MT HOOD FESTIVALS

Festival Season

in The Villages of Mt Hood

Late summer starts off festival season which continues into the fall in the Villages of Mt Hood. Whether you're local, or a vacationer to the area, what better way to learn about the culture and people of The Villages at Mt. Hood than by visiting some traditional festivals.

For a fresh taste on summer, stop in at the Crawdad Festival at the Skyway Bar and Grill, owned by Tom and Tracie Anderson. This celebration started a long time ago as a gathering of family and friends. The family grew up catching crawdads, and over time Tracie's father perfected the boil for cooking them. The festival moved from the home to the restaurant four years ago. In addition to the 300 pounds of crawdads that will be cooked over the weekend, the family will be barbequing ribs, burgers, chicken, and more. There will be live music, face painting, and a dunk tank. The 4th annual event will take place on August 18th and 19th, starting at 1:00pm each day.

If you enjoy music, Spirit on the Mountain, Mt. Hood's Christian Music Festival, is another family favorite. Located at The Mt. Hood Village Resort, this non-denominational event will feature 13 regional Christian artists and bands. Performers on the three stages include Tray Michaels, We As Human, Emily Crawford, Xile, and more. Artisans, vendors and food will also be available for your enjoyment. The Youth Village surrounds the youth stage, which will feature Christian rock and hip-hop artists. A $20 ticket to the Youth Village gets you one night of camping, two meals, and full access to the festival. The 3rd annual event will take place on September 15th from 11am to 7pm. General admission is only $5 if you are coming for just the music. Check out www.spiritonthemountain.com for more information.

The annual Mt Hood Festival of the Forest in Welches, September 15-16, celebrates arts, culture and the forest, and features more than 12 hours of live music with local artists and forest activity booths. Build a bluebird's dream house, learn about fly-tying or talk with Forest Service wildlife biologists, botanists and other specialists. Delicious huckleberry pancakes will be served each morning from 8am to Noon and live music performances from Noon to 6pm each day on the Wildwood Stage.  This year, a special twenty-year reunion of bands from The Last Hurrah will be playing on center stage! This once-in-a-lifetime music reunion will rekindle the creative music spirit that permeated Portland’s original music community between 1975–1990.

The Last Hurrah was a nightclub in Portland that closed its doors June 20, 1987. Portland has always had a vibrant music community, and the live bands that played original music were what made the Last Hurrah a hot spot. During the time the Last Hurrah was open, a huge creative music movement was evolving and many local bands pushed their careers to the national stage. It’s been nearly 20 years since the close of the bar, but the legend hasn’t died. Many of the bands are back and ready to rock at this year’s Festival of the Forest in Wildwood Park.

So pull our your Grateful Dead t-shirts and dust off your dancing shoes (or bare feet) and plan a weekend trip to relive the legendary music and celebrate fall in the foothills of Mt Hood. This is going to be one Festival of the Forest you don’t want to miss.
 
Tickets may be purchased in advance. Weekend Festival Passes available now at Mt Hood Information Center, 24403 E Welches Rd or by phone 503.622.4822. 

Advance purchase $20/person for Saturday and Sunday or $12.50/person for one day if purchased by September 12, 2007. 

September 13th through day of festival $25/person for Weekend Festival Pass and $15.50 for one day pass subject to availability.  50¢ agent fee per ticket applies. VISA, MasterCard, Amex, Discover and Debit Cards accepted.

For festival information, visit http://www.mthood.info/forestfest/index.html

The 19th annual Wine & Art Festival at The Resort at the Mountain, November 10 – 11, is a great way to taste the heart of the Northwest in wines from local vineyards and microbrews from breweries around Oregon. It's also the perfect spot to find a unique piece of artwork created by local artists. From watercolors to jewelry to sculptures to pottery and much more, the Wine & Art Festival has it all. What better way to remember your visit to Mt. Hood than with a one-of-a-kind treasure. For discounted room rates and more information, contact The Resort at the Mountain at (503) 622-3101.

July/August 2007 « Back to this issue...