---

Jump to: Comedy | Community | Film | Food & Drink | Live Music | Performance | Readings & Talks | Sports & Recreation | Visual Art

---

COMEDY

Tina Fey & Amy Poehler: Restless Leg Tour Past Event Like List
Few comedic roles live on in the public consciousness like Tina Fey's Liz Lemon and Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope—even if you've somehow never watched a single episode of 30 Rock or Parks and Recreation, you know damn well who they are. The comedy queens, who, unsurprisingly, are also BFFs, will celebrate 30 years of camaraderie with jokes, stories, and "conversational entertainment," which I hope involves Tina eating her night cheese. You can catch this performance at the Moda Center, or snag tickets to the January 12 show at the Schnitz. LC
Moda Center, Lloyd District (Sat Jan 13)

Mike Birbiglia Past Event Like List
Stand-up master, actor, and storyteller Mike Birbiglia has more than his fair share of solo shows, books, and feature films to his credit—his "household name" status is years in the making. Fresh off a new Netflix special, The Old Man and The Pool, in which he chats about the perils of heart disease and cardio, Birbiglia will swing by Portland to seek out our best pizza and pancake places. LC
Newmark Theatre, South Park Blocks (Fri Jan 26)

Nate Bargatze: The Be Funny Tour Past Event Like List
Nate Bargatze was once described as "a comic who should be big" by Marc Maron, and that seems to have been prophetic—the Tennessee-born stand-up comedian has released two highly-rated Netflix specials and started a very funny podcast. As the son of a clown and magician, it makes sense that he's comfy on stage (and that his observations skew weirder than most). If you're unfamiliar with Bargatze's schtick, expect sly self-deprecation and reflections on couponing and memory foam. LC
Moda Center, Lloyd District (Fri Jan 26)

COMMUNITY

O-Shogatsu Festival, Japanese New Year Past Event Like List
The Portland Japanese Garden's O-Shogatsu Festival will celebrate the Japanese New Year with a jam-packed day of family-friendly activities and cultural performances. Make sure to admire kadomatsu, which are traditional arrangements of pine, bamboo, and plum branches, and grab a complimentary cup of coffee from Portland Coffee Roasters. Get ready to embrace the Year of the Dragon! SL
Portland Japanese Garden, Washington Park (Sun Jan 7)

FAN EXPO Portland 2024 Past Event Like List
If you're a nerd in the Portland area, you know that Christmas really happens in the early months of the new year at FAN EXPO. Once known as Wizard World Portland, this con draws thousands of comic, sci-fi, anime, gaming, and horror nerds from near and far. Between the many meet-ups and panels, you can also check out tabletop gaming, lightsaber battles, cosplay red carpets, and family-friendly activities. Don't miss meet-and-greets with on-screen stars like Joseph Quinn (Eddie Munson from Stranger Things), Charlie Cox (Daredevil), and Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan (Piper and Paige from Charmed), as well as voice actors including Shameik Moore (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Christopher Sabat (One Piece), and Kathleen Herles (Dora the Explorer). SL
Oregon Convention Center, Lloyd District (Jan 12–14)

Annual Tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Past Event Like List
Since 1976, the World Arts Foundation has has celebrated Oregon's African American community; its annual tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has grown into the state's largest community cultural event honoring MLK and his legacy. Hear from pioneering activists, community leaders, artists, musicians, and youth who work to continue MLK's efforts. All are welcome and no one will be turned away for lack of funds—if you're able, the World Arts Foundation asks for a donation of $5 or five cans of non-perishable foods. SL
Highland Christian Center, Montavilla (Mon Jan 15)

Rose City Classic Dog Show Past Event Like List
The Rose City Classic Dog Show brings spectators—and dogs—from all over the world to Portland for a celebration of pooches. Check out agility trials, trick dogs, and the finest pups of their breeds. Can you count all the spots on a dalmatian? Or tell the difference between a Boston terrier and bull terrier? Students in grades one through 12 from Oregon and Washington can enter the art contest with pieces around the theme “It’s a Dog’s Life." SL
Portland Expo Center, North Portland (Jan 17–21)

FILM

Snowed-In Double Feature Past Event Like List
In John Carpenter's The Thing, a plucky bunch of puffer coat-wearing research scientists help shelter a strange sled dog in remote Antarctica, then slowly learn that the pooch isn't all that he seems. The frosty classic horror stars a young Kurt Russell battling it out against—ya guessed it—a cold-hearted, shape-shifting alien. You can revel in The Thing's bone-chilling special effects (screened in 35mm) while toasty and warm in your theater seat during the Hollywood's "snowed-in" double feature. It also includes a 70mm screening of the "roadshow release" of Tarantino's post-Civil War thriller The Hateful Eight, complete with an overture and intermission. (What better way to welcome the new year than with an Ennio Morricone score?) LC
Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District (Mon Jan 1)

SOCIAL CINEMA // Polite Society with DJ Anjali Set Past Event Like List
This 2023 Sundance favorite follows a martial artist-in-training who plans an ambitious wedding heist to "save" her older sister from her impending marriage. Written and directed by We Are Lady Parts creator Nida Manzoor, the action-comedy blends South Asian aesthetics with East Asian martial arts—one scene sees the sisters "fight in fully embroidered anarkalis (long, traditional South Asian dresses) along with gold tikka (jewelry worn on the forehead)" (The Guardian). DJ Anjali, who's "concerned with creating a collective memory through songs, dance, and imagery while pushing forward a working-class, immigrant feminist agenda on the dance floor," will spin tunes after the screening. Cool! LC
Tomorrow Theater, Richmond (Fri Jan 5)

Portland Jewish Film Festival Past Event Like List
The Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education will present this celebration of Jewish filmmaking, which will include five full-length films and two shorts exploring the "complexity, history, and joy of Jewish life." (Stick around after the screenings for talk-back sessions with authors, filmmakers, scholars, and artists, too!) Standouts include the 2023 documentary Remembering Gene Wilder and Vishniac, which traces the life of photographer Roman Vishniac from pre-war Berlin to the Princeton offices of Albert Einstein. LC
Lincoln Hall, Southwest Portland (Jan 9–14)

Studio Ghibli Film Festival Past Event Like List
Over the last 30 years, Studio Ghibli has become legendary for its lush visuals, emotional and affecting storytelling, and poetic, intelligent approach to nature and the more-than-human world. OMSI's Studio Ghibli Film Festival will return for its ninth presentation of audience faves like My Neighbor Totoro and Kiki's Delivery Service, as well as underrated classics like Pom Poko and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. LC
Empirical Theater at OMSI, Central Eastside (Jan 12–Feb 25)

NIGHT OF 1000… JOHN WATERS // Hairspray Past Event Like List
Everyone's favorite provocateur, John Waters, broke into mainstream film with this coming-of-age tale. Hairspray follows a '60s teen who lands her dream role on the American Bandstand-inspired Corny Collins Dance Show. While Tracy Turnblad (played by Ricki Lake) becomes an overnight sensation, she makes it her mission to challenge the racism of the show, enlisting the help of friends Seaweed and Motormouth Maybelle. Tomorrow Theater's offering BOGO tickets to Hairspray and Polyester, and a free draw-on mustache will be available with your ticket purchase, too. LC
Tomorrow Theater, Richmond (Fri Jan 26)

FOOD & DRINK

Oregon Cider Week Past Event Like List
Portlanders drink more cider per capita than anywhere else in the world, and it's not hard to see why: Oregon boasts a bevy of prime cideries, pouring apple-based libations that taste like a crisp autumn day in a glass. The nine-day-long Oregon Cider Week event builds on this enthusiasm and coincides with the world's largest cider conference, CiderCon, which is returning to Portland for the first time in nearly 10 years. Expand your palate with parties, tastings, tap takeovers, tours, trivia, education, festivals, flights, food pairings, pop-ups, and other events. JB
Various locations (Jan 13–21)

OMSI After Dark: CiderFest Past Event Like List
What if your sixth-grade museum field trip grew up to be the boozy evening of your dreams? Such is the premise behind this geeked-out cider fest presented by OMSI in collaboration with 2 Towns Cider House. Quaff boozy apple-based libations, learn about cidermaking, check out hands-on science demos that would make Bill Nye proud, and traipse through OMSI's featured "Orcas: Our Shared Future" and "Staying Alive: Defenses of the Animal Kingdom" exhibits with no kids around. Local food vendors like Clarklewis, Mudge Fudge, and Sinful Confections will also sling tasty snacks. JB
OMSI, Central Eastside (Wed Jan 17)

Shinnenkai Past Event Like List
Shinnenkai means "new year gathering" in Japanese and is a celebration often marked by consuming alcohol. Forest Grove-based saké company SakéOne is sponsoring this year's event hosted by the Japan-America Society of Oregon (JASO), so there should be no shortage of sips. Enjoy ozoni (a soup with mochi traditionally eaten during the new year) and mini osechi (New Year's dishes arranged similarly to bento) from local shaved ice purveyor Soen, as well as rolls from sushi cart Yoshi's. There will also be performances from Kotori Japanese Music and fukubukuro (fortune bags) full of assorted gifts for you to grab on your way out. SL
Cedartree Hotel, Hillsboro (Wed Jan 17)

LIVE MUSIC

Portland Music Month 2024 Past Event Like List
Portland Music Month is a (you guessed it) month-long celebration that aims to revive the vibrant local music industry. Fans are encouraged to snap out of their mid-winter hibernation to help Portland's independent venues and artists by seeing live shows, buying merch, winning prizes, and supporting Music Oregon's Echo Fund. Come out and honor the musicians who helped us all get through the darkness of the past few years. The series will kick off this week at Holocene with dance-punk trio J. Graves, dream pop band Bridal Veil, and grungy rock outfit Sit Pretty. AV
Various locations (Jan 3–31)

The Space Lady Past Event Like List
Performing in a winged Viking helmet since the early '80s, Colorado-born outsider artist the Space Lady (aka Susan Dietrich) is known for her reverb-heavy, Casio-forward covers of classic rock hits like Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild” and Steve Miller Band's "Fly Like An Eagle." I am personally obsessed with the Space Lady and her live sets never disappoint! For this performance, her spellbinding, out-of-this-world tunes will be accompanied by "cosmic projections" on the Hollywood Theatre's big screen. AV
Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District (Fri Jan 5)

Odie Leigh Past Event Like List
Odie Leigh's recent rise to fame has been a bit of an oxymoron. Her sound draws on traditional folk music with finger-picked guitars and narrative lyricism—the kinds of songs you'd expect to be passed down through generations. However, her songs were passed around through online algorithms and social media shares—I am talking about TikTok of course! Back in the fall of 2022, Odie Leigh posted a clip of her then-unreleased song "Crop Circles" and TikTok went wild (seriously, it has 9.7 million views and counting!) It's easy for non-zoomers to discredit anything that was discovered on an app, but Odie Leigh's talent is undeniable. Her guitar playing is reminiscent of folk-blues legends like Elizabeth Cotton and Odetta while her voice has a soothing grit likened to Janis Joplin by commenters. Don't miss Odie Leigh on her first full-band tour ahead of her highly anticipated debut album. AV
Aladdin Theater, Brooklyn (Fri Jan 12)

Portland's Folk Festival 2024 Past Event Like List
More than a dozen folk, Americana, blues, and bluegrass acts will set up shop at the historic ballroom for a three-day affair. Festival highlights include three-piece "song witches" Rainbow Girls (Friday), local indie-folk outfit Glitterfox (Saturday), and a secret headliner on Sunday—you've gotta love a surprise! AV
Crystal Ballroom, West End (Jan 12–14)

Dinosaur Jr.: Celebrating 30 Years of Where You Been Past Event Like List
If you're one of those Dinosaur Jr. fans who says "I only like their old stuff," perhaps you'll be pleased to see that the alt-rock legends are on tour marking the 30th anniversary of their fifth album Where You Been. The 1993 album marked the band's transition from the avant-noise of Bug to a more refined, '70s rock-inspired sound. With that polish, came the most commercial success the band had ever seen with the album's lead single "Start Choppin" landing on the Billboard charts. The original lineup of J Mascis, Lou Barlow, and Murph will swing by Portland for two nights to play the album in its entirety along with a few other classics and covers sprinkled throughout. AV
Revolution Hall, Buckman (Jan 13–14)

Toy Story In Concert Past Event Like List
Toy Story was one of the first movies I ever saw. And, because I saw it before I understood the difference between fact and fiction, I was convinced that my dolls came to life when I left the room—I tried to catch them many times with no luck. Obviously, I've grown out of this fantasy (or have I?) Yet, I still have the impulse to yell "There's a snake in my boot!" every time I feel a pebble rolling around in my shoe. Relive the movie that shaped us late 20-somethings while the Oregon Symphony plays Randy Newman's heartfelt score along to the film. AV
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks (Sat Jan 20)

Buck Meek Past Event Like List
Buck Meek, whom you probably know as the Big Thief guitarist with an arsenal of cool Western shirts, will head out on a solo tour to support his latest album, Haunted Mountain. As you may expect, the album leans into country rock with mystical lyrics about UFOs, getting lost, and passionate love affairs (à la Big Thief). What differentiates Buck's solo work from his aforementioned band is his earnest Sufjan Stevens-esque vocal quality, making for a lighter, breezier feel than Big Thief's emotionally heavy works. Buck will be joined by his brother, jazz pianist Dylan Meek. AV
Mississippi Studios, Boise (Mon Jan 22)

DJ Shadow Past Event Like List
Twenty-three years ago, the San Jose-born selector Josh Davis (aka DJ Shadow) released his trailblazing instrumental hip-hop album Endtroducing..... and music was changed forever. Not only was the album cited by Guinness World Records as "the first album created entirely from samples," but it propelled the genre of trip-hop and inspired non-hip-hop artists (like Radiohead) to meld genres and experiment with sampling. Shadow's subsequent albums have yet to match the impact of his debut, but he is hardly a one-hit-wonder (or a one-trick-pony). His latest release Action Adventure sounds unlike any of his previous albums—with an emphasis on synth samples, it's reminiscent of the score to an '80s car racing game (in the best way!) AV
Revolution Hall, Buckman (Mon Jan 22)

PERFORMANCE

Ama, the Diver Past Event Like List
Extremely cool performance alert: Based on a "prehistoric" Japanese play whose origin is not precisely known, Ama, the Diver is a Noh adaptation that tells of a noble young man seeking the truth about his superhuman seaweed-diving mother. (Noh is a traditional form of Japanese dance-drama that dates back to the 14th century.) Beloved Seattle cellist Lori Goldston will perform a live score for the production, which will be directed and performed by NYC theater artists Katiana Gonçales Rangel and Jim Fletcher. LC
Performance Works NorthWest, Foster-Powell (Jan 6–7)

Disney’s The Lion King Past Event Like List
NAAAAAAAAAANTS INGONYAMA BAGITHI BABA. (Fun fact: That's Zulu for "Here comes a lion, father.") It's The Lion King!! You know the drill...the whole-ass Serengeti roars to life and Pride Rock juts out from the mist as a lion cub is revealed to the sky. It's majestic and beautiful and, in my opinion, a solid way to stampede into 2024. Director Julie Taymor's interpretation of the story has won six Tony Awards, and yes, you'll hear all the Elton John tunes your soul craves. LC
Keller Auditorium, Downtown (Jan 7–28)

Imposter/Switch #5 Past Event Like List
Marissa Rae Niederhauser and newly appointed co-curator liz HOWLS will present the first 2024 edition of this quarterly showcase, which spotlights six artists working in randomly assigned disciplines outside of their typical practices. Experimenting for two weeks, each artist's new work is then spotlit in a public exhibition to "celebrate imposter syndrome" and poke fun at the whole notion of artistic mastery. This time around, participating artists Hannah Krafcik, Sarah Eaton, Stephanie Leet, The Bone Goddess, Yaara Valey, and Devin Devine will share their new pieces in contemporary dance, painting, stand-up comedy, and more. LC
Performance Works NorthWest, Foster-Powell (Sat Jan 13)

Goodnight Moon Past Event Like List
The best part of Margaret Wise Brown's Goodnight Moon is its impeccable vibes—I mean, check out this image and tell me you don't long to be Bunny, delightfully cuddled in bed, surrounded by kittens and yarn and bear paintings and a cozy fireplace. This theatrical production is the closest thing to entering Bunny's comfy, dreamy, imaginative world, where we'll hopefully see all the jumping cows and dancing bears our hearts desire. I'm getting sleepy already, but in a good way. LC
Winningstad Theatre, South Park Blocks (Jan 14–Feb 11)

Welcome to Night Vale Past Event Like List
From the minds of Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, Welcome to Night Vale blends the bizarre and macabre with Lynchian imagination; the eerie, innovative podcast has found cult status in its narrative depictions of the tiny, isolated (fictional) town of Night Vale. Episodes take the form of community updates, complete with local weather, Sheriff’s Secret Police announcements, and news reports of supernatural, unexplained occurrences. If you're into Twin Peaks and/or The X-Files, you'll likely dig this, too. LC
Revolution Hall, Buckman (Thurs Jan 18)

Stuff You Should Know Past Event Like List
Certifiable info nerds Josh Clark and Charles “Chuck” Bryant will take their buzzy podcast Stuff You Should Know to the stage for another night of fun-lovin' research-sharing on topics you never knew you were fascinated by, like MDMA, ayahuasca, the Satanic Panic, asteroid mining, termites, bioluminescence, and disco. (Okay boys, you've got my interest piqued.) Best part? You can pregame for the show by discovering how snails work. LC
Revolution Hall, Buckman (Thurs Jan 25)

READINGS & TALKS

CARTE BLANCHE // Ruth E. Carter Past Event Like List
Ruth E. Carter, the Afrofuturism-inspired costume designer who helped create the stunning fictional worlds of Malcolm X, Do the Right Thing, Selma, and Coming 2 America (as well as Black Panther, for which she became the first African American to win an Oscar in the Costume Design category) will head to Portland for one night to chat with Amy Dotson, director of PAM CUT and the Portland Art Museum’s curator of film and new media. Talk attendees can grab a copy of Carter's new book, The Art of Ruth Carter: Costuming Black History and the Afrofuture, from Do the Right Thing to Black Panther; Carter's visit will also be celebrated with a weekend of screenings of Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Sundance sensation Bravo, Burkina! LC
Tomorrow Theater, Richmond (Fri Jan 12)

David Grann Past Event Like List
If you dug Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, which traces the quasi-genocidal serial killings that impacted Oklahoma's Osage tribal community in the '20s, you'll want to catch this talk by David Grann, a staff writer at the New Yorker and the bestselling author of the book that inspired the film. Grann will chat about his latest book, The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder, which explores the mutiny of a Royal Navy ship in the 18th century; let's all hope that it also becomes a hit film starring Lily Gladstone. LC
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks (Thurs Jan 25)

A Conversation with Sohla El‑Waylly Past Event Like List
Chef and editor Sohla El-Waylly is simply the coolest: Besides being generally brilliant, delightful, and charming, she's a fan of psychedelic shrooms, adds hot dogs and olives to cheddar-chipotle onion soup, owns two adorable pups named Clementine and Vito, and shares my (unassailably correct) opinion that Ghirardelli’s dark chocolate brownie mix makes such a superlative brownie that no one else should bother trying. You might know her from the Bon Appétit test kitchen, where she spent a stint being the most qualified person in the room before the magazine underwent a racial reckoning in 2020, or from her work with the New York Times, History Channel, and HBO's The Big Brunch. Fortunately for us all, she's now released her debut cookbook Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook. Billed as "culinary school—without the student loans," the book is a foolproof beginner's guide to cooking that even your friend who burns toast can follow, with recipes ranging from charred lemon risotto to "fruity-doodle cookies." She'll chat with James Beard Award-winning cookbook author and chef Gregory Gourdet of Kann about the release, and the conversation promises to be a treat. JB
Powell's City of Books, Pearl District (Wed Jan 31)

SPORTS & RECREATION

Woodsy Winter Village and Ice Rink Past Event Like List
A new ice skating rink and marketplace is popping up at the west end of the Morrison Bridge this holiday season! Ice skating will be open every day through January 28, costing $20 for adults and $12 for kids under 12, including skate rental. Pro tip: spend at least $20 at a central city business (peep the map to see what qualifies), bring your receipt, and get a $5 discount on your skate ticket. If you need a little help on the ice, you can pay an extra $10 for an unreasonably cute skate aid named Bobby the Seal. The marketplace will feature local vendors, food trucks, warm beverages, and a "cozy lounge" with board games and warming pods. SL
Morrison Bridgehead, Downtown (Jan 1–28)

Rip City Remix vs. Oklahoma City Blue Past Event Like List
Did you know Portland has a minor league basketball team? Rip City Remix is the Blazers' official G League affiliate, which just debuted in 2023. Check out the next generation of b-ball talent as the team takes on the Oklahoma City Blue over MLK weekend. At Monday's game, the Remix will partner with the Blazers to honor the life and legacy of MLK alongside numerous community partners. SL
Chiles Center at University of Portland, North Portland (Jan 14–15)

VISUAL ART

Africa Fashion Past Event Like List
London's Victoria and Albert Museum curated this major exhibition, bringing dozens of well-dressed mannequins to the Portland Art Museum for an exploration of African fashion culture and history from the mid-20th century to the present. Africa Fashion includes "garments, textiles, adornments, personal testimonies, photographs, film, and catwalk footage," with artifacts pulled straight from the archives of legendary African designers like Shade Thomas-Fahm, Chris Seydou, Kofi Ansah, Naïma Bennis, and Alphadi and contemporary creatives Imane Ayissi, IAMISIGO, Moshions, Thebe Magugu, and Maison Art. Not sold? The exhibition was featured in Vogue, Forbes, and CNN, which deemed the show "an archive of achievement." LC
Portland Art Museum, South Park Blocks (Jan 3–Feb 18)

Turn Me Over: Molly Lecko Herro and Alim Ringgold Past Event Like List
Life sucks, then you die—or perhaps it's more complicated than that. Enter Molly Lecko Herro and Alim Ringgold, whose plasmatic ceramic-framed illustrations, glowy sequential imagery, dreamy sculptural vessels, and ceramic burial objects think carefully about dying, the body as a vessel, and "immaterial substances" that make both animate and inanimate bodies interesting. Consider holes, cavities, and containers—the human body kind of is one, right?—then ponder your impermanence at this show. LC
Well Well, Kenton (Jan 6–28)

Portland Fine Print Fair 2024 Past Event Like List
Leading national and international print dealers will converge on Portland Art Museum's historic Fields Ballroom for the 11th year of this elegant fair, where seasoned collectors and newbies alike can purchase fine prints and chat with erudite dealers. Anticipate a wide range of offerings, and expect to feel fancy—you'll spy works by Old Masters alongside thought-provoking pieces by contemporary art stars, plus works in "all price ranges," so you might leave with a print, too. LC
Portland Art Museum, South Park Blocks (Jan 26–28)