Get up early this weekend to watch colorful hot air balloons rise over the Central Oregon high desert as the sun rises. End your day enjoying the beautiful night glow from these balloons. The balloons launch at sunrise Friday-Sunday, July 26-28, from RE Jewell Elementary School at 20550 Murphy Road in Bend, Oregon. The night … Continue reading Balloons Over Bend in Central Oregon this weekend

Updated August 10, 2019 Photos by Cheryl Landes The La Strada dei Pastelli Chalk Art Festival is a new immersive open-air festival featuring large-scale street painting, live music, hands-on activities, and arts vendors. It's coming to Beaverton, Oregon, on Saturday and Sunday, August 10 and 11, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. each day. Throughout … Continue reading A new chalk art festival is coming to Beaverton, OR

Discover your new favorite beers and ciders among 101 products from 93 breweries and eight cider houses in 34 cities around the state at the 32nd Annual Oregon Brewers Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in downtown Portland. This is the first year since the festival started in 1988 that 100% of the products are … Continue reading 32nd Annual Oregon Brewers Festival features more than 100 in-state varieties

If you love lobster, don't miss the Maine Lobster Festival Thursday-Sunday, July 31-August 4, at Harbor Park in Rockland. Come to the food tent overlooking Penobscot Bay for a dinner of fresh lobster served with butter. It's the most delicious, messy way to enjoy a pleasant evening on the water, because as lobster-eating pros know, … Continue reading Maine Lobster Festival has a feast unlike anywhere else

Photos by Cheryl Landes Editor's note: I wrote the original Chicago Attractions Guide for a conference that was held in downtown Chicago. After the conference ended and the information was no longer available online, I decided to post the guide on my blog. If you have any other recommendations for places to go and things … Continue reading Chicago Attractions Guide

Photos by Cheryl Landes Editor's note: I wrote the original Chicago Restaurant Guide for a conference that was held in downtown Chicago. After the conference ended and the information was no longer available online, I decided to post the guide on my blog. If you have any restaurant recommendations for Chicago, please post them in … Continue reading Chicago Restaurant Guide

Portlanders received sad news on The Country Cat's Facebook page yesterday when they saw an announcement that the Stark Street location is closing on Sunday, August 4, after brunch. The announcement didn't disclose any reasons for the closure. This popular Southern style restaurant best known for its brunches opened in 2007 and has received many … Continue reading The Country Cat’s Stark location closing August 4

Featured image: Crown Park in Camas, Washington (photo credit: City of Camas Parks and Recreation) The 2019 series of Concerts in the Park, sponsored by Camas Parks and Recreation, starts tomorrow night and continues through mid-August. Four local artists will perform music ranging from blues to rock violin. My Happy Pill on stage at Concerts … Continue reading Concerts in the Park series starts tomorrow in Camas

This year marks the 20th year of the City of Vancouver, Washington, hosting free summer concerts at Esther Short Park. This year's 6 to Sunset Concert Series is scheduled on six Thursday evenings in July and August. Each concert lasts two hours and starts at 6 p.m. Enjoy dinner from the food vendors and beverages … Continue reading 6 to Sunset Concert Series celebrates 20th anniversary in Vancouver, WA

Jazz in the Valley might have "jazz" in its name, but this three-day festival on the last weekend in downtown Ellensburg, Washington, features more than jazz. You can listen to blues, swing, funk, soul, Latin, rock, and gospel music. This year's festival features 28 concerts in eight venues Friday-Sunday, July 26-28. The performances run 8 … Continue reading Jazz in the Valley in Ellensburg features a variety of music