Memorial Day Weekend 2026 in Portland and the Willamette Valley

If only Memorial Day Weekend 2026 had a real leader to give the speech.
President Joseph Biden speaks at the 154th National Memorial Day Observance in the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va., May 30, 2022. (U.S. Army photo by Elizabeth Fraser / Arlington National Cemetery / released)

Memorial Day Weekend 2026 starts Saturday, May 23—Friday, May 22, if you want to be fancy. But the day itself is Monday, May 25. It is, of course, a day to remember and mourn those who have died in service to the country. I, myself, often remember my great uncle Monroe, who was killed in the Vietnam War (also known as “Kháng chiến chống Mỹ,” or “The Resistance War against America” from Vietnam’s standpoint). 

Continue reading “Memorial Day Weekend 2026 in Portland and the Willamette Valley”

Get To Know Stone Soup and Their Café in Montavilla

The Stone Soup signage in the front above the entrance to the cafe. You can see the Candelight restaurant in the background.

Have you been to the Stone Soup café in Montavilla? I remember reading about it on Montavilla News last year, but hadn’t made it in. That all changed when I recently connected with Julia Granet, the Marketing and Communications Coordinator there, who let me know about their upcoming event, Jam Jam, over at the Midtown Beer Garden.

We got to chatting about the organization itself, the cafê—which I later visited and got a tour of the building—-and the good things they are doing to help folks who need assistance managing their lives in this crazy world we live in. Here are some of the things we talked about.

Continue reading “Get To Know Stone Soup and Their Café in Montavilla”

Small Bites: Parallel Biscuits, The Deck Reopens, D’s Knots, and More

Parallel biscuits, this time in a biscuit sandwich.
Biscuit sandwiches tomorrow at Parallel. Photo credit: Parallell.

Parallel biscuit pop-up at . Head over to Parallel on NE Sandy and 31st Avenue tomorrow morning starting at 9am for their biscuit sandwich (and coffee) pop-up. They’ve been working on this biscuit for a while and are pretty excited about it. They’ll offer it as a pop-up first to see how folks like it, and possibly add it to the regular menu later. I was told, “House made everything even down to the American cheese.”

Continue reading “Small Bites: Parallel Biscuits, The Deck Reopens, D’s Knots, and More”

Mother’s Day 2026 in Portland: Brunch, High Tea, and More

Mother's Day 2026: celebrate with your kiddos!

While Mother’s Day, which falls on Sunday, May 10, may technically be a Hallmark holiday, it’s still one of my favorite ways to spend time with my family in Portland. The city’s restaurants and local businesses make it easy to mark the occasion, whether you’re going all out or keeping things low-key. No matter how the mom or caregiver in your life likes to be celebrated, Portland always keeps it real, and there’s something for everyone. Here’s a list of specific recommendations of where to celebrate Mother’s Day 2026 in Portland.

Continue reading “Mother’s Day 2026 in Portland: Brunch, High Tea, and More”