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Wednesday, June 17
Plan an awesome summer.
By reading this guide.
Thursday, June 18
Watch Macbeth die in a cemetery.
Set among the tombstones on Lone Fir Cemetery, director Matt Pavik's rendition of Shakespeare's Scottish tragedy takes on an eerie verisimilitude. Pull yourself back to the pleasant reality of outdoor theater with a handmade picnic of local spreads, breads, sweets and pickles served by new picnic company Peacock Picnics from a bright yellow vintage bus. Twenty percent of the proceeds support Portland Actors Ensemble, which has been performing Shakespeare in the Park every summer for 44 years. Macbeth, Lone Fir Cemetery, Southeast 26th Avenue and Washington Street, 467-6573. 7 pm Thursday-Saturday, June 18-July 25; no performance July 4; 6 pm July 11 at Marylhurst University; ASL-interpreted performance July 17. Free. All ages.
Friday, June 19
Drink local cider.
If there's one thing our father taught us, it's "an apple a day." This translates perfectly to kick off Father's Day weekend sipping on adult apple juice in the family-friendly environment of the Pearl District. Bring Dad to sample over 20 different Northwest ciders and toast to his ever-wise dadisms. (See page 33.) Cider Summit Portland, Northwest 10th Avenue and Overton Street. 2-8 pm Friday, noon-6 pm Saturday. $30 advance, $35 day of event.
Saturday, June 20
Build a sand castle.
Portland knows all about castles in the sand. Show off your innate skills at the Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest. And don't worry about parking—it's the one day a year when visitors get to park on the beach. Cannon Beach Sandcastle Contest. 7 am-8 pm. Free to attend, $5-$20 per person to compete.
Sunday, June 21
Drink beer. Eat cheese.
Sample 10 cheeses and regional brews carefully paired by champion cheesemonger Steve Jones of Cheese Bar. Portland Beer and Cheese Fest, The Commons Brewery, 630 SE Belmont St., 343-5501. Noon-5 pm. $35, advanced tickets only.
Monday, June 22
Play air guitar…and Q*bert.
Air-guitar aficionado? You're ready for a rockin' Metal Monday. Try not to spill your beer while headbanging to heavy tunes. Metal Mondays, Ground Kontrol, 511 NW Couch St., 796-9364. 5 pm-close every Monday. Free. 21+.
Tuesday, June 23
Watch someone build with rabbit skin.
The Nazis destroyed over 200 traditional wooden synagogues in Poland. The film Raise the Roof documents how a team of students, artists and builders used original methods and materials, including rabbit skin, to rebuild the roof of the Gwoździec synagogue for display in the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. This is the only film in the Jewish Film Festival featuring rabbit-skin glue. Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Ave., 221-1156. 6:30 pm. $9.
Wednesday, June 24
Eat s'mores near tiny houses.
Join the Caravan crew outside the world's first tiny house hotel to scarf down all-you-can-eat s'mores by the crackling bonfire. The weekly gathering features local musicians playing all sorts of genres. It's a small world after all. Songs and S'mores, Caravan, 5009 NE 11th Ave., 288-5225. 7-10 pm every Wednesday. $10.
Thursday, June 25
Get smart while drunk.
How cultured are you? How about a pub crawl—with books? Fifty-four readers of poetry and prose inhabit six alcohol-ready venues throughout Old Town. Each venue's reading is curated by a local publisher or reading series. LitHop PDX, various locations. 21+.
Friday, June 26
Feel sexy about bikes.
Nine years ago, horny, bike-loving Portlanders made transportation sexyâso sexy in fact, that their short, erotic bike films spread all around the world. The newest, âScience Friction,â features futuristic bike porno by various lustful bikesexuals. Feel even sexier the next night at the World Naked Bike Ride, which meets at Colonel Summers Park at 8 pm Saturday, June 27. Bike Smut 9: Science Friction, Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St., 238-5588. 9:30 pm. $7.
Saturday, June 27
Buy weird crap in Vancouver.
The 10th annual Recycled Arts Festival is an opportunity to purchase old, recycled junk made into innovative crafts and art. Reuse, recycle, and probably pick up some weed. Esther Short Park, 301 W 8th St., Vancouver, Wash., 360-397-2121, ext. 4352. 9 am-6 pm Saturday, 10 am-4 pm Sunday.
Sunday, June 28
Watch Portland's most glam parade.
Drag entertainers strut their stuff in the out-of-doors to raise money for LGBTQ college scholarships. Bring dollars to donate, and binoculars to see all the sequins. Peacock in the Park, Washington Park Amphitheater, 410 SW Kingston Ave., 823-2525. Noon-5 pm. Free.
Monday, June 29
Sing karaoke with a live band.
In a city where karaoke is as ubiquitous as it is competitive, Tres Shannon's 20-year-old Karaoke from Hell stands out by ditching the karaoke machine for a live band with a vast catalog from Foreigner to Frank Sinatra. Dante's, 350 W Burnside St., 226-6630. 10 pm. Free. 21+.
Tuesday, June 30
Finally do a comedy set.
You know all those people who told you that you should be a comedian? Well, here's your chance, at Helium's weekly open mic, which is Portland's big time. Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th Ave., 888-643-8669. 8 pm Tuesdays, signups 6-7 pm. Free with two-item minimum.
Wednesday, July 1
Smoke legal weed.
It's the first day of legal marijuana in Oregon. We'll be having ourselves a Best of Potland Party at 4:20 pm to celebrate—it's RSVP only, though.
Thursday, July 2
Watch a play in 3-D, unlike other plays that are not in 3-D.
Only Portland would spoof a spoof. Not to be mistaken for Jaws: The Musical, this is J.A.W.Z. the Musical—In 3D!, a sing-along romp brought to you by local folkie performance troupe the Saloon Ensemble. Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta St., 719-6055. 8 pm. $20 advance, $25 at the door. 18+.
Friday, July 3
Drink Portland beer.
As if you weren't anyway. But still, gear up for the big 'Murica fest by boosting Portland. There will be at least 46 different Portland brewers pouring beers, not to mention cider and local cheese and food carts and...Oh God, you're drunk. Why are you always so drunk? Portland Craft Beer Festival, The Fields Neighborhood Park, 1099 NW Overton St.. $20 souvenir mug and 10 tasting tickets. 4-10 pm Friday, noon-10 pm Saturday, noon-7 pm Sunday.
Saturday, July 4
Fireworks!
Show up early to get a good spot at: Mount Tabor, Council Crest, Rocky Butte, Powell Butte, Pittock Mansion, bridges in general, OHSU, the PSU parking garage, Noble Rot, On Deck Sports Bar, Portland City Grill, Departure at the Nines, Sellwood Park, Fort Vancouver, a boat, a jet boat!, the Skidmore Bluffs, the Northeast Marine Drive docks, The Dock.
Sunday, July 5
Watch the Women's World Cup final.
Sure, the Women's World Cup is nearby, but it's in Canada. They don't root right. Go to Belgium instead, at Hilda Stevens' Bazi Bierbrasserie Block Party. But nota bene! If you're a spoilsport and don't want to sit outside amid the people and sun and fun, you can actually reserve spots by the big screen inside to watch the game. Bazi Bierbrasserie, 1522 SE 32nd Ave., 234-8888.
Monday, July 6
Race bikes.
Clip in for your first sprint-cycle race on Portland International Raceway's flat, car-free circuit or pack a picnic and watch people sweat in spandex. Monday Night Bicycle Race Series, Portland International Raceway, 1940 N Victory Blvd., 823-7223. Races start 6:15 pm. Continues Mondays through August 31. $15 to register; free to watch.
Tuesday, July 7
Relive the childhood that you were denied.
Watch a 60-year-old David Lee Roth attempt to do high kicks. Still, somehow the most fun you could ever have on a Tuesday night at the former Sleep Country Amphitheater in Ridgefield. Van Halen, The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, Amphitheater Northwest, 7200 NE Delfel Road, Ridgefield, Wash., 360-816-7000. 7:30 pm. $35-$149.50.
Wednesday, July 8
Spend the night with a legend.
Elvis Costello is in town, playing Portland's prettiest venue. Need any more information? Elvis Costello & the Imposters, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 248-4335. 8 pm. $46.50-$89. All ages.
Thursday, July 9
Reassure yourself that true love always prevails.
Movies in semi-nontraditional locations? It must be summer. This time we're at Woodlawn Park. Live music, popcorn and The Princess Bride, all for free? Inconceivable! Music starts at 6:30 pm, movie at dusk. Jackets and blankets are recommended. Woodlawn Park, Northeast Claremont Avenue and Oneonta Street, 823-2525. 6:30 pm. Free. All ages.
Friday, July 10
Embrace your inner flower child.
The tagline from the first fair in 1969, âCome in costume,â holds true. Suggestions include loincloths and flower garlands. Bonus if you can get around on stilts. Load up on earthy crafts from over 960 vendors, hula-hoop to folk music and try to count the flower-painted boobs. (You canât.) Oregon Country Fair, 24550 Chickadee Lane, Elmira, 541-343-4298. Weekend tickets $59. No tickets sold at the fair. All ages.
Saturday, July 11
Go to pot-growing boot camp!
Head in for a weekend of classes at Portlandsterdam University, which is apparently the new name for Clackistan: indoor gardening, breeding, hash-making, weed cooking, classes in the law and even a how-to on hash oil if you like to live dangerously and/or stupidly. Portlandsterdam University, 9123 SE St. Helens St., 788-2349. $250 weekend pass.
Sunday, July 12
Learn to moonwalk.
The 14-piece, Michael Jackson tribute band Foreverland has one sole mission: to honor the King of Pop. Guaranteed to bring out the smooth criminals, looking for the man in the mirror, only to find a thriller. Or something. Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E Burnside St., 231-9663. 9 pm. $10. 21+.
Monday, July 13
See our 2014 Best New Band for free.
Come see Willamette Week's Best New Band of 2014 for free! Ural Thomas, the 73-year-old soul master, has shared stages with James Brown, Otis Redding and Stevie Wonder, headlined sold-out shows at Mississippi Studios and Doug Fir and held a weekly, public jam session at his house for decades. Watch him and his tight, young band take the outdoor stage at Sellwood Riverfront Park, nestled among the picnic tables, walking paths and greenery. Sellwood Riverfront Park, Southeast Spokane Street and Oaks Park Way, 823-7529. 6:30 pm. Free. All ages.
Tuesday, July 14
Dust off that old novel you've been writing.
Every Tuesday at Analog, crowds of writers and would-be writers pile in for the People's Ink, a public writers meet-up where participants critique each others' work. Be nice. That awful thing they wrote about might have actually happened to them. The People's Ink, Analog Cafe, 720 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 206-7439. 6-10 pm Tuesdays. Free.
Wednesday, July 15
Prepare for four straight days of bluegrass by listening to more bluegrass.
Who doesn't enjoy Bar Bar's outdoor patio on a summer evening? Start with this kickoff for the Northwest String Summit, with music throughout the evening. You might even get acquainted with some music-loving party people and hitch a ride to Horning's Hideout. Northwest String Summit Kick-Off Party, Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. 288-3895. 7 pm. $15 advance, $18 day of show. 21+.
Thursday, July 16
Take Friday off and sleep by a lake.
Get out of town and hit the trail for an overnight hike to the emerald-green waters of Wahtum Lake. Start at the Eagle Creek Trailhead, push your way through the crowds and emerge about seven miles deep into the splendid silence of the wilderness. Eagle Creek Trailhead, Exit 41 off Interstate 84. 26.5-mile loop. More info at oregonhikers.org. $5 recreation fee.
Friday, July 17
Awaken ancient feelings with cheap beer and sing along to "Say It Ain't So."
Nostalgia is a hell of a drug and, once again, Project Pabst banks on your addiction. Weezer, Blondie, TV on the Radio, even Passion Pit (for you millennials out there) share a lineup with younger up-and-comers. The Zidell Yards are a desolate, gravel moonscape, but last year went off without a hitch and, at $75 for the whole weekend, it's one of the better buys as far as summer music festivals are concerned. Beware the free video arcade tent and lawn games as they will relentlessly and effectively distract you from the music. Project Pabst, Zidell Yards, 3030 SW Moody Ave., 379-9937. Through Sunday, July 19. $40-$75. 21+.
Saturday, July 18
Pretend you know the difference between Scotland and Ireland.
Hear ye, hear ye! Portland Highland Games brings you more Scottish culture than you'd ever find in Edinburgh. The day kicks off (pun intended) with the Highland dance competitions, spotlights the kilted mile in the afternoon, and concludes with the caber toss and a tug of war. If you need a break from watching strong men in kilts, leave your kids in the Girl Scout-sponsored Young Highlanders Area to give the plastic caber toss a go and lay down 40 bucks for the famous Whisky Tasting Experience. Portland Highland Games, Mt. Hood Community College, 26000 SE Stark St., Gresham, 293-8501. 8 am-7 pm. $17.
Sunday, July 19
Get radical with tiny magazines.
It's all about making that paper. Celebrating small press, independent publishing and DIY culture, the annual zine symposium crowds 150 tables and all kinds of workshops, panels and discussions into two days. Print media forever! Portland Zine Symposium, Ambridge Event Center, 1333 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 239-9921. 11 am-5 pm. Free. All ages.
Monday, July 20
Sound it out.
Intoxication, inebriation, brewski. You can read them, but can you spell them? The Amazing Stumptown Spelling Bee is an open call to nerds of the word. Sign-ups at 7 pm, the first 30 will compete. Opportunities for free beer and cash prizes abound. Hosted by the ever amiable Adam Garcia and soundtracked by DJ Anton. The Amazing Stumptown Spelling Bee, Dig A Pony, 736 SE Grand Ave., 279-4409. 7 pm. $5 to enter. 21+.
Tuesday, July 21
Contemplate the puniness of your existence, mortal.
Portlandia stamped our city with irony, but sometimes free-range chicken jokes need to take a back seat while we focus on big ideas, like the Gods and Heroes exhibit's themes of courage, sacrifice and death. The exhibit features approximately 140 masterpieces from the École des Beaux-Arts, the original school of fine arts in Paris, including a drawing by Raphael and prints by Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt. Gods and Heroes, Portland Art Museum, 1219 SW Park Ave., 226-2811. Continues through Sept. 13. $15.
Wednesday, July 22
Drink at Oregon's largest and most distinguished beer festival.
The Oregon Brewers Festival, rest assured, will have among its 90 beers something for every kind of beer lover, whether hophead, sessionista, fruithead or drunk. Oregon Brewers Festival, Tom McCall Waterfront Park (main entrance at Southwest Oak Street and Naito Parkway). Noon-9 pm Wednesday-Saturday, July 22-25; noon-7 pm Sunday, July 26. Cash only.
Thursday, July 23
Enter a hula contest.
Where else do you hold a three-day celebration of the Hawaiian Islands, if not in Vancouver? 3 Days of Aloha in the Pacific Northwest, Esther Short Park, West Columbia and 8th streets, Vancouver, Wash.. Thursday-Saturday, July 23-25.
Friday, July 24
Go to Portland's most free music festival.
In an age when music festivals err on the side of bro-filled bacchanals, PDX Pop Now—Portland's rock 'n' roll nonprofit—offers a free, volunteer-run, all-ages and, best of all, all-local alternative. PDX Pop Now! Festival, AudioCinema, 226 SE Madison St., 467-4554. Noon-1 am Friday-Sunday, June 24-26. Free. All ages.
Saturday, July 25
Be the best geek you can be.
Teams of five scatter throughout the city, demonstrating their superior knowledge of comics, video games, TV, movies and pop culture in various events. Costumes are highly encouraged. Brought to you by the Portland Geek Council, a remarkably sincere ring of Portlanders working to "nurture and promote the health and interests of the geek culture of Portland, Oregon." Portland Geek Olympathon, various locations. Saturday, July 25. $40 per team. All ages.
Sunday, July 26
Give the Willamette a big watery hug.
Tell that naysayer friend to quiet down: The Willamette River is totally swimmable. The goal: Get 3,000 Portlanders into the river to float, chill out and, like, totally acknowledge the Willamette as a recreational resource that needs proper preservation...wooo! The Big Float, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Southwest Columbia Street and Naito Parkway. 11 am. $5 early registration, $10 day of event. All ages.
Monday, July 27
Watch genteel street musicians.
Tune in to the local music scene with Director Park's free weekly mini-concerts. The July 27 showcase features Dust & Thirst, a guitar-banjo-bass trio twanging all-acoustic country originals in a minor key and rustic covers of familiar classic rock. Director Park, 815 SW Park Ave., 823-8087. Continues Mondays through Aug. 31. 6 pm. Free.
Tuesday, July 28
Eat weird, vicariously.
Hear the details of decapitating a chicken while stranded aboard a Thai longboat from culinary badass Anthony Bourdain. Hot off the fifth season of Parts Unknown, the outspoken raconteur tells his stiff-drink-swilling, ulcer-inducing adventure tales to 10 of Americaâs top culinary cities during his âClose to the Boneâ tour. Find out what bar heâs blacking out at afterward and go there. An Evening with Anthony Bourdain, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 800-273-1530. 7:30 pm. $64.55-$196.75.
Wednesday, July 29
Visit Portland's best new music venue.
Revolution Hall is built inside the former Washington High School, and it is spectacular. Even better? The rooftop patio, offering the best view on the eastside. And hey, Keb' Mo' is playing. Your mom loves Keb' Mo'! Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., 288-3895. 8 pm. $45 advance, $48 day of show. 21+.
Thursday, July 30
Party in a neighborhood you wouldn't have visited 20 years ago.
Join about 18,000 people to celebrate the 18th year of gentrification on Alberta. Most of the art at this art walk is on peopleâs faces or arms. Try not to stare. Eat Salt & Strawâs new flavor that no one asked for and enjoy stilt walkers, papier-mâché masks or bucket drummers, among people from Beaverton who still think Alberta is âedgy.â Last Thursday, Northeast Alberta Street, between 15th and 30th avenues. Last Thursday of every month, with street closures in June, July and August. Free.
Friday, July 31
Camp in Happy Valley, with music.
Aside from stellar lineupsâthis year features Ty Segall, Viet Cong, Thundercat and moreâPickathon is credited with its ability to craft an âalternate realityâ that nears Burning Man proportions. Limited crowds, morning yoga, 12 year-old buskers, reusable eco-everythingâtake that Coachella! Pickathon, Pendarvis Farm, 16581 SE Hagen Road, Happy Valley. Thursday-Sunday, July 30-Aug. 2. $270 weekend admission, children 12 and under free. All ages.
Saturday, Aug. 1
Learn to fly.
After seven long years, Flugtag returns! Tapping into Portland's DIY spirit, the event challenges the city to build its finest flying things. On this day, the 40 participants gather at Tom McCall Waterfont Park and launch themselves off of a 28-foot platform in hopes of breaking the world record by "flying" farther than 258 feet. Red Bull Flugtag Portland, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Southwest Naito Parkway. Free to watch. All ages.
Sunday, Aug. 2
Soak in some hot springs…inside a hotel.
Legend has it the ghosts of Isadore St. Martin and his ailing wife, Margaret, still prowl the grounds of the Hotel St. Martin. St. Martin was supposedly stabbed in the lobby by an angry soaker, and Margaret died of pure sorrow a year later, locals say. But the 100-year-old mineral-salt tubs are wonderful. Carson Hot Springs, 372 St. Martin's Springs Road, Carson, Wash., 509-427-8296. Bath house hours: 9 am-8 pm Sunday-Thursday, 9 am-9 pm Friday-Saturday. Prices for spa services vary. 18+.
Monday, Aug. 3
Smoke weed at Enchanted Forest.
But don't say we sent you. Enchanted Forest, inspired by the Brothers Grimm and the Wild West, is the theme park you always dreamed of as a kid. Crawl through the Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole on Storybook Lane, battle creatures of the dark on the Challenge of Mondor ride in the Old European Village and splash 40 feet down the log flume in Tofteville Western Town. Peter Pan vowed to never grow. You can too. Enchanted Forest, 8462 Enchanted Way SE, Turner, 371-4242. 10 am–6 pm daily through July 31, 10 am-6 pm Monday-Friday, 10 am-7 pm Saturday-Sunday beginning Aug. 1. $10.95 admission, $1 per ride ticket (rides take up to four tickets).
Tuesday, Aug. 4
See the best baskets ever.
The State of Oregon Craft exhibition is like the Venice Biennale of baskets. And rugs. And made things of every stripe. State of Oregon Craft, Museum of Contemporary Craft, 724 NW Davis St., 223-2654. Through Aug. 15. 11 am–6 pm Tuesday–Saturday, Aug. 4-8. $4.
Wednesday, Aug. 5
Witches!
Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman's Tony Award-winning musical Wicked sings the tale of a jealous rivalry between two witch frenemies in the land of Oz long before the Kansas tornado dumped Dorothy on the yellow brick road. Emma Hunton plays Elphaba, the green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West, and Chandra Lee Schwartz plays Glinda, the beautiful, blond Good Witch of South. Wicked, Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., 248-4335. 7:30 pm. Through Aug. 23. Tickets $41 and up.
Thursday, Aug. 6
Have an urban adventure.
Join 500 to 1,000 people for a run-around to local businesses to pick up raffle tickets for a chance to win sick prizes from event sponsors. Once you've got your goods in hand, kick back and listen to music while you sip local beer. You might have some questions: What prizes? Whose beer? Is it good music? Sit tight, Sherlock—if these urban runs weren't mysterious, do you think we could still call them adventures? Find the answers when you get there…but if you really can't wait, check out fleetfeetsports.com a day or two before for a few leaked deets. First Thursday Urban Adventure Run hosted by Fleet Feet, Northwest 19th Avenue Vaughn Street, 525-2122. 6 pm. Every First Thursday through September. Free.
Friday, Aug. 7
Celebrate bad breath!
We should start off by confirming the town of North Plains actually exists. Catch the Garlic King and Queen in all of their garlic glory, atop a garlic float, and surrounded by garlicky friends. You won't catch vampires at this festival. Elephant Garlic Festival, Jessie Mays Community Park, North Plains. Through August 9. Free.
Saturday, Aug. 8
Become suddenly midcentury dapper.
What's old is new again for National Garage Sale Day. The Irvington Neighborhood Yard Sale is a great excuse for buying random items that haven't seen the light of day in years. A map is provided the morning of the sale that details the houses that are participating and the items for sale. This is a must for vintage hunters and junk revivalists. Irvington Neighborhood Yard Sale.
Sunday, Aug. 9
Get on the Tilikum Crossing before your friends do.
Break out your stretchiest shorts for one of the city's longest-standing rides, Bridge Pedal, featuring routes that take you across seven bridges (14 miles), nine bridges (25 miles) or, for the first time since the new Tilikum Crossing, 11 bridges (35 miles). Bridge Pedal, Southwest Naito Parkway at Salmon Street. 6:45 am. $15-$60.
Monday, Aug. 10
Get free fresh fruit, or help give it away.
Swing by to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables for the week despite being deeply unemployed—or volunteer to hand them out. Harvest Share, a collaboration between Portland State University and the Oregon Food Bank, is first come, first served, so make sure to bring your reusable shopping bag. Only one of each type of fruit or vegetable, per person. To volunteer, go to wejoinin.com. Harvest Share, outside Shattuck Hall, 1914 SW Park Ave. Noon. Free.
Tuesday, Aug. 11
Schmooze on a hotel roof.
Engage in rooftop schmoozing and boozing strictly for networking purposes at the SemPDX Rooftop Networking Party. They say everyone is a bit more suave after they've tossed a few back, right? Nab some professional contacts and add more black-tie events to your social calendar. SemPDX Rooftop Networking Party, Embassy Suites, 319 SW Pine St.. 5:30-9 pm. $20-$40.
Wednesday, Aug. 12
Watch a star. Be a star.
Be reminded of how small and insignificant you are in a beautiful way. Bring your own telescopes and binoculars or use those provided to gaze at the Perseid Meteor Shower (one of the brighter showers of the year) and pick the brains of OMSI staff. The event takes place simultaneously at two state parks. OMSI Star Party, Perseid Meteor Shower Watch, Rooster Rock State Park, Exit 25 and Interstate 84, Corbett; L.L. Stub Stewart State Park, Oregon 47 four miles north of U.S. Highway 26, Buxton. 9 pm. Free with $5 parking fee. All ages.
Thursday, Aug. 13
Drink beer that is maybe healthy somehow.
In Portland's most Portland event that is also international, drink organic beer from all over the world, all weekend, at a park with a view. North American Organic Brewers Festival, Overlook Park, 1599 N Fremont St. Noon-9 pm Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 13-15; noon-5 pm Sunday, Aug. 16. $6 for a reusable, compostable cornstarch glass. $1 per drink token. Minors permitted with legal guardian.
Friday, Aug. 14
Make comedy.
Standup meets cartoons. Brandie Posey and Sam Varela, two L.A. girls with an expanded vision of live comedy, crack jokes while cartoonists draw them live. The comedians don't know what the drawers will come up with, and the animators don't know what the comedians will say. Picture This, Curious Comedy Theater. 5225 NE Martin Luther King Blvd. 477-9477. 9:30 pm. $10. All ages.
Saturday, Aug. 15
Embrace speed, abandon embarrassment.
Have your road cocktails handy for the annual day-drinking extravaganza of the PDX Adult Soap Box Derby. Spend the day watching diligently designed soap box cars race down the steep Mount Tabor slopes. PDX Adult Soap Box Derby, Mount Tabor Park, Southeast 60th Avenue and Salmon Street. 10 am-4 pm. Free. All ages.
Sunday, Aug. 16
Travel to India.
Except not really. But still, get your samosa on and dance to catchy Bollywood tunes in the middle of Portland. The Indian Cultural Association has held this celebration of everything Indian for more than 25 years in Portland. India Festival, Pioneer Courthouse Square, 701 SW 6th Ave. 11 am-9 pm. Free.
Monday, Aug. 17
Work sucks. Hike instead.
Take a three-day weekend and enjoy Punchbowl Falls without the crowds. It's basically the Disneyland of hikes in the Gorge, but today it's all yours, just like if you're Robin Lopez and you rented it out. Isn't it beautiful? Punchbowl Falls hike (3.8 miles), Eagle Creek Trailhead, Exit 41 on I-84. $5 recreation fee.
Tuesday, Aug 18
Enjoy outdoor music that isn't indie folk.
Pack your hummus and pack your kids. Portland Parks & Recreationâs summer Concerts in the Park showcase musiciansâmostly localâranging from acoustic folk rockers to eccentric, operatic cabaret singers. August 18 features PaâLante, Portlandâs Afro-Cuban âSalsa con Sabor.â McCoy Park, North Fiske Avenue and Trenton Street, 823-7529. Concerts continue in parks around the city through Aug. 16. 6:30 pm. Free.
Wednesday, Aug. 19
Drink German beer and eat currywurst.
Stammtisch, WW's 2015 Bar of the Year, has 18 taps, including a handful of beers specially imported and making their first appearance on the West Coast, such as Professor Fritz Briem Berliner Weisse and Leipziger Gose Doppelbock. It goes great with currywurst. Stammtisch, 401 NE 28th Ave., 206-7983.
Thursday, Aug. 20
Catch a glimpse of the future.
TechfestNW is back for a third year with two days of speakers, cool wave-of-the-future-type stuff, and plenty of parties at the newly minted (and appositely named) Revolution Hall. TechfestNW, Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., 288-3895. Thursday-Friday, Aug. 20-21.
Friday, Aug. 21
Go to Portland's greatest music festival
It's the second year since MusicfestNW switched to an outdoor, two-stage format set smack against the Willamette and, this time, we have free water refills! Also Modest Mouse touring on their first album in eight years. But really—free water refills! Friday features Foster the People, Misterwives, Milo Greene and Lost Lander. MusicfestNW, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, main entrance located on Northwest Yamhill Street. 4-10 pm Friday, 11 am-10 pm Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 21-23. Ticket price varies. All ages.
Saturday, Aug. 22
Add some color to your run.
Arrive in white, depart in rainbow cornstarch glory. If you're lazy, sign up to chuck color at the joggers. Portland Color Vibe 5K Run, Washington County Fair Complex, 873 NE 34th Ave., Hillsboro. 9 am. $75. All ages.
Sunday, August 23
Strap yourself to a rocket.
You ask yourself…. jet boats? There is only one answer: Jet boats!
Monday, Aug. 24
Run away to the woods.
Take the week off and find a camping spot, any camping spot, in the Mt. Hood National Forest. Even though the major campgrounds have been booked since June, you can camp outside the campgrounds on a first-come, first-serve basis. Just don't light a fire except in a fire pit, and not unless you have a two-gallon bucket, shovel and ax. Oh, and stay clear of both trails and rivers. Find spots at wweek.com/camp.
Tuesday, Aug. 25
Drink legendary sour beer that's never been drunk.
Every Tuesday at Portland's House of Sour, brewers and blenders showcase their exciting new libations in the sunny barrel house. Sipping on some sour beer, watching the serene sunset...could it get any better? Tap It Tuesday, Cascade Brewing Barrel House, 939 SE Belmont St. 265-8603. 6 pm.
Wednesday, Aug. 26
Stumble through science—with explosions.
These are the times we live in: Bill Nye is a jet-setting Netflix star and science museums become makeshift nightclubs. Bring your ID and stumble through explosion-themed exhibits and lectures, sans children. Snacks, beer and wine will be on site. Given the crowd that usually shows up, you might want to be on the early side. OMSI After Dark: Explosions!, OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave., 797-4000. 7 pm. $13. 21+.
Thursday, Aug. 27
Experience the Italy that isn't pizza.
Benvenuto! Festa Italiana is back and chock-full of carbs, music and drinking. Catch some âFesta Flicksâ throughout the three-day festival. Festa Italiana, Pioneer Courthouse Square, 701 SW 6th Ave., 223-1613. 11 am-11 pm Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 27-29. Free.
Friday, Aug. 28
Get your NPR on...Minnesota style.
Garrison Keillor broadcasts the news from America's quaintest and most ribald Podunk town, from Packy's backyard. This may be the perfect venue for NPR's never-ending variety show: antiquated yet endearing, and it comes with a captive audience with nothing better to do on Friday night. A Prairie Home Companion, Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road, 226-1561. 7 pm. $42.50-$82.50.
Saturday, Aug. 29
Become a weed whisperer.
By this point, weâll be almost two months deep into Measure 91. In this best of all possible worlds, if youâre not already tending to your own garden, youâll likely need some help. The CannaGrow Expo is a two-day educational event âdedicated to the art & science of growing cannabisâ with vendors and classes about proper tools and technique. You must buy a ticket for both days. CannaGrow Expo, Red Lion Hotel on the River Jantzen Beach, 909 N Hayden Island Drive. 10 am Friday-Saturday, Aug. 28-29. $39 expo only, $199 all-access. 18+.
Sunday, Aug. 30
Go to Portland's best free concert series.
Every summer week at Rontoms, Portland music treasure Theo Craig (who also plays bass in Máscaras) curates a night of free, mostly local music on one of the city's better bar patios. Don't look at the schedule. Just show up while it's still warm, before the concerts move indoors. Rontoms Sunday Sessions, Rontoms, 600 E Burnside St., 236-4536. Free. 21+.
Stop and smell the dahlias.
Dahhhling, let's go peruse the daaaaahlias. Get fancy, Canby style, and cruise to the annual dahlia festival. There's a plethora of picnic tables for those who want to enjoy a meal among the colorful blooms. Swan Island Dahlias, 995 NW 22nd Ave., Canby, 800-410-6540. Field hours, dawn to dusk; indoor display 10 am-6 pm; Aug. 29-31 and Sept. 5-7. Free.
Tuesday, Sept. 1
Get drunk and rock climb, but not in that order.
Who doesn't crave a cold beer after sweating it out on a rock wall? Climb at any Circuit Bouldering Gym location and receive a stamp for happy-hour-priced beers from Base Camp Brewing Company that same afternoon. (Two days later, on Thursday, get the same deal at Migration.) The Circuit NE, 410 NE 17th Ave., 719-7041. Base Camp Brewing Company, 930 SE Oak St., 477-7479.
Wednesday, Sept. 2
Drink your movie while you watch it.
You don't need 3-D glasses to pop drinks off the screen and into your hand at the Pix Patisserie summer movie series; the six-tap beer and cider garden in the outdoor courtyard serves up the drinks that appear with the evening's featured film. On Sept. 2, that's The Jerk, a 1979 comedy in which Navin (Steve Martin) finds out he's a white guy, not the black son of Mississippi sharecroppers. Movies at Dusk, Pix Patisserie, 2225 E Burnside St., 971-271-7166. Continues Wednesdays through Sept. 30. Free with $5 minimum purchase. Opens 8 pm.
Thursday, Sept. 3
Save the Earth, one concert at time.
The Sundown concert series promotes environmental education and enjoyment of local food and beers while listening to some swoon-worthy tunes. End up here after a full day of First Thursday activities and have a heyday of the environmentally concerned. Ecotrust, 721 NW 9th Ave., 227-6225. 5:30 pm. Free.
Friday, Sept. 4
Find out what all the kids are into these days.
Ariana Grande is basically Mariah Carey via Toddlers & Tiaras, a pint-sized Disney Channel actress-turned-pop star with a shockingly strong set of pipes. You often can't understand a word she's singing, but damn, can she sing them. Ariana Grande, Moda Center, 1 N Center Court St., 235-8771. 7:30 pm. $29.50-$69.50. All ages.
Saturday, Sept. 5
Take the Saturday Market upscale.
Dozens of artists' booths transform the Park Blocks into a sprawling, open-air gallery for Labor Day weekend. Art in the Pearl is First Thursday reincarnated as Saturday Market, with C'est Si Bon food-cart fare, a stage for aspiring Ben Howard types and arts ranging from encaustic to woodworking. Art in the Pearl, Northwest Park Blocks, NW 8th Avenue between NW Davis and NW Flanders Streets. 10 am-6 pm Saturday-Sunday and 10 am-5 pm Monday. Free.
Sunday, Sept. 6
Ride bikes, drink beer, eat hot dogs.
Pack as much summer as you can into today. It's almost over. The Tour de Lab is a "multi-pub bicycle tour" with craft beer and an all-you-can-eat hot dog bar. Oh, and last year there were therapy llamas. And it benefits animals. Go on, find something not to like. Tour de Lab, 459-4508. $39 includes beer and hot dogs.
Monday, Sept. 7
Breathe easy on Labor Day.
You've earned it, laborer. Hoist a High Life to the high life.
Twelve Radlers and Shandies, Ranked | Cliff Jumps and High Dives Near Portland
Do Something Awesome Every Day Until Labor Day | Best Hot Dogs in Portland
Six Urban Hikes (and Bars for After) | Drink, Smoke in the Park
Explore the Islands of the Willamette | Discover Your Favorite Skatepark
WWeek 2015