saloon. The owners hope everyone will enjoy the updates and the homage to its past incarnation. For those not excited for the name change, they may only need to wait until the old name becomes available again in the State registry. Graham Talley and Scott Phillips said the new name is an inside joke because, after much effort to find a new name, they decided it didn’t matter and may “switch back to calling it Landmark.”
Article and photos by
Jacob Loeb
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On Sunday, July 26th, the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) will host the 13th annual Street Fair on SE Stark Street. Early that morning, crews will close the road from SE 82nd to 76th Avenues, along with segments of side streets, to allow the 150 booth operators to set up ahead of the 10 a.m. opening. Vendors will sell a variety of items, including food and drinks, unique artwork, handcrafted goods, and clothing. Mixed in with people selling items, organizations will provide information, and performers will entertain the crowds until 6 p.m. Vehicle traffic will resume on the street later that evening after organizers clear the area. Still, people can stay in the neighborhood to visit the bars and restaurants along SE Stark and NE Glisan Streets. Last year, a record-breaking number of people from around the region visited Montavilla’s historic downtown to participate in the annual community party. Event organizers expect that it will increase again this year.
Montavilla Street Fair 2026 banner
A week before the event, sign installers placed the banner over SE Stark Street at 80th Avenue, announcing the Street Fair date to everyone passing by. Although many people in the area have already marked the date on their calendars, raising the banner represents Montavilla’s invitation to the city of Portland. Thousands of visitors attend this annual neighborhood event, driving record sales for local businesses and introducing people to the historic downtown Montavilla.
This year’s event is music-forward with four stages. HONK! PDX will offer a special all-acoustic stage experience. People can also enjoy performances at the SE 79th Avenue Plaza Stage next to the Threshold Brewing beer garden. The Main and Brewery stages will feature a diverse mix of larger acts throughout the day. Montavilla Brew Works, Threshold Brewing, and The Observatory will again feature beer gardens. Many past fair booth operators are returning, alongside a new crop of makers, food vendors, and organizations. As a bonus, the Montavilla Farmers Market will be open during its regular hours on the 26th, providing attendees with access to more booths and food options at SE 76th Avenue and Stark.
Parking in the neighborhood is always in short supply during the street fair. People are encouraged to take public transit to the event or explore other modes of travel. Portland transportation leaders organized a Community Ride/Bike Bus to the Montavilla Street Fair this year to reduce parking challenges in the area while providing a family-friendly ride along neighborhood greenways and new protected bike lanes near downtown Montavilla. Interested participants can gather starting at 10:30 a.m. near the Irving Park covered area for a relaxed 5.6-mile ride to the fair leaving at 11:00 a.m.
Promotion: Montavilla News will have a booth at the fair this year. We will give away stickers and sell year subscriptions that will come with a logoed hat or pin, while supplies last.
On Saturday, July 11th, Montavilla Brew Works will host an eleven-year all-ages celebration event featuring special beer releases, food from Oi! The Sausage, and music provided by DJ MD. Melissa and Michael Kora opened Montavilla Brew Works at 7805 SE Stark Street on July 15th, 2015, and started using the annual celebration of that event to host a summertime gathering. Michael Kora saw this year’s event as a way to support Friends of Seasonal & Service Workers (FSSW) by donating a portion of the proceeds from the beer, with longtime neighbor Mr. Plywood matching the brewery’s contribution.
Montavilla Brew Works grew from a home-brewer’s passion and a desire to create a neighborhood-scale enterprise. Before starting his brewery, Michael Kora secured work with Bridgeport Brewing Company after briefly working for the owner’s winery business. His time working as a seasonal employee influenced this year’s support of FSSW, which assists independent organizing efforts by farm, seasonal, and service workers with efforts including food drives and medical access. When Kora’s seasonal wine work ended, Dick Ponzi learned of Kora’s desire to work in the brewing industry and found a place for him in his other business where he could learn about operations. “I didn’t get to brew because I didn’t go to brew school. I was driving a truck, working in the warehouse, shipping, distributing, moving beer around, and learning brewing at home. I then nano brewed for a while at the Green Dragon,” recalled Kora. After growing his skills and experiencing the brewing business from the inside, it seemed time to branch out on his own. Sitting at McMenamins Edgefield, Michael and Melissa Kora sketched out a five-year business plan and agreed to start looking for a space to rent.
Melissa and Michael Kora touring the Daugherty Auto Service garage 2013 that became MBW. Photo courtesy Michael Kora
The couple moved into Montavilla several years before starting their business. After agreeing to start a brewery, they looked for commercial spaces in neighboring areas but could not find a suitable location that fit their vision for the taproom. However, with some luck and good timing, Michael Kora discovered the neglected former Daugherty Auto Service garage at the corner of SE 78th and Stark Street. “I was riding home from the gym and came by Stark Street just to kind of look at what was going on and there was a for sale or lease sign. This building was so dilapidated it was nothing to look at, but Melissa and I were from the Detroit area of Michigan. I’d seen worse, so [I thought] this building is pretty cool and would make a cool brewery,” said Michael Kora. William “Dave” Beets, the operator of the now-demolished Beets Auto Body, owned the property and was excited to see it go to new owners for such an unexpected use. “He was a character, but he was surprisingly stoked. He said, ‘I think this is awesome. You guys are gonna be the first. There’s no breweries around here like this. It’s gonna be good for the community and the neighborhood.’ He was a neighborhood guy even though he didn’t live here,” recalled Kora.
The Kora’s became tenants of the Stark Street building in 2013, but it would take over two years to open the doors to the public. The original owners of the 1922-era auto garage never designed it to house any other type of business, and it took substantial efforts to rehabilitate the building. Permits took four months to approve, and construction lasted another nine months. Kora discovered that the building roof slopes significantly to the northwest corner of the property for rainwater drainage, forcing him to place his tall brewing equipment at the south-facing front of the building, blocking windows and putting beer production centerstage. During construction, he added onto the north side of the building to create a walk-in cooler and storage room needed to keep finished beer and ingredients out of the limited customer-facing space.
Construction delays, the added brewery inspections, and unanticipated expenses drained their cash reserves. Michael Kora started beer production offsite to begin bringing in funds and building the brand. Flying Pie Pizzeria was an early supporter, buying the pre-opening batches and installing a permanent Montavilla Brew Works tap handle at the restaurant, replacing Bud Light. Initially, they relied on help from friends, but the couple mainly worked alone at Montavilla Brew Works for the first few years. “Melissa designed everything on the interior. So she made this place feel like it does. And I was the beer guy and eventually the business guy. It was her and I for the first four and a half years,” recalled Kora. After the early lean years, they brought in help to brew their beers and cover bar shifts. With the added staff, it was beginning to feel sustainable until the pandemic upended the business model. Montavilla Brew Works focused on serving draft beer onsite with little attention paid to the at-home market. They distributed a limited number of kegs to local businesses but had not embraced canning. COVID-19 bar closures forced a change in the whole microbrewery industry. “We completely 180’d, and we’re in this world where we were doing 100% draft, and then we switched to 100% cans. Melissa and I were out there every week delivering to people’s homes,” said Michael Kora. They had to let their employees go to keep the business going. The brewery survived that scary time and invested early in outdoor seating to bring people back as soon as possible.
Post-COVID, Melissa and Michael Kora spend less time in the brewery during service hours. Both are more focused on improving operations and branding, with a goal to make each subsequent batch better than the last. For the celebration, they will release an Anniversary Pilsner which is a special dry-hopped version of Plywood Pilsner, a Montavilla Brew Works’ mainstay beer. Attendees of the 3 to 9 p.m. anniversary celebration can also purchase two additional special releases, Lesh Is More, an India Pale Ale honoring Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, and the Peregrin porter aged with Palo Santo wood.
On June 6th, the White Lotus Summer Market began its four-weekend-long event featuring food, culture, and community behind the Fubonn Shopping Center at 2850 SE 82nd Avenue. Every Saturday and Sunday in June from 2 to 10 p.m., the over 40 vendors invite people to experience the outdoor market bringing together local vendors, cultural energy, and a community atmosphere.
Past occurrences of this summer event took place at the Shun Fat Supermarket, 5253 SE 82nd Avenue near Foster Road. The organizers designed the pop-up market to support Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI)-owned businesses and local entrepreneurs, providing a place for people to shop, eat, and connect. Entry to the market is free, with vendor assortments changing each weekend. People should review the market’s website to see the specific weekend guides. The 2026 White Lotus Summer Market season ends on June 28th.
People wanting direct access to the market can use Fubonn’s new, permanent, secondary entrance on SE 85th Avenue. The market removes some parking, but space remains around vendor stalls and in front of the complex adjacent to SE 82nd Avenue. Attendees are also encouraged to visit the year-round tenants of Fubonn Shopping Center who offer complimentary items and services. Time is running out to visit the White Lotus Summer Market, but residents will have another opportunity to shop at a market-style event on August 29th during the Jade International Night Market 2026, taking place at the nearby Portland Community College’s Southeast campus.
Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.
On Monday, June 22nd, Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Free Lunch + Play program returns to Montavilla Park on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with free lunch from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. for youth 18 years or younger. For many children, school offers activities and services that extend beyond education. Some students rely on school as their only structured playtime with peers and depend on the free lunch program for a midday meal. Thanks to funds provided by the 2020 voter-approved Parks Local Option Levy, the Free Lunch + Play program offers children weekday activities without registration or cost. From June 22nd to August 21st, kids can visit 23 parks citywide for recreational activities and a nutritious lunch.
Portland Public Schools closed for the summer on June 5th. With over half the city’s school-age children qualifying for free or reduced-price meals during the school year, PP&R’s Free Lunch + Play program is a critical tool in keeping young people fed during the summer break. However, the free lunches are available to anyone meeting the age requirements, regardless of enrollment in a school district’s free lunch program. Adults bringing 10 or more youth to a location for a free lunch should contact 503-729-0332 at least 5 business days in advance, so park staff can accommodate the group. USDA Federal guidelines require recipients to eat their meals on-site in the designated area, and youth are limited to one serving per day. Locations will have a No Thank You Table offering unwanted lunch items that youth can take to supplement their meals during the designated lunch hours.
Montavilla Park at 8219 NE Glisan Street, Gateway Discovery Park at 10520 NE Halsey Street, and Lents Park at SE 92 Avenue and SE Steele Street will host Free Lunch + Play activities for Montavilla area residents. Meal times vary by location, but Parks employees will organize games and other group activities throughout the four-hour sessions. The program staff will observe the July 4th national holiday on the 3rd and will take the day off.
All meal packs comply with USDA Federal Lunch Program regulations. Youth must attend in person to receive meals and eat all the food on-site. Foodservice occurs only during stated mealtimes. For Montavilla Park, that is from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. At Lents Park, food is available from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Gateway Discovery Park has a shorter mealtime window, 11 to 11:45 a.m. Staff will require everyone to wash their hands before receiving food.
Free Lunch + Play is part of Portland Parks & Recreation’s (PP&R) Summer Free For All program, offering more than 50 free outdoor events for all ages, including multicultural festivals, free outdoor movies, and concerts across the city. It also includes activities at PP&R outdoor pools, opening on June 18th. Six outdoor pools will host a weekly free swim session in addition to their fee-based swim lessons, open-play swims, and water fitness classes. Montavilla’s pool offers free swim sessions on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. People will find a complete list of Summer Free For All’s inclusive and family-friendly activities on the PP&R website.
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This is a big year for the Montavilla Farmers Market: They are entering their 20th year of operating one of the most beloved farmers markets on the east side of Portland. I sat down with Lisa Hebert one morning at Bipartisan Cafe to chat about the market and get a feel for the success of these past 20 years.
Montavilla Farmers Market Founders
I was curious to know more about the people who started the Montavilla Farmers Market. Turns out it was a group of volunteers who worked with the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) to found the market. Their website describes them as “a grassroots collection of neighbors who were inspired by visions of a fresh, local, food market in a shared community space within the growing SE Stark Street business district.”
Their first market was Sunday, July 22nd, 2007. “The first year it was run just by volunteers,” Lisa confirmed. “And then the next year they were able to pay their market manager a small stipend.”
It made me think of the Rocky Butte Farmers Market, which also was founded by volunteers and has progressed to a place where the market manager has been designated a paid position.
Purple cauliflower sampled to Kids POP Club October 2025 (Jacob Loeb)
Lisa Hebert, Executive Director of the Montavilla Farmers Market
Lisa is the market’s executive director, where she tackles much of the behind-the-scenes work—things like budgeting, financials, strategy, overseeing a handful of paid staff, marketing, and fundraising. She also works with their board—Montavilla Farmers Market is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit.
She has lived in Montavilla since 2020, and worked for the Portland Farmers Market starting in 2016 before she moved to the neighborhood. But growing up she had a very conventional relationship with food. Then, she went to college.
Lisa’s Early Experience With Farmers Markets
“When I went to college, I went to UC Santa Cruz,” she said. “And I got involved with the sustainability center—I actually taught a gardening class on campus. And then I started working at the seed library, and with the food system working group to actually create a pop-up farmers market on campus.”
She added, “It was so far away from the actual town of Santa Cruz. So we’d go to the farmer’s market, buy things, and bring it to campus and sell it, just at price for folks.”
She ended up interning at the farmer’s market in Santa Cruz during her senior year. And then that summer, they needed a market manager, so they hired her for that just for the summer, and she loved it.
“And then I moved to Portland and I started working at a preschool and I was a cook there, ” she continued. “So I cooked for preschool for a little bit, and then the Portland Farmer’s Market was hiring and they hired me as a market manager there.”
Breads. Courtesy Montavilla Farmers Market.
Why a Market in Montavilla? Food Access.
So why was it important to have a farmers market in Montavilla? “From looking at [the market’s] documents and records, I think it was really important for having that food access in the neighborhood,” explained Lisa.
She continued, “A lot of focus early on in the market’s career was on sustainability and trying to create as sustainable a market as possible—and, again, an accessible market in the way of food access. The market has pretty much always accepted EBT benefits and in 2010, I believe, the market would fundraise to match the EBT benefits on their own. Currently, we are able to match EBT benefits through Farmers Market Fund, which is an Oregon-wide organization, giving markets money for that.”
She added, “But the original founders of the market worked really hard to do that on their before that money was available.”
The Current Location of the Montavilla Farmers Market
The current location of the Montavilla Farmers Market has been their home since the start. On that property there used to be another building belonging to Beets Auto Body (you may remember us mentioning them in our piece on Montavilla Brew Works 10th anniversary last year). That building was razed in 2020 after the property was sold in 2019.
Lisa also said that one point, it was an artist co-op; the Montavilla News article linked above also referenced the artists—and food carts. But 2020 was the start of COVID and having that extra space in the lot was helpful for pandemic social distancing needs.
“We were able to expand during 2020, which was great timing because that’s when we had to have all the social distancing,” she explained. “We all needed to limit the amount of people that came into the market for a long time based off of ourselves. So if we were still in the smaller area, it would have been much more challenging.”
Montavilla Farmers Market May 2016 (Jacob Loeb)
A Potential Move?
There has been discussion online about the potential need for the Montavilla Farmers Market to move. Please note: They are not moving right now, and nobody has asked them to move. But honestly, nobody knows what the future holds right now.
But they did put out a survey on this topic (location) for people to take and they are currently reviewing the responses and gauging the community’s care for and interest in the market.
The OG Vendors
I was curious to know if there are still vendors today that were there from the beginning. “Yes! C. Chang Family Farm, which grows fresh flowers,” Lisa said. “They’ve been there since the very first market. I believe that Baird Family Farm has been there since 2007. Kiykawa Family Orchard has also been there since the beginning.
She added, “Oh, and then Leopold Farms!”
2026 Montavilla Farmers Market Vendors
These are new vendors this year:
Alleamin African Kitchen (Somali food).
Crooked Carrot Farm (vegetable farm).
Floraboros (wholesale native nursery).
Gompers Distillery (small-batch distillery).
Mariquita Medicinals (herb and flower farm and community-focused apothecary).
Merrow (chili crisp).
Money Bowl (Southwestern Chinese food).
Moonflower Bakery (gluten-free baked goods).
Rhythm Seed Farm (grows locally adapted seeds).
Snack Wine (low-ABV wine spritzers).
Three Goats Farm (fermented hot sauces and pickles).
Tortuga Gordo (fermented hot sauces).
Vorfreude Dairy Beef (premium beef cuts and high-quality tallow products).
Wafeltje Stroopwafels (Dutch stroopwafels).
Wild Roots Spirits (real fruit-infused vodka and gin).
This Market Fills a Need
There are a lot of farmers markets in Portland—and that is one thing that makes Portland a great city. But what is it that makes the Montavilla Farmers Market special among them? “I think Montavilla is special for a couple of reasons,” explained Lisa. “One of my favorite reasons is that I believe a lot of the participants at our market tend to be smaller farms and we tend to get the owner of the farm at the market.”
“I think that’s special, being able to actually be face-to-face with the person who’s hands are in the dirt growing the food.”
“I also think that we’re not a tourist market,” Lisa continued. “We don’t have a lot of tourism at our market, specifically.” This is in comparison to the PSU Farmer’s market, which I would call a destination market. Hollywood is, too, to some extent, attracting people who are visiting out of town. Both of these destination markets are amazing, no cap.
“Also, I think it’s kind of special that we see the same people every week,” added Lisa. She also said that they’ve done surveys where they ask where folks are coming from to the market. Additionally, a recent survey revealed that 53% of people walked to the market.
They also aim to have a set of vendors that offer much of what a person might need for their weekly grocery shopping. “It’s a medium large market, so ideally, someone can go and do most of their grocery shopping there,” said Lisa. “We try to curate the market to have a lot of staples for people. Obviously, we’ll never be a fully one-stop shop because we only have local products. But the idea is for someone to come and be able to do a majority of their grocery shopping at the market and pick up staples there.”
Produce from Yolkan Farms. (Jacob Loeb)
A Significant Market for Vendors
Although Lisa has only been at the market for the last six years, she has enjoyed looking back at the market’s documents and history. “It’s been really exciting to watch the market grow!” she exclaimed.
She continued, “The amount of vendors that we have has gone from 17 on the opening day to now, throughout the year, we have almost 100. And on a typical summer market, we have 60 at any given time, which is just a huge leap.”
“The fact that the neighborhood is able to support all of those vendors is really amazing. And we hear from vendors that say Montavilla is where they’re able to sustain their business—it’s a really important market for them. For some of them, it’s their best market that they’re able to make their most amount of profit from.”
“This market is incredibly important—not only for the community, but those vendors who really rely on the support from our shoppers and from our organization.”
Yearly Anticipation
I wondered if Lisa looked forward to anything in particular at the market each time spring comes along. “I try to shop around to a lot of different vendors, especially farmers,” she explained. “I try to buy a lot of vegetables at the market … because then I eat a lot of vegetables. And I like to connect with the farms that sell products that no one else does.”
I told Lisa that my favorite thing in the spring at farmers markets is strawberries. So what is hers?
“Snap peas to me is a big—like, spring is here! Food is coming!”
She continued, “We’re past the hunger-gap era, where all of the root vegetables are purchased, and then all of the other vegetables with green and greens are this big. And so snap peas to me is like, ‘OK, we’ve made it. We’re now going to see like the abundance of spring that will that come.”
“And garlic scapes are delicious. this kind of year, too,” she added.
The Next 20 Years for the Montavilla Farmers Market
Lisa believes the demand and the interest is here for farmers market in the long term. “I think farmers markets are hugely important to local agriculture and farmers,” she said. “I’ve had a farmer tell me who does wholesale, ‘We would not be here if it wasn’t for the money that we’re able to get at farmers markets because it’s that direct-to-consumer purchase.’”
Direct-to-consumer means no middleman. “I think the farmers need farmers markets, and people crave that seasonal food. And yes, I think we’ll be here because I think farmers markets just make sense.”
Hello, blueberry and Market Manager. Courtesy Montavilla Farmers Market.
20th Anniversary Events
So what is the market and its staff looking forward to as far as celebrating and commemorating this 20 years? They have some activities planned for Sunday, May 3.
“We got a grant from the Portland Events and Film office to do a couple of activities. We are having a ‘Montavilla Through the Seasons’ timeline display. We’re going to have different photos and documents of the market throughout the years for people to look back on.”
They will also have a DIY button-making station, and they have a special t-shirt for the 20th season, which features the original logo of the Montavilla Farmers Market (it’s painted on the side of the barn). Market shoppers also have a chance to win one of 100 of these t-shirts on a spin-the-wheel configuration (no kids sizes).
“We will also be having a chef recipe demonstration booth,” explained Lisa. “Laura Bennett’s going to come and cook up a seasonal dish for people to taste.” Laura has a business called The Vegucation Station. She is also a longtime farmer in the Corvallis and Eugene area. She’s done a couple of chef demonstrations for them in the past..
Produce. (Jacob Loeb)
Final Thoughts
“This neighborhood has been very supportive of the market through the years,” said Lisa. “It has been really amazing and has taken ownership of the market, which I think is really special. You can tell through the survey results that people really care about the market, really love the market, really want to see like the best for it.
“I was a little nervous that we’d get maybe some negative comments, but it was so positive! And so many people were saying, ‘Thank you for the work with this..’ There’s a lot of support. And in the past when we’ve done fundraising, we’ve always had a lot of support from the community. I think that’s really special.
“And as someone who also lives in their community, it really feels like Montavilla is kind of its own bubble a little bit. We’re almost at our own town. We have these amazing businesses—you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to!”
Many thanks to Lisa for chatting about the Montavilla Farmers Market. Every good wish to her, the market, and the Montavilla neighborhood for getting to 20 years! I hope you will have a chance to stop in soon.
Article and photos originally published in Bridgetown Bites by
Meg Cotner
This article originally published in Bridgetown Bites on April 23rd, 2026. Montavilla News republished it with permission of the editor and author. All copyrights remain with the original publisher.
Meg Cotner lives in NE Portland and is the editor and publisher of the independent Portland food news website Bridgetown Bites. She is also an active editor and writer, and the author of “Food Lovers’ Guide to Queens” (2023, Globe Pequot Press)
On April 21st, the renowned and storied Stoopid Burger opened a new location inside the Rocket Empire Machine food hall at 6935 NE Glisan Street. This new location is Portland’s second brick-and-mortar space for the Oregon chain, which also operates a Lloyd Center restaurant and a St. Helens food truck location. This new location is just 2.5 miles from its original restaurant, which closed during the pandemic. They are known for massive towering burger creations and have received local and national recognition.
Stoopid Burger “cooming Soon” sign from early April
Stoopid Burger opened as a food cart at the corner of N Fremont Street and N Vancouver Avenue in 2014, and expanded into a storefront at 2329 NE Glisan Streetin 2017. That year, Willamette Week named the signature Stoopid Burger Portland’s best classic burger. The venture closed in 2020, with the Willamette Week reporting that Co-owners John Hunt and Danny Moore parted ways. Moore revived the brand in 2021, transitioning into two food trucks. In 2025, Stoopid Burger took over the 1950s-style diner space at Lloyd Center mall. The St Helens, Oregon, food truck location is the organization’s only remaining mobile kitchen.
Moore explained that with the impending closure and demolition of the Lloyd Center this August. The NE Glisan location will become the only brick-and-mortar storefront for his company. He said he is excited to move back to NE Glisan and enjoys the Montavilla neighborhood. He thinks people will appreciate the $5 “Super Boring” burger on the menu, noting that people are experiencing hard times, and it is important to hit that price point. He also wanted people to know about their fried fish, remarking, “People are calling our fish some of the best in Portland.” All locations serve the same menu, so fans of the Lloyd Center restaurant can start visiting the NE Glisan location to get their Stoopid Burger fix.
The Montavilla Stoopid Burger location is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. It replaced Alleamin African Kitchen in the Rocket Empire Machine food hall. Moore said the new space will offer the same “bold flavors” his company is known for in a good location. The burger restaurant lets people order at a kiosk, freeing the cook to prepare the food. In the future, when the service is activated, customers can call 971-668-7237 to place an order. Until then, people can stop in and reintroduce themselves to this returning business or discover it for the first time.
Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.
Colise Johnson and her husband, James, run a small food pantry from their home, a few blocks east of the Leodis V. McDaniel High School athletics fields on the corner of NE 86th Avenue and Brazee Street. As economic pressures push more people into food insecurity, they say the number of people served at this privately funded community resource has increased to an estimated 400 per week. They fund a sizable portion of these efforts through can deposit redemption and donations from people who wish to support the weekend lunch program and their Thursday pantry boxes.
Social media graphic courtesy Colise Johnson
Johnson explained that her home is filled with a fluctuating amount of food ready for weekly pickup by individuals and groups who visit her white house with purple trim. “We’ve got a big freezer out in the back and what we call a mini Winco upstairs,” explained Johnson. Nearly an entire floor of the home is dedicated to stocking canned and dried goods. Stacks of empty produce boxes sit on the front porch waiting to transport food. The couple and around 15 volunteers serve the majority of people on weekends with lunches. “Mike and Faye just brought over 300 sandwiches because we do 300 lunches a week, and a hundred of those go to veterans at least every week,” said Johnson. “We put in a bottle of water, a snack, a bag of chips, and the little fruit snack bags. If we have fruit, we use that as well.”
The volunteer staff only includes a bottle of water in the lunch if the person is unhoused as a way to stretch a slim budget and reduce waste. Additionally, on Thursday pantry box days that operate from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., they ask people what they want to eat instead of giving everyone the same items. “The reason I give them choices is because you see so many food boxes left on 82nd, or up on Glisan, or on Halsey because they take what they want out of the food box, then leave it,” remarked Johnson.
Pantry refrigerator filled with hundreds of sandwiches for lunch kits
Most of the food they give out is first-come, first-served. “There have been days that I’ve opened up at 9 o’clock, and our breads have been gone by 11:30 a.m,” Johnson said. But in those cases, they tap into reserves upstairs and give people anything they want so they will not leave hungry. “I’ll give them whatever I have here and just make the best of it.” The only time people need to sign up for food is on special holiday meals that require more planning. “For Thanksgiving and Christmas last year combined, we did 88 total dinners. We fed 537 people, and almost $2,000 of that was pop can money,” said Johnson.
In addition to accepting donated cans, Colise Johnson traverses the neighborhood in her motorized chair to pick up discarded cans. However, recent changes to the Green Bags bottle and can deposit redemption program limit people to 30 sacks per account per calendar quarter. This policy change has hampered the food pantry’s funding efforts, limiting its ability to scale up operations. Johnson has limited fundraising options, but the deposit collection has supported the feeding efforts for 27 years. “I have cerebral palsy and epilepsy. I can’t work, but I want to do something,” said Johnson.
The couple explained that funding restrictions will not prevent the pantry from continuing its work. They are thankful for the support of volunteers who keep the efforts going. “We’ve got Faye and Mike, we’ve got Corey and Garrett, we’ve got Terrence and his crew, and Don. We’ve probably got 15 volunteers. People come over and help me restock upstairs; they don’t think twice about coming over and donating their time,” recalled Johnson. “Danny comes in from the VFW and picks up the vets’ lunches and hands them out at Fort Kennedy.”
Johnson says they make a special effort for veterans who experience food insecurity. However, they serve all people and create a safe space by not tolerating abusive language directed at themselves or guests. Their goal is to be easy to access for people in need, and they are willing to give whatever they can source from private donations. “We don’t ask for ID. We don’t ask for any of that. We just give them the food,” said Johnson. “We give out school supplies, we give out sleeping bags, tents, we give out clothes, shoes, we make personal care kits.”
The community food pantry accepts donations to keep the program running. “We can’t take anything that’s open. We can’t take anything that’s expired. But we gladly accept donations,” explained Johnson. “If they do happen to bring donations of any cans and bottles, please bring them up to the porch. If you just set them over the fence, they’re going to get stolen.” The couple has dealt with theft of items from their property and some violence over the years. Overall, people are just grateful they are there year after year.
Colise Johnson explains that this multi-decade effort to feed people is her way of contributing to the support she received earlier in her life. “It was done for me when I was a single mom with two kids. People helped me, and we were able to start giving out what we had. We always tell everyone it’s a hand up, not a hand out.” What began as a simple way to pay support forward has only grown year over year as demand has increased. “The economy sucks, and the worse the economy gets, the more people we get. Grocery prices, gas prices, rent prices; you name it, it contributes to hunger,” remarked Johnson. She explained that some people who are not accustomed to needing support sometimes come in with the wrong attitude and need to adjust to current circumstances. “When you’ve got food insecurity, and you’ve got financial insecurity, we’re seeing a lot of entitlement. And it’s getting more and more as the times get tougher.”
This is a small community food pantry run out of a home in a residential area. They limited hours by locking their gate and had to shut down their self-service option due to abuse. Even with the added visitors to the area due to their efforts, Johnson says they have the support of the people around them and hope to keep doing this work as long as they are able. “We’ve got great neighbors. They have never had a problem with what we do.” Colise Johnson and James welcome donations of unopened food and personal care items. You can contact Colise on Nextdoor or Facebook to arrange drop-off times. Visitors are asked to wear a mask indoors for health reasons.
Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.
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