Hello and welcome to one of the springiest weeks we’ve seen in quite some time! Sure, T.S. Eliot called April “the cruellest month,” but around here, it’s losing its grip with sunbreaks and lilacs coming on strong. On the docket: Mirah’s earnest, diaristic indie rock, a May Day march for workers’ rights, and the weekend’s Cinco de Mayo fiesta. Plus, bet you haven’t visited the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens in Woodland yet. Pop on a light jacket!
MONDAY, APRIL 27
Labyrinth 40th Anniversary Screening
Calling all goblins, frustrated babysitters, and fans of David Bowie, Jim Henson, and George Lucas: This is your chance to see Labyrinth on the big screen at the Academy Theater, part of their 1980s fantasy series. Lots of critics, Roger Ebert included, gave Labyrinth harsh reviews upon its release, and the film was pulled from theaters early—but maybe 1986 just wasn’t ready to receive the film the way we are in 2026. Catch it at one of four screenings this week. (Academy Theater, 7818 SE Stark, various times April 27-30, $7-$9.50, more info, PG) KATHERINE CHEW HAMILTON
TUESDAY, APRIL 28
William Basinski
Back in 2022, avant-ambient composer William Basinski played with the best of ’em at Holocene: Portland’s own Methods Body and the Garbage Man, AKA Liz Harris/Grouper’s DJ alias. Then, in 2024, the light-bringers on the Reflections crew set the stage for an oozy Basinski set at the First Congregational Church of Portland. Whether you’ve been on his level this whole time or Basinski’s brand new to you, your assignment is to full-body experience this set by the man responsible for The Disintegration Loops (2002-2003). (It’s a four-volume album based on deteriorating tape loops of his own music.) Kelly Moran—a genre-stretcher signed with Warp Records, no big deal–will set the tone. (Star Theater, 13 NW 6th, 8 pm, $37.57, more info, 21+) LINDSAY COSTELLO
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29
BIPOC Reading Series
Literary Arts’ wealth of programming includes a monthly BIPOC reading, hosted by writer and designer Jessica Meza-Torres and Kyle Yoshioka, founder and editor of the food-focused magazine Provecho. This month’s featured reader is Paul Susi, who launched the mutual aid project PDX ID Assistance, which helps people who are unhoused replace critical documents like drivers’ licenses and birth certificates. He’s also an actor and writer who’s worked in social services. All are welcome to attend, although only BIPOC writers will be reading. (Literary Arts, 716 SE Grand, 7 pm, FREE, more info, all ages) KCH
THURSDAY, APRIL 30
Mirah
I first discovered Mirah when I was in elementary school—my best friend shared an iTunes account with her Elliott Smith–loving teenage brother, who had downloaded Mirah’s debut album, You Think It’s Like This but Really It’s Like This, after hearing about it on Mark Hoppus’ podcast in 2004. And that’s how I learned about Murphy beds (although I didn’t understand the line “tie me to the Murphy bed / Let’s do all the things we said,” until I relistened with adult ears). Mirah’s albums continued to soundtrack my life, with 2004’s C’mon Miracle comforting me through the rest of elementary school, 2009’s (a)spera holding my hand on the way to middle school, and Thao & Mirah keeping me company through high school lunch breaks. Unsurprisingly, as I approach 30, Mirah’s latest album, Dedication, continues to resonate, using her earnest, diaristic songwriting to approach grown-up themes like grief, motherhood, and marriage. She will support the album after an opening set from local folk singer-songwriter Anna Diem. (The Showdown, 1195 SE Powell, 8 pm, $20-$25, more info, 21+) AUDREY VANN
FRIDAY, MAY 1
One Motorcycle Show
Whether you’re a motorcycle fanatic or just someone who appreciates gorgeous custom art, the One Motorcycle Show (now in its 17th year) is a guaranteed blast. Featuring more than 300 custom bikes, hard rockin’ bands, and delicious food and beer, this annual shindig is a mecca for enthusiasts but also a one-of-a-kind experience for those who don’t know a goddamn thing about motorcycles. You’ll swoon over the custom designs, the helmet displays, the electric bike demos, the cool fashion, and surprises that are seemingly around every corner. And the heavy music provided by Barbarians of California, Chevy Metal, and more just adds to the fun. (Zidell Yards, 3121 S Moody, 9 am-10 pm May 1-2, 9 am-3 pm May 3, $16-$80, more info, all ages) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Crafty Wonderland Spring Market
Oh, crap! Have you looked at your calendar recently? You’ve completely forgotten that your best friend’s/husband’s/cousin’s/lover’s/pet’s birthday is coming up very soon! And you have no idea what to get them, do you? Oh, girl… You are a mess. But you can get un-messy very quickly by attending the Crafty Wonderland Spring Market, where every sort of adorable, gorgeous, and absolutely unique local present is available for purchase. You’ll find stickers, wall art, jewelry, aprons, bags and purses, pet toys, potholders, freaky statues, funny coffee cups, clever baseball caps, hot sauces, booze, soap, ceramics, scents, and waaaay more locally produced gifts than I can mention here. So snap up those birthday presents for the entire year! (Mine’s next week.) (Oregon Convention Center, Hall D, 777 NE MLK Jr., 11 am-5 pm, $4-$20, more info, all ages) WSH
Portland Cinco de Mayo Fiesta
More popular in the US than in Mexico, Cinco de Mayo has morphed into more of a general celebration of Mexican culture than of the country’s victory at the Battle of Puebla. Portland celebrates over five days with food, drinks, dance, music, and merriment, all hosted by the Portland Guadalajara Sister City Association. The bilingual festival will have over 40 food vendors offering items like aguas frescas and tamales while dozens of makers sell their handmade crafts. Mariachi Ciudad de Guadalajara plays live music, and traditional dance performances take the stage throughout the weekend. Other highlights include a lowrider car show, lucha libre wrestling, a naturalization ceremony, Sunday Mariachi Mass, and a family-friendly carnival. (Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 98 SW Naito, various times May 1-5, $10-$45, more info, all ages) BRI BREY
Dog People
Portland is full of dog people. Ours is a city filled with dog parks, dog-friendly patios, pet behaviorists and psychics, dog masseuses, raw dog food artisans, fancy pet treat stores, businesses named after dogs, and even dog-specific menus at bars. So it only follows that the local comedy scene has fetched us a canine-centric sketch show. Extended after a sold-out run, this “dog show about people” created by Michael Zimmer and Sofia Sullivan explores the most hilarious aspects of man’s besties and the sometimes outrageous lengths we go to for our furry friends. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to local nonprofit One Tail at a Time. The folks behind the foster-based pup rescue have a pretty playful sense of humor themselves. (Kickstand Comedy, 1006 SE Hawthorne, 8:30 pm, $15, more info, all ages) BB
Also worth it:
May Day March – International Workers’ Day, Oregon State Capitol, more info
Hosted by farmworkers union Pineros Y Campesinos Unidos del Noroeste (PCUN), this Day Without an Immigrant march calls for workers’ rights and an end to mass deportations, with local speakers and cultural performances including ballet folklorico and banda music. All are encouraged not to work on May 1, and to refrain from shopping.
Clockwatchers, Clinton Street Theater, more info
In Jill Sprecher’s ’97 film, Toni Collette, Lisa Kudrow, and Parker Posey navigate an unfortunate truth: Work sucks and then you die. Clockwatchers reads a bit like Office Space, but it’s a little smarter, more pointed, and (obviously) more femme. You’re welcome.
International Women’s Sports Film Festival, Judy Kafoury Center for the Arts, more info
The first-ever International Women’s Sports Film Festival features documentaries and narratives about women and nonbinary athletes, from ultrarunners to the Jamaican women’s football team to Canadian teenage curlers.
SATURDAY, MAY 2
AAPI Food & Wine Fest
May is both Oregon Wine Month and AAPI Heritage Month, so why not celebrate both at the same time? Now in its sixth year, the festival was founded by CHO Wines owners Dave and Lois Cho, the first Korean American winemakers in Oregon. Your ticket gets you a total of eight wine pours and ten bites from five different chefs and winemakers, with a different lineup each day (VIP gets you an extra pour of bubbles and four bites from a special chef). Saturday highlights include tastes from Rangoon Bistro and Pasar and sips from Post Familiar and Et Fille, while Pamana and Cozy Congee head in on Sunday, paired with wine from Junichi Fujita and Hundred Suns. (Stillwater Event Space, 455 NE Irvine, McMinnville, 11 am-1 pm, $90-$150, more info, 21+) KCH
The SpongeBob Musical
Portland Playhouse is going somewhere it’s never been: to a pineapple under the sea via The SpongeBob Musical. The Playhouse has put on plenty of musicals before, but according to the director Brian Weaver, “we’ve never done anything as shamelessly ridiculous as this.” Just because it’s ridiculous doesn’t mean that The SpongeBob Musical lacks meaning. The story kicks off as an undersea volcano begins to rumble and threatens to annihilate SpongeBob’s home of Bikini Bottom. The undersea town’s inhabitants are suddenly staring doom in the face. Each takes a different approach to imminent annihilation. (Portland Playhouse, 602 NE Prescott, through June 7, $5 – $59.95, more info, all ages) JOE STRECKERT
Also worth it:
The Portland Derby, The Redd on Salmon, more info
Prepare your splashiest hat, because Portland’s 19th annual derby party purports to be the biggest on the West Coast. The mint juleps will flow and Tamale Boy, Pidgin Hole, and Alchemy Sandwiches will sling snacks on site. Check out EverOut’s full list of derby watch parties.
3 Women, Whitsell Auditorium, more info
Robert Altman—a bona fide New Hollywood hero, known for his restless experimentation—directed a psychodrama so tonally removed from his Popeye and M*A*S*H that one wonders what he was going through at the time. 3 Women (1977) unfolds in Southern California’s hazy desert, where Millie’s (Shelley Duvall) breezy, talkative nature entrances her naïve new roommate/coworker, Pinky (Sissy Spacek).
Exquisite Automatism: Surrealist Cinema Series, Clinton Street Theater, more info
Opening on May 2 with the Surrealist Cabaret, an eclectic performance art showcase, Clinton Street’s surreal screening series will lean into a stream-of-consciousness feel with experimental films like Jean Cocteau’s Orpheus (1950), Luis Buñuel’s The Exterminating Angel (1967), and Maya Deren’s avant-garde short films.
SUNDAY, MAY 3
Lilac Days
The Hulda Klager Lilac Society celebrates their 50th anniversary this year, carrying forth the work of the namesake lilac cultivator who hybridized 14 new varieties of the flower in the early 20th century. Lilacs are prized for their strong fragrance and vibrant, but short-lived blossoms; one of the best places to admire them is the Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens in Woodland, Washington (just 30 minutes north of Portland). The grounds feature 90 unique botanicals and a historic farmhouse that’s only open to tour during this yearly celebration. (Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens, 115 S Pekin Rd Woodland, daily through May 10, $10, more info, all ages) BB
Public Tours of Hoyt Arboretum
There’s no better time to explore the flowering glory of Portland’s close-in parks than in spring. The Hoyt Arboretum makes exploration extra enjoyable with guided tours led by knowledgeable volunteers, which are free for everyone, every Sunday, from April through October. The excursions are up to a mile in length on fairly mild terrain (includes stairs and packed gravel), and seasonal routes change to highlight flora that’s currently popping off. Guides highlight the magnolia trees in the spring, conifers in the summer, and fall’s maple leaves. The property is home to a whopping 2,300 tree and plant species from six continents—details can be found in the arboretum’s seasonal highlights and “garden explorer” plant index. They even update a blossom tracker every Monday, so you can plan your visit to experience peak bloom. Arrive early at the visitor center to ensure a spot on the tour, held rain or shine! (Hoyt Arboretum, 4000 SW Fairview, Sundays 11 am-12 pm, spring tours through June 14, FREE, more info, all ages) BB
Looking for even more events happening this week? Head on over to EverOut!
