To most of us from Portland, Earth Day is every day.  But when the holiday actually arrives, we really know how to celebrate it.  A local organization called City Repair organized a fantastic gathering in Wallace Park in Northwest Portland.  As a group, City Repair’s primary purpose is to inspire people to get involved and stay active in their communities.  This inspirations comes from their many projects, activities, and in this case their events.

Inspiration was most definitely in abundance on this Earth Day.   For those wanting to learn about Earth Day is all about, there were plenty of booths to explore based on a variety of subjects. There were also plenty of activities for the kids, and different kinds of food to enjoy.  But the real action was around the stage.  Apparently, in Portland, Earth Day means celebrating through music. The artists played music throughout the day, and I was lucky enough to catch several of the bands.

When I arrived, the band Alpaca! was just beginning their set, and the people were ready. As soon as the first flowing, funky bass line dropped the grass was covered with enthusiastic dancing feet.  It was easy to see the enjoyment on everyone’s faces, and I was trying to capture every smile I saw through my lens.

As the sun dropped in the sky and the light softened and warmed to a glow, I went exploring  the park for more photo opportunities.  What did I find, but one of my favorite subjects to shoot:  hoopers!  In fact, Lauren Rose, a very talented fire spinner I’ve shot several times in the past, was there displaying her many talents with the hula hoop and poi.

After Alpaca! finished their set, Tapwater was set to do a drum performance in front of the stage.  They began with a funky march towards the stage, keeping the rhythm alive for those dancing feet.  They chanted and drummed and kept the people moving.  It was the second time they played during the celebrations, so it was unfortunate that it was so short.  But even so, we all had a great time getting down to their drums.

I managed to collect many photos of the day, and below are a few samples.  As always, view the full gallery through the link below.  And remember, the full gallery is separated into smaller photo albums based on subject, so feel free to explore them all!

Glisten up everybody, there was a great party for my friend Cloud’s birthday tonight. Apparently it has been tradition for her birthday party to turn into a feast of homemade gumbo. There was plenty for all tastes, and they were incredibly tasty. I met some great people, but as a testament to Cloud and Curt’s character, that isn’t surprising since the party was full of lively, fun-loving people. Everyone seemed to be having a fantastic time.

I took my time getting my camera out, but I was very glad when I did. The house itself was so beautiful and unique, its details were great subjects by themselves. The musicians played beautifully, picking some great bluegrass tunes for every-one’s enjoyment. It was really an excellent party.

For those of you interested, I’ve posted the photos.