Tag: PCC

Harrison Community Village Shelter Public Meeting Feb 26

As the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department (HSD) readies the Harrison Community Village Shelter at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue for future residents, they invite people to attend a Public Meeting on February 26th. Nonprofit provider Do Good Multnomah will operate the alternative shelter under a “clean and sober” model. Interested community members can attend the 6:30 p.m. in-person event this Thursday. Portland Community College will host the meeting in its Community Hall Annex at 7901 SE Division Street.

Shelter operators anticipate opening the facility in spring 2026 and have worked on a Good Neighbor Agreement with community and business stakeholders to lessen the impact of the Harrison Community Village Shelter on surrounding properties. Multnomah County purchased the former recreational vehicle dealership at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue in December 2022 for $2.015 million. This 34,000-square-foot parcel was the second Montavilla location the County bought that year for temporary shelter services. The other shelter, Oak Street Village at 333 SE 82nd Avenue, opened in February 2025 and is currently operating at full capacity. The Joint Office of Homeless Services — now renamed the Homeless Services Department — has held several community meetings, including one in April that announced that Do Good Multnomah would operate the site as a sober shelter. Presenters explained that residents and staff are subject to drug testing, and policy strictly prohibits the possession of non-prescribed intoxicants on the property. Selecting a sober format meets a specific need for people transitioning into stable housing who are in recovery from substance use disorder, and it better matches community desires for the site, which is near two Portland Public Schools.

HSD will contract with the operator to staff the alternative shelter site at all hours of the day. The adult residents will receive one of 38 private sleeping quarters, each with a shed-style pod design. Six converted shipping container units will provide office space for staff, participant services, hygiene facilities, kitchenette amenities, and laundry facilities. Residents and their pets will have on-site access to green space. The site will receive upgraded fencing with privacy inserts on all street sides and a wood fence between the adjacent residential property to the east. The site intends to offer more than short-term shelter. People in the program will have access to dedicated housing case management and abstinence-based recovery services to help with long-term substance use recovery and housing stability.

The HSD meeting organizers ask that people complete an online form at the Harrison Community Village Shelter website to attend the 90-minute public meeting on February 26th. Attendees can also review the draft Good Neighbor Agreement prior to the meeting to better understand the work created by the Agreement Parties, which include representatives from the 82nd Avenue Business Association, African Youth & Community Organization, APANO, Montavilla Neighborhood Association, Portland Community College, and Portland Public Schools.


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2025 Jade Night Market Aug 16

The 9th Annual Jade International Night Market returns to the Portland Community College’s Southeast campus on August 16th for an evening offering food, entertainment, and vendor booths. The event organizers invite people to arrive any time between 3 and 10 p.m. at 2305 SE 82nd Avenue for the Saturday community gathering that celebrates the people who make up the multicultural district.

Event poster for the Jade International Night Market featuring the date, time, and location details.
Graphic and title image courtesy of the Jade District

The one-day community celebration will concentrate its family-focused events earlier in the afternoon with a free plant potting booth for youth sponsored by Portland Nursery. People ages 20 and younger can decorate a free pot and fill it with a selection of donated plants, while supplies last. Twenty-five food vendors and 19 drink specialists will sell tasty treats to attendees throughout the event. Scheduled speakers and performers will begin the entertainment on the main stage at 5 p.m., with a program that runs until 10 p.m.

Performers on stage at the Jade International Night Market, with an enthusiastic audience engaging in the event.

Entertainment will start with The Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers, followed by the Portland Art & Cultural Dance Team. Around 6 p.m., Ballet Papalotl will perform folkloric dance from across Mexico in traditional dress and with authentic choreography. Then the Cambodian Dance Troupe of Oregon will perform, followed by Team Japonesque, which represents Japanese culture through a mixture of traditional and modern dance movement, music, and costumes. Other performances include the White Lotus Dragon and Lion Dance team, pop and R&B artist Rachel Wong, martial arts movements by Summit Wushu Academy, Nattasinh Lao PDX, McDaniel High School Stomp & Shake, Huehueteoh Ihtotiani, and Japanese taiko drumming group Portland Taiko. Event organizers note that performers and the order of appearance are subject to change.

A vendor pouring batter into a cooking device at a food stall, with multiple round molds filled with batter and various food items in the background.

The performances are always free to watch, and 20 community partner booths offer information to all attendees. Still, event organizers wanted to make sure everyone has access to the cuisine and products available at the Night Market. “We are offering a program called Jade Dollars to lower financial barriers by giving out vouchers for both food and retail,” explained Alisa Kajikawa from market sponsors the Jade District and APANO. “Everyone belongs [at the Night Market] and we do this for the community. There are tons of things that you don’t need money for to enjoy. At the same time, it’s still about commerce, and it’s still about supporting our small business owners. So we’ll have five-dollar increments of Jade Dollars that we will give out to folks in two different ways.” People can receive $10 worth of vouchers at the Jade District booth by showing government benefits like SNAP or OHP cards. Additionally, anyone can receive a $5 voucher for completing a survey.

A busy outdoor market scene with people walking between colorful vendor tents featuring various food offerings. Attendees are engaged in conversation, enjoying food and drinks, under a clear blue sky with green trees in the background.

Last year’s Jade International Night Market had an estimated 13,000 attendees, and they anticipate similar interest this year. The market will maintain last year’s layout, with food vendors along the west edge of the campus in the parking lot and booths lining the inner courtyard walkways. Unlike other fairs, Night Market organizers provide canopies, offering consistency and convenience to participants. “It looks nice because it’s all uniform with three different colors,” said Kajikawa. The main stage is north of the booths next to Tabor Hall.

A promotional graphic for the Luminous Together Art Grove at the Jade International Night Market, featuring descriptions of community activities like the Hungry Ghost Ritual Feast and Love Letter to the Land, set against a backdrop of green trees.
People can enjoy an interactive art installation during the market located west of the food vendors

Jade Night Market planners recognize the long-standing importance of this event, but circumstances this year have reinforced the need to appreciate all the cultures and communities that feed into the district’s foundation. “It’s very important for our communities to come together right now and show support for people and families who are being targeted and attacked for their identities by the government,” said Kajikawa. “I think it’s important to come together and show that everyone is welcome at the night market.”

A busy outdoor scene at the Jade International Night Market, with diverse attendees strolling between vendor booths, colorful tents, and trees under a clear blue sky.

People interested in attending the Jade International Night Market should plan on large crowds and limited parking options. Organizers recommend people take public transit via the TriMet 72 bus line or the SE Division FX 2 bus rapid transit system. The mid-August date often brings warm temperatures. The campus has many shade-providing trees, but anticipate significant sun exposure while walking around. The Night Market’s web page and social media will have updates about the schedule and event information. Anyone interested in volunteering for the Night Market should complete the form at bit.ly/nm25-volunteer, which offers several three-hour shift options and shorter post-event cleanup opportunities. Volunteers receive a meal voucher and a free t-shirt.

Pictures from the 2025 Jade International Night Market

FX Transit on 82nd Apr 23 Open House

This month, TriMet will host an open house focused on bus priority concepts for the 82nd Avenue Transit Project. The April 23rd in-person event follows a previous TriMet gathering on January 22nd that centered on general project goals and bus stop consolidation. As part of the open house, organizers have also posted an online survey seeking input on outer lane usage along 82nd Avenue for bus travel and right-turning motorists. Beyond those questions regarding where project designers should implement Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes, the survey looks at high-level cost tradeoffs associated with those additions to speed up transit times for riders. TriMet also asks respondents about intersection widening at high traffic junctions, which could significantly expand project costs with land acquisition expenses but provide higher capacity for motorists and the planned FX Bus Rapid Transit system.

Since TriMet began work to extend its FX (Frequent Express) transit option along 82nd Avenue, Portlanders have wanted to know more about the potential conversion of outer travel lanes on 82nd Avenue into bus lanes. This reconfiguration would leave one travel lane in each direction with a center turn lane in some areas. Motorists would still have access to the outer bus lanes to turn right into parking lots or onto cross streets. People exiting a business’s parking lot could also turn right onto the BAT lane so they could merge with traffic at a matched speed. TriMet has two proposed deployments for BAT lanes on Portland’s seven-mile segment of 82nd Avenue. One option is to create those dedicated lanes in both directions at the northern and southern sections. They generally extend between NE Lombard and NE Tillamook Streets at the north end and SE Foster Road to SE Clatsop Street in the south. Another proposal would build BAT lanes on both sides of the street from NE Lombard to SE Clatsop Streets.

Traffic flow specialists working with TriMet have looked at the proposals and estimated how each option would improve bus travel times and slow car travel time. In both scenarios, the numbers for each metric only change by up to five minutes. However, that assumes a percentage of 82nd Avenue traffic diverts to other parallel routes like Interstate 205. Adding BAT lanes is not the only tool TriMet plans to implement for fast service on this transit line. TriMet leaders expect the 82nd Avenue Transit Project to speed up bus trips on the former 72 bus line by up to 20% through features already seen on the FX 2 line along SE Division Street. These include consolidating existing stops, bus platforms with near-level boarding at all three doors of longer busses, and eliminating delays caused by cyclists loading bikes onto the front of the bus due to internal bike space within the new vehicle. Transit-signal priority, allowing buses and signals to communicate for better intersection efficiency, offers another highly impactful design, reducing delays during congested travel times.

The survey contains specific details for anyone interested in this part of the 82nd Avenue Transit Project. TriMet staff will present more information at the April 23rd in-person Open House hosted by Portland Community College’s Southeast campus. The event will occur in the Great Hall of the Mount Tabor Building at 2305 SE 82nd Avenue from 4 to 6:30 p.m. The online survey will remain open through 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 27th.

Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the 82nd Avenue Transit Project Community Advisory Committee (CAC).

Map graphics courtesy TriMet

1818 SE 82nd Ave Meeting Apr 17

On April 17th, Multnomah County’s Joint Office of Homeless Services (JOHS) will host its second community meeting, seeking public input regarding the alternative shelter planned at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue. The event will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Portland Community College Southeast Campus’s Community Hall at 2305 SE 82nd Avenue. Attendees should pre-register for this open community meeting through the online RSVP form. Participants will learn more about the project and have opportunities to provide feedback to planners.

This proposed shelter site will have a capacity for up to 38 adults living in sleeping pods. Six converted shipping container units will provide office space for staff, participant services, hygiene facilities, kitchenette amenities, and laundry facilities. Residents and their pets will have onsite access to green space. The site will receive upgraded fencing with privacy inserts on all street sides and a wood fence between the adjacent residential property to the east. New designs from earlier this year also relocated the planned garbage recycling building and parking further away from the eastern property line.

Onsite parking offers eight spaces for staff and visiting service providers only. Operators will reserve two of those stalls for vehicles with accessibility permits. This configuration differs from the other county-owned shelter, Oak Street Village, which is located several blocks north of this site and features significant resident parking. Crews working for the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) began constructing new sidewalks on SE Mill Street east of SE 82nd Avenue. They have completed most of the work along the future shelter site’s Mill Street frontage and will soon work on the north side of the street before repaving. These sidewalks will be a welcome addition for the parents and students who often use SE Mill Street as a route to the two nearby schools.

The JOHS has yet to announce a service provider to offer 24-hour support for shelter residents. The County representatives have said they intend to open this location by the end of 2025. Presenters at the April 17th meeting will likely offer updated plans, more details about who will operate the site, and other operational information.

Note: On July 1st, the JOHS will take on its new name and be known as the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department (HSD)

82nd Ave Transit Project Online Open House

On January 22nd, TriMet hosted an in-person open house to show its progress on the 82nd Avenue Transit Project designs and gather feedback from attendees. TriMet reports nearly 100 people attended the event in the Community Hall Annex at Portland Community College’s Southeast campus. The public transit provider created an online version of the open house where people can provide additional feedback through February 14th.

Online visitors can find maps of the proposed route and station locations similar to the information presented at the in-person event. The map also shows station removals planned for the new bus rapid transit (BRT) line. TriMet will implement traffic-light signal-prioritization for buses and near-level boarding platforms with dual door entry and remove underutilized stops along the route to decrease travel times for future FX-Frequent Express service. TriMet also intends to work with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to use some percentage of outer lanes along 82nd Avenue for Business Access & Transit (BAT) uses. They would reserve a yet-to-be-determined length of lanes for bus travel and for cars turning into or out of a parking lot.

As with the FX line running on SE Division Street, this new service on 82nd Avenue will have bus stations instead of stops with shelters, seating, lighting, and digital displays informing waiting riders of the next bus’s arrival time. Busses will run more often with enhanced reliability, according to planner’s estimates. TriMet recently secured funding for a fleet of zero-emission hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses to operate on this line, reducing roadside noise and pollution.

TriMet expects to upgrade bus service on 82nd Avenue between Clackamas Town Center and the Cully neighborhood by 2029. This open house is the best time to provide input about the proposal. TriMet recently solicited public participation in an 82nd Avenue Transit Project Community Advisory Committee (CAC). Applications for the CAC closed on January 27th, but TriMet has not yet announced the selected members. The CAC engagement process will provide Portlanders other opportunities to interface with TriMet regarding the BRT’s development. However, the survey following the online Open House is still the most direct way to express feedback about this transit project.

PCC Legin Apartments on Division

The affordable housing project slated for the southwest corner of Portland Community College’s (PCC) SE campus moved to its next phase of development, with project team members submitting building permits and selecting a name for the 124-unit apartment building. The Legin Apartments’ name honors the landmark Chinese restaurant demolished after closing in 2012 to make way for the PCC campus expansion. Although connected to the educational institution’s campus, the housing operator Our Just Future will independently manage this 110,000-square-foot residential building without any college enrollment requirements.

In 2021, PCC representatives collected feedback from students, faculty, staff, and PCC neighbors about the physical environment at its four campuses. The researchers combined this qualitative input with data on student enrollment, regional demographics, and market trends to create development concepts that accommodate the next 10 to 20 years of the college’s growth. In that exploration, affordable housing ranked high on the priority list for future developments. However, PCC leaders did not want to increase student housing insecurity by linking shelter to enrollment. Instead, they determined increasing affordable housing inventory near college campuses would better serve the community and PCC students.

Site map courtesy of Bora Architecture & Interiors

Our Just Future, formerly Human Solutions, will develop this housing project in partnership with local nonprofit APANO. Bora Architecture & Interiors is leading project design work for this four-story building located at 7755 SE Division Street and conducted community outreach in 2023. Listening to neighbor feedback while adjusting to city and utility company concerns, Bora reshaped the project while retaining the same basic I-shaped footprint as first proposed. To address those concerns, the team requested several exceptions to Campus Institutional 2 zoning standards, allowing the building to sit further back from the sidewalk on its west and north frontages, among other minor adjustments. These changes will enable the builders to retain more of the established trees on the lot and provide a buffer for the one and two-story homes across from the site along SE 77th Avenue and SE Sherman Street.

A neighbor across from the site appealed the Land Use Adjustment approvals, citing his opinion that the project is too tall to integrate into the residential scale neighborhood and that PCC is not within its rights to lease the land for this non-school use. City officials scheduled the appeals hearing for September 3rd. In regards to this appeal, Brian Squillace of Bora noted this project is below the campus’s allowable density, which permits buildings up to eight stories tall on portions of the site. His team worked to strike a compromise between providing efficient land use and integrating with the existing scale of the campus and neighborhood. The design team also oriented the 30-vehicle onsite parking lot on the northern edge to further distance the taller building from the single-story homes across the street.

Rendering from SE 77th Ave courtesy of Bora Architecture & Interiors

Bora Architecture & Interiors worked with the development team to design the building with several elements that support residents who may need enhanced amenities to meet their specific needs. The building offers tenants two elevators at either end of the building to ensure people with special mobility needs will have quick access to the upper floors from the parking lot entrance or the main lobby on SE Division Street. Providing two elevators ensures out-of-order equipment will not trap people in their apartments. Squillace explained the design incorporates communal elements to “expand the livability beyond the footprint of the unit.” Most floors offer two studying nooks for a single person to take a private video call or work in solitude. The building also features larger gathering rooms for two to six people, available without reservation or pre-approval. The project architects envision each floor supporting micro-neighborhoods with a diversity of shared spaces where people can socialize.

The designers of this project incorporated features that embody resiliency in a changing climate. The Legin Apartments is an all-electric building, utterly free of combustible fuels. Thanks to a Portland Clean Energy Fund investment, the apartment building will include mini-split heat pumps in each unit for year-round temperature control. Additionally, electricity costs are included in the rent, so people on a tight budget will not need to sacrifice in other areas to stay comfortable. Building management provides complimentary wireless Internet to residents with the option to buy enhanced service for video streaming and gaming. Our Just Future considers online access an essential part of modern living and a roadway to future success. The developers are working to secure funds for a significant solar array on top of the building that would reduce external energy demand by up to 60 percent. Limited battery storage onsite will serve critical loads such as refrigerators for medicines and Wi-Fi access during power outages.

Graphic courtesy of Bora Architecture & Interiors

The four floors in this building will support a mix of unit sizes, emphasizing family-sized housing. Legin Apartments will have 33 studio, 28 one-bedroom, 47 two-bedroom, and 16 three-bedroom units. Brian Shelton-Kelley with Our Just Future explained they would reserve apartments for households earning 60% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI). This site will also receive 20 Project-Based rental assistance Vouchers (PBVs) from Home Forward for people making 30% or below the AMI. Residents in the building will have access to many supportive resources not found in market-rate housing. Our Just Future will provide dedicated resident service coordination staff in addition to the building administrative managers and maintenance crew. The resident service coordinators host community-building events and connect residents to community-based resources, including health care or financial assistance. Our Just Future manages just under 900 units across 19 other properties. Nine resident service coordinators oversee those sites, and the new staff hired for Legin Apartments will have an extensive peer network from which to draw support.

Renderings courtesy of Bora Architecture & Interiors

Along with ground-floor apartments, the main level of this new building will offer a gated courtyard with play equipment and a variety of community rooms for classes and events. A central laundry room on the main floor is adjacent to the kid’s playroom so caregivers can watch their kids while they’re washing clothes. The building also offers smaller laundry rooms on each floor, so residents do not need to travel far. People living at this site will have access to APANO programming and services. The partner organization’s headquarters are across SE Division Street, just east of this location. They will provide workforce development and home ownership classes. The group may host some of their regular music and yoga classes from down the street in the educational space at the Legin Apartments.

APANO is an Asian and Pacific Islander advocacy organization with nearly three decades of broad community development experience. This PCC building is one of three APANO-affiliated affordable housing projects under development in the area. The group is committed to improving conditions for people in this section of Portland, which has an intertwined history in the city’s Asian American community. The site of the Legin Apartments once held a Kaiser Permanente leased one-story building. PCC acquired the property from the German American Society in May of 2010 and later demolished the building. During that time, the college expanded its campus and purchased the land used for 17 years by Legin Restaurant. The pioneering eastside location was a key gathering place for Asian communities in the city as populations moved east. Opening in 1995, Legin became an established regional anchor point with a large banquet hall to host events moving away from Downtown. When newcomers to 82nd Avenue needed a culturally specific communal location, Legin Restaurant’s iconic pagoda served as a beacon.

Google Maps image of the Legin Restaurant from 2012

In addition to honoring Legin Restaurant’s contribution to Portland through the building’s name, project staff will recognize Minoru Yasui, Oregon’s only Presidential Medal of Freedom awardee. The development team is working with the Minoru Yasui Legacy Project to spotlight his historic challenge of Japanese American internment during WWII and his lifetime defending civil rights by naming a key element in the development after Minoru Yasui. The team will announce the details of this homage later in the construction process as they plan a formal naming ceremony.

Construction crews anticipate breaking ground on the Legin Apartments at the end of 2024 or early 2025. APANO is still developing its final programming plan for the residents, and site operators will formalize more project details closer to completion. Next year, people should anticipate significant construction at the site as crews work to bring more affordable housing to the area.


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East Portland Forum on I-205 Tolling

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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PCC SE Campus Affordable Housing Meeting

On November 15th, Bora Architecture & Interiors will host an online meeting regarding the construction of affordable housing on the southwest corner of Portland Community College’s Montavilla campus. This project at 7705 SE Division Street will create 124 apartments contained in a four-story “H” shaped building. The development has space for 33 off-street parking stalls to the north of the building.

Our Just Future, formerly Human Solutions, will develop this housing project in partnership with APANO and Edlen & Co. Preliminary plans show the building massed towards SE Division Street with a green buffer zone along SE 77th Avenue. Apartments should range in size from studio units to three-bedroom family residences. All units are designated affordable and open to people outside the PCC student body.

Image courtesy of Bora Architecture & Interiors

In 2021, Portland Community College (PCC) applied to the City of Portland for Early Assistance on this housing project. PCC acquired the property from the German American Society in May 2010. Kaiser Permanente maintained a lease for the one-story building on the site until 2014. Midway through 2015, PCC began the process of demolishing the building and adding vehicle stalls to the existing parking lot. The area currently serves as auxiliary parking for the college and extended green space for the campus.

Image courtesy of Bora Architecture & Interiors

Tonight’s meeting will allow community members to learn more about the project and ask questions. People can attend the Zoom meeting via a computer or smartphone and by calling in with a standard phone. The one-hour gathering starts at 6 p.m. Connection details are at the Montavilla Neighborhood Association website.


Night Market Returns with Daytime Hours

After a three-year hiatus, the Jade International Night Market will return on Saturday, August 19th. The free event will take place within the Portland Community College (PCC) Southeast campus at 2305 SE 82nd Avenue from 1 to 9 p.m. Unlike other years, planners concentrated a two-evening event into a single day, creating an opportunity for more family-focused programming and accommodating a diversity of schedules.

The Jade International Night Market began in 2014, spanning four consecutive Saturdays from 6 to 10 p.m. in the Fubonn Shopping Center parking lot. “From what I’ve been told was a huge success. So many people came out that they had to find another partner for space,” explained Jade District Community Development Manager Alisa Kajikawa. At the time, event coordinators estimated nearly 20,000 people attended the four-weekend markets. Jade District‘s Night Market moved to the PCC SE Campus the following year and consolidated the event dates to just two Saturday evenings in August from 5 to 10 p.m. The annual event kept the same cadence and location through 2019. After that, the pandemic halted gatherings, and the program lost its inertia.

The Jade International Night Market will return on a single date in 2023 for its seventh year. “Capacity-wise, we decided one day would be better for PCC and our planning, but also wanting to make it longer so that it could be a full-day event,” said Kajikawa. The format change has not dissuaded participation. Over 100 food vendors, retailers, and organizations have signed up for booths. Groups from all over Portland will participate, renting booths at this outdoor event. Kajikawa explained that the Night Market is a district promotion, so they provided subsidies for Jade District businesses to encourage local participation.

Onsite parking is free but limited. Walking, biking, and public transit are recommended for people visiting the Jade International Night Market. The number 72 bus and the FX 2 lines converge on this location. Outside of securing parking in the PCC parking lot, early attendance will improve an attendee’s chance of picking up several free items. To bolster the family attractions, guests can receive free face painting and balloon art from 1 to 5 p.m. During that same time, Portland Nursery will make supplies available to paint a small pot hosting one of 500 free plants. The Jade District will hand out 5000 paper fans from the information booth to keep people cool in the daytime heat. Kajikawa cautioned that all free activities and items are limited to supplies on hand and will probably run out before 5 p.m. 

Event organizers intend to make this year’s Market appealing to a broader range of attendees. The Night Market will be an alcohol and tobacco free event focused on food, crafts, information, and entertainment. The extended hours should allow more people to cycle through the booths without the crowding of previous Markets. Interested people should check the list of confirmed vendors below to plan their visit, noting that they can now eat both lunch and dinner thanks to the extended event.

Images used in this article were provided courtesy of the Jade District


2023 Jade International Night Market Vendors

  • BBTEA JARS
  • A Pinch Of Magic Designs
  • All Burn Wax
  • Amza Superfoods
  • Art by Jenn
  • Beaverton Charburger
  • Big Dipper Art studio
  • BOBABLASTIC
  • Cambodian American Community of Oregon
  • Chan’s
  • Chinese Friendship Association of Portland
  • Chutneys Indian cuisine
  • City of Portland
  • City of Portland and Multnomah County Health Department
  • City of Portland, Bureau of Planning & Sustainability
  • Coco Donuts
  • Cosmic Monkey Comics
  • Cousins Maine Lobster Food Truck
  • Crafts by Fina
  • Culture club fashion LLc
  • Da Grub Shack
  • Damsel in Defense
  • Edible Art by Natsuko
  • El Inka
  • Flood Safe Columbia River
  • Friends of Trees
  • Goldendale Boutique
  • Hacienda CDC
  • Hap Restaurant Inc
  • Henna by Rashmi
  • heo makes
  • Hestmark Designs
  • Hibisbloom
  • HNH Floristry
  • Hoi Phu Huynh
  • Homra Kid
  • ISLAND KRAFT & KU’ULEIS
  • Jade’s Teriyaki Sauce
  • Jasmine Giftshop
  • JAX JEWELRY BAR
  • JIAHE STUDIO
  • Kalo Kitchen
  • Kinder Toys USA
  • Kona Ice of North Clackamas
  • Kura Sushi
  • Lakota Bows & Arrows
  • League of Women Voters of Portland
  • Lonnie Bowden of New York Life
  • LTY Designs
  • Luna’s gems
  • Lupitas Mexican food
  • LV Kitchen
  • Mangosteen Ceramics
  • Metro – Parks and Nature
  • Mixteca PDX
  • Mojo Crepes LLC
  • Montavilla Farmers Market
  • Mspazhang
  • Multnomah County Elections Division
  • Multnomah County Library
  • My Teatime Dreams
  • Noodle Point
  • Olivo Liquidations
  • Ooh! What’s This?
  • Oregon Department of Human Services
  • Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)
  • Parks and Recreation: Urban Forestry
  • pdx lost and found
  • Philippine Market
  • Pomo Snow Cones
  • Portland Parks and Recreation
  • Portland Water Bureau
  • Portlandia Fortune Tellers
  • Potato Desk
  • Red Robe Tea House
  • Rice Thief LLC
  • Rooted by Plant Mamis
  • Sandy’s Myanmar Cuisine
  • Sao Noi
  • Sarah and Hareld
  • SAV: handmade goods
  • Seattle and Saigon
  • Seeds of joy
  • Shane Reaney Studios
  • Shop Amrapali & Salon Amrapali
  • Shop Halo Halo
  • Sloan Creations
  • SmileGiver LLC
  • STAR Voting for Oregon P-011
  • State of Oregon DHS Office of Resilience and Emergency Management
  • Sweet Day
  • Thai Fresh
  • The Herb Shed
  • The Kalat House LLC
  • Urban fried fry bread
  • Verizon
  • Wreckognize Apparel & Streetwear
  • Yoonique Pho&Grill

      Art Explores Local Japanese American History

      This Friday, May 5th, people are invited to attend the Furin Project Symposium at Portland Community College’s (PCC) SE Campus. Attendees will see the culmination of a year-long community art project led by artist Midori Hirose and learn more about a project that aims to bridge the Japanese farming history of Southeast Portland with its modern diversity and culture. Since early April, PCC has exhibited a collection of Furin, Japanese “wind bells,” made during free ceramic bell-making workshops. Now, the community can explore three related exhibits, including the work from PCC’s Geographic Information System Club, a Sound Map project, and the Furin wind bells display.

      In collaboration with the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) and Mural Arts Institute in Philadelphia, Midori Hirose’s Furin Project involves honoring the history and legacy of the Japanese American Farming community that once thrived in Montavilla and surrounding area. The project centers on the intersection of the current social landscape in relation to food resilience, farming, and green spaces.

      People interested in participating should register to save a free spot at the event. Attendees should gather before 4 p.m. near the Learning Garden at 2305 SE 82nd Avenue and then take part in the short walking tour. The event coordinators have created several stopping points for speakers to present, leading up to the Furin exhibit inside the Student Commons building. APANO will host a potluck in their building across SE Division from the PCC campus to wrap up the event.

      Graphics provided by APANO and the Furin Project