Portland’s Finest: The Mississippi Street Fair & Oregon Berry Festival

Portlanders have more fun.

There, I said it. And that, my friends, is a fact. Since moving here I’ve been delighted by the smiling faces, fun-loving, welcoming spirit that Portlanders have shown me. I never know when I’ll meet someone new, but I know that I look forward to it. Need proof? Fly, drive, bike, bus, walk….get here however you want to get here….and see for yourself.

Summer in Portland has been blossoming with fairs, concerts, festivals, craft beer debuts, quirky bar themes, karaoke…you name it, we’ve got it. Last weekend my friends and I went to the Mississippi Street Fair and the Oregon Berry Festival, in NE and NW Portland, respectively.

As any future RD worth her salt does, I love fresh berries. I was lucky enough to grow up in France, where visiting the markets meant picking up local berries ripe for eating, and I’ve had a love affair with raspberries ever since. At the Oregon Berry Festival, we were treated to all things berries: smoothies, huckleberry coffee, brambleberry cider, Hawaiian ice, and of course some hot-off-the-press red raspberry vodka and blackberry bourbon. Um, free samples please?

The Oregon Berry Festival was educational, and highlighted local growers and their contributions to our berry feasts.

It just wouldn’t be Portland without a food cart of some kind! 

Typical.

Next up was the Mississippi Street Fair. How I love thee, street fairs of all shapes and sizes. The vendors! The food and drink! Being goofy with your friends because ten blocks of the main street has been closed!

First stop: whiskey. Like I said…it just wouldn’t be Portland without it.

Ten blocks, my friends. That’s a lot of road to get through in a crowd like this!

That’s why we had to take a break at Bungalow Bar to sit in their hammocks.

What I ate: this thoughtful cart offered vegan barbeque, which was a must. But somehow I ended up with a two-pound, soy curl and macaroni and cheese vegan burrito…

…should have been more sensible and had this instead!

 

Summer is only half-finished, so take advantage of it wherever you are! Street fairs and local town celebrations can be a lot of fun, and are a great excuse to get out and eat, drink, and be joyful in the sunshine. Happy summer!