In March of this year, I called up the City of Portland to see what their plans were for the Dawson Park Concerts this year. They responded that due to COVID-19, they would not be running any of their normal events this year but would instead host a series of ‘pop-up’ concerts which they would not advertise the date and time until right before the events. In the Eliot Neighborhood, with multiple shootings in and around Dawson Park this summer, I did not think we should sit idly by and go a second year without concerts. I have been pleasantly surprised that other organizations are thinking the same way, as I have seen several other events in Dawson Park in addition to the Concert Series that the Eliot Neighborhood has been hosting.
The Untouchable Eliot Mess
By Anonymous
You wake up to the boom of a car stereo or the smell of cigarette smoke wafting through the back bedroom window. Aggressive drivers rev their engines and honk their horns. It sounds like rush hour, but it’s 6 AM, and this is the destination.
All-day long, looking outside is like playing bingo. Across, the headings are categories like violence, drugs, sex, vandalism, and driving.
FREE Dawson Park Concert – Thursday July 22nd
Join us at Dawson Park Thursday, July 22 from 5-8pm for a free jazz concert and family-friendly event. See the flier below for more details and also visit the website CONCERTS page here for more details and to sign up to be a sponsor, vendor, volunteer or just to donate.
We hope to have 3 more events this summer and fall.
Free for All Summer Concert and Movie in the Park
It’s that time again and Black Parent Initiative (BPI) has teamed up with Portland Parks & Recreation to bring you another amazing fun filled event. On Friday, August 16, 2019, we will be hosting Movie in the Park in collaboration with Portland Parks & Recreation’s Summer Free for All. Similar to last year’s concert series, but all tied into a one-day spectacular event. BPI will also be celebrating another successful year in services to the community by adding elements of our Family Fun Day.
We have the pleasure of bringing you a host of activities including:
♦ Portland Trail Blazers Basketball Clinics
♦ Nike “Made to Play” Activity Van
♦ Bouncin Bins Bounce House
♦ Mystique’s Fancy Faces Face Painting
♦ PACKY Academy Arts & Crafts
♦ SMART Book Give Away
♦ Eliot Neighborhood Association Domino Tournament
♦ Portland Children’s Museum
♦ And many more
The event will start at 4 pm with activities going until about 7 pm. As a part of the Movie in the Park there will be a concert at 6:30 pm featuring Mz. Etta’s World, followed by a showing of Captain Marvel when it gets dark!
Food trucks on site include Hana’s Authentic New Orleans Snowballs and Stoopid Burger.
There will be tons of giveaways, drawings, and resources! Make sure you join us as we celebrate community, music, and movies! This will be fun for the entire family.
Friday, August 16, 2019
4pm
Dawson Park
(corner Stanton & N Williams)
For more information or to become a sponsor please contact leigh dot bohannon at thebpi dot org.
For the full schedule of Summer Free For All Concerts and Movies in the Park visit:
https://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/69554
By Leigh Bohannon
Sponsored by:
BPI Family Fun Day and Concerts in the Park
Thank you for making our BPI Family Fun Day and Concerts in the Park a huge success! The weather was amazing! The music was fantastic! We were surrounded by families and community, love and good times!
Continue reading BPI Family Fun Day and Concerts in the Park
Concerts in the Park 2018
A musical tradition over 110 years in the making, Concerts in the Park offers something for everyone. The Rose City’s best and brightest – from classical to country, rock & roll to rhythm & blues – have been entrancing audiences in parks since 1901. Today’s crowds flock to Portland parks citywide for the revelry, with over forty thousand people attending 61 concerts offered in 2016.
Dawson Park Summer Events 2017
It’s time for Summer Free For All! Come out and enjoy an evening of live music or watching a fun movie in your neighborhood Dawson Park. Portland Parks & Recreation and the Dawson Park Summer Events Committee are bringing you 3 concerts and one movie this summer. These events are Free To The Public and are a great way to spend an evening out in the neighborhood. Concerts start at 6:30 pm and the food vendors on site will be Po’Shines and Island Daydream Shaved Ice. During movie night, live performances by local musicians and free popcorn begin at 6:30 pm and the movie starts at dusk.
Eliot History Spotlight: Dawson Park
Right in the heart of Eliot, positioned a block away from the Emanuel hospital between Williams and Vancouver Avenues, lies one of Albina’s most treasured historic spaces: Dawson Park. Today, it’s a shaded, grassy expanse complete with playground, basketball courts, and public fountain. All throughout July, catch free public concerts at Dawson Park every week–but before rolling out the picnic blanket and bringing the family down, learn a little about why Dawson Park’s story is tied so closely to the history of Northeast Portland.
Dawson Park Summer Events 2016
When the summer sun shines in Portland, it’s time to get outside. What better way to spend an evening during our beautiful Portland summers than enjoying a live concert or watching a great movie in your neighborhood Dawson Park! We are hosting 4 concerts and one movie this summer. These events are Free To The Public and are a great way to spend an evening out in the neighborhood. Concerts start at 6:30pm and the food vendors on site will be My Mamma’s Gumbo and Island Daydream Shaved Ice. During movie night, live performances by local musicians and free popcorn begin at 6:30pm and the movie starts at dusk.
Donation Challenge for Dawson Park Events
Hi neighbors, we need your help! If you love attending our annual “Free for All” summer concerts and movies at Dawson Park, here is your chance to help ensure these awesome events continue.
National Night Out Recap
On August 4 at Dawson Park about 75 neighbors gathered for National Night Out. Dawson Park regulars, neighbors new to Eliot, members of the Neighborhood Association and some local businesses all came together to share a potluck dinner, enjoy music by Anna Paul and the Bearded Lady, and get to know our neighbors a little better.
Summer in September Jambalaya Festival
Meals on Wheels People Martin Luther King, Jr. Center will host the 10th annual Summer in September Jambalaya Festival & BBQ Saturday, Sept. 12, from noon to 6 p.m. at Dawson Park. Live musical entertainment will feature Randy Starr & The Players as well as BlowFrogz.
National Night Out
Join Eliot Neighborhood Association for a National Night Out party in Dawson Park! This is a fun, free neighborhood event featuring live music, a potluck, a raffle, safety information, neighborhood information and more!
Dawson Park Summer Events 2015
It’s summertime and that means another great season of entertainment at Dawson Park is upon us. Thanks to the support of our amazing sponsors and individual donators, we raised enough money to host 4 concerts and one movie night! These events are Free To The Public and are a great way to spend an evening out in the neighborhood. Concerts start at 6:30pm and there will be a few food vendors on site including My Mamma’s Gumbo, Island Daydream Shaved Ice, and Nia Water Beverage Catering. During movie night, live performances by local musicians and free popcorn begin at 6:30pm and the movie starts at dusk.
Donate to the Dawson Park Summer Events
Your Dawson Park Summer Event Committee has been hard at work this winter and spring gathering sponsors to be able to put together a fantastic lineup of concerts and a movie for you this summer. These events are free to the public but couldn’t be done without the support of our local sponsors as well as individual donations. If you’d like to donate to the Dawson Park Concert fund, it’s easy! Simply visit the Give to Concerts site, choose “Dawson Park” from the drop down menu , then click “Give Now!” to pay through PayPal and receive an immediate tax receipt.
Eliot Neighborhood 