A beautiful booklet with text and pictures describing the projects and events that Portland's Business District Associations completed and held in 2008 with City of Portland grant funding assistance administered by the Alliance of Portland Neighborhood Business Associations.

1. Village by village,
Business Districts are
building a better Portland
How members of the
Alliance of Portland Neighborhood
Business Associations are increasing livability and a
sense of community in their 36 neighborhoods
2008 Report

2. Commissioner Randy Leonard gets dunked raising mon-
ey for scholarships at the Parkrose Festival & Cruise-in.
The St. Johns Jazz Festival attracts thousands to this
North Portland community each year.
Multnomah Village welcomes all to its home-
style celebration.
The Hollywood Boosters host the city’s grandest patriotic event, “Art in the Pearl” attracts artists and visitors
the annual Veteran’s Day Parade. from all over the Pacific Northwest.

3. Welcome to the borhoods’ commercial areas. And, for the past
36 Villages of
thirteen years, the business district associations
have been able to expand their efforts, thanks
Portland
to City of Portland grants administered by the
APNBA.
The grants improved neighborhoods by in-
The grandeur of Portland’s skyline, reflected stalling trees, benches, banners, and murals.
in the Willamette River, is a breathtaking sight They helped the districts create an identity us-
for those who visit our city. ing sign caps, shared parking areas, and group
advertising programs. As the districts matured,
But the real charm of Portland is its villages. grants have helped to increase membership,
create green spaces, upgrade their technology
The “36 Villages of Portland” – also known and provide community-accessible art.
as Neighborhood Business Districts – surround
the City’s core. Each district has its own, dis- Community building events
tinct personality; each village provides a sense Many villages coordinate efforts among
of community for the neighbors who live, work business districts, merchants, and neighbor-
or shop in the district. hoods to provide events that draw their com-
munities more closely together.
Historical perspective
Over half a century ago, civic-minded busi- Month by month, see the events that make
ness people started organizing groups to sup- the villages of Portland feel like “home” for its
port the growth and wellbeing of their neigh- citizens.

4. Memorable celebrations
in 2008
March
APNBA HQ Ribbon Cutting
APNBA celebrated its first office with an
opening ceremony that included a ribbon cut-
ting and congratulatory speeches from Mayor
Adams, the East Portland Chamber of Com-
merce, and representatives from many of the
business districts it serves.
With a permanent home and staff, APNBA
now offers printing, copying, and composing
services, a database of active businesses by
business association, and meeting and training
space.
April
82nd Ave. of Roses Parade
82nd Avenue of Roses continues to blos-
som with its Rose Festival sanctioned parade. It
starts at historic Eastport Plaza at SE Holgate
Blvd. and travels north to SE Yamhill in the
Montavilla/East Tabor district.
The parade draws participants and viewers
from East Portland neighborhoods and business
associations including many area ethnic groups.
May
Gateway Fun-O-Rama
It’s a traditional event celebrating the spirit
and character of the Gateway Area, with a pa-
rade including the Gateway Keystone Kops,
marching bands, classic vehicles, Rose Festival
Princesses, and civic organizations.
The Community Fair that follows features
patriotic ceremonies, representatives from local
businesses, police and fire safety demonstra-
tions, food, and fun for all.

5. June
Midway Business Association
Open House
The young and growing Midway Business
Association hosts a luncheon for neighborhood
and business people to get better acquainted and
to start a conversation about partnering, cooper-
ating, collaborating, and supporting east Port-
land on and around 122nd Avenue.
July
International District Fair
The International Business Association cov-
ers Sandy between 52nd and 82nd, is one of the
most diverse commercial districts in Portland.
Their annual Fair celebrates cultural simi-
larities and differences through food, dance,
music, a play commissioned for them, and wel-
coming open businesses.
St. Johns’ Jazz Festival
Folks from all over the greater Portland area
travel to St. Johns’ Jazz Festival every year.
This festival attracts the finest jazz musi-
cians playing all styles of music, from tradition-
al to modern tunes.
People come because they know they’ll en-
joy great jazz music, eat good food and cele-
brate their community in an awesome setting of
Cathedral Park, with the iconic St. Johns Bridge
as the backdrop for the event.

6. July
Division/Clinton Street Fair
This event starts with the Division Street Pa-
rade, leading off with the Last Regiment Drum
Corps. It invites all the community that wants
to participate and ends with more band music
and a serenade. Participants have included a full
church pew, a horse drawn trolley, a brigade of
mopeds, the trick bicyclists, classic cars, politi-
cians, and a police chief.
The following Street Fair offers vendors
and entertainment venues along the side streets
from SE 50th Ave. westward. In the evening,
the community gathers for the Clinton Street
Dance.
Hillsdale Pancake Breakfast
and Benefit Book Sale
Why would people come to an event where
the parking is scarce, the serving line is long, the
tables are crowded – and men do the cooking?
The answer is: The blueberry pancake break-
fast is delicious and the home-town atmosphere
is magnetically inviting! After breakfast, guests
can search through the adjoining Benefit Book
Sale for bargains, or stroll a block up to the Hill-
sdale Farmer’s Market for local produce.
August
Freemont Fest
During Fremont Fest, Beaumont Village
businesses celebrate their loyal customers from
the surrounding neighborhoods. A kid- and pet
-friendly parade kicks off the day and the fes-
tivities continue into the evening.
Local artists and vendors line the streets, a
horse drawn carriage offers rides to youth, and
area bands and musicians beckon passersby. It’s
a regional attraction that celebrates the tastes,
sounds, and shopping specialties of Beaumont.

7. August
Parkrose Festival & Cruise-in
This event started as a way for the Parkrose
Business Association to raise scholarship funds.
It has grown from a classic car cruise-in on the
the high school lawn into a spectacular street fair
in downtown Parkrose, along NE Sandy Blvd.
The fair, with hundreds of vehicles on dis-
play attract visitors from far and wide – even a
group of guests who saw it, from the air, when
flying into Portland International Airport!
Sellwood/Westmoreland
Treasure Hunt
More than merely a district-wide sale, this
event provided fun incentives for neighbors to
“explore” their village and discover all it has to
offer. The event grows every year.
Hawthorne Days
The bronze markers planted by the Haw-
thorne Boulevard Business Association at either
end of the district unite businesses and commu-
nity groups -- from SE Grand to SE 50th Ave for
the popular event featuring sales, information,
food, drink, and entertainment.
Multnomah Village Days
One of the most spectacular community cel-
ebrations is the annual Multnomah Village Days
Parade and Fair.
Thousands line the street to enjoy a parade,
complete with marching band music, vehicles
of all description, and participants promoting
organizations ranging from serious to silly! The
main street of their village is transformed into a
community bazaar featuring a wide variety of
local food, music, and entertainment.

8. August
Art in the Pearl
Taking advantage of the North Park Blocks,
Pearl District businesses showcase their vil-
lage by putting on a big party showcasing art in
many forms:
Dance, pottery, painting, weaving, glass-
work, poetry, wrought iron, stone, jewelry, and
a wide variety of music. A few, select artists
from throughout the Pacific Northwest are also
invited to appear at the show.
September
Belmont Street Fair
For several blocks, historic SE Belmont
Street becomes a marketplace filled with food,
electric cars, children’s entertainment, music,
and vendors offering wares guaranteed to entice
the young, idiosyncratic residents and visitors.
Alberta Street Fair and Parade
As the last street fair of the season, the Al-
berta Street Fair and Parade marks the end of
summer. The parade features eclectic entries
such as March Forth and The Sprockets.
Along the street is an ever-changing show
featuring Alberta’s creative, artistic view of
life. Musical acts, tucked into spaces between
buildings, provide an auditory backdrop for the
visual feast of art, food and people – all enjoy-
ing a real-life show.
Fun on Foster
Along storied Foster Road, young families
are finding a village suited to their needs. This
fledgling event encourages locals and visitors to
browse the wares of street vendors, shops, and
artisans. All along the road, from stores at SE
50th Ave. out to the Lents International Farm-
er’s Market at SE 92nd Ave., folks find food,
fun, and music in abundance.

9. September
Nob Hill Neighborhood Fair
Providing a more defined “sense of place”,
the Nob Hill Neighborhood Fair at Wallace
Park provides area businesses the opportunity
to greet and thank local citizens for their pa-
tronage by hosting this event with food, fun,
and music.
November
Hollywood Veteran’s Day
Parade
There is no event, in all of Portland, with a
more patriotic theme. This annual parade, a tra-
dition of many years, brings participants and
crowds of onlookers together to honor Ameri-
ca’s veterans. From the Color Guard, to school
and Scout groups, to politicians – and veterans
of all wars – the Hollywood Veteran’s Day Pa-
rade reminds all to honor our men and women
in the armed services.
December
Hillsdale Chili Feed
Hillsdale’s Chili Feed is their end of the year
annual event to bring together their businesses
and neighbors.
Mississippi Public Sing
Historic Mississippi decorated the street
trees, featured caroling by Boise Elementary
students, offered food and live music to enter-
tain their neighbors and boost local sales.
Santa visits Belmont
One weekend in December, children flock
to have their pictures taken with Santa Claus, a
fireman dressed in red underwear, suspenders,
and an antique Santa beard.

10. Even more community
connections
Grants, leveraged with matching funds, con-
tinue to help Portland’s small business commu-
nity grow in many ways:
Midway Business Association works with
neighborhood associations to build community
identity and spirit.
Lutheran Community provides small busi-
ness education covering high quality financial
literacy and micro-enterprise training.
Somali Community Services Coalition of
Oregon helped 12 women start and operate
home-based seamstress businesses.
Pearl District street sign caps provide busi-
nesses and residents with a sense of identity as
the area transitions from commercial to mixed
use.
Montavilla/East Tabor is being revitalized
with new merchants, sidewalk amenities, and a
bustling Farmer’s Market.
Woodstock Community’s banners, flowers,
Montavilla Farmers Market landscapes, gateway signs, trash system, and
festivals have added spirit and identity to this
classic neighborhood.
Central Eastside Industrial Council’s
“end caps” now distinguish this historic area –
marketing materials inform neighbors, govern-
mental leaders and potential new businesses to
the area’s offerings.
Interstate is pulling their district together
thanks to a new website they use to invite busi-
nesses and neighbors to become more involved
in their reviving district.
Multnomah Village Park Multnomah Village leveraged a grant to
help them turn a wasteland into a green space
that welcomes people to their community.

11. By the numbers ...
Since the grant program began in 1995, 249 projects have been
awarded a total of $736,839. The recipients leverage their funds on a
3-to-1 basis, putting $2,111,395 in cash, in-kind services and volunteer
time into their community support programs.
And during the past three years, the APNBA board and members
have contributed hundreds of hours of their time to supporting their in-
dividual business districts, the APNBA, and the City’s many commit-
Grant tees, advisory councils, and working groups as well as attending City
recipients Council meetings both to testify and to show strength in support.
leverage
their funds Agency Total # Volunteers Estimated Value @
on a Com- Hours $30.00 per
mittees hour*
3-to-1 basis
2006 APNBA Board, officers 678 $20,340
2007 APNBA Board, officers 653 $19,590
2008 APNBA Board, officers 720 $21,600
Total 2051 $61,530
2006 Portland 12 Board,
BDA leaders,
BDA members 1222 $36,660
2007 Portland 18 Board,
County 2 BDA leaders,
City BDA members,
Council Individual busi-
nesses 2105 $63,150
2008 Portland 25 Board,
County 2 BDA leaders,
Metro 3 BDA members,
City Individual busi-
Council nesses 2057 $61,710
Total 5384 $161,520
*Using the City’s assigned value for volunteer time at $30.00 per person per hour, small business can be
counted on to donate back to the city more that the city provides them for grants. This improved method of
estimating and verifying volunteer time was initiated in 2007.
And consider this ...
Small businesses and solo entrepreneurs are an extremely generous
group. One of the findings from the Philanthropy Study was that nearly
80 percent of small businesses that earned between $150K and $1M
generally give a share of their profits to charities.

12. Produced by the
Alliance of Portland Neighborhood Business Associations
Jean Baker, President
Jon Turino, Executive Director
Photography, concept, layout, design by David F. Ashton
© 2009 Alliance of Portland Neighborhood Business Associations,
All Rights Reserved