Category: What’s Happening in Sunnyside?

Belmont Street Fair Set for Sept. 10 With Old Favorites & New Fun

This year’s Belmont Street Fair promises to be a spectacular event with all the best of past fairs, plus some new and exciting twists. Our theme this year is “Imagine.” Imagine the possibilities of a thriving local community. Imagine art on every corner, community potluck dinners, bicycle traffic jams, backyard eggs for all, human-powered transport on car-free streets.

Belmont Street between 33rd and 37th will be car-free once again. As one fair enthusiast said last year: “After you go to this fair, you’ll wonder why they don’t always shut down SE Belmont to cars/ buses between 33rd and 37th. It just feels right.” The fair extends from 20th to 60th avenues on Belmont and a free Ecoshuttle will link the special events along the way.

The Sunnyside Neighgorhood Green will return to 34th and Belmont. You’ll find an expanded Kids Fun Center, with activities for kids of all ages, an integrated bouncy house, mini-golf course and juggling with Do Jump. Be sure to visit the Artists’ Alley, showcasing the work of local artists and the alternative transportation exposition, which this year will feature cargo bikes.

Local musicians will perform on multiple stages, with a main stage lineup that is sure to please:

— Chazz Funk All Stars (noon to 12:45 p.m.)

— Dusu Mali (1 p.m. to 2 p.m.)

— Sarah Moon & The Night Sky (2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.)

— Sweet Juice (3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.)

— Brothers of the Baladi (5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.)

— Saloon Ensemble, featuring members of March Fourth Marching Band (6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.)

The Fair will take place Saturday, Sept. 10 from noon to 8 p.m. The Fair is a collaboration between the Sunnyside Neighborhood Association and the Belmont Area Business Association. Organizers have been working overtime to make this year’s fair a fun-filled car-free community event filled with local artists, musicians, street vendors and family-friendly activities, where you can just imagine the possibilities.

For more information or to obtain a vendor (or artist) booth application, visit http://belmontdistrict.org/whats-happening/street-fair, or call (503) 774-2932. This event wouldn’t happen without volunteers, so please consider signing up for a shift. Contact Josh Palmer at (503) 287-1515.

A bit of green, a lot of merrymaking

SEUL Neighborhood Block Party

The Southeast Uplift neighborhood coalition is hosting a community block party in Sunnyside on Saturday, Aug. 27 from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., celebrating communities and neighbors across Southeast Portland.

The Southeast Uplift building and grounds at 3534 SE Main Street will serve as the hub of the festivities, with the entire block of SE Main Street between 35th and 36th avenues filled with an array of fun activities, music, food and beverages throughout the evening.

A number of food carts will be on site, offering food, with St. Josef’s Winery and Coalition Brewing also on hand serving wine and beer. Kids’ activities will also be in abundance, as the Portland Mennonite Church (1312 SE 35th Ave.) will be hosting a Kid’s Corner that will include a bounce house, playground and a host of fun games throughout the evening.

The event will also be a great way to learn about and connect with fantastic community projects, meet neighborhood association and community leaders, learn more about how Southeast Uplift supports your community and meet your neighbors from not only down the block but across Southeast Portland.

If your organization or community group is interested in participating, please get in touch at the email address below. We look forward to seeing you there!

Stay up-to-date with music listings and participating groups at www.southeastuplift.org and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SE.uplift.

If you’re available to help out on the day of the event, there are fun (really!) volunteer opportunities available in short one or two-hour slots — your assistance would be greatly appreciated!

Please contact [email protected] for more information.

Watch Video, Learn More About Proposed Walgreen’s Drive-Thru

While we wait to see what plans Walgreen’s resubmits to the city regarding the renovation and proposed Drive-Thru for the store on the corner of Belmont and Cesar Chavez Boulevard, neighbors have created a video to illustrate how a drive-thru will adversely impact traffic and the neighborhood.

Watch the video and learn more about the issue at www.walbrowns.com

Urban Dwellers and Neighborhood Nature Research

What are the benefits of small-scale natural areas in our neighborhoods? Take part in research that explores your experiences with and thoughts on watershed health projects like rain gardens, Green Streets and habitat restoration that are in the Mt. Tabor to the Willamette River area, between SE Hawthorne and SE Powell Blvd.

Your participation in this study will help researchers find out more about the benefits of small-scale neighborhood oriented nature. This study is being conducted by Sarah Church and Dr. Maged Senbel of the School of Community and Regional Planning at the University of British Columbia.

You must be willing to be interviewed at a location of your convenience during the summer of 2011. If you would like to participate, please contact Church at [email protected], or 208-310-2841.