Family fun at ‘Gateway Winter Festival’

Find out why Gateway Discover Park had decorated Christmas trees on display for visitors …

In the Hazelwood neighborhood of outer East Portland, providing a lively-yet-classical musical touch at the GABA Winter Festival is this group of current and former David Douglas High School students which calls themselves the “Tanner and the Strings Quartet”.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

During the late afternoon hours of December 7, the Gateway Area Business Association (GABA) hosted its second annual outdoor Winter Festival.

Businesses and nonprofit organizations hosted booths, each having been provided Fir trees for participating organizations to decorate in whatever style they chose.

Visiting at the Winter Festival with treats in hand, Julian and Kaylee visit with Santa Claus.

Welcoming visitors to their Winter Festival with a cup of piping hot apple cider is GABA Treasurer Lisa Ortquist.

She was glad to see that the dark clouds overhead dispensing cold and steady rain as the festival began hadn’t deterred families from coming out to and enjoying the event, said GABA Treasurer Lisa Ortquist, CPA at Ortquist & Associates.

“This festival is important for our Neighborhood Business District because it helps put our neighbors in the Holiday spirit, and keeps the park activated during its ‘off season’, all while fostering a stronger sense of community in our district, and in our neighborhoods that we serve,” Ortquist told East Portland News.

Providing a cup of adult indulgence, “against the cold” as they say, is the head brewer and co-owner of Gateway Brewing, Joel Sheeley.

“In addition to building community, events like this help to introduce, or re-introduce, neighbors to the local businesses and nonprofit organizations right here in our district,” Ortquist added.

East Portland Parks Coalition chair Linda Robinson encourages neighbors to sign up to learn more about Gateway Discover Park activities, while she was giving away 12 live trees “to people with yards”.

Learn more about the Gateway Area Business Association by visiting their website: CLICK HERE.

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