A pop-up Celebration of Words and Vision will be shown along the Columbia River Gorge. Poetry and art will be along two Car Free trails of Historic Columbia River Highway ~paved and accessible.

The word and visual poetics center around the Columbia River Gorge and are placed within the panoramas of the Gorge. 
Come celebrate the work of Claudia Luna Castro, Kara Briggs, Kelly Lenox, and Speakthunder Berry. Read their words and see their artwork as landscapes of the heart & mind of the Columbia River Gorge.

Let your own heart, mind, and eyes take in this place unique to the world.

Come Walk, Roll, or Cycle these Car Free paved trails along two sections, 1) Wyeth to Starvation Creek and 2) Hatfield Twin Tunnels trails. Accessible Restrooms are at both ends of each trail.

Each pop-up section has embedded poetry and art along each 4-mile trail section. Two artists will have their artwork near one of the initial trail entrances within a half mile from the parking lot. Two poets will have their poems near the middle of the 4-mile total length (e.g. at 1.5 to 2 miles from either end). Those not used to walking/rolling/cycling a lot can enjoy a short distance from the parking lot for two spots for poems and artwork.

For those wanting more, consider doing both two loops of about 8 miles each! Remember this is not an athletic event; it is time to take a break from the madness of the world and imbibe the grandeur of this very world we call the Gorge. Sadly, there is no car free connection between the two trails nor are direct transit connections available between these two event destinations.

Trail comment: Both trails have an ADA appropriate 5% grades and are relatively easy for parents with strollers & people using assistive devices. This event is a Welcome for All Bodies, All Ages, All Bikes, All Abilities for reinvigorating hearts & minds. Maps & I-84 exit directions available at the below web site.

Details can be viewed: https://gorgepedal.com/gppoetry/

We hope to see you on the trails by the poems and artwork.

Questions & comments: ajz@zelada.com

A pop-up Celebration of Words and Vision will be shown along the Columbia River Gorge. Poetry and art will be along two Car Free trails of Historic Columbia River Highway ~paved and accessible.

The word and visual poetics center around the Columbia River Gorge and are placed within the panoramas of the Gorge. 
Come celebrate the work of Claudia Luna Castro, Kara Briggs, Kelly Lenox, and Speakthunder Berry. Read their words and see their artwork as landscapes of the heart & mind of the Columbia River Gorge.

Let your own heart, mind, and eyes take in this place unique to the world.

Come Walk, Roll, or Cycle these Car Free paved trails along two sections, 1) Wyeth to Starvation Creek and 2) Hatfield Twin Tunnels trails. Accessible Restrooms are at both ends of each trail.

Each pop-up section has embedded poetry and art along each 4-mile trail section. Two artists will have their artwork near one of the initial trail entrances within a half mile from the parking lot. Two poets will have their poems near the middle of the 4-mile total length (e.g. at 1.5 to 2 miles from either end). Those not used to walking/rolling/cycling a lot can enjoy a short distance from the parking lot for two spots for poems and artwork.

For those wanting more, consider doing both two loops of about 8 miles each! Remember this is not an athletic event; it is time to take a break from the madness of the world and imbibe the grandeur of this very world we call the Gorge. Sadly, there is no car free connection between the two trails nor are direct transit connections available between these two event destinations.

Trail comment: Both trails have an ADA appropriate 5% grades and are relatively easy for parents with strollers & people using assistive devices. This event is a Welcome for All Bodies, All Ages, All Bikes, All Abilities for reinvigorating hearts & minds. Maps & I-84 exit directions available at the below web site.

Details can be viewed: https://gorgepedal.com/gppoetry/

We hope to see you on the trails by the poems and artwork.

Questions & comments: ajz@zelada.com

Louis Pearl – The Amazing Bubble Man (the original show)🫧

Louis Pearl, known worldwide for his captivating bubble artistry, combines science, creativity, and audience interaction in a performance that delights all ages. From delicate square bubbles to massive bubbles stretching across the stage, this family-friendly show blends wonder, laughter, and hands-on fun in a way that keeps audiences amazed from start to finish.

April 12th at the The Dalles Civic Auditorium

Highly praised show with a 5-star review and a Fringe sell-out show (2018–2019).

Tickets available at www.bubbleguy.com

The banjo comes out, a fiddle joins in, and before long the whole room is humming.

Beard & Banjo (Tony Fuentes) returns to The Balch Hotel to lead an old-fashioned bluegrass pickin’ circle in the lobby. Part concert, part jam session, and full of toe-tappin’ fun.

No reservations needed. Just bring yourself, your instrument, or your dancing feet and settle in.

Lobby specials and our full dinner menu will be available for purchase throughout the evening.

The Poetry Wheel is a six-week journey into the ever-turning world of poetry; where inspiration spins in and out like a revolving door. Each week, participants will explore a different poetic form, study compelling examples, and engage in generative writing exercises designed to help uncover their unique voices.

Built on curiosity and craft, the class invites students to read, write, listen, and reflect - again and again - recognizing that poems are elusive creatures, much like thoughts, memories, and dreams. The Poetry Wheel offers a space to learn how to coax these moments into the light.

By the end of the course, participants will have a collection of poem drafts in six distinct forms; each one a new spoke on their creative wheel.

This 6 week program will run on Wednesdays, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

About the Instructor:

Julianna Waters holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the Rainier Writing Workshop. Her work has appeared in numerous literary journals, including CRAFT and The Bellingham Review. Two of her short stories were featured in the speculative fiction anthology A Dark and Stormy Night, and her writing can also be found in Falling Star Review, Four and Twenty Magazine, and American Songwriter Magazine.

Waters has served as a Writer in Residence at the Anderson Arts Center in Red Wing, Minnesota, and at Hypatia-in-the-Woods in Shelton, Washington. Julianna formerly taught writing at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology and is the founder and facilitator of The Poetry Wheel, a process-focused poetry workshop.

She lives with her husband and their Pomeranian in Hood River, Oregon, where she writes, weaves, walks, and makes music along the life-giving shores of the Columbia River.

Cherry Festival Quilt Show Returns to St. Peter’s Landmark

Local quilters will once again fill historic St. Peter’s Landmark with color and craftsmanship during the Cherry Festival Quilt Show. The one-day exhibit showcases dozens of handmade quilts from regional quilting groups and community members.

This year’s display includes traditional patterns, modern designs, and historic pieces—including a locally connected “crazy quilt” dating back to 1895 from the Sandoz family. A raffle quilt created by the Cherry City Cut-Ups quilt group will also be featured, with proceeds supporting Old St. Peter’s Landmark.

Visitors can explore quilts inside the historic church and browse additional quilts for sale in the Herbring House courtyard.

The Cherry Festival Quilt Show runs 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday at St. Peter’s Landmark, 405 Lincoln Street.


This sampler quilt was made by members of the Cherry City Cut-ups quilt group. It will be raffled at the show at 4 p.m. Tickets are $5.