1. Portland offers an impressive variety of artistic, cultural and entertainment options.

• In Portland, people feel they have access to a wide array of entertainment options, from neighborhood movie theater pubs to festivals downtown to free concerts in the park.
• Portland’s dynamic entertainment scene, which rivals that of larger cities, contributes to giving Portland the “big city” amenities that many respondents value.
• Entertainment options that receive frequent mention include:
  • The symphony;
  • Museums and galleries;
  • Open-air festivals and concerts;
  • The city’s jazz scene;
  • Children’s entertainment options;
  • Community theaters and theater-pubs; and
  • The abundance of community events.
• A smaller number of respondents register their appreciation for the “weird” and creative ways in which Portlanders entertain themselves, such as:
  • Zoobombing;
  • Pedalpalooza;
  • The Mini Bike Olympics;
  • The Chunkathalon (a sporting event featuring "chunks," or self-made chopper bicycles and tall bikes); and
  • Pillow fights in Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Sample Strategies:

1. “The ‘last call’ time for drinks in bars is raised from 2:30am to 3:30am on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (and Sunday when Monday is a holiday). A 10 cent tax on every drink is levied to pay for the streetcar and lightrail extended weekend hours with last trains leaving downtown at 4:15 am. This greatly reduces drunk driving and saves lives.”
2. Offer occasional reduced-fare tickets to the museums and/or discount tickets for those who travel to museums using public transportation.

2. There is strong support for community-based entertainment that is accessible to all.

• People strongly value the prevalence of free or inexpensive, community-oriented events, festivals, markets, public art, etc.
• Many people value being able to access entertainment options in their neighborhood or close to where they live.
• Forms of community entertainment that receive frequent mention include:
  • Entertainment “by and for the people” (e.g., participatory entertainment, non-professional entertainment and community-based entertainment);
  • Entertainment outdoors and in public places such as parks and the riverfront;
  • Free entertainment;
  • Cheap movies and theater pubs in different neighborhoods;
  • Public art that people can enjoy for free around town;
  • Street fairs, such as Alberta Last Thursdays and the Mississippi Street Fair; and
  • Skate parks and other entertainment options for teens.

Sample Strategies:

1. Create/build more community gathering places that can host local neighborhood entertainment.
2. Provide more financial assistance to small, neighborhood-based theater and arts organizations.
3. “Portlanders love their community gathering spots – so why not increase their amount in town? Target all different types of people and cast the biggest net possible.” 

3. There should be a greater variety of entertainment options in Portland.

• Many respondents mention the need for more events, clubs and music shows for non-drinkers and people under the age of 21.
• Others call for more late-night (after 1pm) entertainment, especially in bars and clubs. These respondents feel that the city would be more “alive” if bars and clubs closed later.
• A small number of respondents suggest that Portland needs more amusement parks (e.g., Six Flags, water parks, etc…).
• A larger number of respondents call for more skate parks and other activities to appeal to and entertain youth.
• Many respondents request more free neighborhood entertainment and cultural activities, especially in low-income neighborhoods (such as “Good in the Neighborhood”).
• More entertainment options that cater to the African American community as well as other ethnic minority communities (a number of people mention hip hops clubs being shut down by the OLCC and other factors that have reduced the number of clubs catering to the non-white community).
• Some respondents also mention a need to focus more on tourism and entertainment options that cater to tourists, such as world-class entertainment acts and a late-night bar scene.
• Many sports fans speak of wanting more professional sporting events in Portland, such as professional soccer, football or baseball.

4. The Willamette River is an untapped source of recreation and entertainment.

• Many Portlanders share a vision of the future in which “The Willamette River is clean and recreational” and offers ample opportunities for exercise, transportation and community entertainment.
• Respondents would like to be able to canoe, boat, skull, fish, swim and relax on and in the Willamette without having to worry about toxins or other health threats.

Sample Strategies:

1. “Take the reigns away from the federal government and spearhead a directed initiative between Washington, Oregon, and the various cities located on both the Columbia and Willamette rivers for a true and comprehensive river clean-up. In a city that prides itself on green living, a better and functional effort must be made to clean our rivers.”