This week (and into the weekend), check out these events that are taking place in San Francisco, Portland and Seattle.
San Francisco: Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival – September 12-13
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is excited to invite you to the annual, two-day chocolate celebration that has transformed into a true San Francisco staple. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival hosts over 50 vendors, culinary demos by top dessert professionals, a Silent Auction, and the popular Chocolate & Wine Pavilion. The best part? 100% of the profits from this event are donated to San Francisco non-profit, Project Open Hand.
Weekend Events include:
- Ghirardelli Chocolate & Wine Pavilion: Come sip and savor premium samples from local wineries and gourmet dessert vendors.
- Ghirardelli Chocolate Earthquake Ice Cream Eating Contest: Attendees compete or just witness the hilarity as six lucky people eat the famous Ghirardelli ‘Earthquake’ Sundae as fast as they can without hands.
- Chocolate School- ‘From Cocoa Bean to Chocolate Bar’: Learn of the delicious chocolate making process. Learn every step a bean takes to become that mouth watering chocolate bar.
- Chef Demonstrations: Local culinary professionals work their delicious magic on both Saturday and Sunday at the Culinary Stage at the Festival.
For more information, visit Ghirardelli.
Portland: Catch The Orange – Saturday, September 12
Portland, Oregon again will change the way users think and use public transportation with the opening of the Tilikim Crossing and Tri-Met’s Orange Line. At more than 1,700 feet in length, the Tilikum Crossing, Bridge of the People, is the only bridge of its kind in the United States. When the bridge officially opens on Saturday, it will carry Tri-Met MAX light rail trains, buses, streetcars, cyclists and pedestrians.
The Tilikum Crossing will add capacity to the transportation system, with better access to important destinations such as Portland State University, Oregon Health and Science University, the Central Eastside and Oregon Museum of Science and Industry—while reducing commute pressure on other bridges.
On Saturday, September 12, it’s time to celebrate the opening of TriMet’s fifth MAX line, the Orange Line, which will travel 7.3 miles between Portland State University, inner Southeast Portland, Milwaukie and Oak Grove in north Clackamas County. Join TriMet for a day of adventure and fun, with activities and entertainment at many of the Orange Line stations. Plus, all rides on TriMet buses, MAX trains, Portland Streetcar and the Portland Aerial Tram are FREE all day long.
Lastly, with the opening of Tilikum Crossing, Portland Streetcar riders will see a change in service on both sides of the river. Instead of the old Central Loop (CL) from SW Clay to OMSI, riders will board the A Loop, which will operate clockwise around the Central City connecting the Pearl District, Lloyd District, OMSI and PSU, or the B Loop, which will operate in the opposite direction, or counter-clockwise.
The new A & B Loops will double up service with the North/South (NS) Line from NW Johnson south to SW Moody & Meade, providing 7.5 minute frequency Monday through Saturday, 10:00am to 7:00pm, and 10 minute frequency all day Sunday.
For details, visit TriMet for transit services, Catch the Orange for event details and Portland Streetcar for Streetcar information.
Seattle: Seattle Design Festival – September 12-25
Seattle Design Festival 2015 (September 12-25): Design for Equity explores how design can contribute to a more equitable society. From buildings that everyone can access and move through, to apps that enable civic participation by people in every location and language, to cities where we can all afford to live – design is a vehicle of innovation. Design for Equity invites us to create a future in which everyone in our society – from every background, ability, race, age, gender, location or economic status – can access the same opportunities and outcomes, both now and in the future.
Numerous events will be held at various locations throughout Seattle during the Seattle Design Festival which celebrates the ways design makes life better. Community members, city officials, citizen-experts, and designers all come together at workshops, performances, tours, exhibitions, talks, films, gatherings and more to exchange ideas.
Seattle Design Festival Schedule
- Saturday, September 12 – Sunday, September 13: Block Party at Occidental Park
- Friday, September 18: PARK(ing) Day, when metered parking spots will transform into parklets
- Saturday, September 19: Conference at Seattle Central Public Library
- Friday, September 25: Closing Party at Surface Theory
- Daily: Partner Programs, all over Seattle.
The Seattle Design Festival is brought to life by Design in Public, which is a strategic initiative of AIA Seattle, a chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Design in Public was founded in 2011 to help Seattle appreciate the role and impact of design on urban life. Design in Public believes in a future Seattle—recognized as a world design capital—where citizens, designers and leaders work together to create their shared best city.
For more information, visit Design in Public.
Featured Image: Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival
