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WATCH: Hair
If all you know about Hair is that it’s about hippies and their manes, well, there’s a lot more in store for you as Portland Center Stage’s 2023-24 season opener unfolds. Sure, expect amazing wigs, sex, drugs and plenty of rock and roll (the soundtrack includes classics like “Aquarius,” “Good Morning Starshine” and “Let the Sunshine In”), but the musical also explores the political unrest that defined 1968—the Vietnam War, racism, the fight for women’s rights and more. In our current tumultuous environment, sometimes traveling back in time and viewing things through the eyes of a group of optimistic, young bohemians is all you need to feel injected with hope (at least temporarily). Portland Center Stage at the Armory, 128 NW 11th Ave., 503-445-3700, pcs.org. 7:30 pm Wednesday-Friday, 2 and 7:30 pm Saturday-Sunday. 2 pm select Thursdays, through Nov. 5. $25-$98.
DRINK: Battle of the Bartenders
Witness epic head-to-head matchups between some of the best mixologists in the city as they compete for a $1,000 grand prize and the coveted title of Battle of the Bartenders Champion. The six-week, March Madness-style journey will feature teams of two, whose every pour and flourish will be scrutinized by a distinguished panel of judges. Audience participation, however, is also a vital part of the contest, so come help crown the winner while tipping back a few drinks yourself. Ponderosa Lounge & Grill, 10350 N Vancouver Way, 503-345-0300, jubitz.com/ponderosa-lounge-country-bar. 7-9 pm Wednesday, Oct. 18-Nov. 29. $10 cover charge.
EAT: 2023 Portland Fermentation Festival
Do you smell that? It’s Stinkfest, aka the Portland Fermentation Festival, one of the oldest events of its kind in the nation, which is back following a three-year pandemic hiatus. Unlike other food-focused gatherings, you won’t be expected to purchase food or drink at booths. Instead, everything is available to sample for free (though there will be hard cider and more substantial dishes to buy on the rooftop for those who need to fuel up while they snack). Attendees are also encouraged to get hands-on: preserve some cabbage or carrots at the DIY Fermentation Station (a fan favorite), adopt a sourdough starter, or get to know the world of SCOBYs at the brand-new Bacterial Petting Zoo (though we can’t promise live cultures are anywhere near as cute as the critters found in traditional petting zoos). Ecotrust’s Irving Street Studio and Rooftop Terrace, 721 NW 9th Ave., portlandfermentationfestival.com. 6-9 pm Thursday, Oct. 19. $15-$30.
WATCH: Two Pints
Third Rail Repertory Theatre’s 2023-24 season opener will sit you down with two of the best bar flies you could ever hope to meet—if you can understand what’s coming out of their mouths, that is. Playwright Roddy Doyle is known for penning breakneck-speed dialogue, which in Two Pints covers a winding, wide range of topics as the old friends catch up in a Dublin pub. After several rounds, the conversation veers philosophical—as late-night bar stool banter tends to do, offering a compassionate portrait of the average person trying to wrestle with loss and search for meaning. CoHo Theatre, 2257 NW Raleigh St., 503-235-1101, thirdrailrep.org. Pay-what-you-will previews 7:30 pm Wednesday-Thursday, Oct. 18-19. 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday and 2 pm Sunday, Oct. 20-29. $25-$47.
WATCH: Portland Dance Film Fest
Fresh off the heels of the Portland Film Festival is this lineup of screenings for anyone who needs even more time marveling at interesting images in a darkened theater. The Portland Dance Film Fest features 24 curated works from eight countries that all showcase the art form of choreography. This year’s event will be held at the newly renovated Dekum Street Theater, which is also the site of a filmmaking workshop and three-hour master class with Los Angeles writer and director Nadav Heyman. Dekum Street Theater, 814 NE Dekum St., portlanddancefilmfest.com. Various times Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 19-21. $12-$40.
EAT & DRINK: Taste of the Orchard
You may have never heard of the Home Orchard Education Center, which oversees 1.6 acres of fruit trees at Clackamas Community College, but that shouldn’t prevent you from tasting the results of the nonprofit’s hard work. Support the organization’s mission to provide community access to healthy food and preserve heirloom seeds by attending this dinner. You can expect appetizers, a buffet-style main course, desserts highlighting fruit from the orchard, and plenty of beer, wine and hard cider. A silent auction rounds out the evening’s events. The Tumwater Ballroom, 211 Tumwater Drive, Oregon City, 503-298-5410, homeorchardeducationcenter.org/taste-of-the-orchard. 6-9 pm Friday, Oct. 20. $100-$2,000.
WATCH: Night Flight’s 2023 Fright Night: A Halloween Circus
Nineties nostalgia has crept into Halloween, as this is the latest attraction that looks back at a time when a perfect Friday night meant scouring the aisles of the local video store for a rental and then hunkering down at home. This being spooky season, the theme is scary movies—here, aerialist troupe Night Flight has two “Blockmonster” clerks doing battle with some of Hollywood’s best-known horror characters: a possessed doll, vampires, and a blood-covered prom queen. The fear factor is amped up, of course, because everyone is dangling from the ceiling. Lincoln Performance Hall at Portland State University, 1620 SW Park Ave., nightflightaerial.com/frightnight. 7:30 pm Thursday-Saturday and 6:30 pm Sunday, Oct. 20-28. $44-$68. Show is considered R rated.
GO: The Oddities & Curiosities Expo
If you’re looking for items that will have your friends asking, “Where did you find that?!” then your search should come to an end at the Oddities & Curiosities Expo, which showcases a wide variety of rare, strange collectibles (some of which you can take home). Expect everything from preserved animal specimens to questionably effective medical devices—a perfect pre-Halloween pit stop or, perhaps, just a run-of-the-mill trip to stock up on home décor if cobwebs and skeletons are your thing year-round. Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., 503-235-7575, odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com. 10 am-6 pm Saturday and 10 am-4 pm Sunday, Oct. 21-22. $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Kids under 12 get in free.
GO: Knock Out: Plus-Size Pop-Up and Fashion Show
This month, yet another event is emerging from a pandemic pause: Knock Out, which celebrates curvy, body-positive feminine warriors, dapper darlings and beyond. There is both a fashion show and a shopping pop-up, so you can immediately take runway inspiration back to your own closet. Designers are from Portland and across the U.S. (Knock Out’s website gives Ohio a special shout-out as if it were Milan, for some reason, so you better bring the style, Buckeye State). The Melody Event Center, 615 SE Alder St., knockoutpdx.com. Noon-4 pm Sunday, Oct. 22. $33.
LISTEN: The Moth GrandSLAM Championship
Witness a collection of raconteurs battle it out in front of a live audience in this local competition of The Moth—the New York-based nonprofit dedicated to the art of first-person oral storytelling. Performers are all winners from the open mic StorySLAM series and will share five-minute tales focused on the night’s given theme. If you’ve never been to a Moth performance, the content ranges from hilarious to harrowing, so come prepared to ride an emotional roller coaster. Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave., 503-234-9694, themoth.org/events. 8 pm Tuesday, Oct. 24. $34.