Get Up! Get Active! Portland’s Weekend Forecast Full of Fall Fun and Fitness
After a wayward week of sweets and treats, plenty of Portlanders will be firmly focused on fitness during the first few days of November. Thankfully, the coming weekend’s calendar is crowded with outstanding workout opportunities and fun fitness festivities.
Whether you’re a passionate pedal pusher or prospective ping-pong player, a cross-country connoisseur or fitness philanthropist, a weekend workout walker or a Day of the Dead devotee, Saturday and Sunday’s action-packed agenda of activities is guaranteed to get you geared up and ready to go!
Purple Stride Portland 2014
When: Saturday, 7:30 a.m.
Where: World Trade Center (SW PDX)
Saturday morning, rain or shine, hundreds will gather near the Southwest waterfront to participate in 2014’s Purple Stride Portland. The 5K walk/run, put on by the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, is an annual tradition that advocates awareness and focuses on both fun and fundraising. This year’s emcee is comedian, television talk-show host and pancreatic cancer survivor Dave Anderson, who will officiate the event’s opening ceremony beginning at 9 a.m. There will also be refreshments, live music and children’s activities. Racers will head out at 9:20 a.m. on a route that runs along the river and crosses the Steel and Hawthorne Bridges. Registration, which is free for survivors, $30 for adults and $15 for youth, is available the morning of the event from 7:30–9. Individuals and teams participating are encouraged to fundraise for the race, which has already raised nearly $108,000 of its $115,000 2014 goal.
Sandy/Boring Corn Cross
When: Saturday, 8:40 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: Liepold Farms (Boring)
The Oregon Bicycle Racing Association puts on several races throughout the year, including the Sandy/Boring Corn Cross this Saturday. The event includes a Kiddie Cross and a race for juniors 10–18 years old, along with seven races for adults of all ages and skill levels. The races, which take place throughout the day, range from 40 minutes for beginners to 60 minutes for Category A racers. Cash awards and other prizes will be awarded to top-three finishers. Registration for the Kiddie Cross is free, while juniors can register for $8 before the event and $10 the day of. Adults can enter the races for a pre-registration fee of $25 or a day-of registration fee of $30. The event includes food, beverages, beer and live music.
Stumptown Cross Race #3
When: Saturday, 9 a.m.
Where: Fernhill Park (NE PDX)
Stumptown Cross is a series of cross-country races being put on by local non-profit running club Team Red Lizard this year. These races are for runners of all ages and abilities who want to try out their off-road running skills. The third of four races in this series is set to take place this Saturday in Northeast Portland’s Fernhill Park. The course circles the park’s many courts and fields, starting and finishing in a central location near Northeast 41st Avenue. The morning’s events include a women’s 5K race at 9 and a men’s 8K race at 9:45. Registration is open through 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 31, and costs $17.50 online.
Ping Pong Man Stunt Exhibition and Tournament
When: Saturday, 7 p.m.
Where: Ambridge Table Tennis Club (NE PDX)
Table tennis is a great activity for rainy days, as it provides hours of indoor fun and entertainment. This Saturday evening, Scott Preiss—a U.S.-certified National Coach known as the Ping Pong Man—is visiting Portland’s Ambridge Table Tennis Club to show off his trick shots and stunts in an exciting and enthralling hour-long exhibition. After this, there will be an all-ages, all-skill-levels point-adjusted tournament for anyone interested in participating. The $5 entry fee covers both the show and the tournament, and audience members can also expect snacks, beer and wine for purchase. Paddles and balls will be provided.
Dia de los Muertos Procession
When: Sunday, 4 p.m.
Where: Portland State University Urban Center (SW PDX)
The fourth annual Day of the Dead procession is set for this Sunday afternoon in Downtown Portland. Day of the Dead is a Mexican holiday that celebrates the lives of those lost in the past year with costumes, music and ceremony. Participants are encouraged to dress up in black clothing and traditional Day of the Dead face paint for the procession, which will wind its way from the Portland State University campus to Crystal Ballroom, led by live music. Festivities will continue into the night at Crystal Ballroom, where there will be art stations, Aztec dancing performances, live music from bands representing several diverse Latino cultures and eras, and a dance party hosted by local DJs. Anyone is welcome to watch or join in the day’s celebrations. The Dia de los Muertos afternoon procession is free of charge, while tickets for the event at Crystal Ballroom are $10 in advance, $12 at the door and free for kids 12 and under.
