Happy Friday,

readers! March is upon us, and to some, that means spring is in the air! Here are some events to celebrate:

Barleywine and Big Beer Festival:

The

is holding the 16th annual Barleywine and Big Beer Festival this weekend.

The festival will be held from noon to 10 p.m. Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3 at the beer hall, 1945 N.W. Quimby St. in the Northwest District.

The event features strong ales, barleywine and other barrel-aged beers.

The

that ticket prices will be about the same as last year: $9 for a custom taster glass and two tokens. Additional tokens can be purchased.

Portland Saturday Market opening:

The

opens this weekend in Waterfront Park.

The market opens Saturday with a special two-day celebration that includes activities for children, Cirque du Soleil ticket giveaways and live entertainment.

The Saturday Market, a nonprofit organization with headquarters in Northwest Portland, draws more than 1 million visitors during the 10 months it operates. All vendors are required to create by hand the items they sell, and together they generate about $8 million gross sales annually.

For the full story on the opening weekend festivities,

.

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