Walking Tour: Arts, Foodways, and Communities of Southeast Portland (2023 AFS Annual Meeting)

Description

Southeast Portland is the quadrant of the city with the largest communities of recent immigrants, and it is a center of Portland’s artistic and counter-cultural life. On this close-up walking and city bus tour, folklorist Rick March will lead participants to visit artisan manufactories of maritime and biker garments, meet the proprietrix of an award-winning bookstore devoted to graphic novels, and purchase lunch at the Portland Mercado, a food cart pod with up to 16 rotating Latin American food vendors to choose from. We are lucky to be visiting on November 1, when the Mercado will be hosting activities celebrating Día de los Muertos. After lunch, in the basement of a century-old Japanese church, we’ll meet the producers of traditional Japanese food products: miso, tofu, and organic noodles. 

You may need a raincoat or an umbrella, as Portland has legendary rainy fall weather. Bus passes will be provided at the start of the tour, as you’ll be getting on and off of Portland’s efficient and handicapped accessible city buses throughout the tour. Walking will be on city sidewalks, never longer than 1/3 of a mile. 

Tour fee: $15/person. Also, you should expect to spend $10-15 for a hearty lunch at the Mercado. 

Tour will begin and end in the front lobby of the Hilton Portland Downtown, 921 SW Sixth Ave, Portland, Oregon. Please meet at 9:15am PT, and we'll plan to depart around 9:30.

Books With Pictures

Langlitz Leathers

Ship John

Portland Mercado

Jorinji miso

Ota tofu

Umi Noodles