If the cameo appearances of summer weather and rising percentages of pitbull puppies downtown haven’t signaled it to you yet, Portland is about to dive into high tourist season. I met some Canadians in Thailand a few months back and we were asking each other what brought visitors to our respective cities. Food/drink and outdoor recreation were my two best answers, and that may be what gets people in the door, but once they’ve arrived I don’t think most people know a lot about this place. That’s why during the summer months clumps of tourists on walking tours are chockablock around our offices in Old Town. “What’s with the tunnels? How’d you get so funky?” People wanna know.
I am really glad that Know Your City, as of last summer, has a presence in the Voodoo-sphere, too. They’re there to make sure that the Bon Appetit version of Portland isn’t the only one out there, crafting their tours around the stories of marginalized communities and social justice issues. This weekend they officially start back up their summer scheduling, with People’s History of Portland tours Thurs-Sun at 10 am and Sing A Song of Portland! Thurs-Sun at 1 pm.
Of course they’re not called Know Your City for nothing—even longtime Portlanders can probably learn a thing or two about the city from them. Plus, here’s the inside track on something else: The first person who meets their guide in Ankeny Alley for each of this weekend’s tours gets a ticket to see Sir Mix-A-Lot at the Starlight After-Party, and that should be weird and nostalgic, and therefore appropriate. Fun fact: This song was at the height of its popularity when I visited Oregon for the first time, on a school trip to Ashland, and to this day I cannot drive through that town without thinking of it: