Portlandia – Things to do in the sustainable city of Portland

Greetings, Fellow Eco-Stewards! Back for more sustainable destinations? Fantastic! Today, I’ll be stepping outside the comfort of my home city, and discuss the wonderful city of Portland and all its green wonders. Here are some green events coming up for both residents and visitors this month!

Unlike the strictly seasonal farmers markets I attend to in the suburbs of Chicago, Portland offers a farmer’s market year-round. Every Wednesday, from 2 pm – 7 pm (January 2 pm – 6 pm), local vendors sell their produce and artisan goods. Guaranteed to be free of all chemical fertilizers, insecticides, and pesticides, as mandated in order to even become a vendor- all food sold there is organic, vegetarian, and GMO free. A haven for both local businesses and sustainably grown food, they even host a variety of events from cooking classes to educational discussions. I definitely plan to give this place a visit.

Eager to get your hands dirty again? You can help the Northwest Trail Alliance improve East Portland’s upcoming Park- Gateway Green. From 10 am – 3 pm, you help by actually building the trails! No experience is required; all tools are provided, as well as food, beverages, and a raffle. Their goal is to build 1000 feet of new trail during the event. If you want to attend, but a little weary at the idea of building a hiking trail, they’ll have other tasks you can do. Sounds like a ton of fun, and I’m jealous I can’t be a part of it.

This is an ongoing event, so sadly this doesn’t really apply to visitors, but for residents, Portland offers a 10 class course on how to grow your own produce.  Run by the same organization that runs the People’s Farmers Market. People’s Food Co-op offers either the entire course, three class set, or even just the individual classes themselves. Each class walks you through the framework of growing your produce, teaching about both indoor and outdoor crops, maintenance and harvesting, seed saving, and a LOT more.  Each class is approximately 2 hours long, from 7 pm – 9 pm.

Last event to share is Portland’s Fix-it Fair, where local residents and experts set up exhibits and educate people on ways to save money and connect with resources. Talk with neighbors and professionals, and learn how to live healthy and sustainably. The fair hosts some one hour workshops on various green topics. This looks to be an ongoing event, so if you miss one date, you can try another.

Hopefully there’s at least one event on this list that you lovely readers can try to attend. It’s always heartening to see a city that really strives to be green. In my book, Portland has officially been ‘green-lighted.