PORTLAND, Oregon — It's the middle of summer, and that's a great time to be in Portland, even in the middle of a global pandemic.
The normal Portland summer activities are still happening, they all just look a bit different this year.
Blazers basketball is back, Timbers soccer is too, and even brunch is still a thing!
So whether you want to watch sports, shop from a street fair, go out to eat or meet a new giraffe friend, there are plenty of ways to have fun this weekend.
Here are 8 things to do this weekend in Portland:
Shop Hawthorne Blvd. from home
Summer in Portland is usually full of fun street fairs. But this year, street fairs are going virtual just like everything else. The Hawthorne Street Fair is turning into Hawthorne at Home, which kicks off this Sunday! You can shop online from local vendors, listen to music and order food from Hawthorne restaurants.
When: Sunday, August 23 at 11 a.m. through November 30
Where: Online
Go to a drive-in movie
Drive-in movie theaters are making a comeback! We can't go to indoor movie theaters (ah, the air conditioning sounds so nice right now) this summer, but we can drive up to some awesome movie venues around the state! In Oregon, we're lucky to have a few permanent drive-in theaters, but this summer, a bunch of businesses have turned into temporary drive-ins!
Watch the video above or click the link below for the details on when and where to go.
Eat fish and chips from a new restaurant
Three local names that you'll probably recognize just joined forces to open a new spot to enjoy New England-style fish and chips with a Northwest personality. It's called Rock, Paper, Fish, from Craig Peterson (of Ringside Steakhouse), Micah Camden (of Blue Star Donuts, SuperDeluxe, and BAES Fried Chicken) and Ndamukong Suh (of the NFL!).
The menu includes Pacific halibut fish and chips, Oregon albacore fish and chips, New England clam chowder, vegetarian artichoke "crab cakes" and more. The new spot has a takeout window for now and is also available for delivery.
When: Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Where: Rock, Paper Fish - 2605 East Burnside Street (or order delivery through DoorDash)
Meet the newest giraffe at the Oregon Zoo!
The Oregon Zoo opened back up a few weeks ago, with new safety measures in place - and a new giraffe! KGW's Drew Carney got to meet Kiden earlier this month, but now you can too! The 11-foot tall 2-year-old arrived in Portland back in April, and now she's finally able to meet visitors!
When: See the Oregon Zoo's full schedule here
Where: Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd
Watch the Trail Blazers in the NBA Playoffs!
The Blazers are in the NBA Playoffs! It's round one and we're up against the Los Angeles Lakers. And OH MAN has this been a fun series to watch so far (OK fine, I'm writing this after game 1, but that was a GOOD game!).
It's a best of seven series, so there's much more to watch. And when you watch Saturday and Monday's games (games 3 and 4, respectively), look closely at the fans in the stands - er, virtual stands. For "home games" (yes, all of the games are being played in Orlando, Florida, but there are still designated home games for each team), the Blazers get to have their own virtual fans on huge screens in the arena. Watch the video above to see how my time as a virtual fan went - it was way too fun!
When: Game 2: Thursday at 6 p.m.; Game 3: Saturday at 5:30 p.m.; Game 4: Monday at 6 p.m.
Watch the Timbers!
Fresh off their win in the MLS is Back tournament, the Portland Timbers are playing at Providence Park on Sunday, for the first time in 168 days. And they'll be doing it against the Seattle Sounders, which is always an exciting rivalry, even when fans won't be there in the stands.
When: Sunday at 7 p.m.
Get brunch from a pop-up at Vaux
Remember the good old days (can we call it that at this point?) of waiting in line for brunch, then sitting in a restaurant full of what seems like every single Portlander? Obviously brunch outings look a bit different right now - but they're still happening!
Chef Sara Woods has created a special menu for three Sundays in a row for the Vaux Bakeshop Brunch Pop-up. She's serving up gooey cinnamon rolls, soft potato rolls with crispy pork cutlet, yogurt parfaits and more. And of course, mimosas and bloody marys.
When: Sunday, August 23 and Sunday, August 30 - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: Vaux (inside the Canopy Hotel), 425 NW 9th Ave
Buy artwork for a good cause
Blanchet House is a nonprofit in downtown Portland working to provide food, clothing and shelter to people in need. And right now there is an art show benefiting the nonprofit's essential services.
On The Ledge is an online art show featuring beautiful prints designed by local artists. Profits of each print will be split between the nonprofit and each artist.
When: Through August 24
Where: Online
Cassidy Quinn is the host of Tonight With Cassidy on KGW. But right now, like many of you, she is working from home, trying to focus on the happier things going on in the world. Tonight With Cassidy is currently on hiatus, but you can watch previous segments from the show here, and follow Cassidy on Twitter @CassidyQuinn.
