Tag: Montavilla Street Fair

Community, Entertainment, Event, Food and Drink

Montavilla Street Fair July 28

The 11th Montavilla Street Fair had record attendance in 2024, with an estimated 25,000 people walking along SE Stark Street from SE 82nd to 76th Avenues. The day started overcast, keeping temperatures lower than the previous two years. However, by the afternoon, the skies were solid blue. Temperatures climbed over the remaining hours until the vendors broke down their booth at 6 p.m. After the fair, many attendees remained in the neighborhood, dining and drinking at local restaurants and bars.

Original Article published July 20, 2024.

On Sunday, July 28th, the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) will host the 11th annual Street Fair on SE Stark. 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. This year’s event will run an hour later, allowing the anticipated 18,000 guests to stay until 6 p.m., with traffic returning to the street later that evening. Attendees will have access to four beer gardens and entertainment at four stages placed along the 1,400-foot-long community party.

On Wednesday, July 17th, sign installers placed the banner over SE Stark Street at 80th Avenue, announcing the Street Fair dates to everyone passing by. Although many people in the area already marked the date on their calendars, raising the banner represents Montavilla’s invitation to Portland. Thousands of visitors attend this neighborhood event annually, driving record sales to local businesses and introducing people to the historic Montavilla downtown.

This year, event organizers added a teen music stage on SE 80th Avenue and a pet cooling station sponsored by Noble Woof Dog Training. Younger fairgoers can gather for kids’ focused singer-songwriters performing on the SE 79th Avenue Plaza Stage. The two main stages will feature a diverse mix of local Portland music and national touring artists. Many past fair booth operators are returning alongside a crop of new makers, food vendors, and organizations. As an extended bonus, the Montavilla Farmers Market will open during its regular hours on the 28th, allowing attendees access to more booths and food options at SE 76th Avenue and Stark.

Sponsorship from Adventist Health Portland and a grant from the Portland Office of Events & Film help fund what has become one of the largest street fairs in Portland. Other local businesses, like Mr. Plywood, Washman Car Wash, and OnPoint Community Credit Union, are supporting this year’s street fair. People can find day-of-event updates and the full music lineup, including performance times, at the METBA website (metba.org).

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Map courtesy METBA

Promotion: Montavilla News will have a booth at this year’s Montavilla Street Fair. Please see us for a free sticker. We hope to see you there.

Community, Event, Food and Drink

Spring Fling Block Party on NE Glisan

This Saturday, June 1st, the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA) will host a block party from noon to 5 p.m. at NE Glisan Street and NE 70th Avenue. The Montavilla’s Spring Fling Block Party follows a month of neighborhood activities sponsored by the organization, which included a donation drive and a district-wide street cleanup. Organizers will fill the Rocket Empire Machine‘s parking lot at 6935 NE Glisan Street and close NE 70th Avenue from NE Glisan Street to NE Hoyt Street for the activities.

The family-friendly community event will feature live music, vendors, and art alongside the selection of eateries inside the Rocket Empire Machine food hall. In addition to food, Gigantic Brewing’s tap room offers a selection of adult beverages for sale, allowing for a fun event with something for everyone. Vendors will showcase jewelry, gifts, pottery, games, kid activities, and services.

Image courtesy METBA

Visitors will find booths staffed by local businesses offering products and information. Stark Adornments will sell its wearable art, and Board Bard Games will bring a selection of the store’s tabletop entertainment supplies. Shane Reaney Studios and Xtina OnFire Ceramics will display and sell select handcrafted pottery. DolFUN Dynamics will have information about its youth-oriented swimming and gymnastics programs, and OnPoint Credit Union will tell people about its banking services. Tyrell Givens of 2025th Street will also host a video game inspired arts and crafts session during the event. Look for updates about times at METBA’s site (metba.org).

This weekend’s Block Party on NE Glisan Street starts the summer event season in Montavilla, which builds up to the big neighborhood celebration at the end of July. This year’s Montavilla Street Fair is on Sunday, July 28th, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. That event will close SE Stark Street between SE 76th and SE 82nd Avenues. METBA organizers hope to see people out at both events.

by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Entertainment, Event, Food and Drink

10th Montavilla Street Fair Sunday July 30th

Next Sunday, July 30th, Montavilla will celebrate its tenth street fair with music, food, beer, and over 140 vendor booths. The event will close SE Stark Street to vehicle traffic from SE 82nd to 76th Avenues, welcoming attendees to stroll the roadway between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. People can sample regional brews at four different beer gardens and listen to a wide range of music performed on three stages. Last year marked the return of the community gathering after a pandemic pause, and now event organizers expect crowds to meet or exceed the 2019 attendance level.

Image courtesy event organizer Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association (METBA)

The Montavilla Street Fair had modest beginnings when it launched in 2011. Instead of closing the main street, organizers set up the booths on several side streets and parking lots north of SE Stark. It rained that day but had respectable attendance, including Mayor Sam Adams. The mostly annual event continued expanding, growing into a city-wide attraction in 2019 that brought 15,000 people into Montavilla’s historic downtown. After a two-year Covid hiatus, it returned slightly smaller but still attracting substantial crowds. This year, organizers have positions for more booths than last year but still sold out ahead of the registration deadline. There is a sizable wait list for vendors looking for space, and all signs point to a larger event with an increased community turnout.

People interested in attending should plan on a fair amount of walking, first from their parking spot and then along the 1,500 feet of booths on SE Stark Street. Attendees able to walk, bike, or take transit to the site should allow for easier street parking in the neighborhood. Band schedules and vendor lists are available at the METBA.org website but expect this article to update with additional information on the day of the event.

Update: The street fair exceeded expectations with an estimated 16,000 people in attendance. Many businesses participating in the event reported selling thorough supplies and record setting sales for the fair.

By

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the METBA board and will work in a booth at this event.

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Bar, Community, Construction, Food and Drink, Montavilla

Montavilla Street Fair Returns Sunday

After a two-year hiatus, the Montavilla Street Fair returns this Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with family-friendly entertainment. Event organizers will block automotive access to SE Stark Street from 82nd Avenue to 76th Avenue on July 31st, making way for the expected 10,000 visitors. Attendees can eat, drink, and shop at 122 vendor booths. Nine music acts span two stages, and a pair of beer gardens offer adult beverages.

Since 2011, the street fair has welcomed Portlanders from all over the city to the historic Montavilla Downtown. Organized by theMontavilla/East Tabor Business Association (METBA), this yearly event highlights the unique businesses and groups in the neighborhood. This year’s Montavilla Street Fair is presented by Adventist Health Portland and Mr. Plywood, with sponsorship by over a dozen other businesses.

METBA invites everyone to stop by throughout the day and take in all that Montavilla has to offer. Organizers will provide public portable restrooms in mutable places along SE Stark street, and food vendors will offer many options to eat at the event. Drivers should expect detours starting at 6 a.m. on July 31st and continue through the evening up to 8:30 p.m. Anticipate crowded street parking in the surrounding area and plan for extended walking to and through the event.

Plaza Stage Music Schedule:

  • 10:00 AM – Tallulah’s Daddy (for kids!) – Matt Lynch (Tallulah’s Daddy) is a children’s music entertainer active in the Kindie Music scene in PDX.
  • 11:30 AM – Mo Phillips (for kids!) – Mo Phillips is a teaching artist and a fun time maker who teaches songwriting in schools and shreds ukulele for the people.
  • 1:00 PM – Norwester Sky – Original tunes that feel timeless while making the Americana songbook feel new again. These fellas take great pride in their craft and love to jam.
  • 2:30 PM – Jermaine – Hailing from gospel choirs in the midwest, Jermaine’s charismatic energy and passion for music is reflected in all of his solo and group efforts.
  • 4:00 PM – Friends of Noise – Friends of Noise provides resources, support and mentorship to youth that have something to say.

Main Stage Music Schedule:

  • 11:00 AM – Hiroki – Hiroki is a force of friends focused solely on grooves, vibes, the result is something smooth; something tasty.
  • 12:30 PM – Five Letter Word – Mix three singer-songwriters, several stringed instruments, and a variety of percussive techniques, and you get Five Letter Word.
  • 2:00 PM – Reb & the Good News – Rebecca Conner’s heart-centered, velvet vocals are delivered with a vulnerability that unravels listeners down to their core.
  • 3:30 PM – Moorea Masa & Friends – “Irresistible and staggeringly beautiful, Masa displays a delicate balance of restraint and raw power.”- The Oh Es Tee

By

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author of this article servers on the Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association, 82nd Avenue Business Association, and Montavilla Neighborhood Association Boards. All three groups have booths at this year’s street fair.

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.

Event, Food and Drink

Montavilla Street Fair 2020 Canceled

This years Montavilla Street Fair has been canceled in response to COVID-19. The annual event was set to occur on July 26th and would have been on SE Stark street, as it has for many years. The event is hosted by the Montavilla East Tabor Business Association (METBA). METBA President, Pete Dills, announced the cancelation at the June 16th association meetup.

The decision to cancel this years fair was driven by many factors. Concern for everyones health was the primary reason. Beyond that concern, the States reopening guidelines would also prohibit any event like the street fair. In past years the event has attracted thousands of visitors. Any social distancing plan would be complicated and hard to monitor. “I do not know how we would ‘police’ something like that,” said Dills.

Logistics alone were not the only reason to cancel this years fair. METBA Board member, Carmen Wilson, added that the issues were also financial. The Permits for closing Stark street, from 76th Ave to 82nd Ave, is a large cost to METBA. They would be unlikely to recoup that cost through in donations this year. Instead, METBA wishes to use the funds they have to support local businesses in other ways.

Dills presented a few ideas of how METBA could help local businesses, instead of hosting the street fair. One idea, would try to replicate the business exposer from participating in the fair. The structure of the program would spread out participation over a month, to allow for COVID-19 related restrictions. Currently it’s referred to as “Montavilla Passport.” The Passport would be a mobile-device friendly why to interact with or patronize local businesses. This may be though in person visits or no-contact ways of interacting.

Dills’ other idea, had METBA creating a neighborhood scavenger hunt. Both ideas have the goal to help the residents know “what businesses are open and provide opportunities for the Montavilla community to support their local business district in fun and unique ways.” Wrote Dills in an email to Montavilla News.

METBA is seeking advice and feedback from the community about what can replace the Montavilla Street Fair this year. You are invited to email montavilla.biz@gmail.com with your ideas and thoughts on what METBA should do. Local businesses need extra support this year and now is the best time to start work on how the community can band together.