July 31, 2007
Street fair marks completion of major light rail construction along NW 5th Ave
The Next Big Thing Downtown is a free event August 2nd
On Thursday, August 2nd TriMet will celebrate completion of major light rail construction on 5th Avenue in Old Town/Chinatown. The 5th Avenue Street Fair will feature live music, belly dancing, poetry readings and a real-time graffiti art creation on NW 5th between Burnside and Glisan streets.
5th Ave Street Fair
Thursday, August 2nd 5-10 p.m.
- Local bands and musicians including Autopilot, Siren’s Echo, Hello Damascus and Talkdemonic
- More than 20 local poets, including Oregon Poet Laureate Lawson Inada, will read poetry celebrating the 10th anniversary of “Poetry in Motion”
- Graffiti artist Joshua Wallace will paint a 100-foot canvas
- Area businesses will offer food and a beer garden will be available
- A free shuttle will carry guests between the street fair, First Thursday in the Pearl District and Pioneer Courthouse Square
The street fair kicks off a series of The Next Big Thing Downtown events. Each event will celebrate the completion of major construction of different segments of the Portland Mall Light Rail project. For more information, visit portlandmall.org.
About the project
TriMet’s fifth MAX line will add light rail between Gateway Transit Center and Clackamas Town Center, and to 5th and 6th avenues in downtown Portland between Union Station and Portland State University (PSU). It is the first light rail extension into Clackamas County, it will serve the heart of downtown Portland and the busiest transit destination in the TriMet system - PSU. When it opens in September 2009, it will help revitalize the Mall and poise the region for future light rail extensions.
For more detailed information on the 8.3-mile I-205/Portland Mall MAX Light Rail Project or to receive updates by email, visit us online at trimet.org/projects.