Culture: Page 254

Cars, Cars, Cars

Shiny cars from old to new downtown

Culture

Most people peruse the Eugene Celebration looking for things to buy, food to eat or entertainment to watch. Most don’t think of it as an opportunity to time travel. However, on 8th Avenue between Charnelton and Olive, the Show ‘n’ Shine Classic Car Show will give Eugeneans the opportunity to travel nearly 90 years in one stroll of about 100 cars. At the Celebration, you might expect to see a bike show rather than a car show, but cars still seem to be a timeless way to look at American culture.  Continue reading →

Party Playlist

Celebrate good times downtown

Culture

Eugene has a lot to celebrate: flourishing restaurants and breweries, a refurbished downtown area, leadership in all things green and the friendly vibe, just to name a few. Eugeneans, give yourselves a well-deserved pat on the back. Since our city has so much to sing about, who better to help ring in another glorious Eugene Celebration than a smorgasbord of national and local musical acts? We’ve put together our list of must-see acts that love the city as much as we do. Friday, August 23 Continue reading →

Eugene-Springfield LGBT Pride Festival

Culture

For the 32nd year in a row, Lane County is gearing up to gay it up at Alton Baker Park with the annual Eugene-Springfield LGBT Pride Festival. The all-day affair starts at noon and features a good gaggle of local acts, including Coyote Grace, Lauren Joiner and Spin Cycle, and the whole thing is hosted by downtown celebs Daphne Storm and Trai La Trash (who have hosted events of many different varieties all over town). Continue reading →

Mysterious Pinot

Drink

Last weekend, Kat and I attended the annual salmon bake at the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) in McMinnville, urban heart of the north Willamette Valley wine country. This remarkable annual event (2013 marked the 27th version) in wine culture draws participants from nearly all the regions of the world where pinot noir is cultivated and vinified —Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Canada (!), Germany, California and, of course, France (Burgundy) and Oregon. Continue reading →

It’s About Time – August 2013

About Time

This must be nature’s designation of the Year of the Nut. Filbert trees all around town have an abundance of swelling husks. When growing close to the curb, nuts are being knocked off their branches by passing trucks and smashed on the street by subsequent traffic. Squirrels and crows leap out onto the street to snatch up the soft, as yet unripe, meat of the seed inside, what we call a nut. Walnuts are also showing a major crop, especially the Turkish walnuts, in abandoned orchards and back yards. Continue reading →

Whit Block Party

Culture

On the first Saturday of each August, Eugeneans gather to celebrate the spirit of the Whiteaker, Eugene’s funkiest neighborhood. The Whiteaker Neighborhood itself is a whir of activity; as one of Eugene’s few mixed-use areas, it melds microbreweries, restaurants, artist communities, young folks, old folks and family life. Block Party exemplifies the beauty — be it messy or harmonious — of all that verve. Continue reading →

Needles, Volunteers and the Morning After

Block Party volunteers clean up the Whiteaker

Culture

When many residents of the Whiteaker are sound asleep recovering from Block Party, volunteers will gather Sunday, Aug. 4, to clean up after the event. “We try to have the neighborhood look cleaner than it did before the party,” says Zoe Gadsby, the event coordinator. “It’s really hard to get volunteers the next day.” The work of the volunteers at the Block Party cleanup points to an even bigger community effort: picking up needles.  Continue reading →

Stage Hand

Local and Northwest bands flock to celebrate Block Party

Culture

Like any good block party, the Whiteaker Block Party has much to satisfy the aural senses — perhaps too much for one person to make sense of, and thus here are some (stage) handy picks to check out on this wet, hot American summer day and night. But be a good community member and check out all the stages — Blair Alley, Slash and Burn, Hostel, Uncle Brad’s Secret Stage, Territorial — and get to know your neighbors.   G-spot Stage Continue reading →