Welcome to Portland and
Stuart Ramsay’s Portland Companion!
Stuart Ramsay’s Portland Companion website is a curated guide for locals and visitors and is designed around what is good and working in and around our town. (And the North Coast, Columbia Gorge & Willamette Valley.) Everything that makes Portland and the Pacific Northwest a special place to live in. The Companion explores our food, drink & arts culture, neighborhoods & small towns, farmers markets & local producers, indigenous culture and small businesses.
The website complements Stuart Ramsay’s Portland Companion print and eBook and provides updates, reviews, current news, photos, interviews, and ways to get involved with our neighborhoods and the city.
The website is refreshed monthly, and events are listed chronologically.
*Scroll to the bottom for the August Spotlight piece on Shemanski Farmers Market, downtown.
AUGUST IN PORTLAND (and close by)
A Curated Guide
©Stuart MacLean Ramsay 2026
ARTS & CULTURE
August 9. Hillsboro Latino Community Festival. Hillsboro Ballpark (Home of the Hillsboro Hops). 4460 NE Century Blvd., Hillsboro. Celebrating its 20th anniversary. hillsboro2035.org
August 8 – 23. Willamette Valley Chamber Music Festival. Top class musicians under the auspices of the season composer, Lei Liang. Concerts (and damn fine wine) at wineries in the Valley. Aug 8 concert is at J. Christopher Wines in Newberg. Tickets run around $90. wvchambermusic.org
August 22 & 23. The Great Italian Festival of Portland. St. Philip Neri Catholic Church, 2408 SE 16th Ave., Portland. Hella Italian live music, food, bocci games, and the church was designed by Italian born Portland architect, Pietro Belluschi. Tickets are $7 online and $10 at the door. Andiamo! italianfestivalportland.com
Literary Arts, 716 SE Grand Ave. (Central Eastside/Buckman.) Nonprofit bookstore dedicated to building community through literature. Readings, events and writing classes. In-house café serving coffee and pastries. 503-227-2583. Literary-arts.org
Companion Shoutout: Portland Chinatown Museum, 127 NW Third Ave. Old Town Chinatown. Always interesting permanent and new exhibitions in this wee museum, and always enlightening. They also have frequent webinars that explore the history of the vibrant Chinese community in Portland and Oregon. portlandchinatownmuseum.org
DRINKING
All the news that’s fit to drink.
August 16. Gigantic Kölsch Party, 5224 SE 26th Ave. Portland. Noon - 7pm. Celebrate a kölschtastic collection of the classic summer beer at Gigantic Brewery off SE Holgate. Breweries include Kölsch’s from Rosenstadt, Zoiglhaus, Gigantic, Breakside, Buoy and Upright. A brass band and Otto’s sausages will enhance the germanic vibe. giganticbrewing.com
Companion Shoutout: Threshold Brewing, 403 SE 79th Ave., Montevilla. Brewer Jarek, born and raised in Poland, and partner Sara co-own this down-home & friendly neighborhood craft brewery. There’s a Polish influence in the food (Zapiekankas) and their beer (Baltic Porters) and, always a sign of a serious brewery, two cask beers on tap. Family and dog-friendly, there’s often live music (bluegrass/gypsy jazz) and a fun event at least once a week. threshold.beer
In Memoriam: Alan Sprints (1959 - 2026). My friend and brewing pal, Alan Sprints, died on July 19th. Alan founded Hair of the Dog Brewing in 1993 and was hugely influential in the halcyon days of Oregon craft brewing. The bottling celebrations of Adam and Fred in the original brewery off SE Holgate are moments to be treasured. In 2010, he opened the brewery and pub on Water Avenue in the Central Eastside. Among his many talents, Alan was a professional chef, and the Water Avenue pub was the place to go for perfect pairings of food and beer. A sweet man and a true mensch. Alan, you will be missed.
FOODVILLE
Restaurants, farmers markets & producers that contribute to the region’s food culture.
Farmers’ markets throughout the region are in full and bountiful swing. It’s peak harvest time for peaches, and Baird Family Orchards in Dayton and Maryhill, WA, grow some of the finest. Buy them at PSU and Shemanski Park markets downtown, or in specialty retailers Rinella Produce and Wellspent Market. But hurry!
For a u-pick adventure and wonderful road trip, consider Kiyokawa Family Orchards in Parkdale. The family has been growing 150 distinct varieties of apples, pears, Asian pears, cherries and stone fruit since 1911. kiyokawafamilyorchards.com
Meet your farmer: Portland and just about every decent-sized town in Oregon is blessed with a bustling farmers market, offering the opportunity to meet the people who put real food on our tables. And meet the local baker or a start-up food cart looking to launch their brick & mortar dream.
Portland Farmers Market at Portland State University downtown is a true Portland treasure, with around 100 vendors and 9,000 customers in the peak summer months. It’s best to go early (8:30 am opening time). Portlandfarmersmarket.org Some personal favorites are Cully, Hollywood, Milwaukie, King, Kenton, Lents, Woodlawn, the year-round Wednesday market at People’s Food Co-op, and a bit further: Oregon City and Salmon StreetMarket in downtown Vancouver. Bring a basket or two.
BUY STUART RAMSAY’S PORTLAND COMPANION eBOOK OR PRINT BOOK!
The Portland Companion website is designed to complement Stuart Ramsay’s Portland Companion eBook and print book. The website’s goal is to fill in the travel gaps in the book: restaurant & bar openings and closures, current cultural events, etc. It’s also a vehicle for more in-depth reviews and profiles of places and people in Portland, the North Coast, Columbia Gorge and the North Willamette Valley. Visit Companion eBook in the menu bar at the top for more info and how to buy it.
DAY TRIPPING
*Check on the wild fires if you’re heading for Eastern Oregon &Washington. Be safe & best wishes to the folks over there.
Willamette Valley
August 15. Aumsville Annual Corn Festival, Porter-Boone Park, 1105 Main St., Aumsville. The community’s 58th annual corn festival. 13 miles west of Salem. aumsville.us
August 18 - 22. Clackamas County Fair & Rodeo. 694 NE 4th Ave. Canby. clackamascountyfair.com
August 17 - 23. Washington State International Kite Festival. Bolstead Beach approach, Long Beach. (There’s a World Kite Museum in Long Beach, too, and the obligatory pilgrimage to see Jake the Alligator Man at Marsh’s Free Museum.
August 21 - 23. Woodburn Fiesta Mexicana, Legion Park, 1385 Park Ave., Woodburn. In its 62nd year: music, dance, Lucha Libre wrestling and over 60 vendors. woodburn-or.gov
August 28 - September 7. Oregon State Fair, Oregon State Fairgrounds, Salem. Get your 4-H on! oregonexpo.org
August 29. Oregon City Pride, Clackamas Community College, 19600 S. Molalla Ave., Oregon City. Free. oregoncitypride.com
CELEBRATE PORTLAND
Neighborhoods
Street Fairs are a wonderful way to explore and celebrate our neighborhoods and meet the neighbors. And buy some cool art. August won’t let you down
August 1. Sellwood Street Fair. SE 13thAve. - SE Lambert St. & Spokane St. 10 - 5pm . Over 150 local makers, food, music and an appearance by the Moreland Farmers market. sellwoodmoreland.com
August 15. Multnomah Days Festival & Parade. 9 am - 5pm. Live music, an art farm, 170 vendors and a village parade! multnomahvillage.org
August 16. Kenton Street Fair. North Denver Ave. 10 - 6pm. The 14th annual street fair in funky (this is a compliment) Kenton, arguably Portland’s beefiest neighborhood. Paul Bunyan towers over the festivities.
August 23. Hawthorne Street Fair. 11 - 5pm. They wake up late on Hawthorne Blvd., Portland’s hippiest street. Perhaps the city’s best people watching fair. hawthorneblvd.com
August 7, 8 & 9. North Plains Elephant Garlic Festival, Jesse Mays Community Park, 30975 NW Hillcrest St. North Plains. In its 28th year. Crafts, library book sale, car show, and some serious shit-kickin’ live music. It’s free, and you may get to meet Stinkee, the garlic bulb mascot. Funstinks.com
INDIGENOUS CULTURE
August 14 - 16. Grand Ronde Contest Powwow. Uyxat Powwow Grounds, Grand Ronde. 9600 Highway 22/Hebo Rd. Hosted by Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. (The powwow grounds are 1.6 miles from Spirit Mountain Casino.) grandronde.org
The Chachalu Museum & Cultural Center at Grand Ronde tells the stories , history and culture of the Tribes & Bands of the Confederated Tribes. Chachalu means ‘Place of the Burnt Timbers’ in the Kalapuya People language. There’s an indigenous marketplace once a month at Chachalu; August 28 is the next one.
August 22 - 23. Portland Indigenous Marketplace. Electric Blocks, SE 2nd Ave. & Clay St., Central Eastside. 10 - 4pm. Indigenous and Black artists, makers, and culture bearers. Vendors selling original art work, and live music. portlandnativefest.com
Columbia Gorge: Tamástslikt Culture Institute’s newest exhibit from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is Tíkaas, The Precious Art of Cradle Boards. These crafted baby carriers were decorated with intricate beadwork, porcupine quills or paintings. The Institute ‘s museum shop also has exclusive Pendleton wool Kusi blankets, paying homage to the Kusi horses. 47106 Wildhorse Blvd., Pendleton. tamastslikt.org
PDX MISC.
August 4 - 20. PDX LIVE. Pioneer Courthouse Square. Stellar lineup of bands in the city’s living room, including Ani DiFranco & Valerie June (Aug 4), The Breeders (Aug 18) • Sugar (Aug 14) • Courtney Barnett (Aug 19) • Modest Mouse (Aug 9 ) • The Beths (Aug 15) and more. Tickets are in the $60-$70 range. Pdx-live.com
August 8. Lloyd Center’s last day. Portland’s iconic mall closes its doors at 7pm on August 8. There’s a disco-themed Food Court 5000 in the morning and Jerry and Tally Leonard, ice skaters who have practiced on the rink for 60 years, perform the final skate at 6:45pm. Grab a bag of Joe Brown’s Caramel Corn (an original tenant from 1960) and bask in the shopping nostalgia of a pioneer shopping experience.
August 14 - 16. Rockstar Energy Open, Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Underdogs and legends from the Skateboarding universe. Free. rockstarenergyopen.com
Pedalpalooza ! Community -led bike rides (over 100) through June, July and August. Get on your bike! bike-summer.org
Hillsboro Tuesday Night Market. Main Street, between 1st & 4th Ave. Every Tuesday till August 25. The city of Hillsboro has its municipal act together, exemplified by this bustling and always interesting night market. tuesdaymarketplace.org
THE COMPANION SPOTLIGHT:
SHEMANSKI FARMERS MARKET
If the madding summer crowds at Saturday’s wonderful PSU’s Downtown Farmers Market are too much, consider her quieter yet still bustling sibling, Shemanski Park Farmers Market. Around 30 vendors, many of them there every week during the season, gather at downtown’s South Park blocks beneath a shading canopy of elm trees, with a scattering of oak and maple.
Vendors include Baird Family Orchards, growing fruits and hazelnuts in Dayton, Oregon and Maryhill, Washington. Their peaches are currently at their peak flavor over the next week or two and are simply not to be missed. Country loaves and pastries are dispensed by Tabor Bread and Propaganda Pastry. Produce vendors include Campo Collective and Sunrise Organic Farm. Sunrise was founded by two brothers in Albany and a daughter of one of the brothers established a 4-acre farm in Aumsville, west of Salem. It’s called Little Benji’s Family Farm and is just across the aisle from the Sunrise stand. Native Candy is here, too, selling fresh and frozen wild caught salmon and traditional smoked fish. Hav Paj Garden, run by a second-generation Hmong family, always smiling, who craft their creative floristry. Missionary Chocolates, founded by naturopathic physician, Dr. Melissa Berry, hands out free samples of her chocolate truffles. And Josi Farms, a 4th-generation Tillamook family farm sells pasture raised Aberdeen Angus beef. These are just a taste of just a handful of the vendors, and all are happy to chat and dispense wisdom about what they grow or make. Shemanski Farmers Market is a culinary oasis in the heart of Portland.
And in the heart of the market is the Shemanski Fountain, donated to the city by Polish immigrant, Joseph Shemanski. Shemanski owned Eastern Outfitters, a major clothing and department store in Portland that closed in 1953. The sandstone fountain, designed by Carl L. Linde, had drinking fountains, including one at the base for dogs. A bronze statue, ‘Rebecca at the Well’ was centered in the fountain, but the statue and the fountain have been vandalized more than once, and the statue has been boarded up. Way to go, Portland.
Perhaps the best ‘dog’ in Portland is the home-made kielbasa slathered in kraut and served at ‘A Taste of Poland’, a Shemanski market mainstay (and at the PSU and King markets, too.) Dion and Marzena Baran, Polish immigrants, own the family business and make the pierogies, kielbasa and kraut and have been doing so for over 30 years in Portland. You can buy their pierogies in specialty shops around town. Or better yet, go see them on Wednesdays in Shemanski Park, a Portland gem.
Shemanski Park Farmers Market, 1010 SW Park Ave. Portland. Wednesdays from 10 – 2pm, May 6th through October 28th. Portlandfarmersmarket.org
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About the Author
Stuart MacLean Ramsay was born and raised in the Highlands of Scotland and arrived in Portland in 1985 to create and manage Portland’s first brewpub at the BridgePort Brewery. Writer, craft brewer and educator, he is a leading expert on whisky, spirits and craft beer. He was American correspondent & contributing editor for Britain’s Whisky Magazine and craft beer columnist for the Portland Oregonian. His most recent book project was contributing editor for the award –winning ‘Whisky: The Definitive World Guide.’ Stuart was the Curator for Portland’s Multnomah Whiskey Library when it opened, overseeing the multitude of spirits and the education & events program. He operates and hosts America’s oldest whisky school: Ramsay’s Dram Academy of Whisky, and seven years ago launched WhiskyBack Brewing, a family of craft beers designed to pair with different whisky categories. (Extinguished by the covid pandemic, alas.)
He is owner and host of The John Barleycorn Home, a guest house celebrating Portland’s food & drink culture and Oregon’s history, people and places. It was the catalyst for this book: airbnb.com/h/johnbarleycornhome-portland
Stuart’s whisky classes & events: https://www.ramsaysdram.com
WhiskyBack Brewing Company: https://whisky-back.weebly.com