BRIDGE TOURS

A tour of the largest mechanical structures in Oregon. Beginning at the corner of NW 2nd & Everett, visit a bridge museum, meet a bridge operator, and test for synchronous vertical excitation. We’ll do about a mile of walking and cross at least three bridges, seeing around ten in all.

WHEN: July 30th from 7-9pm.

WHERE: NW 2nd & Everett (NW Natural Building)

TICKETS: $12 per person, all ages.

No pre-registration required. This PDX Bridge Festival sunset Bridge Walk will be offered at a 25% discount over regular tour rates.

THE HIDDEN LIFE OF BRIDGES

WHERE: Kenton Masonic Lodge, 8130 N. Denver Ave., Portland

WHEN: Tuesday, August 2nd at 6pm

Learn how Ed Purver and Tim DuRoche will transform two Portland bridges into a radio and a cinema, as the hidden lives of the Hawthorne and Morrison Bridges are revealed through large-scale video projection and sound. Created in collaboration with Multnomah County Bridge Section and the Intersections program of the Regional Arts & Culture Council. For more information on The Hidden Life of Bridges project, please visit their website.

Join us for this evening panel discussion about the hidden lives of bridges, with RACC Intersections artist Tim DuRoche, retired Bridge Supervisor Tony Lester, PDX Bridge Festival’s Creative Director Tucker Teutsch, and RACC’s Public Art Manager Peggy Kendellen.

THE SHARON & ED SHOW

DEVELOPMENTS ON HISTORIC BRIDGES IN THE PORTLAND-VANCOUVER AREA — A SLIDE SHOW

WHERE: Kenton Masonic Lodge, 8130 N. Denver Ave., Portland

WHEN: Friday, August 5th at 6pm

Sharon Wood Wortman (aka “The Bridge Lady”) and engineer Ed Wortman talk about why some bridges get rehabilitated and others get replaced. With the Columbia River Crossing project in the works (50 new bridges along 5.5 miles of highway!), a new Sellwood Bridge, and the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge, big river bridges still command our attention!

BLOCK PARTY!

WHEN: Friday, July 29th, 6pm -12am

WHERE: theSlate, 2001 NW 19th Ave., Portland

What better way to kick off this year’s PDX Bridge Festival than a FREE BLOCK PARTY with an awesome view of the Fremont Bridge?! The event—hosted by Scion at TheSlate—features live music on two stages, $3 pints from Lagunitas Brewing Company, food and craft vendors, and live art. Open to all ages!

Music abounds, as the indoor stage features Willamette Week’s Best New Band of 2011, And And And, joined by local favorites, Wax FingersHousefireBoy Eats Drum Machine and Solovox. In addition, the Block Party will host an outside performance area featuring local multi-cultural acts and Portland’s favorite buskers, including Joy Now!, Nuestro, Worth + Bondy, All the Apparatus, Acoustic Minds, Andrew Gorny, Farafina Foly, the Amazin’ Jerks, and belly dancers! All are invited to join the PDX Bridge Festival as it launches the 2011 Festival with music, art, food and beer — some of Portland’s favorite pleasures.

Event Schedule:

theSlate Stage (indoor)

  • 6pm – Boy Eats Drum Machine
  • 7:30pm – Housefire
  • 8:30pm – Wax Fingers
  • 9:30pm – And And And (Willamette Week’s Best New Band of 2011!)
  • 10:30pm – Solovox

Busker’s Corner Stage (Outdoor)

  • 6pm – Andrew Gorny (classical guitar)
  • 6:30pm – Amazin Jerks
  • 7pm - Joy Now! (MarchFourth Marching Band Kid’s Summer Camp Parade)
  • 7:30pm – Shalyn (belly dancing)
  • 8pm - Nuestro (Latin American groove)
  • 8:30pm – Farafina Foly (African drums)
  • 9pm – Acoustic Minds
  • 10pm – Worth + Bondy, featuring Melody Kay
  • 11pm – All the Apparatus

 

Presented by:

Lagunitas Beer

Octopus Entertainment

CLOSING PARTY at THE CRYSTAL!

WHEN: Sunday, August 7, 2011 – Doors at 5pm, Music until 1am

WHERE: Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W. Burnside, Downtown Portland

Join us as we close-out the 2011 Festival at the Crystal!

TICKETS: $10 – GET TICKETS NOW!


Performing on two stages for seven hours, thirteen local bands will provide an all ages musical finale to this year’s PDX Bridge Festival.

In the main Ballroom, Dropa ignites the evening with magnetic and melodic electro acoustic tracks, followed by quality rock from  Water & Bodies, a true Portland circus experience with the Wanderlust Circus, folk-pop all stars The Dimes, and foot stompin’ rock with Tango Alpha Tango. Closing out the night is the electro-hip hop of Serious Business and a late night dance party with local electronic heavyweight, Copy.

Just downstairs in Lola’s Room features the CD release party for local indie-Americana all stars, The Hague. Formerly, And I Was Like What?, The Hague’s new album, “The Stark House EP,” shows music that is truly that of the Pacific Northwest, with sounds of rock, indie, pop and country influences. Also downstairs will be Seattle favorites, The Horde and The Harem, along with Symmetry/Symmetry, Violet Isle, Sara Jackson-Holman, and Mnemonic Sounds.

Event Schedule:

Main Stage
6pm – dropa
7pm – Water & Bodies
8pm – Wanderlust Circus
9pm – The Dimes
10pm – Tango Alpha Tango
11pm – Serious Business
12am – Copy

Lola’s Stage
6:30pm – Sara Jackson-Holman
7:30pm – Mnemonic Sounds
8:30pm – Violet Isle
9:30pm – The Horde & The Harem
10:30pm – Symmetry/Symmetry
11:30pm – The Hague (CD Release Party!)

Presented in partnership with:


Octopus Entertainment

BOHEMIAN STORYTELLING TOURS

The esoteric, endlessly entertaining, and highly imaginative Bohemian Storytelling Tours weave together theater, storytelling, and lively bits of audience interaction–with a live musical soundtrack throughout! The talented troupe of Nathan Hoover and Jay Twenge offers two themes to celebrate this year’s PDX Bridge Festival, and we suggest trying to catch both! These guys are one of the newly discovered treasures of our city, and we cannot recommend them enough! For more information visit Bohemian Storytelling Tours website, or follow the links below to register for the tours.

Happy Birthday Hawthorne!

Presented specifically for the PDX Bridge Festival, this tour explores our favorite piece of infrastructure, sometimes referred to as Portland’s “living room bridge.” The tour starts at the base base of the Hawthorne at the fire station on the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade, travels west over the span, then leads south under the bridge on the esplanade to loop up again onto the ramp and back onto the bridge eastbound—ending back on the Esplanade.

WHEN: July 31st from 2-4pm (Pay what you will) and August 7th from 2-4pm ($15)

WHERE: This tour begins and ends on the Eastbank Esplanade, next to the Hawthorne Bridge fire station.

Tickets: $15 Available Here!

Deep Water

This tour is a two-act performance exploring humankind’s relationship with water. Specifically, this tour considers whether a river is held captive by her bridges, and examines the life of a raindrop and its journey from sky to sea, via Portland. The performers draw from literary sources that include Rudyard Kipling, David Foster Wallace, and Billy Collins. The tour runs approximately two hours, and covers about a mile and half along the downtown waterfront. Engaging and entertaining for audiences of all ages!

WHEN: August 5th from 6-8pm($15)

WHERE: Meet at the north end of Tom McCall Waterfront Park (near Steel Bridge)

Tickets: $15 Available Here!