Holiday preparations

It takes a lot of work to get the Square ready for the holiday events. The biggie is the holiday tree that arrives in early November. When it arrives on the truck, it’s missing hundreds of branches. Some have been cut off for shipping, and others have to be added from other trees to give it a perfect shape. Brackets are attached to the new branches and bolted to the tree trunk. It’s a tough job and it takes a long time. In the end when the branches are attached and the lights are added, it looks beautiful. Also, the fountains are drained, and small, lighted trees replace the water in the fountains. I don’t know what happens to the coins in the fountains? Winter flowers are planted. After weeks of preparation, everything is ready for the holiday season. Santa hangs out on the square, and there are numerous events happening each week. Keep a close watch on the “Square Calendar of Events,” so you won’t miss something you would enjoy. Happy holidays from the Square People blog.

Chess on the "Square"

Thousands upon thousands of chess matches are played on Pioneer Courthouse Square each year. People come from all over the area to get into a match. In order to accommodate so many players, they play various forms of speed chess. The players bring their own rolled vinyl chess mats and timers. There are a large number of regular players, but there always seems to be a lot of new people. I’ve stopped by many times to watch a couple of matches, and I’ve never seen a woman play in one of these matches. What’s up with that?

Le Grand Continental

This event turned out to be a surprise. When I went to photograph it last Sunday, I didn’t know what to expect. It turned out to be a fun experience that I really enjoyed. White Bird celebrated its 15th anniversary of bringing the best dance from around the world by presenting "Le Grand Continental," a thrilling line dance choreographed by critically acclaimed Canadian choreographer Sylvain Emard. There were two 30-minute performances, danced by 160 non-professional members of the Portland metropolitan community, of different ages and backgrounds. The dancers rehearsed for several months to prepare for the performances. There was a tremendous crowd, which I suspect was a result of the 160 members of the dance group constantly upgrading their status on Facebook and Twitter for the past few months. I saw thousands of photographs taken. It would be fascinating to know how many photographs posted on social media outlets of this event. Viewing space was at a premium, and people had to resort to finding unusual places to view the dancing.

American Indian Day

On Friday, September 28, the Northwest
Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) and other local Indian organizations held their 7th Annual “American Indian Day Celebration”. The event included Northwest Tribal leaders, Indian advocates, drum groups, dancers, and arts and crafts vendors who shared their talents and experiences with the Portland community. Tribal organizations set-up booths displaying health, education, youth and other programs they provide on behalf of Northwest Tribes and the Portland Indian community. For additional information about NPAIHB, Click here.