Waterfront Blues Festival (Waterfront Park)

All I want to do is make LOVE to you! I heard this phrase approximately 45 times yesterday at the Waterfront Blues Festival. Sung by men and women, old and young. All of them blues musicians. And can I just say. I never got tired of hearing it. Even once. Every time I heard it coming I wanted to stand up and sing. Of course it was so hot that I couldn't muster the energy to stand, so I sang as I sat on the grass.

From the Lake Oswego-matching-tennis-apparel-couples to the drunk stumblers to the old hippies and their tie-dyed blankets to the unruly children running around singing to the music. I loved it. Seriously. The best people watching EVER. Here's what I heard/saw:

Mother to 4-year old daughter wearing a bikini: "Tuck that tummy in!"

Same mother relentlessly banging a frozen water bottle against a cooler to break it up into pieces of ice for, oh I don't know, 20 minutes.

T-shirt that said "Quit Work. Make Music."

Woman collapsing from heat. People rush to help her and go get help from the excellent emergency medical services team. They arrive 5 minutes after she has recovered and moved on.

Numerous women in spike heels trying to maneuver the dirt/gravel walk way. "These shoes are not made for this!" One girl said to her friend. No shit, Sherlock.

Awesome gangsta looking guy in a Blazers jersey holding hands with a girl in a kimono.

Old, big-gut man wearing nothing but hot pink swimming trunks that were holding on desperately and dangerously close to something none of us wanted to see. (Repeat this story at least 4 times using different ages of men, different sized guts and different colors of shorts. That will about cover it. Or not.)

I had dinner from the Garbonzo's cart - a falafel plate that was pretty averagely good for food at the blues festival and seemed more healthy than the other choices. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

The Honey Bucket situation was actually not bad this year. There was a nice lemon-lime fragrance under the bridge and I only dry-heaved 4 times once I was locked in. Hot day + lots and lots of water for fear of dehydration = trip to nasty Honey Bucket. Once I escaped back outside, I was just fine.

Koko Taylor finished off the performances last night. Koko. Taylor. Koko. Taylor. Over and over. I could have sang that all night, demanding her to continue. She was cool.

Fireworks were awesome, with great blues music. There is just not a bad seat for that when you are on the waterfront. At the end of the day, as I was napping in my car waiting to get out of the SmartPark for an hour, I had the thought: I love Portland. I am actually in love with Portland. Head over heels for the people, the food and the atmosphere.

The festival goes through Sunday. You should definitely check it out. And if you are not already in love with Portland, you might be by the end of the weekend.