Venues may have health guidelines in place—we advise directly checking the specific protocols for an event before heading out.
Jump to: Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Multi-Day
FRIDAY
FILM
Violet Hex Presents WIGSTOCK: The Movie!
Past Event
Like
List
Hosted by "trans femme drag enigma" Violet Hex, this screening of the '95 documentary Wigstock: The Movie, which focuses on drag legend Lady Bunny’s gender-expressive NYC festival, will include glittery pre-screening drag performances by Isaiah Esquire and one-half NelSon.
(Clinton Street Theater, Hosford-Abernethy, $15)
LIVE MUSIC
Federale with Silver Triplets of the Rio Hondo
Past Event
Like
List
If you’re into the dark, doom-infused sound of Spaghetti Westerns or moody ’60s and ’70s Italian horror cinema scores, you should know about atmosphere-engendering Portland group Federale. Shepherded by bassist Collin Hegna (Brian Jonestown Massacre), the six-piece band writes tracks to stand in a door way to—while everyone in the bar freezes and looks your way. It is not yet known how Lollipop Shoppe expects to accommodate an audience of attendees all trying to stand in the doorway to 2022 track “Blood Moon,” but hopefully during the likely live cover of Ray Livingston’s “Mona Lisa” crowds can at least slow walk and sway under soft focus. JENNI MOORE
(Lollipop Shoppe, Buckman, $11-$13)
PERFORMANCE
Love, Shakespeare
Past Event
Like
List
If Shakespeare's theatrical works are feeling a little "played" out—hey, he did write them over 400 years ago—don thy feathered cap and head to this fully improvised take on an Elizabethan comedy. The off-the-cuff version will skew the Bard's themes and imagery for a fresh production with a rotating cast.
(Curious Comedy Theater, King, $15)
READINGS & TALKS
Lisa Dodson in Conversation With Andrea Paluso
Past Event
Like
List
In Getting Me Cheap, sociologists Lisa Dodson and Amanda Freeman spotlight the low-paid (typically women) workers who fulfill our online orders, provide childcare, and make other overlooked aspects of the American lifestyle possible. While well-off families benefit from the services of women in poverty, these workers—and their own children—suffer. (As usual, capitalism is bogus and rich people are bad.) There's hope, though. The revelatory book offers vital policy solutions and a "keen moral vision for organizing women across class lines." Learn more through this conversation with Dodson and community activist Andrea Paluso.
(Powell's City of Books, Pearl District, free)
VISUAL ART
Small Talk's 4th Annual Light Conversation Projection Series
Past Event
Like
List
Photography collective Small Talk will host the fourth edition of their ongoing pop-up series, Light Conversation, at Oregon Contemporary, projecting a slideshow of curated photographic imagery from around the world. Attendees can snap photobooth shots and grab snacks and libations from the on-site cafe before settling in to thrill their eyeballs.
(Oregon Contemporary, Kenton, free)
SATURDAY
FESTIVALS
Newberg Camellia Festival
Past Event
Like
List
Enjoy the showy petals of springtime camellia blooms and learn more about their Asian origins at this all-day festival, which kicks off with a 5K and 10K run/walk, followed by plant sales, a bloom competition, and cultural offerings (an ikebana demonstration, a hula dance performance, and more) throughout the day. (Chehalem Cultural Center, Newberg, free)
Phagwah/Holi: Festival of Colors
Past Event
Like
List
Portland's only BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ owned-and-operated food cart collective Lil' America will host a vibrant Holi/Phagwah celebration featuring danceable music and delicious food to snack on. You'll be in good hands with Bollywood specialist DJ Prashant and Guyanese fare from Bake on the Run. Don't forget to wear white — no festival of colors is complete without a proper colored powder toss!
(Lil' America, Southeast Portland, free)
FILM
Lost Highway
Past Event
Like
List
When a saxophonist and his wife begin receiving creepy VHS tapes, everything is fine, and they all live happily ever after. Sike! David Lynch's '97 nightmare is (of course) a psychological freakout of surreal proportions, where two stories intertwine and spiral into a neo-noir web of murder and deceit.
(Clinton Street Theater, Hosford-Abernethy, $8)
FOOD & DRINK
Monument Wine Release Party Featuring Tiny Fish Co.
Past Event
Like
List
The family-owned specialty grocery World Foods is greeting spring by unveiling a new series of wines from Monument Wine. In addition to flights, you'll be able to try Pollen, a "a light red lip-smacker built for picnics and past-eight sunsets," and Jenny, the "rosé-orange hybrid we guarantee you'll have on repeat all summer." Not only that, you'll be able to channel your inner tinned-fish-eating hot girl by snacking on bites from Top Chef star Sara Hauman's business Tiny Fish Co.
(World Foods, Pearl District)
LIVE MUSIC
Nicholas Krgovich, Advance Base, and Hot Gum
Past Event
Like
List
Chill out at this intimate evening of electropop featuring "electric piano enthusiast" Nicholas Krgovich, who will celebrate the release of his new album. Krgovich describes Ducks as a "lo-fi collection of breezy, melancholic pop." He will be joined by electronic soloist Advance Base and experimental punk band Hot Gum.
(Turn! Turn! Turn!, Humboldt, $12-$15)
Orchid Tooth with DJ Ki and DJ 1/4 Dead
Past Event
Like
List
The Portland-based, interdisciplinary artist Orchid Tooth will take the stage with their industrial-infused ambient tunes that soar with weightless vocals and other-worldly reverberations. Don't miss opening sets from experimental DJs Ki and 1/4 Dead. Plus, video/installation artist Lenny Beach promises a "datamoshed-glitched out-spiritual awakening" with their dreamy projections.
(Kelly's Olympian, Downtown, $7)
Pool Boys with Camas High School Choir and Hannah Glavor
Past Event
Like
List
Local rock quartet Pool Boys are known for noisy guitars and sparkling harmonies that thrive in the duality of delicate and rugged. Join them for a unique collaboration with the Camas High School Choir after an opening set from indie folk artist Hannah Glavor.
(Alberta Abbey, King, $10-$15)
PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE
The Vibe: R&B & Amapiano Party
Past Event
Like
List
Make sure your Shazam app is updated and ready because The Vibe is bringing you an R&B and Amapiano party featuring "the music you want to hear and the music you'll want to know about before anyone else." Expect to hear artists like/similar to Kabza, Pretty Ricky, DBN Gogo, Beyoncé, and Jazmine Sullivan.
(Hey Love, Buckman, Free)
READINGS & TALKS
I Am An American Live
Past Event
Like
List
The Immigrant Story presents I Am an American Live, an evening of Asian American storytelling and pan-Asian musical traditions arranged by Indian film music composer Balamurali Balu. The event is part of ongoing programming by the Oregon Rises Above Hate coalition, drawing attention to the historic and current trends of discrimination and xenophobia experienced by the Asian American community in Oregon.
(Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Beaverton, free)
SHOPPING
NW's Largest Garage Sale and Vintage Sale
Past Event
Like
List
With over 600 booths, this garage sale is a browser's dream and definitely beats your neighbor's lawn setup. (No offense.) Indulge in a little weekend consumerism and come away with armfuls of knickknacks and thingamajigs.
(Clark County Fairgrounds, Ridgefield, $7 ticket, $20 early bird)
St. Johns Spring Fling
Past Event
Like
List
St. Johns will toast to the spring season with a district-wide shopping spectacle including chalk art, a raffle, a mobile photo booth, mini-horses(!!!!), and more.
(St. Johns Plaza, St. Johns, free)
VISUAL ART
Once More in the Rain: Queer Futures
Past Event
Like
List
Curated by Future Prairie, Joni Whitworth, and opera singer Onry Henreid, Once More in the Rain: Queer Futures takes the concept of a "museum of queer art" for a test drive. The installation creates a gathering space to investigate written works, visual art, and oral history from the city's LGBTQ+ community and doubles as a capitalism-be-damned "haven for reflection and repose."
(1609 SE 3rd, Hosford-Abernethy, free; closing)
SUNDAY
COMEDY
World's Hottest Goss: A Comedy Show
Past Event
Like
List
Fans of local comedy and movie theater lobbies will be delighted by Portland's newest recurring laugh fest, which features a rotating fleet of the city's "mediumest comedians" with gags and wisecracks that'll help you beat the Sunday night blues.
(Studio One Theaters, Richmond)
COMMUNITY
Views of an Urban Volcano: Guided Tour of Mt. Tabor Park
Past Event
Like
List
Part of an event series leading up to park-inspired jazz premieres by the Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble at the 10th Annual Montavilla Jazz Festival, this guided tour will center Mt. Tabor Park's intriguing history and pretty vistas.
(Mt. Tabor Park, Mt. Tabor, free)
FILM
Fast Break
Past Event
Like
List
Dedicated to the memory of Portland Trail Blazers play-by-play announcer Bill Schonely, this 45th-anniversary screening of cinéma vérité sports doc Fast Break sees the Trail Blazers navigate the 1977 playoffs and the championship season. (The players also bike the Oregon coast, host a basketball camp, and splash around in a pool. Cute!) After the screening, team interviewer and former professional baseball player Larry Colton will offer a Q&A session.
(Clinton Street Theater, Hosford-Abernethy, $8)
LIVE MUSIC
Mama Sam and the Jam with Vonnie Kyle and Fawkes Glove
Past Event
Like
List
The Portland-based "sparkly psych-pop" ensemble Mama Sam & The Jam blends the whirly swirly psychedelia of Mazzy Star with the folk-driven classic rock of Fleetwood Mac (circa the ever-pertinent Rumours era). They will premiere new material alongside singer-songwriter Vonnie Kyle and blues rockers Fawkes Glove.
(Holocene, Buckman, $10)
Rockwood Market Hall Music Series: Dalton Huxley
Past Event
Like
List
Rockwood Market Hall is a gathering space filled with locally owned restaurants and retail shops that bridges together Portland and Gresham. This week, they’ll continue their monthly music series with a performance from the Portland-born singer-songwriter Dalton Huxley, who takes inspiration from Chris Stapleton, Foo Fighters, and Tedeschi Trucks Band for his tender roots-rock jams.
(Rockwood Market Hall, Rockwood, free)
READINGS & TALKS
Smallpresspalooza
Past Event
Like
List
Returning from a four-year hiatus to reaffirm that any event can be a -palooza if the mood is right, Smallpresspalooza will offer up a marathon reading by over a dozen small press-published authors. Hosted by Future Tense Books publisher Kevin Sampsell, the event will include words by Ashley Yang-Thompson, Quinn Gancedo, Sam Rose Preminger, and others.
(Powell's City of Books, Pearl District, free)
MULTI-DAY
FILM
Portland EcoFilm Festival
Past Event
Like
List
The year-round Portland EcoFilm Festival's ongoing mission to showcase the best in environmental cinema will continue this week with a series of films on a rebellion theme and an Earth Day celebration screening of equine documentary Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of The West, followed by a screening and workshop led by environmental educator Suzie Hicks.
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District, $8-$10, Friday-Sunday)
Showing Up
Past Event
Like
List
Kelly Reichardt, deft creator of Oregon misfit characters and "master of the non-event," returns with Showing Up, which was partially shot at the shuttered Oregon College of Art and Craft. The arty flick features work by brilliant local sculptor Cynthia Lahti and stars heavy hitters Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, and Andre 3000. For more details on the film's Portland roots, head to the 6:30 pm screening on April 14; screenwriter Jonathan Raymond will be in attendance for a Q&A session.
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District, $8-$10, Friday-Sunday)
PERFORMANCE
American Girl
Past Event
Like
List
Trans playwright Mikki Gillette, whose production The Queers sold out at Fuse Theatre Ensemble in 2022, will return with American Girl. Through extensive interviews with those closest to her, the production unveils the harrowing story of trans teen Nikki Kuhnhausen, who was killed in a hate crime in Vancouver, Washington in 2019.
(Back Door Theater, Sunnyside, Pay-what-you-can, Friday-Sunday)
VISUAL ART
Brianna Spencer: Can You Get Me Something from The Store?
Past Event
Like
List
San Diego-born artist Brianna Spencer draws from California culture and street art in her widely exhibited illustrative work. Her solo exhibition at Chefas Projects, Can You Get Me Something From the Store?, expands on these themes with boldly rendered forms and vibrantly painted scenes exploring motherhood.
(Chefas Projects, Central Eastside, free, Friday-Saturday)
Gina M. Contreras: Continued Comfort
Past Event
Like
List
Fresno-born artist Gina M. Contreras uses self-portraiture to dig into her Chicana upbringing, her admiration of lowbrow culture, and her embrace of body acceptance. Her solo exhibition, Continued Comfort, is a must-see—Contreras was recently featured in New American Paintings.
(Chefas Projects, Central Eastside, free, Friday-Saturday)
The HeART of Portland
Past Event
Like
List
Showcasing visual art, dance, theater, and musical talents from across Portland Public Schools, The HeART of Portland includes a youth art exhibition and performances. The event marks the launch of PPS's new Master Arts Education Plan, which aims to increase equitable access to "high-quality arts education in dance, music, theatre, and visual arts for all students."
(Portland Art Museum, South Park Blocks, free, Friday-Saturday)
Holly Osborne
Past Event
Like
List
Oregon-born artist and teacher Holly Osborne continues to draw from the natural world as inspiration in this invigorating solo exhibition. The acrylic and oil artist's colorful compositions elicit peace and a sense of the unexpected; lush, candy-colored landscapes encourage the eye to roam and wander.
(Froelick Gallery, Pearl District, free, Friday-Saturday)
Kristen Joy Emack: Cousins
Past Event
Like
List
2022 Guggenheim fellow Kristen Joy Emack, a self-taught photographer and public school teacher, has photographed her daughter and nieces for a decade, capturing their inner worlds in a quiet, yet extraordinary, series of photographs. See the results in Cousins. Says Emack, "There’s something sacred about the lives of girls...their innocent, confident relationships to themselves, their world, and one another are gravitational."
(Blue Sky Gallery, Pearl District, free, Friday-Saturday)
Liliana Guzmán: Critical Mass 2022 Exhibition—Next to Myself
Past Event
Like
List
Photographers and painting lovers should head to Liliana Guzmán's solo exhibition Next to Myself—the artist's works blend both mediums, using photographic elements to "ground the body in a concrete physical space" and painted forms to "emphasize what the mind perceives." Guzmán, a bicultural Colombian American artist, explores concepts and responses to the Latinx female body in the layered series of works.
(Blue Sky Gallery, Pearl District, free, Friday-Saturday)
Making Earth Cool
Past Event
Like
List
Do-good Gaia lovers Making Earth Cool will bring some environmental joie de vivre to Parallax Art Center this spring with two months of earthy activities staged within an "immersive handmade setting." As part of their artist residency program, visitors will be invited to participate in repair workshops, educational storytelling, and calls to action informed by Indigenous and youth-led activist groups.
(Parallax Art Center, Pearl District, free, Friday-Saturday)
Shiela Laufer: Six More Weeks
Past Event
Like
List
Shiela Laufer's warm, swirling compositions evoke dappled light, wrought-iron decor, and tangled flora. Inspired by her rural Pennsylvanian upbringing, the Portland-based painter draws her dreamy motifs from Pennsylvania Dutch folk art and hex signs, which you've probably seen decorating a barn or two.
(Nationale, Buckman, free, Friday-Sunday)
Takahiko Hayashi
Past Event
Like
List
A quarter century of works by lauded Japanese artist Takahiko Hayashi are on display in Shi Han Seiki: Trace the Drawn Lines, a retrospective of swirling, abstracted copperplate prints and collages.
(Froelick Gallery, Pearl District, free, Friday-Saturday; closing)