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EAT: Portland Wing Week
Good news, everyone: it’s mf WING WEEK!!! From the folks over at Portland Mercury, the Rose City will have wings up the wazoo through Sunday, Oct. 6. We’re talking Hot-Honey-Buffalo wings, PB & Spicy J wings, Blackberry Habanero Delicious wings, Miso Garlic wings, Thai Green Curry wings, Chicken & Waffle wings, BBL wingz (crowned with candied bacon—OK, slay) and about 60 other incredible wing concoctions being served up at various locales around town. Oh, and did we mention each order of wings is only $8? Yeah, we’re stoked. Various locations, everout.com/portland/events/portland-mercurys-wing-week-2024/e185575. Sept. 30–Oct. 6. $8.
SING: Karaoke From Hell
If you’re the friend who essentially has to be dragged up on stage to do karaoke, this event might be your personal…erm, [karaoke from] hell. If you’re a seasoned karaoke expert who’s been dying to live out your rock-star fantasies, however, Karaoke From Hell is definitely for you. Why? Well, because whether your song of choice is “Dancing Queen,” “Wrecking Ball,” “Truckin’,” or any of the other 700 options they’ve got in their catalog, you’ll have a live band accompanying you on stage, backing you up as you sing. Don’t mess up! Spare Room, 4830 NE 42nd Ave., 503-287-5800. 9 pm–midnight Thursdays. Dante’s, 350 W Burnside St., 866-777-8932, 9 pm–1 am Mondays. karaokefromhell.com. Cost varies.
WATCH: H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival
Calling all H.P. Lovecraft-heads! The annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival returns this weekend for its 29th year running. Get ready for three days of 60+ new independent and feature film screenings—we’re talking horror flicks, classics and direct adaptations of Lovecraft’s stories as well as brand-new films influenced by his genre of cosmic horror. Plus there’s gonna be author readings, live performances, panel discussions, a Cthulhu Prayer Breakfast and Q&As with filmmakers such as this year’s filmmaker of honor, Aaron Moorhead. Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-493-1128, hplfilmfestival.com. 7–11 pm Friday, Oct. 4, 1–5 pm and 7–11 pm Saturday–Sunday, Oct. 5–6. $25 and up.
GET SPOOKED: ScareGrounds PDX at Oaks Park
If ScareGrounds PDX, Oregon’s largest haunted attraction, isn’t already on your spooky-season agenda, you should definitely add it. There are three enormous haunted houses to choose from: The Silver Scream, featuring the “most infamous villains of horror cinema”; Slayers, a house full of “unspeakable monstrosities”; and Forbidden Fortress, haunted by a cursed king and his court. And if haunted houses aren’t your thing (although we will warn you there’ll be tons of creepy creatures roaming the grounds freely), there’s also Zombie Archery, a blackout maze, labyrinth games, a “Buried Alive Coffin Ride,” graveyard shops and more. Oaks Amusement Park, 7805 SE Oaks Park Way, 503-233-5777, scaregroundspdx.com. Friday–Sunday, Oct. 4–Nov. 2, Wednesday–Thursday, Oct. 30–31. $18–$113.
GO: Portland Night Market
After a brief post-summer hiatus, the Portland Night Market is back and spookier than ever for fall! At this year’s autumnal market, you can expect a magical oddities shop, specialty craft cocktails, immersive art experiences, plenty of photo ops, a live DJ, tattoos and (crucial selling point here) baby goats (eeep!). Oh, and the 175+ different food and retail vendors selling ghostly ceramic mugs, Hellmo earrings, the cutest handmade bag charms and more. Last year’s market even had pumpkin carving. Check out @portlandnightmarket on IG to see what spooky surprises they’ve got planned for 2024. Portland Night Market, 100 SE Alder St., pdxnm.com. 4–11 pm Friday–Saturday, Oct. 4–5. Free.
GO: Portland Tattoo Expo
In Portland, it seems like everyone and their mother (literally) has tattoos. Which is why it makes a whole lotta sense we’d host a Tattoo Expo—three full days of talented artists from around the world tattooing together in one enormous expo center. How does it work? Well, if you see a particular artist in the lineup you’d like to request work from, it wouldn’t hurt to contact them prior to the event to get yourself on their books. But there’s still a pretty good chance you’ll be able to leave with a new tattoo (if you’d like one) regardless! Portland Expo Center, 2060 Marine Dr., 503-736-5200, portlandtattooexpo.com. Friday–Sunday, Oct. 4–6. $25–$60.
RUN: Portland Marathon
Whether you’re actually interested in running the Portland Marathon, needing to know where to stand so your admittedly more-athletic friend will be able to read your cleverly worded sign, or simply concerned about avoiding traffic downtown, here’s the 411: The 52nd Portland Marathon, presented by OHSU Health, starts downtown, crosses over four bridges, passes through some classic Rose City landmarks, and ends back downtown. There’ll be 9,000+ runners, a marathon (obviously), a half marathon, a kids run, and a new-this-year 10K run. So come on down and cheer ‘em on! (No need to wake up at 4 am, though; they chose that life for themselves.) Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 98 SW Naito Pkwy., portlandmarathon.com. 7 am– 1 pm Sunday, Oct. 6. Free to attend, registration cost varies.
Got a tip? Email shannon@wweek.com.