Weekend Happenings: October 30-31

October 29, 2010

Halloween weekend has arrived! Although Sunday is not always the best party night, I’m pleased with the opportunity to celebrate all weekend long and I’m pretty sure I can bring myself to stay up a little later Sunday. (What am I saying, this is Portland, we know how to party on a Sunday.) Anyway, for our Weekend Happenings we’ve included some Forkfly Merchant events for your holiday pleasure!

Portland Walking Tours: The Beyond Bizarre Ghost Tour

What: The Portland Walking Tours offers this event every weekend, but Friday and Saturday will be especially appropriate nights to experience the haunted edifices of our fair city. The tour uses real ghost hunting equipment to capture paranormal activity.

When: On Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30, tours take place for all ages at 7 pm and for those 18 and over at 10 pm.

Where: Buy tickets here and meet your guide outside Old Town Pizza.

Pearl Animal Hospital Hawl-Loween

What: A Halloween party with snacks, drinks and a pet costume contest!

When: Saturday October 30, 2 pm to 4 pm. Costume contest judging begins at 3 pm.

Where: The Pearl Animal Hospital, 1250 NW 10th Ave.

Annual Pearl District Halloween Hunt Prize Giveaway

What: A scavenger hunt that takes you to many Pearl District businesses, including some Forkfly merchants, to hunt for activities and treats. Get your Halloween Hunt Map stamped at 5 businesses to win a prize!

Event Details: Forkfly affiliates Asula Chiropractic, Oblation Papers, Salt Grotto, Whole Foods and Yo Yo Yogi are participating.

When: Saturday October 30 from 12-4 pm.

Where: Begin at any participating business!

Sixth Annual Tour of Untimely Departures at Lone Fir Cemetery

What: Tour the gorgeous Lone Fir Cemetery to visit residents at their resting places and hear their stories, plus learn about the history of the cemetery.

Event Details: Tickets $10 per adult or $15 for a family with kids under 12. Buy tickets here.

When: Sunday, October 31, 6 pm to 9 pm.

Where: The Lone Fir Cemetery, entrance at SE 26th off Stark.

Costume Party then Vampire Trivia at East Burn

What: On Saturday, attend a Halloween party with a $500 prize for the winner of the costume contest. On Sunday, try your hand at Vampire Trivia.

Event Details: $5 cover for the party Saturday; trivia is free and requires teams of 5 or fewer. Both events are 21+.

When: The party on Saturday, October 30 doesn’t have a start time; things will probably be happening around 9 pm. On Sunday, October 31 trivia begins at 6 pm.

Where: East Burn, 1800 E. Burnside.

Drink Mix–Seasonal Cocktails

October 28, 2010

I love seasonal cocktails as much as I love seasonal lattes, which is a whole lot!  There is something so comforting and delicious about adding nutmeg, cinnamon, and/or eggnog to any drink recipe.  With Halloween and Christmas soon approaching us more restaurants and bars have began creating their own special seasonal drinks, or are putting their own spin on the classics.  I am sure there are many great places to choose from when it comes to seasonal cocktails, but the Winter cocktails at Seres Restaurant & Bar sounded too amazing for me to pass up, so I made my way down to The Pearl District to try one of these sweet liquid treats.

Seres is now featuring on their drink menu The Grasshopper, Ginger Snap, Pumpkin Patch, and my favorite cure for thecommon cold–The Spiced Hot Toddy.  I am a big fan of ginger bread, ginger ale, etc., so I just had to try the “Ginger Snap.”  This yummy cocktail is made of Yazi Vodka, Stoli Vanilla, Captain Morgans, cream, cinnamon and nutmeg.  It is a cold frothy drink, and the cinnamon sprinkle on top mixed with the white cream mixture creates a pleasant display.

I expected the drink to be a lot sweeter than it actually is, which is good and bad.  I am not the biggest fan of super sugary fufu drinks, so I didn’t mind the cocktail being on the plainer side, but in this case I think it actually needed to be a bit sweeter.  All of the right ingredients were here, but it just didn’t come together to give me that holiday cheer.  There are variations of this drink that include eggnog, and I think that was the one ingredient missing in Seres’ Ginger Snap.  I can’t wait to go back though and try the rest of their Winter cocktails, and the best part is that if you use Forkfly you can get Happy Hour prices all night long at Seres!

To make your own Ginger Snap I would recommend this recipe.

Gingersnap Egg Nog Martini

Ingredients:

  • 1 oz Canton Ginger Liqueur
  • 1/2 oz Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
  • 1/2 oz Disaronno
  • 2 ounces Egg Nog
  • 1 pinch Cinnamon Sugar
  • 1 ea Ginger SnapCookie garnish

Directions:

In a mixing glass combine all ingredients then add ice. Shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed in cinnamon sugar. Garnish with a ginger snap cookie or touille.

Halloween at the Oregon Zoo!

October 27, 2010

What’s more festive than an elephant with a pumpkin? The animals at the Oregon Zoo may not know what season it is, or care about Halloween parties and plans, but they do know they’re getting treats, and they’re ready to share the spectacle! This Friday at 10:30 am the zoo’s elephant family will receive a huge pumpkin, which they will smash and chow on — it’s called the Annual Squishing of the Squash, and the photo op is free with admission to the zoo.

The zoo will also host a Halloween event this weekend where kids in costume can complete scavenger hunts for goody bags. Howloween takes place Saturday and Sunday from 11 am until 4 pm. Of course any day is a good day to go to the zoo, where daily zookeeper talks, animal feedings and environmental enrichment combine with the awesomeness of the animals for a great outing.

The presentation of pumpkins to the animals is one form of the environmental enrichment the zoo uses to keep animals fit, stimulated and to satisfy their instincts. Watching the animals’ behavior with puzzles and unusual objects (like pumpkins) create opportunities for visitors to learn about the animals’ behavior and see their wild nature in action. The Oregon Zoo does a tremendous job of keeping their charges happy and healthy, and educating the public about conservation, while providing the very basic but very much appreciated opportunity to see these amazing creatures.

Speaking of conservation, the Oregon Zoo tweeted today to remind us to think of our animal friends as we buy candy for this weekend. Palm oil harvested using non-sustainable methods in Indonesia and Malaysia causes deforestation and destruction of orangutan habitat. Find the Palm Oil Candy Guide here to see which companies and candies use sustainable palm oil in their recipes. The Oregon Zoo orangutans have recently moved to a new habitat, so be sure to pay them a visit after you do right by their cousins in the wild!

After the Halloween festivities this weekend, the zoo will prepare for Zoolights, the annual holiday event featuring music and decorations. Check Forkfly for discounts on admission and purchases at the Oregon Zoo Store, and get out there soon to take advantage of these great events and to support our zoo.

Trendy Tuesday: Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt in Vancouver

October 26, 2010

The idea of mixing toppings into a frozen treat is not particularly novel. We’ve all had McFlurries (yum) and ice cream mixed on a frozen granite slab and dropped into a little red bucket. I used to work at one such ice cream shop, where the thick, trans-fat-laden concoctions and the high prices ($.50 for each little scoop of M&Ms?) turned me away from our product quickly, although I loved my job. Perhaps I could have pimped my product with more enthusiasm had I worked at Menchie’s, a frozen yogurt shop that really is doing things in a new and different way.

Menchie’s deals in frozen yogurt, not ice cream, automatically giving it points for healthiness (or at least guilt-free-indulgence-ness.) Of course you can deck out your froyo with hot fudge and peanut butter to up the dessert factor. Or add fresh fruit and granola for an honestly wholesome snack — Menchie’s yogurt has live and active cultures, which are good for digestion, and lots of bone-building calcium. Sugar-free, low carb and dairy-free options are also available. Sounds good, you say, but what’s going on at Menchie’s to deserve a Trendy Tuesday post?

And here we come to the best part: you pay for what you grab, not based on charges for each tiny spoonful of topping, but by weight! No longer will the number of toppings you want, however little of each variety, break your bank. Although Menchie’s is now an international franchise company, this is no evil, opportunistic corporation. The concept came from a young couple who got married and opened their first store within the same year.

Their company has experienced wild success and growth. Still, “Every Menchie’s is founded on the same principles of community, outstanding service, healthy living, and the pursuit of the perfect yogurt mix!”

So stop by Menchie’s in Vancouver on your lunch break, or take the family after dinner for a reasonably  and fairly priced, wholesome treat. The store is located at 19171 Mill Plain Blvd, Suite 107.

Written by Forkfly intern Eleanor Brown.

PDX Weekend Happenings: October 22-24

October 22, 2010

Get your Halloween fix a week early with more zombie-oriented events than you would expect to find in one city, a punk rock style haunted house with a bar and live bands, and an Audubon event that lets you see some spooky winged creatures up close.

Tease Time: Zombie Halloween Burlesque Show at Tonic Lounge

What: A live show by All the Apparatus, featuring burlesque zombie choreography.

Event Details: $7 admission. Zombie attire is requested of guests, but no worries if you show up unprepared — a zombie transformation station is available!

When: Tonight, Friday October 22. Doors at 8:30 pm, show at 9 pm for those 21+. For minors, All the Apparatus will play a show street-side at 8:30 pm.

Where: Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy.

The 6th Annual Portland Zombie Walk

What: A gathering of costumed, Halloween-and-horror-movie-loving Portlanders ready to terrorize our fair streets. The Thriller Dance will also be performed. Participants and photographers/gawkers welcome.

Event Details: Free!

When: Saturday, October 23. Gathering and photo op at 3:30 pm; Thriller dance at 4; walk begins after dance.

Where: Pioneer Courthouse Square.

The Blood Shack Haunted House

What: A haunted house, plus much more. The Blood Shack has live music on the weekends, a beer garden, hot Hammy’s pizza, horror movies playing and horror-themed pinball.

Event Details: $10 admission. Tiny’s Coffee is providing free coffee for designated drivers on the weekends. This is an adult-oriented event.

When: 8 pm to 1 am Friday through Sunday. The house will be open through next weekend.

Where: 55 SE 11th and Ankeny.


Night Flight 2010 with Audubon Society

What: See owls, vultures and ravens, and take a night walk around the beautiful Audubon Society grounds.

Event Details: $12.50 for the first person per group, $10 for each person after that. Register online or call 503-292-6855 to reserve your spot and schedule you night walk. This event is recommended for kids 5-12 years old.

When: Saturday, October 23 from 5pm to 8:30 pm.

Where: The Audubon Society, 5151 NW Cornell Road.

Portland Walking Tours

October 21, 2010

We’re always having to remind people that Forkfly offers way more than restaurant, retail and spa discounts. Services affiliated with Forkfly run the gamut from counseling to veterinary care to lodging. Today we’re featuring another surprising and fun Forkfly activity.

Sure, it’s getting a little chilly out, but what better season than autumn to stroll around Portland and take in the changing leaves, along with some local history? The Best of Portland Walking Tour offers an award-winning guided tour of inner SW and NW, ending at the waterfront. The tour is ostensibly for visitors, but locals can learn a lot — and I don’t know about you, but I’m always down to talk about why and how much I love Portland.

The Best of Portland Tour covers some things we natives take for granted, like the bronze drinking fountains and our 11 bridges, in historical depth that will enrich their presence in your everyday life.

It’s not a walking tour just because the sights are more accessible on foot; The Best of Portland Tour emphasizes the progressive lifestyle of our city, including the alternative transportation many Portlanders employ, like walking, biking and TriMet. The fact that Portland allows for such alternatives contributes to its livability, another topic explored on the tour. Portland is often praised for its skillful urban planning and design, an element you will see in action as you take in the city from a new perspective.

Let Portland Walking Tours spice up your October!

Portland Walking Tours offers other themed outings as well, including the very seasonally applicable Beyond Bizarre Ghost Tour. On the Ghost Tour you participate in a paranormal investigation of purportedly haunted Portland sites. This combined historical walk/reality TV-style ghost investigation exercise is a perfect alternative to the tired haunted house circuit in these weeks leading up to Halloween.

Another tour, which takes adventurers down into the Shanghai Tunnels under Old Town, is dubbed the Underground Portland Tour. Most of the walk takes place above ground, with “underground” referring to the exploration of Portland’s shady and criminal history.

Where you have friends or family coming in from out of town and you want to show off your awesome city, or you want to learn more about Portland by yourself, with a date or your kids, the Portland Walking Tours are the way to go. Check out the other tours available too, like the “Chocolate Decadence” tour and the Culinary Tour. Find tickets and times here, and use the mobile Forkfly site for 10% off the Best of Portland Tour price!

Written by Forkfly intern Eleanor Brown

You Gotta Try This!: Big Al’s Vancouver

October 20, 2010

I’ve been trying to get my boyfriend to take me bowling for weeks now. Maybe bowling makes you think of your ninth birthday party, but I’m convinced it’s for adults too, and it makes a perfect date night. How often do you get to drink beer while participating in a sport? (Okay, bowling is a sport the way billiards is a sport, but you know what I mean.) Our options in NE Portland are limited to a few pretty sketchy, dingy alleys. To up the appeal I’m going to propose we check out Big Al’s Vancouver, which offers so much more than just bowling.

Big Al’s provides nice facilities at prices comparable to less classy joints. Bowling leagues play here, of course, and Galaxy Bowling, with blacklights and a neon motif, occurs during the day on weekends for families and after 9 Fridays and Saturdays. Pretty standard, you say? Well after a game or three, when those rental shoes start to pinch your toes, your night is still young. Finish that pitcher and mosey over to the sports bar for dinner, or the arcade for more games.

This isn’t just any arcade, or any sports bar. Big Al’s takes arcades and sports bars very seriously.

The arcade boasts 4,000 square feet of video-gaming fun. This is going to be the hook that gets my boyfriend to finally take me out. Check out the new additions to the arcade here. At Big Al’s you’ll find all the standard favorites, like Buck Hunter Pro and DDR Supernova, plus more than 100 others. Inside the sports bar, find more games, like billiards ($5 for an hour!) and shuffleboard.

This is not your average sports bar. The bar is built with a stadium structure in mind and it rocks 4 50″ TVs and 2 42″ TVs, plus the 8ft by 36ft jumbotron pictured here. Die-hard fans looking for a great viewing experience could not ask for more. The grill menu will satisfy anyone, sport-inclined or otherwise.

So get your own man or lady to take you out for a fun evening at Big Al’s Vancouver, located at 16615 SE Vancouver Way and online here.

Written by Forkfly intern Eleanor Brown

Trendy Tuesday!: The Green Approach to Business

October 19, 2010

As slow as the progress might be, one can’t deny that businesses have made some much needed steps in the green direction over the past few years.  More and more consumers are bringing their own bag when shopping, many grocery stores have stopped offering plastic bags, companies are replacing their outdated light bulbs and appliances with energy saving ones, and even though all of this is commendable, it is businesses like Oblation Papers & Press that are helping keep Portland ranked the number one greenest city in America.

Oblation Papers, located in The Pearl District, say that they, “Have been attracted to the benefits and practicality of recycling since they opened in 1989.”   Oblation includes a letterpress print shop, urban paper mill, retail store, flat printing and a wholesale product line.  Every day they take unwanted paper products, convert them back into pulp, and make it into fresh, new paper.

Twenty years later they are still making paper and following recycling principals. Their concerns for conservation affect everything they do, including their design process. Their fiber source is now 100% cotton, acid-free, and recovered from the garment industry. They supply a machine-made envelope option with their printed work that is made from 100% post consumer waste.  To reduce waste,  they have a line of wedding invitations with only a single envelope and RSVP postcard. Their digital design department provides several environmentally friendly paper options, and prints using solid ink technology, which generates approximately 90% less waste than typical color printers. They also use soy inks and citrus solvents.

But the most impressive part about this company is that they are proud supporters of wind energy, and use this sustainable power option to run their business!  Way to go guys you are truly an inspiration to businesses everywhere!  Support green companies like Oblation right here on Forkfly, and get $5 off a purchase of $25 or more from Oblation through the end of this month.

Yo Yo Yogi

October 18, 2010

One of the uncomfortable things about attending a fitness class, especially at a new studio for the first time, is feeling self-conscious about your body, your fitness level, or your choice of activity. At Yo Yo Yogi you won’t sweat it until you hit the mat, because the studio strives to attract people of all ages, fitness levels and genders and wipe away any preconceptions about who can or should practice yoga.

Yo Yo Yogi began after an adventurous couple fell in love with yoga and toured 100 yoga studios in 100 days. They decided to open their own studio with an emphasis on the healing and meditative power of yoga and an all-inclusive philosophy, encouraging those not of the “skinny bendy pretzel variety” to give yoga a spin.

The names of their yoga classes reflect the happy, open attitude with which the studio operates.  For beginners they have a Yoga Virgins class meant to ease absolutely anyone into the basic concepts of yoga – “young or old, thick or thin,” the description reads. “No attitude, no mirrors”! I feel reassured and more confident already. Vinyasa Flow classes like Breakfast of Champions and Go with the Flow focus on breathing and poses that fit together with inhales and exhales. The upper-level Takin’ Flight class, a Vinyasa class, focuses on the breath and body connection, strength and flexibility. Power OM classes involve holding poses slowly and powerfully, and Adult Nap Time is a restorative class with pillows, comfortable postures, and “hands-on adjustments inspired by Thai massage.” And there’s also Yogaaaaah!, a class all about stretching and flexibility.

Yo Yo Yogi is affiliated with Street Yoga, a program that provides yoga classes to homeless and at-risk youth. Yo Yo Yogi clearly wants to make the world a better place, and they succeed by being inclusive, charitable and empowering. What more can one ask from a yoga studio?

Yo Yo Yogi has some sweet deals going on with Forkfly right now until the end of the month. Use Forkfly to receive a Free Yoga Session upon your first visit to the studio. Yo Yo Yogi is located in the Pearl at 1306 NW Hoyt St, Suite 101 and online here.

Written by Forkfly intern Eleanor Brown

PDX Weekend Happenings: October 16-17

October 15, 2010

Do you have children, or access to children? They’ve been in school for a while now and they deserve a fun outing this weekend just as much as you do. So today we have for you a list of great weekend events, in descending order of child-friendliness.

Apple Tasting at Portland Nursery

What: The Portland Nursery hosts its 23rd annual apple tasting this weekend. Apples and pears (and juice and ice cream concoctions) will be available to sample. Vendors, live music, a scarecrow contest and free admission make this a very family-friendly fall staple.

When: Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17 from 10 am to 5 pm.

Where: The Portland Nursery, at 5050 SE Stark St.

Portland Open Studios Tour

What: The Tour is an annual self-directed tour of 100 artists’ studios. Observe the process of many kinds of artistic creation, from painting to glassblowing, weaving, sculpting and beyond. Get kids thinking creatively and learning about artistic possibilities with this tour, which is free for those under 18.

Event Details: $15 buys you 2 adult tickets, a map and directions to the studios, and pictures of the artwork produced at each stop so you can decide what you want to see. Tickets cover both days.

When: Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17, 10 am to 5 pm.

Where: 100 locations all around Portland.

Rose City Roller Derby Match: Wheels of Justice vs. Windy City Rollers


What: A smackdown on wheels, featuring two of the highest-ranked teams in the West and North Central regions. Roller derby is one of few female-dominated sports; watching a match may be the perfect confidence boost for an adolescent girl.

Event Details: $14 admission, free parking.

When: Saturday October 16. Doors open at 5 pm, match from 6 pm to about 8:30 pm.

Where: The Hangar at Oaks Park, 7805 SE Oaks Park Way.

The Vampires of Fright Town to hold Twilight Book Burning

What: Apparently the vampires at Portland’s award-winning haunted house FrightTown are pretty upset with Stephanie Meyer for portraying vampires as sparkly brooding teenage poster boys. As a diehard Buffy fan, I can’t say I’m please either, but I don’t know about resorting to book burning. In any case, this is happening, and while it’s probably best to leave the little ones at home, teenagers might enjoy the event.

Event Details: The haunted houses are $20, but I don’t know if you need haunted house tickets to attend the event.

When: Saturday October 16 at 8:30 pm.

Where: On the Commons of the Portland Memorial Coliseum.

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