Happy New Year! Actually, Happy New DECADE! We have entered a new era, a new chapter full of opportunities to be our very best selves. What does that mean for you? Do you have a goal to be more environmentally conscious, eat healthier, and to explore more? Do you want to save money, run a marathon, buy a boat, learn guitar? What’s amazing is though we are individuals on our own separate paths, we enter this new chapter together. Our New Year’s wish is that YOUR path lead you to the happiest, most fulfilling year yet. You deserve it!

January 4^th – Holiday Tree Toss

The holidays have come to a close, which means many of us are taking the time to “undecorate” our homes. Plenty of folks just throw their Christmas tree away at the end of the season, but in an eco-friendly state like Oregon, we urge you to explore your options. If chopping it up for firewood or compost doesn’t work for your lifestyle, check this out! While tossing your tree in the river may sound a bit odd at first, it can actually help to create a beneficial habitat for salmon! There’s a great event at Kelley Point Park this weekend, where volunteers will be ready with boats and trees (you can bring yours too) to dispose of holiday remnants in an eco-friendly manner! Not only is this an eco-friendly way to begin 2020, it sounds like a whole lot of fun!

January 5^th – BIGGEST Clothing Swap in the NW

We love this event because it is a fun and social way to practice a few common New Years resolutions! Many of us want to live a greener lifestyle in 2020, many of us want to spend less money on frivolous things, and many of us would LOVE a whole new look! If any of those things ring true for you, or if you simply enjoy secondhand shopping, you’ll want to check this out. This Sunday, the Crystal Ballroom will host the BIGGEST Clothing Swap in the NW! Find three floors of quality clothing for every lifestyle and fashion preference. Looking for designer? They’ve got it. Prefer vintage clothes? You’ll be thrilled! Looking for larger sizes? There’s a whole section! It’s $10 at the door, and all the clothing is free.

January 3^rd – Rose City Rollers Season Opener

It’s double trouble at Oaks Park this weekend, with not one but TWO roller derby bouts to kick off the season! The Heartless Heathers will take on Guns and Rollers, followed by the Breakneck Betties vs the High Rollers. These gals bring athleticism to a whole new level, and they do it with style! Imagine the contact of football or rugby… but on roller skates. If you’ve never seen a roller derby bout, you won’t want to miss this action! Get ready for a whole lot of hootin’ and hollerin’ this weekend!

January 5^th – O-Shogatsu, A Japanese New Year

Celebrated from January 1^st – 3^rd, New Years in Japan is the most important holiday of the year. There are loads of beautiful, interesting, and delicious traditions to speak of. This weekend, you participate in some of these traditions at O-Shogatsu, a Japanese New Year! The Portland Japanese Garden will offer free concerts, art classes, poetic games, and much more with normal garden admission price! We are particularly excited to learn to make Mochitsuki, a soft and delicious rice cake traditionally eaten at New Years.

January 3^rd – 5^th  – Matilda the Musical

Roald Dahl has written dozens of children’s classics including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the BFG, and James and the Giant Peach. His stories are so imaginative and fantastical that many of them have been transformed into plays and films. Dahl’s 1988 book Matilda was adapted for film in 1996, and became an instant classic for children of the 90’s. In 2010, Matilda the Musical made it Broadway debut. Now, in 2019, Matilda the Musical can be seen at the Northwest Children’s Theater! Support your local arts and enjoy the inspiring tale of a justice-seeking bookworm who is much more powerful than she appears.