WINDOW SHOPPING IN THE DARK: THE PORTLAND NIGHT MARKET

Martell

Meacham

The Advocate

The Portland Night Market has been a recurring event staged in downtown Portland since 2015 – a celebration of Portland’s local culture that features numerous vendors from across the city selling various artisan goods ranging from food and drinks to handmade cloths and art.

There is usually a significant line to get into the event, but there is no entry fee, unless you buy a ticket beforehand to skip the usually long-but-quick-moving line.

Currently, the market is held in a building on Southeast Alder Street near the Willamette River waterfront. There is an outdoor section, as well as an indoor section with three floors.

The outdoor section features several food carts with a varied range of options, from pizza to Thai food to authentic street tacos.

The indoor section is where all the artisan vendors are located, the first floor usually the busiest, most-crowded part of the market. There are some food options available inside with a couple of designated eating areas, as well as some alcohol sales.

The Night Market occurs approximately every two months, with the next one scheduled for Feb. 10-11, starting at 4 p.m. and ending at 11 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. For more information, visit: https:// www.pdxnm.com/faq from Mt. Hood’s Theatre Department is a musical rendition of The Secret Garden, and I had the honor of going backstage and getting a sneak peek at the upcoming musical.

This play is directed by our campus’s own Alisha Christiansen, assisted by a vast staff. The Secret Garden has one of the biggest casts seen in a while at MHCC, with about 24 different cast members, all local aspiring actors and theater majors.

Although this script has many lead roles, many of the main leads (Mary, Collin) are being played by some incredible young stars, at age 9 and 11. The production is full of exuberant songs, music accompanied by the MHCC symphonic orchestra and band, pleasing choreography, flying rigged chandeliers, puppetry, and so many more surprises.

The cast and crew have already invested over four weeks into this production and are still rehearsing hard every day. All are invivted to watch this delightful play running Feb. 24-26 and March 3-5 (showtimes 7 p.m. on Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. on Sunday). Admission is $10 for students, MHCC faculty, staff and senior citizens, and $15 for others.