Last Thursday

Wowza! Looking to find something UNIQUE! This is it!
Warning: Not for the faint of heart or elderly. Our parking lot which was a block or so, from all the festivities used only quarters, interesting. Luckily we were stocked up. There is so much to see! Very crowded! ALL different types of people. Bring cash or trades, LOTS of one of a kind gifts… be prepared to get the heck out of the road at closing time. The city and police don’t mess around about quitting time. Many of the permanent business close during this event but there are plenty of other food/​food truck options. All n all great way to experience the flavor of Portlandia!

I was alright with last Thursday until i realized that many of my favorite establishments on NE Alberta have begun to close their doors on this day due to the chaos this monthly summer street festival brings.
What does it say about a street festival that has bars closing on a night that would bring them a ton of business on a Thursday night?
This event just seems to be a crazy drunkn’ free for all. I think i will pass on this more often than not.

Last Thur spans 15 blocks on NE Alberta St (from 15^th — 30^th). It’s a perfectly Portland street fair. There’s food vendors, plus tons of people selling everything else! From clothing to jewelry to local artwork. It’s packed with people, especially during the hot summer months. I might not suggest it for kids after dark, as there are a lot of weirdos! Overall, it’s a great time and always fun :)

Last Thursday has had better days. Much better. Quite a few friends moved into the neighborhood in the 90’s. They are creative people and artists. We had a great Halloween party when friend of a friend bought one of the many a vacant buildings on the street. «Vacant building on Alberta», good luck finding that today!
When individual artists selling on the street in the Pearl District were driven out by Pearl businesses, they created Alberta’s Last Thursday.
Some musicians started a marching band. DJ’s brought their music. There was hooping and fire performing. Many late night house and yard parties. Lam’s was a good spot. Always fire involved! As mentioned, the clown house often did something crazy and fun. Like bike jumping, mud wrestling, fire and clowning.
Fast forward to today. It’s not as wild, more all ages, more suburban spectators. But it is still worth enjoying for the people watching. Or get a bite in one of the outdoor spots and let it flow by. Be respectful parking and leave room around people’s driveways. The last Thursday in August may not be as vibrant, some of the performers are packing up for out-​of-​town festivals.
The problem with the event is that the businesses who benefit from the night itself, and from the year round businesses, that would not be there except for the artists, do not want to pay for the event. The businesses that benefit are the bars, restaurants and landlords.
From time to time you will hear a landlord claiming to have founded Last Thursday. Question is how much are they willing to pay in each month to Last Thursday which made their bank?
Those businesses are like, «let the artists pay — they have plenty of money, right?» In fact, most artists selling there break even on materials and if they are lucky, earn less than a dollar an hour for their labor.
Those Alberta businesses benefitting, with a few exceptions, have always been cheapskates.
They don’t support the Alberta Street Fair.
I know this because friends are organizers of that event. You can see yourself from this list, many prosperous bars and restaurants are missing, and the amounts contributed are sad:
. The bars, by and large, don’t support the costs of Last Thursday, but they benefit from it with their best nights of the entire year.
An exception has been Binks, which has donated money to cover the Last Thursday costs.
The mayor’s office wants to make it into the tame Alberta Street Fair. Keep Portland tame! The fire chief appointed by Randy Leonard has essentially banned fire performance in Portland despite no safety incidents and repeated attempts by the performers to work with her.
Then we have this gem:
There is a good argument that someone has to pay for portapotties, street cleaning (litter — WTF!), garbage cans. Yes some TriMet buses have to be rerouted. Are police extra, or is that their job? That someone should be the bars and restaurants, maybe food carts, or other disposable container food and drink vendors, generating trash to be picked up, not the artists. Then there are various crazy talking organizers claiming to manage it as a way to support themselves.
Likely the neighborhood association will kill it. Neighborhood homeowners have benefited handsomely from increased property values, although they still pay property taxes on a fraction of of the current value. They can walk to businesses that would not be there without the artists work since the 90’s. «But hey, 5 nights a year is too much inconvenience! We demand you conform to our little vision of Stepford».
See it while you can.

There are good days and there are bad days. Lots of politics surround this event and you may end up being a victim of circumstance on that particular Thursday. It starts as a true family friendly art display and by nightfall turns in to pretty much chaos. The fun kind though. Sensory overload. Dance parties. Stilt walkers. Break-​dancing gnomes. That sort of thing. Personally I am a fair weather guy. It’s going to be much more enjoyable if it’s nice out. This event is one that truly embodies everything Portland.

I have had a booth and walked the festival.
I have not been down there later than 8pm
I have never had problems with loud, drunk or obnoxious people.
Everyone is so loving caring and have so much to share.
I love the since of community and the idea of a FREE street festival

What a fun street fair! I loved last Thursday. I would totally recommend it to anyone, but don’t stay too late or you’ll end up walking down the street in a giant mob of high school students and wonder how you ended up there.
I loved everything about it– the costumes, the quirky outfits, the food, the musicians, the random/​unpredictable entertainment. I brought my boyfriend here who was visiting from out of town and it was the perfect introduction to Portland. There were a few guys with armloads of lavender, handing out flowers for free (just because!). I ended up buying a cup of delicious home-​brewed ginger kombucha off of someone’s front lawn from a guy who was wearing no shoes and kept his money on the grass. Maybe not the smartest decision I’ve ever made, but I don’t regret it! Check it out!

If your into people watching, this is the place to be. Last Thursdays draws out the young and old, just be prepared to socialize with all ages. There’s always attractive people who attend this event.
This event always offers a variety of entertainment for any age. If your not into the entertainment, there are several shops, restaurants, food carts, and bars that are worth checking out.
Yes, Last Thursday can be a family experience, but the streets can get a wild and crowded throughout the night. Parents would want to get the little ones out of earlier before all the drunk people start knocking them over (of course, not intentionally).
Parking can be a hassle during this event. I would suggest parking several streets away and walking to Alberta st.

A bit too nuts, dark, crazy, and free-​for-​all for me tonight… we went the whole entire way… from about 35^th west to about 13^th or so!
The highlight and most fun: seeing what new food places have landed and taken root on NE Alberta… like…
WAFFLE WINDOW and Pine State now only blocks apart, on the same street!!! Whaa — –
Salt & Straw, queues out the door
A Voodoo Donut mobile truck… all pink!
Tons of places open late… Bernie’s still looking great, Ciao Vito is still dark and romantic, Chaaba Thai on Vita’s old spot, and Vita Café in a large space across the street.
Wanna try Knock Back sometime… as well as Hana. was still happening at 2030 tonight… everything still open, and the music thumping so loud, audible for blocks around!

Yay, I’m a fan! You may ask why I’m not praising the «best ever» fair on earth, well that’s because I never got to go on a ferris wheel, dunk a homely cheer leader in a swim tank, or eat an elephant ear. Other than those few misguidances by the Alberta Street Fair commissioners, I’m totally into it! ;)
This thing is really cool. Despite not being able to do a few traditional acts like drowning your high school crush in some dirty dunk tank water, or eating traditional 1,000+ calorie food, you can have a phenomenal time here just people watching, visiting local food carts, stopping by street vendor booths, and visiting the local watering holes (bars).
This place is CRAY-​CRAY on Last Thursdays! Super fun, super local, super Portland! People here are almost more here to show off their Portlandisms, strut their skinny jeans, weird hair, tattoos, dogs, cats, crazy street art, music, etc etc. Just go, be weird, drink beer, and laugh! There’s my advice, thank me later!

I had never been to Portland before, so Last Thursday was a fun first introduction to the city. My friends brought me here after my flight. Though we arrived when it was winding down, I caught a good glimpse of what Last Thursday offers.
— There isn’t a shortage of handmade items sold here. From artwork to jewelry, you’re bound to find something unique to go home with or give as a gift.
— Dozens of street performers can be found either jamming on makeshift drums or plucking guitar strings. The street cellist was one of the standout musicians of the evening.
— You won’t go hungry at this event. Food trucks can be found almost everywhere, as well as restaurants and bars (BARS!)
— People love bringing their dogs. At times, it’s one big dog parade.
— Speaking of people, it is a great place to come and people watch. There are some interesting folks who attend this event dressed as though they just came from Middle Earth or Skyrim.
— Even though the event ends at 10PM, the liveliness doesn’t stop at that time.
— Parking spaces are limited. We had to do some street parking in a nearby neighborhood and make a short walk over to the festivities.
For first time visitors to Portland, Last Thursday is an event I’d recommend visiting. It’s one big street party where you can find all sorts of food, entertainment, and other eccentric features that are unique to the city.

Finally went to Last Thursday after living in Portland for a year. It’s pretty cool, I enjoyed it.
The good: The people watching is priceless. You’ve got an endless variety of people in attendance. The street performers are kind of fun. New ones pop up as soon as you’re out of earshot from the last one (sometimes sooner). The art. I actually expected to see more venders selling their art, but the stuff that was there was pretty wacky.
The bad: Holy sh*t was it crowded. You move like a herd of cattle, plodding slowly down the street. That aspect takes a bit of the fun out of it. I can’t even imagine how hard it would be to get a drink someplace…

If you live in Portland and haven’t been to Last Thursday, you’re missing out on a staple. It’s kind of like Saturday Market but all on one street that gets closed to cars. And it’s more diverse because you don’t pay to have a spot, instead it’s on a first come basis and bunch of the business on Alberta are open too.

Last Thursday is for people that wouldn’t be caught dead at First Thursday — well, at least for the most part. This is a block party of epic proportions, so make sure you have your party pants on! Be prepared to deal with crowds, as this thing has gotten crazy popular in the last few years. The later it gets, the crazier — complete with a night-​ending street sweeper a la New Orleans, effectively ending the party and cleaning off the hippie juices that flow so freely :)
If you like music of all types, you will find a different band on each corner — from a cute little kid singing Beatles covers, to funk, to african drum circles, there is a little something for every musical preference.
Street food is in abundance and is mostly delicious and fantastic — but beware the neighborhood peeps that try to sell you watermelon from their front porch… and if you can get in, the restaurants and bars on Alberta can be fun as long as you get a seat and are able to place orders.
This event is a trip and GREAT people watching. If you want to see Portland at its craziest, I would suggest making a night of it. Be well prepared to circle around, or try to find alternative transportation as parking is a beast to deal with. If you are a portlander, you want to have experienced this at least once.

I went to Last Thursday… great energy! There was so much to look at… it was a visual overload! I went with a group of friends, and it was hard to keep track of one another. One person would stop to look at something, while the group kept going forward. Our group ended up spread out all over Alberta Street. The close parts of Alberta Street to vehicle traffic, and there were pedestrians packed on the street!
There were people on stilts, fire performers, live musicians, hula hoopers, painted people, food vendors, arts and crafts galore. People walking their pets. Not just your typical dog. I saw someone carrying a rabbit, two baby pigs in a wagon, a parrot on a shoulder. The general mood of the crowd was upbeat. I don’t think I saw a single angry person. So much fun, I can’t wait to do it again!

I think that if I visit again next month under different circumstances I would be able to give Last Thursday higher praises. I came out for Last Thursday with a large group of friends to celebrate my birthday. With that size of group it was next to impossible to just wander and explore and enjoy all the happenings.
I had to make my way out there from Tigard, which meant I was in traffic for an hour. Uuuuugggghhhhhhh. Once I got off of I-​5 there was a lot of stop and go having to go through traffic lights. Eventually Alberta is closed to through traffic so you’ll need to turn off timely and then try to look for parking. I actually did not have too much difficulty finding a spot, but be ready for some parallel parking!
It almost felt like a big block party, without the overt drinking in public. There was live music and performers everywhere, local artists and crafters, stilt walkers and costumes galore!
Will have to check it out again!

Lemonade Revolt!
Last Thursday made national headlines last month when some bureaucratic buffoon shut down a 7 year old girl’s lemonade stand. The entire city of Portland was embarrassed and local anarchists decided to protest at the August Last Thursday by asking EVERYONE to set up a lemonade stand. Take that, Johnny Law!
I guess the city thought there was going to be BIG trouble and sent out the Po-​Po en masse. If there was any outrageous lemonade shenanigans, they’d nip it in the bud! Of course, the celebration went off without a hitch. There were quite a few lemonade stands, but they were certainly out-​numbered by the police officers. I walked by a group of cops and one of them sheepishly smiled at me. They actually looked mighty uncomfortable; standing around, shuffling their feet and wondering what the heck they were doing out there on Alberta Street. What a waste of public resources. The security that was arranged by local organizers clearly had things well in hand.
We had a great time listening to the live music and checking out the cool artwork. My favorite vendor at this Last Thursday was a little girl who was selling «Funny Jokes» for $ 0.25. She had a big ol’ jar of money and I’m pretty sure there’s no way the health inspectors could shut her down.
I love the independent spirit of this neighborhood. Last Thursday is a great party, and I hope the bureaucrats can be successfully prevented from mucking it up. Once they start regulating it to death, it will be just another run of the mill street fair.
I hope there’s going to be one more in September.

Went to Last Thursday yesterday. I’d never been before. I started on first thursdays back in the day and now my last thursday of the month is booked as well. Damn, what to do on the other thursdays???
I had just come from crashing a block party for yuppy pearl district residents and was feeling a bit tipsy (adjective: 1: unsteady, staggering, or foolish from the effects of liquor: fuddled 2: unsteady, askew a –tipsy angle-​) from the chardonnay so I will try to sum up what I do recall of Last Thursday:
1. firedancing (!!)
2. a-​LOT of people
3. bars
4. jamison whiskey (:))
5. drunk people dancing
aka all I need to be happy. I will see you next month, Last Thursday.

Tonight was my first Last Thursday (end of May), and I almost didn’t go because I was tired from my first week of work. If only I didn’t have to work on Fridays! I still went anyways, and was glad I did, even though I only went from 15^th to about 27^th. I think it goes up to around 35^th?
My friend and I parked on 15^th and walked a few blocks up to Alberta. It wasn’t too hard to find parking, we went around 8:30 pm, just as the sun was starting to set.
For food carts, I saw a huge crowd around the Koi Fusion truck (Korean fusion), and saw Village Crepery, some pulled pork cart, kettlecorn cart, sugarcane juice cart, kombucha tea, and a few others.
I’m most interested in food, but there’s also a bunch of street performers (flame jugglers, bicyclists, dancers, people willing to hit you with a raft paddle, musicians and bands of course, etc). And lots of homemade crafts and photography.
Since I’m from California, I have to make my obligatory comparison-​to-​California comment. I think to sum it up in one sentence, Last Thursdays definitely reminds me of Berkeley, California. In the short time I’ve been living here in Portland (after 3 years of living in Berkeley), I would have to say Portland feels very much like the Berkeley of Oregon. I recommend that we make them sister cities! [are they already?]
Does anyone know the hours of the fair? That would be helpful for visitors coming for the first time. I heard it’s from 6:30 or 7 to pretty late…

More crafts fair than art walk, Last Thursday on Alberta struggles to contain its growing popularity while staying true to its funky and anarchic roots. The Clown House may have been forced out, but the hot soap guy and the hot cello guy still vie for the hearts of all.
Living nearby, I can check out the wares early, duck into Bernies for a lovely drink and a little fat boy (heh), and re-​emerge in time to mingle with the delicious horde of hipsters and hippies alike.
However, I am a sensible person and I do not understand, repeat, I do not understand why in the good Sam Hill they do not shut the street down for the one night. It’s beyond asinine that thousands of people have to navigate sidewalks partially if not entirely blocked by vendors/​artists and their admirers.
If you want to shop, come early. If you want to leer, come late. But either way, bring a sense of humor and some patience. The agoraphobic and claustrophoic should stay home. The coulrophobic are now safe.
P. S. Some people (or so-​called «news» outlets) erroneously refer to Last Thursday as the Alberta Art Walk. The Art Walk aka Art Hop aka Alberta Street Fair takes place once, sometimes twice, a year on a Saturday. Last Thursday takes place on the last Thursday of every month (weather-​depending during winter).