There will be FREE Beer from Deschutes, some wildly Portland-esque site specific performances, and the opportunity to rub elbows with mayor-elect Sam Adams and his former boss, the Honorable Vera Katz.

We’re having a Community Celebration to dedicate Vera Katz Park, the last sliver of the historic renovation of the Portland Armory and you are most definitely invited!

Here’s the basics:

What: Dedication of Vera Katz Park

When: Thursday May 29th, 2008

Where: On NW Davis between 10th and 11th

Time: 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

Cost: Absolutely FREE to the public.

The Details:

The Honorable Vera Katz will be joining us for the dedication of Portland’s newest park in her honor.

Also in attendance will be her former chief of staff and current mayor-elect Sam Adams.

The event will mark Sam Adams’ first public appearance following his landslide victory in the recent election.

To celebrate the occasion, new Portland Center Stage neighbors Deschutes Brewery will provide complimentary beer, and a variety of food venders will be on hand to slake thirsts and provide snacks ranging from ice cream to burritos to locally made sausages.

The festivities will begin with a tribal blessing of the park provided by the Confederated Tribes of Grande Ronde. The blessing will be followed by a welcome from Portland Center Stage Artistic Director Chris Coleman who will introduce Mayor-elect Sam Adams and the Honorable Vera Katz. Portland Center Stage Board Vice-Chair Bob Gerding will formally dedicate the park, and Portland Center Stage’s new Executive Director Greg Phillips will join Capital Campaign Chair Julie Vigeland to share some exciting news about the Armory Project.

Afterwards, we will enjoy the brass stylings of all-female sax quartet the Quadrophonnes who will play a 20 minute set featuring 19th and early 20th century music including works by Scott Joplin, negro spirituals, Cuban dances and a touch of Debussy.

Local dance ensemble Rumpus Room, headed by former OBT Dancer Rachel Tess, will premiere a site-specific dance work along the length of the park that celebrates its place as Portland’s newest park and celebrates former Mayor Katz’s long association with dance and the arts. Katz studied dance under Martha Graham in the late ‘50s.

Closing out the festivities will be a concert from the uniquely Portland musical troupe the Portland Bike Ensemble, who will create a lush ambient soundscape by using various parts of their bicycles as musical instruments.

We can’t wait to see you there!

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