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GO: Rose City Comic Con
Alright, calling myself out here: I was about to write something along the lines of “Portland nerds, this one’s for you,” but then I realized the dude from Shaun of the Dead—an incredible zombie satire, for those who haven’t yet had the pleasure—is gonna be there, and immediately got randomly excited about Rose City Comic Con. So clearly, I can’t talk. Anyways, he’s gonna be there, as well as some of the cast of Our Flag Means Death, Breaking Bad, Star Trek, and more. Oh, and there’ll be an array of comics, gaming, sci-fi, anime, and fantasy stuff too. Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., rosecitycomiccon.com. 1–8 pm Friday, 10 am–7 pm Saturday, 10 am–5 pm Sunday, Sept. 6–8. $15+.
LAUGH: Kickstand Comedy in the Park Fest
Sad news, y’all. This Friday will be the last Comedy in the Park of the summer…tragic, we know. But don’t worry, we’ll have the last laugh. To close out the season, the folks over at Kickstand are hosting the first-ever Comedy in the Park Fest—a full day of laughing, lounging, snacking, drinking, and yapping alongside a few thousand Portlanders in Laurelhurst Park. Bring your partner, your kids, your dog, your unemployed friend who had very serious plans to reorganize their closet that afternoon…it’s gonna be awesome. Laurelhurst Park, Southeast César E. Chávez Boulevard and Stark Street, kickstandcomedy.org. 1–7:30 pm Friday, Sept. 6. Free.
VIEW: Toyworld at Nucleus House
OK, we know that there are a lot of art exhibits happening across Portland at any given time, but, in our humble opinion, this one might just be…the cutest. Picture this: an adorable, overall-wearing tuxedo cat, carefully hand-crafted from felt, thinking about maybe drinking an apple juice later and perhaps donning a tiny little straw sun hat. From the poster alone, from which we interpreted the above scenario, we’re hooked on the joy that is Toyworld, a new collaborative collection by textile artist Cat Rabbit and multidisciplinary artist the Seven Seas about toys and toy collecting. Nucleus House, 1137 NE Alberta St., nucleusportland.com. Noon–5 pm Saturday, noon–4 pm Sunday, through Sept. 29. Free.
WATCH: Scott Pilgrim vs. the World With Uncanny Valley Girls
Although we’re about 99% sure that every Portlander and their mother has seen Scott Pilgrim vs. the World by now (it’s not set here or anything…it just feels like a Portlander’s favorite film), here’s the breakdown, just in case: It’s Michael Cera, Aubrey Plaza, a girlie named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), and her seven evil exes. Plus, a lot of epic, superhuman musical showdowns. So, skate on over to Tomorrow Theater this Friday for your daily dose of Cera, plus some pre-show Scott Pilgrim-inspired tunes by PDX’s Uncanny Valley Girls. PAM CUT Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division St., 503-221-1156, tomorrowtheater.org. 7 pm Friday, Sept. 6. $15.
GO: Division Clinton Street Fair
Yet another summer Portland street fair rears its head…this time on Southeast Clinton Street! In addition to neighborhood business pop-ups, food vendors, drinks, and other inevitable fun—we’ve got almost a mini-festival lineup of live music. Expect instrumental garage/surf music by the Trabants, a brief appearance by the Rocky Cabaret (it’s being held outside the Clinton Street Theater, after all), the Pete Krebs Duo with some roots and country and, lastly, some combination of pop and Pacific Northwest rock ‘n’ roll by The Minus 5. Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St.. 10 am–5 pm Saturday, Sept. 7. Free.
SEE: Portland Dragon Boat Festival
If you’ve lived in Portland for a while now, you’ve probably been to (or at least heard of) the Portland Dragon Boat Festival. There are food vendors, a beer garden, face painting and, crucially, there’s Dragon Boat Racing. But did y’all know that the teams like…really train for this race? Like…for months on end? I mean, it makes sense—I for one would have no clue how to operate a dragon boat without at least some training. But yeah, it’s serious business; apparently, dragon boat racing teams come from all over the U.S. (and Canada!) to race in this event. Word on the street is that it’ll be the newest event in the next Summer Olympics…kidding, but hey, if break dancing can be a thing, this easily could be too. To race is pricey, but to attend? Free. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 98 SW Naito Parkway, portlanddragonboats.com. Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 7–8. Free.
GO: The Corn Maize on Sauvie Island
While we don’t really want to acknowledge the fact that summer is coming to a close—don’t get us wrong, we love fall, it’s just...too soon—we’d be remiss if we didn’t let y’all know that The Maize at the Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island is now open for the season. Especially because this year’s maize is…Snoopy girls, you might wanna sit down for this…Peanuts themed! When seen from above, The Maize features Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Sally and Linus in honor of Peanuts’ 75th anniversary. It’s the Great Pumpkin (Patch), Charlie Brown! Sauvie Island Pumpkin Patch, 16511 NW Gillihan Road, 503-621-3874, portlandmaize.com. 10 am–5 pm Monday–Friday, 10 am–6 pm Saturday and Sunday, through Sept. 30. 10 am–6 pm Sunday–Thursday, 10 am–10 pm Friday and Saturday, through Oct. 31. $9.25+.