Portland Children's Museum Unveils 'The Market' Sept. 10

PORTLAND, OR — After closing for three months to renovate, the Portland Children's Museum's popular Grocery Store exhibit is celebrating its grand reopening this Sunday with a new name and an emboldened mission to reach more kids.

"The Market," as it's now called, gives families the opportunity to explore the role of food in their lives, according to museum spokeswoman Mary Beebe, who spoke to Patch Wednesday. Featuring a garden, farmers market, café, grocery store, and food truck — as well as a beehive and chicken coop — The Market allows visitors to see how their favorite foodstuffs get from the farm to the dinner table.

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 10 at 4015 S.W. Canyon Rd. in Portland, guests will get to participate in activities such as beehive building, flower arranging, and fruits and veggies dress-up. Story times with Peter Rabbit will also be held throughout the day, and the Fred Meyer-sponsored farmers market on the museum's front patio will provide fruits and veggies for guests to sample.

Previously, the Grocery Store offered an educationally limited food experience, Beebe said. Thanks to the renovations, however, Beebe expects the exhibit's increased educational value will entice more visitors through the door.

"The Grocery Store needed updating and a little love," Beebe explained, noting a generous donation from Fred Meyer helped make the renovation possible. "We wanted to make it more accessible and bring in more varieties and examples of the cycle of food life."

Beyond the new educational features, the renovations also included alterations to accessibility, Beebe said.

With design help from third graders at the museum's Opal Charter School, the new changes took into consideration varying heights of kids as well as varying abilities — from little kids to big kids, and those who need ADA assistance. Additionally, The Market will help introduce kids to new food types they might not normally eat at home.

"We believe food brings communities together," Beebe said. "And because we're not just a Portland attraction, we're a worldly attraction, we want guests from everywhere to feel welcome."

"Every single one of us has a deep relationship with food in one form or another — it sustains us in our daily lives," museum Director of Exhibits Somya Singh said in a statement. "Often, we learn about different cultures around the world through the experience of tasting new foods. So, allowing children the opportunity to get excited about new tastes, smells, and textures helps them to develop an interest in others. For me, sharing a meal with friends is one of life's great pleasures."

Image via Portland Children's Museum