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Happy Thursday, Vancouver!

This weekend, Vancouver has decided to answer the age-old question: “What if we gave everyone wildly different hobbies and made them all happen at the same time?”

Want to chase a cartoon creature through downtown? Done. Want to admire trucks old enough to have their own retirement plans? Done. Want to paint Hogwarts while standing suspiciously close to flying axes? Somehow… also done.

Plus, we’ve got Pride celebrations, free Slurpees, historic neighborhood gossip, wellness experts, pet adoption events, classic cars, live music, and enough local markets to make your wallet quietly ask for a day off (don’t give it a day off!!)

Basically, if you’re bored this weekend, that’s between you and your calendar.

Anyways, here's what to expect in today's edition of The PNW Report (Vancouver):

📰 Local News
☁️ Weather
🎉 Events & Things To Do
🤔 Lateral Thinking Puzzle

Let’s get started!

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LOCAL NEWS

🚨 TATER TOTS & 27 YEARS: McMenamins East Vancouver Pub is Having a Birthday Bash!

Our favorite neighborhood spot for moody lighting, quirky artwork, and endless baskets of Cajun tots is officially reaching its late twenties. McMenamins East Vancouver Pub is celebrating its 27th birthday this Saturday, July 11th, and they’re throwing an all-day, all-ages party to mark nearly three decades of pouring Hammerheads on NE 162nd Avenue.

If you haven't been in lately, this is the perfect excuse to hunt down your passport stamps or sneak a peek into their new bar-within-a-bar, the tropical-themed Lost Lounge. Stop by this weekend to raise a pint, smash a Captain Neon burger, and toast to 27 years of keeping Vancouver wonderfully weird.

🚨 GET YOUR PIECE OF THE PIE: You Can Buy the Chkalov Shari’s Restaurant Equipment This Friday!

If you’ve ever stared into a rotating commercial pie display case and thought, "ummmm that belongs in my house" …your hyper-specific dream is about to come true. The Clark County Treasurer’s Office is officially holding a public auction of the personal property inside the former Shari’s Café on SE Chkalov Drive. Unless the business pays off its delinquent tax obligations by 4 PM on Thursday (we’ll see!), everything goes to the highest bidder this Friday, July 10th.

Make no mistake, there is plenty up for grabs. We’re talking heavy-duty commercial kitchen setups, refrigeration gear, dining room furniture, fixtures, and plenty of smallwares. The preview window runs from 9 AM to 11 AM, and the actual bidding fires up at 11 AM sharp. Everything is being sold strictly "as-is" and requires cold hard cash or certified funds (like a cashier's check). If you win it, you’ve gotta haul it…they expect all items cleared out by 4 PM that afternoon, so bring your tools, your muscle, and a big truck. Fork over your cash and go get a piece of the pie!

🥤 Free Slurpee Day is on Saturday!

Saturday, July 11 is Free Slurpee Day, and this year the Slurpee is turning 60: 7-Eleven is celebrating its 99th birthday with its annual tradition of offering customers a free small Slurpee drink at participating locations. Just visit a participating 7-Eleven location and grab a free small Slurpee…no purchase necessary!

WEATHER [7/10 - 7/12]

Hey, it’s almost as if the weather made itself perfect for 🎉 Free Slurpee Day 🎉 on Saturday!

Friday, 7/10: 78/56 🌤️ Partly Cloudy
Saturday, 7/11: 75/54 🌤️ AM Clouds & PM Sun
Sunday, 7/12: 78/52 ☀️ Mostly Sunny

EVENTS AND THINGS TO DO [7/10 - 7/12]

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? You’re in the right place! 🎉

Stay tuned for Monday morning’s newsletter, where we’ll give the lowdown on all the cool upcoming weekday events for next week!

FRIDAY, JULY 10th

🛍️ Washougal Community Market @ Reflection Plaza | 2PM – 6PM (FREE)
Mark your calendars for this one, because every Friday in July, Reflection Plaza in downtown Washougal transforms into a full community market with small businesses, artisans, authors, musicians, bakers, and food vendors. Live musical performances AND local author appearances make this the most (lit)erary farmers market in Clark County. Washa-gotta check this out!

🚗 Friday Night Cruise-In @ Alderbrook Park | 4PM – 8PM ($5 – $10)
Chrome, engines, and nostalgia…what more could you want? Polish your ride or just stroll and gawk at this wheely awesome classic car gathering in a beautiful scenic environment. This week’s 4th of July event features extended hours.

👗 She Serves: YWCA on the Runway @ Brickhouse Bar & Grill | 6PM – 8:30PM ($40)
A fashion show and a fundraiser and a party?! A triple threat! She Serves features local designers alongside 13 volunteer models. Raffles, a silent auction, local vendors, entertainment, and an 21+ After Party from 9PM to midnight with DJs. All proceeds benefit the YWCA Clark County's Peer to Peer campaign. Oh, she’s servin’, ya’ll 💁‍♀️

☕ Death Cafe @ Art at the Cave | 7PM – 8:30PM (FREE, donations welcome)
Let’s talk about the one thing nobody escapes (and no, it’s not taxes). The Death Café invites you to sip, snack, and speak freely at this event led by a certified end-of-life doula. Bring your questions, fears, and existential hot takes for a conversation that’s surprisingly full of life.

🎷 Ne Plus Ultra Jass Orchestra @ Providence Academy Ballroom | 7PM ($15 - $16)
Jazz hands at the ready! The Ne Plus Ultra Jass Orchestra transports audiences back to the golden age of the 1920s with live jazz in the stunning Providence Academy Ballroom. Get jazzed!

SATURDAY, JULY 11th

🎮 Vancouver GoFest Celebration @ Downtown Vancouver | 9AM – 6PM (FREE)
Congratulations…you're about to walk 12,000 steps for a cartoon animal! Vancouver GoFest is back, transforming Downtown Vancouver into a real-life Pokémon adventure where thousands of people (maybe you included?!) will explore downtown businesses with Pokémon-themed passports, enjoy live entertainment from Team Rocket Mischief and Mayhem, check out cosplay meetups, vendors, and a Pokémon procession. Gotta catch ’em all…and maybe a coffee downtown while you’re at it.

🚗 C10s at the Lake @ Vancouver Lake Regional Park | 9AM – 5PM (FREE for spectators)
C10s at the Lake is taking over Vancouver Lake Regional Park with a celebration of classic trucks from 1998 and older…AKA the vehicles that somehow survived decades of road trips and questionable repairs. Check out rows of vintage rides, bring a barbecue for some tailgating, grab food, coffee, or shave ice, and enjoy a family-friendly day dedicated to vehicles with truckin’ good personality.

🧄 Growing Garlic Workshop @ 78th Street Heritage Farm | 9AM – 10:30AM ($10)
Do you (c)love garlic?! Come to this hands-on garlic growing workshop from WSU Extension Clark County Master Gardeners covering how to choose, plant, fertilize, harvest, and store garlic, conducted entirely in the field. Every participant takes home a clove with planting instructions. For $10, this workshop is a stinking good value!

🛒 Vancouver Farmers Market @ Esther Short Park | 9AM - 3PM (FREE)
Your weekly reminder that vegetables can be aesthetic and bread is always the answer. Stock up, stroll around, and try not to spend all your money on honey and hot sauce. But, if you do, at least you’re spending local?!

🌹 Wander Clark County Historic Walking Tour @ Parkersville Neighborhood | 9AM & 11AM ($12.51)
Clark County Historical Museum’s Wander Clark County walking tours are back, proving that the streets you drive past every day are hiding way more drama than your average neighborhood Facebook group (and trust us, those babies pack a punch). Explore historic areas with Clark County Historical Museum guides who’ll introduce you to the people, places, and stories that shaped Clark County. July 11 kicks off with Parkersville, because why not?!

🌈 Saturday in the Park @ Esther Short Park | 10AM – 5PM (FREE)
Every great community event starts with a lie: "We’ll just stop by for a little bit." Saturday in the Park is back for its 32nd year, filling Esther Short Park with LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations, live performances, food, artisan vendors, and plenty of reasons to accidentally (read: definitely on purposely) spend your entire Saturday downtown.

🌿 Project Wellness Market @ Firstenburg Community Center | 10AM – 4PM (FREE)
Your nervous system has entered the group chat! Project Wellness Market is bringing together 20+ Clark County wellness professionals for a full day of mini sessions, demos, and samples. Explore massage, Reiki, reflexology, sound healing, women’s wellness, chiropractic care, nervous system support, and more. It’s six hours of free wellness content…basically a chance to do something good for yourself before your phone reminds you that you have 37 unread emails waiting (blech).

🚗 Vancouver Elks Lodge Vintage Car Show @ 11605 SE McGillivray Blvd | 10AM – 3PM
The annual Vancouver Elks Lodge Car Show is rolling back into town with a lineup of classic rides, friendly competition, and enough polished chrome to make your sunglasses work overtime. Check out incredible vehicles, vote for your favorites, grab some food, and see who takes home the trophies. It’s a free, family-friendly afternoon of nostalgia, horsepower, and people enthusiastically explaining things about engines you absolutely did not ask about (but secretly kind of enjoy).

🌸 Dandelion Wish Fair @ Dandelion Teahouse | 10AM – 4PM (FREE)
The “I’m just browsing” trap has returned, because Dandelion Wish Fair is bringing a rotating lineup of local makers to downtown Vancouver once a month. It’ll be a dandy time for all!

🏛️ Clark County Heritage Organization Fair @ Clark County Historical Museum | 11AM – 3PM (FREE)
Have you ever stayed awake at night, wondering who preserves old buildings, digs through family histories, or knows way too much about Vancouver’s random-but-fascinating past? Well, we have. The good news is that they’re all in one place. The Clark County Heritage Organization Fair brings together local history groups sharing their missions, programs, volunteer opportunities, and resources. Stop by, learn something new, and finally become the person who casually drops local history facts at dinner parties.

🐱 Kitty Adoption Day @ Love Potion Magickal Perfumerie | 11AM – 3PM (FREE)
Feline like you need a new companion? This is the place. I Paw'd It Forward returns to Love Potion Magickal Perfumerie with adoptable cats looking for their forever homes. Talk about a purrfect weekend activity!

🐶 Pet Adoption Event @ California Closets | 12PM – 3PM (FREE)
Dogs AND cats available for adoption presented in partnership with West Columbia Gorge Humane Society. Two adoption events in one weekend? Vancouver really said "give every animal a home." We woof it!

🐌 Moonlit Snail Paint-n-Sip @ Final Draft Taphouse | 12PM – 2PM ($35)
Your new weekend plans are moving at a snail’s pace…literally! Join The Enchanted Palette at Final Draft Taphouse for a Moonlit Snail Paint-n-Sip where you’ll create a whimsical snail-on-a-mushroom masterpiece while enjoying a drink and some creative time. All supplies are provided, guidance is included, and no artistic experience is required. It’s the perfect excuse to shell-ebrate slowing down for a couple of hours.