The Bird Days of Summer
THROUGH AUGUST 26
(COMMUNITY) The Bird Alliance of Oregon’s summer-long flock of events flits into August with birding hikes, art workshops, and other “super beginner-friendly” birding experiences planned. Several excursions are already full, but for the adventurous, the August 15 star safari beneath Malheur’s dark skies will no doubt be magnificent. Homebodies can still grab a spot in the August 25 evening birding paddle at Whitaker Ponds, too—no experience required. (Various locations and times, FREE, birdallianceoregon.org, all ages) LINDSAY COSTELLO
Queer Screams
AUGUST 14-16
(FILM) The 2026 Queer Screams festival (stylized as Queer Scre4ms, we see you) pinned both a prom theme and some major names to its fourth year. Not only is OG Carrie (1976) mean girl Nancy Allen a special guest at a 50th anniversary celebration of the queer horror prom classic, but beloved TV writer Bryan Fuller hosts a showing of his directorial debut Dust Bunny (2025). Come for the big names, stay for the shorts—that’s where you’ll find the next auteur that just gets you. (Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton, various showtimes, $15-$25, $75 weekend pass, queerscreams.com) SUZETTE SMITH
Homie Fest VII
AUGUST 14-16
(MUSIC) Homie Fest is back for the second year in a row after taking a seven-year sabbatical. Helmed by Portland’s busiest artist, Papi Fimbres, the fest takes to the forests of Camp Colton—about 45 minutes southeast of Portland. Explicitly curated by and for BIPOC and LGBTQIA2+ PNW artists, Homie Fest hosts Karma Rivera, Kusikia, Mnemonic Pulse, Nick Normal, Obedient, Queen Rodeo, Vueltas, Yawa, and many more. As is tradition, Papi’s band Orquestra Pacífico Tropical plays the final slot, shutting it down the only way they know how: with a massive cumbia-fueled dance party not likely to be forgotten soon. (Camp Colton, 30000 S Camp Colton Dr, Colton, SOLD OUT, @homiefestpdx, all ages) NOLAN PARKER
Rockstar Energy Open
AUGUST 14-16
(SPORTS) I think skateboarding is about as close to wizardry as it gets. How do they make it look like the board is sticking to their feet when they jump in the air? How do they make the board flip around in like three different directions and land back on it without breaking an ankle? Fundamentally, how do they stand on the board without it rolling out from under them? (That’s the part I’ve never figured out myself.) Now in its third year, this free waterfront festival includes men’s and women’s street and park competitions, live music, art, and skate gear for sale. I imagine there’ll be plenty of Rockstar available to drink, too. (Tom McCall Waterfront Park, 98 SW Naito, FREE, theplatfrm.com, all ages) KATHERINE CHEW HAMILTON
PDX Adult Soapbox Derby
AUGUST 15
(COMMUNITY) Equal parts DIY art show, action-packed race, and neighborhood party, the soapbox derby is an occasion every Portlander needs to experience at least once. The cars are a sight to behold—last year, there was a Popemobile, a giant hot dog, a massive Narcan syringe, and an ear of corn with the rider wearing a helmet resembling a pat of butter. You can see the racers prepare at the top of Tabor at what’s called the Pits, or set up your picnic blanket and watch the cars hit their top speeds of up to 50 miles per hour on the big downhill, known as the Alley of Blood. (Don’t sit too close, or else.) Food vendors and a drum corps performance really bring the festivities to life. (Mt. Tabor Park, SE 60th and Salmon, 10 am-4 pm, soapboxracer.org, FREE, all ages) KCH
La Luz
AUGUST 21
(MUSIC) All-femme band La Luz hit the scene in Seattle in 2013, playing a bendy, moody mashup of surf, grunge, and a little doo-wop often described as surf noir. Today, the band calls Los Angeles home, and only frontwoman Shana Cleveland remains from La Luz’s original lineup. Retaining some of their garage-y sensibilities while incorporating psychedelic guitar flair and synths, the band sounds like they’re from outer space. We’ve changed a lot since 2013, and so has La Luz—go hear their shifting sound. (Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, mississippistudios.com, SOLD OUT, 21+) KCH
Made Bike Show
AUGUST 21-23
(COMMUNITY) While Portland’s major greenways like SE Clinton or NE Going are always prime spots for ogling beautiful bikes, real bike nerds shouldn’t miss out on Made, where frame builders, components makers, bag sewists, and accessory peddlers show off their craftsmanship and artistry. Check out Paladin’s mountain bike prototype made in Portland out of aircraft aluminum and a 3D-printed titanium frame from No. 22 Bicycle Company in upstate New York. Pick up a crisp-sounding bell from Osaka’s Crane Bell Co. or snag the perfect titanium water bottle holder from King Cages. It’s never too early to start adding bike gear to your Christmas list. (Zidell Yards, 3121 S Moody, made.bike, $25 single day or $35 multi-day, all ages) KCH
Sheepapalooza Bike Ride
AUGUST 22
(COMMUNITY) Calling all nursery rhyme lovers, farm animal enthusiasts, and Sheep Detectives fans—this is your chance to ride your bike dressed as a fluffy sheep or your favorite farm animal, all while led by a bonnet-donning Little Bo Peep. The herd started off small for the inaugural ride last year, but let’s get a big flock going for this year’s ride, yeah? Adding ears to your helmet is very much encouraged, BTW. (Poet’s Beach, 1816 SW River, 3 pm, shift2bikes.org, FREE, all ages) KCH
Hanabi Film Festival
AUGUST 17-29
(FILM) In its fourth year, Clinton Street Theater’s Hanabi Film Fest says it’s getting weird at night; though, their idea of late-night seems to be 9 pm. The two-week spree of Japanese cinema boasts an eye-opening assortment of restored cult classics—for instance, the 1983 Palme D’Or winner The Ballad of Narayama—then trots out more obscure offerings, like Studio 4°C’s All You Need Is Kill, an Aeon Flux-esque anime based on the same light novel as Edge of Tomorrow. Taking its name from summer fireworks festivals, the primary pop at Hanabi is the programming: Nearly every film is dynamite, but the opening weekend screening of Poca Pon represents the movie’s North American premiere and everything wraps with a six-episode screening of ’90s cyberpunk series Iria: Zeiram the Animation. It’s anime, it’s cult, it’s acclaimed—Hanabi’s poppin’ off. (Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton, various showtimes and ratings, $10 per film, $75 festival pass, $50 late night pass, cstpdx.com) SS
Steve Law
AUGUST 26
(READINGS & TALKS) You’ve probably heard that the Ku Klux Klan once considered Oregon a stronghold, especially during the 1920s when the violent terrorist group experienced a resurgence in membership. With his new book Peddlers of Hate, Oregon journalist Steve Law digs into published accounts from the era, along with new research and records, to illuminate the Klan’s path into local politics and power. As harrowing as the promises of burning crosses in Tabor Park and “escaped nuns” sound, Law’s look into how the Klan fell apart may prove to be actual news readers can use. (Powell’s City of Books 1005 W Burnside, 7 pm, FREE, powells.com, all ages) SS
Converge 45: Here, To you, Now
OPENING WEEKEND AUGUST 27-30
(VISUAL ART) If you don’t consider yourself an “art person,” Converge 45 might be the best way to become one. Curated by Frieze New York’s Lumi Tan and inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin’s writing this time around, the triennial slides Portland contemporary art onto the national map with a packed three-day weekend of arts programming that extends into fall. Among the participating artists are many of our favorites for their intrepid material experimentation, like Meech Boakye, Morgan Ritter, and Ricky Bearghost, among dozens of others. Organizations like Barn Radio, Elbow Room, Movie Madness, Native Arts and Cultures Foundation, and Open Signal Community Access Network are involved, too, so expect cross-medium works that engage with virtually every arts niche the city has to offer. (Various locations through fall, FREE, converge45.org, all ages) LC
Bikini Kill
SEPTEMBER 6
(MUSIC) The band that launched a thousand riot grrrl projects, Bikini Kill may not have been the first feminist punk band (far from it), but their frontwoman Kathleen Hanna will go down in history for demanding girls in the audience stand at the front and asking boys in the pit to “be cool for once in your lives.” This band doesn’t actually need to mean anything, though, because their songs still slap and probably always will. Tracks like “Carnival” and “Rebel Girl” legitimately list as some of the best songs ever penned. (Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 8 pm, SOLD OUT, crystalballroompdx.com, all ages) SS
Clinton Street Fair
SEPTEMBER 12
(COMMUNITY) One of Southeast Portland’s most walkable, quirky neighborhoods will be abuzz with live music, vendors, art, a kids zone, and other family-friendly festivities during the annual Clinton Street Fair. Neighborhoods throughout the city host their own summer street fairs each year, and Clinton Street is among the last to close out the season. Organized by the Division Clinton Business District, the street fair offers attendees a good excuse to stroll the bike boulevard that is Clinton Street and check out a plethora of shops, vendors, food carts, and if you’re feeling up to it, pop into the iconic Clinton Street Theater. (SE 26th and Clinton to Piccolo Park, 10 am-5 pm, divisionclintonpdx.com/clinton-street-fair, FREE, all ages) COURTNEY VAUGHN
Time-Based Art Festival
SEPTEMBER 9-13
(VISUAL ART) Reader, take heed: You’re busy during the second week of September. Portland Institute for Contemporary Art’s (PICA) shiniest experimental performance jewel returns, and while the details of this year’s fest remain largely under wraps, the organization appears to have pivoted to a packed five-day marathon of programming after last year’s experiment with stretching the lineup across two weekends. Feast your eyeballs on something weird, and don’t forget to hydrate. (Various locations, times, and prices, pica.org) LC
Mount Eerie
SEPTEMBER 10
(MUSIC) Mount Eerie is always a treat to see live. Because Phil Elverum’s experimental indie rock project is entirely his own, each setlist includes freedom and variation. When I saw him at Fisherman’s Village Music Fest in 2021, Elverum asked the audience, “Is there anything you’d like to hear?” and proceeded to play decades-old rarities entirely from memory. Still, Elverum will likely share songs from his 11th album, Night Palace, for this performance. He’ll be joined by experimental poet Tom Blood. (Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, 8 pm, $40.31, revolutionhall.com, all ages) AUDREY VANN
Rose City Comic Con
SEPTEMBER 11-13
(READINGS & TALKS) It’s not horribly uncommon to see Portlanders trouncing around the city in full nerdy cosplay, but you should expect the scene to hit max capacity this weekend as Rose City Comic Con takes over the Convention Center. This year’s big name guests include Vincent D’Onofrio, Danny Trejo, and Lena Headey, plus a lengthy list of comic book authors and genre novelists. (Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr, badge pricing varies, rosecitycomiccon.com, all ages) BRI BREY
Romancing Portland
SEPTEMBER 11-13
(BOOKS) Wait, what? The Rose City’s brand new baby romance festival, debuting this fall, actually contracted swoopy-haired princes to attend? Fans of fantasy romance lit will probably care more about the presence of best-selling authors like Jasmine Guillory and Katee Robert who’ll be signing books and speaking on panels throughout the weekend, but LeftField Media (who also run Rose City Comic Con) planned quite a party, complete with a lore-heavy masquerade ball on Saturday. They’ve hired two actors to fulfill the roles of rival princes—Prince Caedros (Jonah Scott) and Prince Reyvion (Nick Meyer) of the kingdom of Hallowshade. This sounds like such sweet, goofy fun for fans, and I know Portland loves to put on a corset. (Sentinel Hotel, 614 SW 11th, $31.10-$355.10, romancingportland.com, all ages, but the ball is 18+) SS
Portland Weird Fest
SEPTEMBER 19
(COMMUNITY) The Unipiper is undoubtedly the Portland ambassador most responsible for Keeping Portland Weird, as the bumper stickers urge. But did you know that the Unipiper AKA Bryan Terry actually founded a nonprofit, Weird Portland United, dedicated to weirdness? That nonprofit also now has a yearly festival at Oaks Park, promising a chicken beauty contest, an interpretive dance competition, a vendor market full of weird wares, and a rave for kids—oh yeah, and a beer garden. We recommend dressing your weirdest for the occasion. (Oaks Amusement Park, 7805 SE Oaks Park, 10:30 am-5 pm, $15-$16, weirdportlandunited.org, all ages) KCH
Maddie’s Secret
SEPTEMBER 19
(FILM) I’ll be honest: I’ve absorbed most of my knowledge of John Early’s work through osmosis due to my fixation on his longtime creative collaborator, Kate Berlant. But if you’re anything like me (deeply invested in a certain crowd of kewl comedians like Berlant, Jacqueline Novak, Conner O’Malley, etc.) then Early will be to your taste, too. The comic with a glittery, desperate gleam in his eyes has done something wholly original: written, directed, and starred in a semi-serious, genuinely profound eating disorder drama inspired by the melodramatic morality and earnestness of ’90s-era made-for-TV storytelling. If Maddie’s Secret sounds insane, that’s because it is. (PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division, 2:30 pm, $15, tomorrowtheater.org, not rated) LC
Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World
SEPTEMBER 20
(FILM) “The little hawk leaned sideways and, tilted, / rode the wind. Its eye at this distance looked / like green glass; its feet were the color/ of butter. Speed, obviously, was joy. But / then, so was the sudden, slow circle it carved / into the slightly silvery air, and the / squaring of its shoulders, and the pulling into / itself the sharp-edged wings, and the / falling into the grass where it tussled a moment, / like a bundle of brown leaves, and then, again, / lifted itself into the air, that butter-color / clenched in order to hold a small, still / body, and it flew off as my mind sang out oh / all that loose, blue rink of sky, where does/ it go to, and why?”—Mary Oliver, “Real Prayers Are Not the Words, But the Attention that Comes First.” Seek not the answer to Mary’s question, but the source of that inquisitiveness, in this documentary on the poet’s life. (PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division, 7 pm, $15, tomorrowtheater.org, not rated) LC
Carry Shit Olympics V
SEPTEMBER 25-27
(COMMUNITY) Is the most fun Pedalpalooza event held after Bike Summer technically ends? Yes. Carry Shit Olympics is a weekend of bike events structured around “the joys of hauling things by bike.” The fifth year (!) of CSO opens with a takeover of the Friday night Ladds ride. Concurrently, a 24-hour citywide scavenger hunt kicks off on SE Division. Come Sunday, there’s cargo bike polo, a circuit race (with obstacles), and more! It’s well known that you don’t need to have a cargo bike to participate in most of the CSO rides, but it’s better if you do 😉. (Various times and starting points, shift2bikes.org, all ages) SS
