Just wanted to give a shout out to Western Display Fireworks. They are a 4th generation…read morefamily-owned business (according to the Astoria Chamber of Commerce). They gave a fantastic fireworks show in Astoria, Oregon this Fourth of July. We had front row seats on the Columbia River and we were very impressed.

Really pretty and lots of parking, walking distance of the main street, but bring bug spray!!read more

When I went to Willamette Park for the first time two days ago, I was blown away (figuratively…read morespeaking). There were plants, trees and flowers as far as the eye could see. For one thing, the trees sure were beautiful to look at. Their leaves reminded me about the beauty of the color green and how it can be cool and friendly (and they still do, as a matter of fact). Also, whenever I looked at the flowers and plants, I smiled when I took notice of how awesome they looked (and still are). As I took pictures of the nature I saw, I was then reminded of Susie Salmon in the 2009 film "The Lovely Bones" and her saying that she liked how a photo could capture a moment before it was gone. Even now, I know what she meant. And when it came to the nature in the green of the plants, the beauty in the flowers and the wonder in the trees, there was something special they all had that nature photographers are able to find. Finally, I highly recommend Willamette Park for all the nature lovers and photographers out there, and I give it five stars as well (although ten stars would be even better).

Exclamations made after visiting: "That was insane!" "That was crazy!" "I can't believe that!"…read more Yes, we went on the 3rd of July and we expected it to be busy, but holy cow! It was shoulder to shoulder people. Our party was separated several times and we were often blocked and unable to move because of the crowd. I have been in mosh pits with less touching. Pros: Parking monitors were on point. Fully staffed in all areas Employees knew everything and offered up answers without having to be asked. As we were talking amongst ourselves about trying to find an item, we were always directed to the correct item by the closest employee who overheard us. 10 cashiers who knew how to use the registers quickly meant that there was NO line for checkout even though the store was packed! Cons: Lots of people Parking lot was filled with anarchists who were excited to ignore traffic laws (customers; not attendants) Could be a pro or a con: No special gimmicky deals like "buy 3 get 1 free" means you get what you get. Clearly the crowds are not enough to keep the crowds away. Unfortunately, our family won't be back. Not because we were wronged or dissatisfied in any way, but because it was too much sensory input for our neurodivergent family members.

We always make the drive to Blackjack Fireworks 2x a year because not only are they super friendly…read moreand literally have the best prices, but they also are knowledgeable about which fireworks work best for the show you would like to put on no matter the size of the audience.

We needed cannon fuse for a big cannon that goes boom we inherited from my father. Unfortunately we…read moreleft it till the last minute and Mean Gene's was the only place locally in Clark County that we could find it. Thanks for saving our New Year's fun, Mean Gene's!

Great prices! Amazing Selection! Open on New Years Eve! Helpful Staff!…read moreFound in Camas Thank you!

Having just recently discovered Longview / Kelso, we were not that impressed with our local…read moreofferings for the Fourth of July celebrations (too lame / too crowded) so we opted for a change in scenery and headed out to Longview figuring a city of that size should have something. Our server at Izzy's recommended the GoFourth Festival and said it was a long standing tradition and a lot of fun, though parking is hell and it is crowded. We arrived at about 8PM and easily found an ADA parking spot after one full pass of the area. Great spot that was close to all of the fun and easy to get in and out of as well. It paid to have an injured foot this year!!!! Great music, fun, food, and a nice family friendly event. Awesome police presence and crowd control. Nice mellow vibe,even though it was quite packed, was still relaxing and a fun place to people watch. One of the best fireworks displays we have seen in a long time. Lake Sacajawea Park is beautiful!! The perfect spot for such a great event. GOLD STAR for all that planned, worked, and organized this awesome festival!!! Job well done. No complaints at all. Looking forward to making this our regular Fourth of July event!!!

We come every year and it never disappoints! So many bogo items that you can stock up, profits a…read morelocal church, invest in your community, dinner for neighborhood on July 3rd at 7 with raffle for a kid to sprint 30 seconds and grab fireworks!

I was able to experience the new ballpark for the first time on AAPI night and the hops secured a…read morewin, so I felt especially lucky. My husband snagged Meridian club tickets from Facebook marketplace, which made for a very special date night. The club level includes food (hot dog bar and poke bar buffet for AAPI night, along with dessert and drinks) which I found to be an incredible value. The club layout is very spacious with a variety of I indoor and outdoor seating options and restrooms are located on either side. Service was outstanding. The staff are so welcoming, personable and friendly. I had so many great conversations and interactions with a variety of staff. I would definitely return and would consider hosting personal and professional events here.

Just a reminder that every review of the new Hillsboro Hops facility starts at -$43 million for…read morestate, Washington County, Tualatin Valley, and Hillsboro taxpayers, so let's see what that got us. The fam somehow scored free (!) tickets to the Fourth of July fireworks game, so we did what I vowed to never do, paid the $9.50 in parking (because we'll never make back the investment otherwise) and went to the new ballpark. In some ways, they listened to the complaints I've been making for years. The new place no longer angles fans directly into the setting sun, which is really the bare minimum, and actually has some hops growing on the grounds. They have roughly as many bines as I have in my backyard, but it's something. Maybe now that they're partnered with local brewery Budweiser, the team can take those hops down to the brewery in Van Nuys and make a batch of Hillboro Bud Light. There are some local partnerships (look at that shiny Portland Cider bus) and some party decks, and I'm told they change up the menus for certain promotional nights, but that hasn't done much to change the culture of the place. During a 1-0 loss coming toward the end of a full-series sweep by Spokane, the crowd was not only as library-silent and stoic as usual, but listless. You got the sense that the baseball was a perfunctory requirement and that the fireworks display--as was so often the case at the old building's "fireworks Fridays"--was the main event in a town that lacks a civic fireworks display of its own. Again, we didn't pay for our tickets, but the pricing at this level of play seems like madness. Yes, your get-in-the-door price is $11.50, but that's to walk the grounds and maybe sit on a berm. It's $23 to sit in the worst corner, then $30 to $60 for any non-lounge seat. Get into the lounges--your tax dollars at work--and its $85 to $135. For single-A baseball. Never mind that you could've seen NBA basketball for less this year--and could definitely catch the WNBA, NWSL, or AUSL and better athletes for a better price. The Hops seem bent on "dreaming big" and trying to woo a coveted AA team here, regardless of what it does to attendance. I saw MLB tout the Hops' "record" Fourth of July weekend box office, but didn't see them note that Sunday's game pulled in just above 1,200 people--or about 1,800 less than what softball's been averaging right across the parking lot. In fact, much of the Hops' attendance for this season has fallen below the 3,000 mark, which would've been a comfortable squeeze in its old 4,500-capacity digs. Now that it's allegedly seating 6,500 (though a "sold out" 4th was sub-5,500), I'm wondering if attendance means as much as amenities in their equation anymore. They promised concerts later this year, and they're bringing in one surviving member of Chicago, but if the main draw is going to be the same sub-.500 minor-league baseball they've been pushing at taxpayers in recent years, they may be better off just hosting fireworks and taking notes when their "women in sports night" comes around. Congratulations to the Northwest League's first-half champion Eugene Emeralds, whose city government said a word in their stadium debate that isn't in Hillsboro's vocabulary but saves taxpayers a whole lot of money: No.