Events Cited: Lila May’s party, amphitheater events are strong evidence of community

For Lila May’s party at Oak and Fourth, kudos to the organizers and the dozens of donors of time, services, goods, and funds who rallied to give a unique little girl a special party.

There is much that can be said about this event, the largest public gathering in downtown Hood River in months, if not years. For sheer headcount, it probably outflanked the holiday lighting events, and for pointed purpose it stood apart from larger gatherings at the Event Site or other locales. To show their love for Lila May, the depth and extent of what people from all over the Gorge and Portland area did is something for which the community can be proud.

While carrying less emotion, the Waterfront Park events also merit thanks to those behind the Joni Harms concert and pFriem Family Brewing concerts held on consecutive nights at the amphitheater (coverage on A3 and A8).

Built in 2013-14, the amphitheater saw a few small-scale concerts last summer and fall, but this is the first summer the facility has seen regular use. Concerts this summer have displayed the potential of this remarkable public space that a few years ago was a windswept, dusty plain. It is now a windswept, grassy commons. The entire park is quickly becoming a destination for residents of Hood River and beyond, between its own amenities and its symbiotic proximity to Portway businesses as well as the other recreational amenities on the waterfront. Blustery as it was Sunday, the crowd was generally protected by the sloping tiers and the well-placed trees and landscaping to the west. It showed that the amphitheater truly functions as a place to hear music, even when the wind is blowing — a significant concern to the designers and supporters of the amphitheater project when it was envisioned and designed. Harms had to dispense with her usual cowboy hat during her two-hour concert Sunday because of the wind, but she got some banter-time mileage out of her lack of headgear, saying a true cowgirl does not mind “hat hair.”

And as the music filled the air, the wind did not deter people from stepping out on the grass, now Hood River’s largest dance floor.