Tag: Arbor Hall

Community, Event, Food and Drink

Montavilla’s 2025 Fall Crawl and Trick or Treat Events

Starting October 17th, visitors to select Montavilla businesses can pick up a “Fall Crawl Passport” card from participating locations and collect stickers with purchases to earn a raffle entry. Completed passports are due back at Arbor Hall on SE Stark Street or Replicant/Mudd Works Cafe by the close of the event on October 31st. During the sticker collecting and business visiting event, the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) will also host a Trick or Treat event on Sunday, October 26th. A printed map shows key participants, and the METBA site displays individual business hours for the candy giveaway.

METBA organized both events as part of its annual tradition to create a safe and fun celebration of Autumn. The idea of a Montavilla pub crawl grew in popularity in 2019 when Threshold opened the neighborhood’s second brewery in the historic SE Stark Street downtown area. The concept grew into a more formalized event as part of METBA’s Harvest Festival and now includes a variety of activities, including a week-long shopping event for a chance to win a prize. Additionally, bars, restaurants, and other participating businesses may offer special entertainment and discounts.

A decorated house at night with colorful green and red lights, featuring Halloween decorations, including skeletons, pumpkin lanterns, and a ghost figure.
Montavilla home decorated for Halloween

Burgerville at 8218 NE Glisan Street will offer a free coupon for a food item with purchase for passport holders. Kim’s Tae Kwon-Do at 9003 SE Stark Street will provide free classes for passport holders on Tuesday and Thursday during the event from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Montavilla Brew Works at 7805 SE Stark Street will host a special beer release on Halloween, celebrating its three new fall/winter seasonal brews. NightOwl Custom Apparel will offer free stickers and treats for those visiting the shop at 7114 NE Glisan Street in costume. The Glisan Fred Meyers branch of OnPoint Community Credit Union, located at 6615 NE Glisan Street, will feature a prize wheel on October 31st and offer candy on all other passport dates.

For October 26th specific activities, Beanstalk Children’s Resale at 8021 SE Stark Street will have “trick-or-treat goodies for the kiddos” from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. DolFUN Dynamics will host a free Halloween party from 2 to 3 p.m. for children twelve years old and younger at 9260 SE Stark Street, along with a discount of $50 off the first month of classes for new enrollments. Personal Beast at 8119 SE Stark Street is offering a 25% discount on select dog and cat bulk treats from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Although not included on the map, Threshold Brewing & Blending, Academy Theater, and Flying Pie Pizza will participate in the Trick or Treat event.

A spooky Halloween-themed display featuring a creepy clown figure with glowing yellow eyes, holding a large lollipop, surrounded by colorful banners and festive decorations.
2023 Nightmare on Taylor Street haunted walkthrough animated creature

Many more locations will participate. An extensive list is available on the METBA Fall Events website page at metba.org. People trying to win the raffle can receive two stickers per purchase of $5 or more from participating locations, and every five stickers counts towards a raffle entry to increase the chances of winning. For a scarier, yet family-friendly event, consider “Nightmare on Taylor St,” featuring The Madhouse of MonstaVilla at 7926 SE Taylor Street. That October 31st event is a haunted walkthrough hosted by a resident who creates an elaborate experience for the neighborhood. As with most years, Montavilla plans to have an active fall celebration throughout the last half of October. Look for these events and more through the neighborhood.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Entertainment, Event, Food and Drink

Montavilla’s December Holidays Celebration

Starting this December, the Montavilla business community will launch into a month-long celebration of the Winter holidays. Businesses and organizations will offer a mix of giving opportunities while encouraging people to support their community through shopping locally. Even without spending money, people can participate through two free events offered on SE Stark Street to get into the seasonal mood with friends and neighbors.

Next Saturday, the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) will host its Tree Lighting in the public plaza at SE 79th Avenue and Stark Street. The tree lighting ceremony will take place on December 7th from 4 to 6 p.m. Organizers will light up the Montavilla holiday tree at 5 p.m. and serve hot cocoa while supplies last. Participants can enjoy community cheer and seasonal music as they start the countdown to the new year.

A week later, on December 14th, people can gather for a free Santa picture event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Board Bard Games. The gaming shop at 7960 SE Stark Street will offer an opportunity to take a seasonal family picture with Santa. People waiting for their turn to pose with the jolly icon can partake in hot cocoa and other treats. The organizers remind people to bring their own cameras to capture the moment.

Shopping locally is essential to maintaining a strong community, and METBA wants to reward those who help keep Montavilla thriving. From December 1st through the 21st, people who eat, drink, shop, and recreate at participating businesses will earn raffle entries through completed passports. Every qualifying purchase of $5 or more from the list of locations earns a sticker to go inside a passport. Participating businesses will have passports to get people started, and collecting six stickers completes a passport. Each entry increases your odds of winning the raffle, and there is no limit to the number of passports a person can complete. To enter, drop off completed passports at Redwood at 7915 SE Stark Street or Arbor Hall at 7907 SE Stark Street by the close of business on December 21st.

Graphic courtesy METBA

As a bonus, purchases made during the Merry Montavilla Soiree on December 21st earn participants two stickers for their passports. The Soiree is a one-day event full of special offers and discounts to help last-minute shoppers and Portlanders looking for a special night out.

Many Montavilla shops are embracing the giving season with a donation drive. Participating businesses will collect Adult-sized jackets or coats, warm hats, gloves, scarves, hand warmers, and sleeping bags for Rahab’s Sisters. The organization’s beneficiaries will appreciate those new and gently used items during the cold weather. Rahab’s Sisters have a particular need for plus-size or extended-size donations. Participating locations are listed on the METBA website.

Montavilla Brew Works at 7805 SE Stark Street will host a special Giving Tuesday event on December 3rd, supporting Cultivate Initiatives. Giving Tuesday follows the busy seasonal shopping days and encourages people to support local organizations supporting positive change in their communities. Michael Kora from Montavilla Brew Works explained that his company has a long relationship with Cultivate Initiatives’ leadership, which has grown into the brewery’s expanded support of the group’s efforts. “Over the years, we’ve spearheaded a winter clothing donation drive in the neighborhood that directly supports the more marginalized people in our neighborhood and beyond. With its success during the winter season, we eventually just made it an all-year-long donation drive.”

Graphic courtesy Montavilla Brew Works

Montavilla Brew Works’ Giving Tuesday event runs from 5 to 8 p.m., and donators will receive $1 off their first beverage. People should bring new or gently used warm clothing. They will also accept new underwear, socks, pet food, and hygiene products. Briel’s Barbecue popup will sell food at the event, but Kora noted the BBQ food often sells out and recommends people stop by early. This event is limited to people 21 or older, and organizers hope people will have a good time while supporting a cause they care about.

Once again, Montavilla businesses are doing what they can to celebrate the winter through giving and creating a space for people to enjoy the company of their community.

By

Jacob Loeb

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New Business

Vintage is Becoming Arbor Hall

The new owners of Vintage Cocktail Lounge are slowly transforming the location into Arbor Hall while retaining most of what made this location special. Opening in 2009, the craft bar at 7907 SE Stark Street earned a loyal following for its engaging staff and wide assortment of drinks. Last July, Nathan Myers and Becca Clover purchased the business after searching for a location to open their new bar. However, when learning of Vintage’s enthusiastic fanbase, they opted to take a slow approach to the transition and remain inviting to existing customers.

Myers and Clover developed a plan for their first business before searching for a location. As a result, they had already selected the name and theme by the time the sale went through. Soon after the transfer of ownership, people became curious about the new sign on the door. The Arbor Hall name has personal significance for the couple. Myers explained that the first house they shared as a couple was on Arbor Way, and the name honors that place. “It’s where we spent the first few years of our relationship and that house, and that part of our life is very special to us,” said Myers.

Beyond the name, the owners avoided significant change during the first few months. They considered closing down and making all the modifications at one time. However, that would have meant losing beloved employees like the bartender Tony Pepe. “Any time that I’ve mentioned to anybody that we bought Vintage, the very first question that I get asked by anybody who knows the bar is, ‘is Tony still there?'” remarked Myers. “He knows everybody’s name, and people enjoy having a conversation [with Tony]. He loves talking to people about different spirits.”

Behind the scenes, the new owners have significantly updated the unseen spaces that keep the establishment running. Myers and Clover invested heavily in those upgrades, taking it down to the subfloor in some cases. This remodeling work included the kitchen and the area behind the bar. Now they have begun to change the visible regions of the bar. Recently they painted over the dark brown color pallet, replacing it with a brighter copper patina paint. Next, they plan to repaint all the front trim and replace the bar top with a monkey pod or black walnut slab. However, the bar-top replacement depends on contractor availability, pushing it back to July 2023. The bathroom became a fun project for Myers and Clover, with the walls now coved in Magic: The Gathering cards and San Francisco Giants memorabilia. The choices reflect the couple’s childhood obsessions and a lighthearted, eclectically weird style. 

Work-in-process bathroom redecoration with Magic: The Gathering cards on the wall

After the painting is complete, the next theming phase will bring more greenery into the bar. They are still determining what foliage will thrive in the environment, but soon patrons will see wall-mounted and hanging planters teaming with life. The space will have a “very heavy tree and plant influence to it,” said Myers. “We’re going to be introducing an enormous amount of plant life into the bar.”

The modifications will also include menu changes, beginning with the drinks. “It’s been the same menu of cocktails for the last few years. Next week, we’re going to be introducing the first new cocktail menu to the space since before the pandemic,” explained Myers. “We’re going to be doing a seasonal menu, so we’ll be changing the menu three to four times per year, featuring about ten cocktails.” The additional drinks will not supplant the current selection, according to Myers. “Anybody who knows what their favorite cocktail was from the last 10 or 15 years will be able to still come in and order those drinks, but they also have a new menu of drinks to order from.”

Vintage’s food menu traditionally featured Olympia Provisions hot dogs in various dressings, handmade soft pretzels from Rob’s Pretzel Palace, and other bar food. After the drink menu update, Myers explained they will replace the cooked options. “We’ll be going back to the kitchen to start focusing on redoing the food menu, and in doing that, we’ll be doing primarily vegetarian food.” The owners expect this shift in the menu will include more sharable dishes with flavors that better complement the drink offerings.

Outside seating will remain an indispensable part of Arbor Hall, with a planned reconfigured of the current covered Parking Plaza. The update should increase seating, making room for 30 people at six to eight tables outside and 33 guests inside. However, these transitions will not happen overnight. Myers and Clover anticipate completing the transformation by July of 2023, in time for their first anniversary of ownership. Until then, they will gradually introduce new elements and bring back old favorites like the pub crawl.

The new owners want Arbor Hall to remain an inviting space for Vintage fans while attracting new customers. Their number one goal is to create a friendly environment where everyone is welcome, and people enjoy spending time. Customers are encouraged to drop in often to see the changes, chat with Tony, and get accustomed to Arbor Hall’s transformation from its Vintage Cocktail Lounge roots.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.