This weekend ... from prix fixe to Pickathon & beyond:

To prep for this weekend’s rustic Happy Valley hoedown above, treat yourself to a classy dose of Friday fine dining at the sleekly modern Holdfast, which offers a nine-course tasting menu with the kind of exquisite small plates and wine pairings you probably won’t find at Pendarvis Farm’s annual roots music jamboree. Saturday morning, get thee Pickathon-bound and (cowboy boots donned and tent pitched) find a choice spot to lay your blanket near the Mountain View stage, where you can wait for just about everyone you know to amble by. Come nightfall, tick off a show at the fairy-tale Woods Stage, and indulge in some late-night stomping in the Lucky Barn. En route home on Sunday, take a detour by Powell Butte Nature Park for a rousing hike to the summit of this extinct volcano, where, if the day is clearer than your head, you’ll be treated to eye-popping views of Mounts Hood, St. Helens, Adams, and Jefferson. Back in town, slough off that festival grime with a leisurely dip in the Kennedy School’s winningly old-school soaking pool—unless, in your post-Pickathon glow, you’d feel more at home in the clothing-optional bathhouse up the street at Common Ground. 

And start planning for NEXT weekend! August 7—9

Ease into this high-energy weekend at Pioneer Courthouse Square, where Friday night brings Flicks on the Bricks, an alfresco silver-screen session in Portland’s “living room,” smack-bang in the middle of downtown. (Past highlights include The Princess Bride and a sing-along Grease). Saturday, scoot out into the Gorge and take a frothy ride down the twisting white water of the White Salmon River guided by local outfit River Drifters—then pair a pint with a Cuban pork sandwich on the sun-soaked patio at Everybody’s Brewing in the town of White Salmon. For Sunday, with your arms in full, post-kayak fettle, get your legs up to speed with Bridge Pedal, the annual group spin that lets bikes on Portland’s normally forbidden Fremont and Marquam Bridges. This year there’s the added bonus of putting our newest bridge, Tilikum Crossing, in the mix before its official opening. Reclaim those hard-burned calories at one of the city’s bountiful farmers markets—King Market off Alberta Street is a good Sunday bet. Load up your basket, find a spot in the adjacent King School Park, and go horizontal. You’ve earned it.