Playful surf themed event poster featuring a beach scene.

Join PHAME for the party of the year!

PHAMEtastic 2025: Surf’s Up
Presented by The Standard
Sunday, March 9, 2025, 4:30-7:45 PM
The Avenue: 631 NE Grand Ave., Portland

This year’s PHAMEtastic Gala makes its grand return to our traditional in-person format! We’ll kick things off with a breezy cocktail hour featuring music by Chameleonica, followed by a seated dinner where the fun really catches the swell. During dinner, we’ll be rolling with a jam-packed program featuring live performances by PHAME’s Rock Ensemble, a spirited auction, and plenty of opportunities to make a splash in supporting PHAME’s mission.

Come enjoy some cowabunga revelry and help us ride the wave into our next season. Swimsuits optional!

Please note: In order to give our in-person guests the best experience possible, we’ll be putting the brakes on livestreaming and the online auction this year. If you are unable to attend the event and would like to bid by proxy or make a gift to support the event, please contact Kassandra at keller@phamepdx.org. Because we know not all students will be able to attend, all Winter Term students will be sent a recording of the evening’s program in the weeks following the event.

Tickets

Your ticket includes cocktail hour, a seated dinner, beer and wine, our full program (including performances by PHAME’s Rock Ensemble), and our after party/ dance party.

Ticket sales are now closed.

Event Schedule

4:30 PM Doors open

4:30-5:30 PM Cocktail hour

5:30-7:15 PM Main program

7:15-7:45 PM After Party

What’s happening at PHAMEtastic?

Swell Music

Chameleonica, PHAME’s EDM jam band, will play during cocktail hour, and during our main program our Rock Ensemble will serenade you with beachy ballads and some PHAME favorites. Get ready to dance in your seats to their fresh melodies!

Costume Contest

Whether you’re filling a table of eight with your PHAME family, bringing a date, or flying solo, we hope you’ll dress for the beach! Our costume contest judges will be circling during cocktail hour, make sure to catch their attention to get entered to win our costume contest prize. We also have a prize for the best-dressed table! (Not feeling beachy? Just wear whatever makes you feel PHAMEtastic!)

Heads & Tails

One lucky winner will take home a very special prize for this fast and fun gala game. Here’s how it works: during cocktail hour, purchase up to five strands of beads from one of our Heads & Tails volunteers. Once we sit down for dinner, play along by choosing heads or tails while our host flips a coin—after a few rounds we’ll have our winner!

Raffle

Find our raffle sellers during cocktail hour for your chance to win a trip to Italy or Bali! Only 100 tickets will be sold, but there’s no limit on how many you can buy!

Buy-It-Now Student Art

This is your chance to take home original art by PHAME artists. Art will be on display during cocktail hour and the first guest to list their bidder number on the bid sheet wins.

Dinner

Enjoy a delicious dinner catered by Cheryl’s on 12th. You can indicate your meal preference when buying your ticket. Buying a table? Have your guests indicate their meal preferences by filling out our Guest Contact & Meal Form.

Auction

We’re keeping this year’s auction short, sweet, and dare we say “super awesome.” We’ve got margaritas for your table, a Sunriver getaway, a date night package, and an incredible trip to Bali or Italy. Find more auction information.

Make a Difference

PHAMEtastic is your chance to make a difference for PHAME artists. Your contribution during the event empowers adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live full, creative lives through PHAME’s life-changing arts education and performance programs. Thank you.

Accessibility

The Avenue is wheelchair accessible, with wheelchair-accessible seating and restrooms. When purchasing tickets, please indicate how many people in your party use wheelchairs.

This event will include moderate to loud music and other sounds. Because the venue is one large room, we do not have a designated quiet space. However, please speak to PHAME staff if you need access to a quieter space and we will work with you to find a spot that works for you.

We will have ASL interpretation. When purchasing tickets, please indicate whether people at your table need to be near the ASL interpreter.

We want you to come and enjoy the show! Patrons who need to vocalize or move around are welcome, and patrons are welcome to leave and return to the event room as necessary.

Getting There & Parking

The Avenue is located in the Lloyd Event District, one block east of the Oregon Convention Center in Northeast Portland. The venue is accessible by Portland Streetcar and TriMet Max and bus lines.

PHAME has reserved free parking spaces for guests at Metro Parking Garage located at 578 NE Irving St., Portland, OR 97232. For this parking option, please enter the lot by 5:45 PM. A volunteer will greet you at the lot entrance and will give you a PHAME parking slip.

Street parking is also available.