The gloves are coming off this weekend as The Dalles gets ready to rumble with a stellar set of Fourth of July festivities. Neighbor to neighbor, shoulder to shoulder. Volunteers have blown it out of the sky raising thousands of dollars to bring one of the premier fireworks displays in the entire Northwest with 22 plus minutes of bang and blast, oohs and ahs.

A partnership between local art organizations is bringing a full slate of interesting art classes for local children in The Dalles, said The Dalles Art Center’s Director Scott Stephenson. Students generally falling into grades second through fifth can explore mosaic tiles, try some bucket drumming, use recycled materials to make mixed media costumes or jump into fiber arts, learning about knitting, sewing and dyeing.

The west end of The Dalles Riverfront Trail is getting some needed repairs this week and is expected to reopen at the end of June. That is welcome news to fishermen, bikers and walkers, rollerbladers, skaters, scooter riders, recumbent cruisers, swimmers, lunchtime loopers, diggity dog movers and skateboard cruisers.

Your guide to celebrating Pride in the gorge!

Editor’s Note - We are introducing our new food columnist today who will be out and about monthly looking for great menu items around The Dalles. Their Column, The Local Dish, will review plates too good to miss. In the meantime, squeeze a little lime on some savory tacos at Mi Pueblito.

Meet Oregon homesteader, licensed medical practitioner and political activist Marie Equi. 

The Portland Comedy Film Festival will screen 200+ short comedy films at the gorgeous Sunshine Mill Winery located in The Dalles from June 10-13, 2021. Read more about it here.

TD Public Library Opens Back Up

The Dalles organist Garry Estep will present a concert on the Phelps-d’Autremont pipe organ located at Zion Lutheran Church on Sunday, June 6 at 2 p.m.

Shannon and Jonathon Zilka have had a tough couple of weeks. They have been working on flavors for their new ice cream shop, Shannon’s Ice Cream, at 318 E. Fourth Street in The Dalles. They’re set to open officially on Saturday, May 22, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Mid-Columbia Senior Center, in partnership with Age+, is hosting a vaccine event on Saturday, May 22nd from 10 a.m.- 1 p.m. that will feature music and ice cream.

Ceramics as well as throwing a little clay will be happening at The Dalles Art Center this Saturday, May 15 as the gallery showcases its market of incredible pieces brought about by a collaboration of local and regional artists. As expected, five local artists were included in Beyond the Construct: Penny Wallace, Yvonne Wakefield, Savannah Lawton, Tom Bottman, and Jonathan Kranzley. While you're at it, check out the incredible flowers and the newly refurbished floor. Gorrrrrrrrgeous!

Colonel Wright Elementary’s Ramona Harwood directs the “Marimba Pioneers” in her front yard near the Elementary School on Thursday, May 13.

Dry Hollow principal Ajay Rundell spurred donations when he came to school in this pig costume. Students at the school raised thousands of dollars for trees at Sorosis Park in a Kiss the Pig fundraiser.

— May 13 Janet Hamada, Executive Director of The Next Door Inc., will share her organizations’ amazing work during the pandemic.

Robin Allen is on a mission to make her community a happier and more stylish place. Her new life and styling services fund and soon-to-be show “Stylist for the People”, will gift transformative life styling services to marginalized communities in Oregon, Washington, and California.

In this week’s column, I give advice on how to dress with confidence despite your insecurities and how your Spring cleaning can easily turn into giving back to our communities!

Live theater returns to The Dalles the third weekend in May as the Serious Theater pod of actors presents “The Edgar Allan Poe Afterlife Radio Show” by Patrick Greene and Jason Pizzarello, produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com).

Welcome to my advice column! I am a Professional Wardrobe Stylist, Personal Shopper, Influencer and On-air Personality. So, I know a thing or two about a thing or two and I absolutely LOVE to help people find ways to make their lives easier. Wether it’s with personal style+ fashion, branding, relationships, workplace conundrums or just how to feel more confident in life..I am here! All questions from all FOLX are welcome! Seriously, no question is too ridiculous and it’s always anonymous. So, go ahead, ask. Believe me, I was born ready to answer!

The “Organ Crawl” featuring five historic pipe organs in The Dalles happens every other year, and 2021 is the year. Only this time the local tradition will be presented virtually.