Getting a taste of the best movie theater popcorn in Portland comes at an unusual cost: You have to climb up on the ol' 10-speed and go for a bike ride.
Every second Wednesday during the summer, urban farmer Stacey Givens holds a bike-in movie night at the Side Yard—the farm she owns and runs on Northeast 48th Avenue just north of Killingsworth Street.
And though recent outdoor flicks have included Airplane and Caddyshack, the snacks are the real draw.
Related: Outdoor Movies Go Beyond Pix and the Bricks This Summer
Givens mixes hot popcorn with powders made of dried lovage and scapes—which, like the marigold flowers, are grown at the farm. She also serves cocktails made with liquor from Portland distillery New Deal.
Givens started the Side Yard in 2009 after discovering her green thumb working in the garden at rooftop restaurant Rocket (now Noble Rot). In addition to brunches, dinners and events on the farm lot, the Side Yard also supplies edible flowers, micro greens, and unusual herbs that are popping up on plates made by some of the city's best chefs—including Renata and Sweedeedee, along with Old Salt and Red Sauce Pizza just down the street.
The next bike-in movie is at 8:30 pm on July 13—the same day this issue hits the stands. Like the popcorn, it'll be Some Kind of Wonderful.
Willamette Week