This week’s entertainment choices have it all: films for every possible taste, air guitar shredders, queer events aplenty, festivals, bike rides, horror sleepovers, poetry, and of course, lots and lots of NACHOS! Let’s dive into the fun.
MONDAY, JUNE 22
Portland Mercury Nacho Week
Hurrah! It’s time for the Portland Mercury’s Nacho Week! Not only are nachos the platonic ideal of bar food, they also present a wonderful canvas for creativity: Crunchy tortilla chips (or tots or what have you) provide a base for whatever toppings your heart desires! Nacho Week demonstrates the dizzying versatility of the beloved Tex-Mex dish with exclusive specials from over 50 chefs all over Portland… and for a mere $10 each! And guess what? We’re turning up the flavor with a mobile pass to help you crunch your way through it! Just sign up for a free account here, snag your Nacho Week pass, and start mapping out your cheesy adventure. (Various locations, Mon June 22-Sun June 28, $10, more info, all ages) MERCURY STAFF
TUESDAY, JUNE 23
RX Bandits
It’s hard to know how to define a band like Rx Bandits. Are they post-hardcore? Are they ska? Are they part of that nebulous pond of MySpace-core bands that your too-cool friend was super into back in the aughts? Your guess is as good as ours, but their 2006 breakthrough …And the Battle Begun is still a freakishly good record. If you want a chance to play “Assign the Genre” to the band in real time, their vicennial celebration at Revolution Hall, where they’ll play the album front-to-back, is going to be the most satisfying $47.50 you can spend this week. (Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, Tues June 23, 7 pm, $47.50, more info here, 21+) HOLLY HAZELWOOD
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24
But I’m a Cheerleader Screening and Drag Bingo
When was the last time you went to a FREE movie at Beaverton City Library’s gorgeous, underground, ADA accessible theater? It’s probably been a minute, huh? Well, what about drag bingo? If, like me, you’ve been neglecting your socialist obligation to support public libraries and bingo culture, this is your event. Hosted by the bearded goddess Pluto, BCL will screen everyone’s favorite conversion dramedy, But I’m a Cheerleader. Filled to the absolute brim with camp, its cast and cameos are unhinged: Yes, Natasha Lyonne and Clea Duvall crush in the good girl/bad girl dynamic, but did you clock Mama Ru’s gay ass tryna be so straight, or unbelievably hot Dante Basco (Rufio in Hook)?! Win prizes, watch queer canon, and check out a copy of Be Gay, Do Crime while you’re at it. (Beaverton City Library, 12375 SW 5th, Beaverton, Wed June 24, 6:30 pm, FREE, more info, all ages) NOLAN PARKER
Hear You Loud & Queer
Come all ye merry Portlanders, be gay and laugh with some of Portland’s best queer comics! Your hosts for Hear You Loud & Queer are Mack Lee, who aims to “eliminate feelings of shame through exploration of kink, mental health and queerness,” and Ally J Ward, a Mercury Undisputed Genius of Comedy of 2025 who also hosts and produces the comedy shows Lady Killers and Punchlines & Piledrivers. The lineup includes Lindy Tongol, Gabe Holmes, Daisy Claire, Esau World, and IMANI. (Show Bar, 1300 SE Stark #101, Wed June 24, 7 pm, $10, more info, 21+) KATHERINE CHEW HAMILTON
THURSDAY, JUNE 25
Darcelle XV Plaza Spectacular-Spectacular Grand Opening
Don’t know about you, but my brain automatically associates the words “Spectacular-Spectacular” with the campy Moulin Rouge number. I do, however, have words in my vernacular to describe this great event: Downtown’s newest public space, named in honor of dearly departed local drag legend Darcelle, is opening with a bang. Poison Waters will host the joyful celebration in tribute to her former mentor as Darcelle XV Plaza is christened with performances from a “dynamic lineup of entertainers connected to Darcelle’s legacy.” If you’ve never experimented with the art of drag, visit the glam station, where profesh makeup artists will be on hand to paint a full Darcelle-inspired beat on your mug. (Darcelle XV Plaza, 800 SW Harvey Milk, Thurs June 25, 5-10 pm, FREE, more info, all ages) JANEY WONG
Bigfoot Poetry Festival
If I had to guess, I’d say Bigfoot’s favorite poet is Walt Whitman. But I’d also bet he’s sticking to reading Leaves of Grass in the woods rather than coming into the city for his namesake, three-day poetry competition. Lucky for us literary socialites, this festival returns to a cluster of walkable venues downtown from Powell’s to the Multnomah County Central Library, as well as Fortune and Wanderlust bars. There will be poetry open mics, workshops, and showcases, all free to the public! Connect with communities with similar interests at workshops for erotic poetry, poets in drag, poets with disabilities, and an especially entertaining and abruptly positive improvised compliment death match. The “bout” events will feature competitive head-to-heads between slam teams from around the nation, eventually narrowing winners down to four teams that will compete at the final stage, the only ticketed event of the festival. (Various locations and times, June 25-27, FREE, more info, all ages) BRI BREY
FRIDAY, JUNE 26
Sleepaway Camp: The Midnight Mass Experience
Drag queens, meet campy horror. Before this screening of ’83 slasher Sleepaway Camp, the night will kick off with a drag show by Peaches Christ, followed by a Q&A sesh with Peaches, Felissa Rose (who stars in the film), and Midnight Mass podcast co-host Michael Varrati. Don your summertime best to enter the ’80s camp costume contest; VIPs will also get to meet the trio and grab autographs. Then, it’s time for the cult horror classic—let the slashing and screaming begin. (Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton, Fri June 26, 7 pm, $30-$75, more info, R) KCH
Oregon Midsummer Festival
Sunshine, flower crowns, maypole dancing. The Oregon Midsummer Festival is like stepping into Ari Aster’s Midsommar with none of the body horror (Florence Pugh sadly not included either) and all of the lovely bits. Raise your beverage of choice with a hearty exclamation of “skål!” at this two-day festival celebrating all things Scandinavian. Hosts Nordic Northwest invite folks to beat the crowds on Friday night with a dance-filled evening and bonfire for Saint John’s Eve. While the campus’s restaurant Broder Söder will be open on Saturday with its requisite Swedish fare, hungry revelers can also enjoy Hygge Chocolates, baked goods from Carina’s Bakery, and Swedish pancakes made by Harmoni Lodge. (Nordic Northwest, 8800 SW Oleson, 5-9 pm June 26, 10 am-5 pm June 27, $19.92, more info, all ages) JW
Heavenly, w/ The Umbrellas, Swansea Sound
Sick of listening to music and reading fiction on a Friday night? Did the International Tweexcore Underground save you, too? We have the heavenly option for you, in the form of K Records’ greatest exports, Heavenly, returning to Portland Town after a massively successful Mississippi Studios visit in 2024. Somehow, last year’s Highway to Heavenly sounds like it was lost in the basement of Sarah Records in 1996 and unearthed last year, proving that twee-pop never goes out of style—and that, most likely, singer/guitarist Amelia Fletcher found the fountain of youth after Talulah Gosh broke up. (Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, Fri June 26, 8 pm, $38.23, more info, all ages) HH
SATURDAY, JUNE 27
U.S. Air Guitar Championships
Forget the World Cup! If you want to bear witness to true athleticism, talent, and overall radness, don’t miss this official regional competition for the best air guitarist in the nation! Put on by the governing body of U.S. Air Guitar (yes, that’s a thing), the best imaginary shredders in the Pacific Northwest will gather to pretend to play the most wicked electric guitar solos for your entertainment pleasure. And the winner of regionals will go on to the national championship finals in San Francisco on August 1—so come out and root on these talented, make-believe (which in many cases are better than reality) rock gods! (Dante’s, 350 W Burnside, Sat June 27, 9 pm, $18.03, more info, 21+) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Good in the Hood
This multicultural food and music festival is now in its 33rd year, kicking off with a parade at 11 am from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary to the festival grounds at Lillis Albina Park. Then, it’s time for a weekend full of music—legendary Portland rapper Cool Nutz headlines on Saturday, while singer Aléa Lorén takes the stage on Sunday. Food vendors, local organizations, and artists will be tabling—and free hair braiding and complimentary hair cuts are also on offer. New for this year, there’s also a dedicated teen zone with a dance contest and basketball tournament. (Lillis Albina Park, N Flint and N Russell, June 27-28, noon-9 pm, FREE, more info here, all ages) KCH
Jonny’s Day Out JDO release show
Rejoice! After years of singles, EPs, and wacky videos with bear/bunny/horse costumes, the infectious five-piece Jonny’s Day Out are celebrating the release of their debut album, JDO, at Hawthorne Theatre, with local beatsmith (and JDO producer) Quickly, Quickly warming up the crowd. If you’ve never seen the band live, this is exactly where you want to be this Saturday night; the infectiousness of the JDO unit, especially singer/guitarist Avery Haines, a yowling madman whose stage presence must be witnessed at least once by everyone in the Portland Metro Area. You won’t regret it. (Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th, Sat June 27, 8 pm, $19.49, more info here, 21+) HH
Menopunkpalooza
If you flocked to see riot grrrl bands during the ‘90s, or if you cherished your compilation CDs from Olympia-based indie label Kill Rock Stars, you might be in menopause or perimenopause. The bad news: You’ve probably been subjected to a lot of medical misinformation. The good news: Things are starting to turn around, and physicians understand the value of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The ultra good news? Portland-based filmmaker Alicia J. Rose is on a quest to unearth the collective experience of many Gen X women with a documentary called Menopunks, featuring trailblazers like Margaret Cho, Corin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney, Sara Lund of Unwound, and plenty more. Check out a slew of iconic bands and a resource fair to help support the film. (Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, Sat June 27, FREE resource fair 12-4 pm at Lola’s Room with Menopalooza ticket or RSVP; 5-11 pm show, $59.75, more info, all ages) COURTNEY VAUGHN
Wings of Desire
New German Cinema pioneer Wim Wenders, who directed the sweet and spare Perfect Days (2023) and the neon-washed American landscapes of Paris, Texas (1984), is a master of aesthetic reinvention. His ’87 masterpiece Wings of Desire is among his most ambitious films. If you were moved by Perfect Days’ toilet scrubbing philosopher Hirayama and his rituals of cassette tapes and photos of trees, Wings will feel far more experimental by comparison. Yet it’s still in the spirit of Wenders’ oozy slow cinema and emphasis on careful observation. Shot primarily in black and white just before the fall of the Berlin Wall, the film follows two angels who soar over the city, listening to human chatter until one falls in love with a beautiful trapeze artist. Nick Cave appears, as does this eerily fabulous, circus-y composition. (Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st, Sat June 27, 11 am, $9, more info, PG-13) LINDSAY COSTELLO
Camp Wyrd War’s Silver Falls Sleepover Slaughter
This overnight campout and double-feature watch party of two horror classics—Just Before Dawn (1980) and Squirm (1976)—sounds like a literal nightmare. If you’re looking to be creeped out in the woods, then this is right up your alley, so post up at the private campground with filmmaker Jeff Lieberman in attendance for a night of scary stories. Dance until dawn to DJ Dennis Dread’s beats, and loosen up with a few cocktails at the pop-up bar. No jump scares needed; the woods around Silver Falls already have a lushly haunted atmosphere, so BYO camp chair, and enjoy the eerie vibes. (Silver Falls State Park, 20024 Silver Falls Hwy SE, Sublimity OR, Sat June 27, 8:30 pm, $100-$400, more info, all ages) BB
Also Worth It….
The Big Portland Bake Show, Pix Patisserie, more info
This weekend is the kickoff of a live three-part Great British Bake-Off-style competition featuring local bakers—the audience can sample bites of baked goods, interrogate the contestants in a Q&A, listen to live bossa nova music, and grab Sichuan snacks and, of course, Pix-o-Matic desserts. KCH
SUNDAY, JUNE 28
East Portland Sunday Parkways
The beloved event which “shuts down the streets” for bikers, walkers, skaters, and more comes to East Portland for another fun-filled day of car-less joy. The “four-mile out-and-back route” offers lots of fun and activities along the way, kicking off from Ventura Park and ending at Verdell Burdine Rutherford Park, where you can find your community and celebrate the Eastside’s (and Portland’s) network of gorgeous neighborhood greenways. (Ventura Park, 460 SE 113th, Sun June 28, 11 am-4 pm, FREE, more info, all ages) WSH
Be Gay, Do Crime
One of the funniest (and most educational!) comedy shows in town, Be Gay, Do Crime features a storytelling format in which comedians share tales of their fave queer “rebel” icons throughout history. Hosted this month by Jane Dillinger and Ameerah Sanders, with education and comedy provided by guests K. Marie, Gabe Holmes, Andie Main, and Isaiah Steele, Be Gay, Do Crime is instructional, goofy, and thoughtful, with an extra dash of fun provided by audience members who share their own past “crimes” for the riffing pleasure of the guest comedians. Yep, there are prizes to be had as well! (Back Door Theatre, 4319 SE Hawthorne, Sun June 28, 7:30 pm, GAYAF [Give as you’re able, friend], more info, all ages)
Looking for even more events happening this week? Head on over to EverOut!
