Each year a restaurant in north Portland celebrates J.R.R. Tolkien’s birthday. Let me first explain the restaurant. McMenamins is a local chain restaurant that takes old buildings with some character or history and converts them. The Kennedy School was once an elementary school many many years ago. Now the building houses a restaurant, hotel, pool, meeting rooms and movie theater.
So each year they hold a Tolkien festival, showing all three Lord of the Rings movies. They also have costume contests (both children and adult) and especially of interest is a reading of the Hobbit, reminiscent of the old radio shows with sound effects and different actors for each part.
Another fun touch was a special menu with Po-Tay-to Soup, ‘One Ring to Rule Them’ Onion Rings, a Balrog Burger, etc…
We watched the ‘Fellowship of the Ring” and then listened to some of the Hobbit. We then got an opportunity to watch a 4 year old win the costume contest. (He was dressed as Gimli.) The woman who won the adult contest played some of the music from the movie on a lute. Can’t compete with that.
Did I mention all of the seating in the movie theater are couches and comfy chairs? Awesome.
