Oregon, United States — Events
Portland Jazz Festival
The annual Portland Jazz Festival aims to promote jazz by presenting jazz masters as well as local musicians in a series of concerts, free performances, films, lectures and exhibitions. The month of February is also celebrated as Black History Month, which includes jazz education and outreach programs. The dynamic sounds of jazz have enlivened the Portland area since the days of World War II when thousands of African Americans came to work in the Kaiser shipyards. After the war ended, local jazz pioneers hosted backyard jam sessions where many musical styles were shared and improved upon.
Spring Break
Spring break is traditionally a time of study leave in preparation for the start of the fourth term. However, in America and even Canada the week-long spring break has become synonymous with parties, relaxation and a last chance to let loose before the final slog toward the final exam period a few months later in May. During spring break revelers from across North America descend upon the beaches of Mexico, as well as other beaches in the region, for a week-long party.
Portland Saturday Market
The Portland Saturday Market is America’s largest open-air crafts market. There are over 250 stalls of handcrafted items and delicious homemade and ethnic food. There is an intimate, down-to-earth spirit here as visitors can interact with the artists and watch them work. The market is situated in Portland’s historic Old Town and features live music and other events to complement the shopping.
Oregon Brewers Fest
The Oregon Brewers Festival is one of America’s longest-running and most beloved craft beer festivals, and takes place every year at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, right on the banks of the Willamette River. Over the course of the weekend, handcrafted beers from more than 80 of the nation’s foremost micro-breweries will be turned out to a crowd in excess of 80,000. There will also be live music on the go for all four days of the festival, home-brewing demonstrations, and an assortment of high-quality food stalls dotted around the venue.
SLUG Queen Festival
The quirky city of Eugene, Oregon annually plays host to an utterly bizarre beauty pageant, known as the SLUG Queen Festival. Taking its name from an acronym (the Society for the Legitimization of the Ubiquitous Gastropod) - purportedly developed in honor of the slimy creatures that fill Eugene’s perennially-sodden gardens - the festival started as an anti-pageant of sorts, designed to mock the usual way in which beauty competitions are run.
