Trek in the Park

On Sunday I decided to experience a new adventure and attend Trek in the Park but not in the park. I have missed this event two years running due to other commitments. During the summer I have very few days I can justify packing up a lunch and spending the entire afternoon sitting in a park for an event and really, that is what you have to do for Trek in the Park to get decent seating and also enjoy your day. The people who try to just drop by I hear never get to hear the episode or can barely see etc because the park fills up pretty early in the day with people so you really need to commit to spending the day at it.

After the last Trek in the Park performance passed an I was still unable to attend, I gave up sad I had missed yet another year and a friend of mine was cast in the actors so I was especially sad to have missed it. Then that same friend sent me an invite to not only see the performance for its final night but the performance was scheduled at the Bagdad Theater with Star Trek II, the Wrath of Khan playing on the big screen directly following. How could I possibly miss that?? The answer was simple: I couldn't.

I called my friend Jen at the last minute Sunday trying to find a replacement "date" for the day since my husband and fellow Trekkie was ailing pretty severely after spending the day literally moving mountains of dirt, rock and sand building the home for a friend's hot tub. She was up for the challenge, I suspect mainly because I was starting our evening bribing her with sushi. The event said it started at 7pm and we arrived just before that at the Bagdad Theater. I was nervous seeing a line trail to the end of the building which we followed and then I realized truly the line wrapped around the building, down a city block and back up another block. This line was basically around 400 people long and still growing. After saying hello to a friend who was celebrating her birthday Star Trek style we joined the end of the line where we stayed for an hour and a half.

While waiting I noticed this gorgeous motorcyle - notice the foot plates and little details because they are what makes the bike.


This is the line after it has been condensed to one block.


And as we get closer to the front of the building. These are the people behind us - we got there on time and these folks arrived after we did.


A Trekster in line...


A car packed at the front of the Bagdad Theater...


And the sign on the front of the Bagdad as we were entering the buiding finally.


We did get in and I will state for the record that, as impatient as I am, it was worth an hour and a half in line and $6 for our evening.

The cast was excellent and they really put on something unique, fun and enjoyable. Even with all the people there we felt almost united in geekdom with everyone which made the crowd seem light.


It also gave me that sense of witnessing something truly "Portland". I love this town and its residents for their creativity and unique natures.


I really look forward to next year and think the last showing is the way to go. They show the same episode throughout the whole summer giving alot of people the chance to go but I really loved the theater concept since $6 for a performance and a movie is a great deal. Plus in between the two they played a pile of Star Trek parody which was hysterical and had the whole audience rolling. That was definitely the best $6 I have spent in a very long time!