Sure, a certain someone claims you live in a war-torn hellscape pockmarked by domestic terrorists, fire, and whatever brimstone is. But it's a gorgeous day, right?! You've got many reasons to wear your little fall outfit this week, as the leaves gently turn and the National Guard is less gently told they can't come to brunch. Events-wise, we've got the Portland Fermentation Festival (which promises a Bacterial Petting Zoo), and sci-fi bookshop Parallel Worlds reopening in an expanded space. There's more where that came from—keep reading.
Monday, October 6
Roux
Highlighting women in food, Roux's week-long citywide itinerary includes culinary trivia hosted by Untapped Trivia, a dessert and cocktail pop-up, a live podcast taping of Loading Dock Talks with chef Preeti Mistry, a chef competition, and much more. Bite into delicious chef collabs, hear from local women business owners, and get a food flash tattoo; the world is your oyster at this flavorful festival. (Various locations, through Oct 12, FREE-$475, more info) JANEY WONG
Tuesday, October 7
Dan Tran: Calendars
Curated in conjunction with North Pole Studio, an arts organization and gallery supporting artists with autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities, Dan Tran's Calendars devises a whole new way to express the passage of time. Each day, the artist "draws a single symbol in one compartment of a self-made grid on sheets of standard copy paper," until the sheets are filled with fields of bright color and invented imagery. Tran has created over 1,000 of these sheets, many of which will be arranged chronologically for this exhibition. The results represent a visual record that makes the standard Western calendar look dull in comparison. (after/time collective, 735 SW 9th #110, Tues and Thurs 6-8 pm and Sat 12-5 pm through Nov 2, free, more info, all ages) LINDSAY COSTELLO
Also worth it:
Autechre, The Den, SOLD OUT, more info
The Warp Records mainstays will dart across the pond for a rare set of their glitchy, experimental electronica.
Wednesday, October 8
Archiving After Hours: A Community Archiving Night
While Society of American Archivists officially declared October to be American Archives Month (AAM) in 2006, archival orgs have been trying to get folks to appreciate painstakingly preserved historical records, and what they can teach us, for far longer. Portland City Auditor’s Archives & Records Management Division put together a number of archive tours for AAM this year, but they also partnered with Albina Music Trust to host a community night focused on the personal archives Portlanders may be trying to preserve on their own. Curious about preserving and/or digitizing old documents, photos, or recordings? This two-hour session is aimed at knowledge sharing. Albina Music Trust and Portland City Archives workers offer advice and also tell attendees a little more about what they do. (Portland State University, Academic & Student Recreation Center, 1800 SW 6th, room 550, 6:30 pm, preregistration required, all ages FREE) SUZETTE SMITH
Also worth it:
Sara Siestreem: dance apron, Elizabeth Leach Gallery, more info
The Hanis Coos artist shares ambitious, tactile pieces like slip-cast ceramic baskets and paintings layered with Xerox transfers.
Thursday, October 9
Portland Fermentation Festival
Portland's annual community-driven celebration of fermented food and drink once again invites funky food fans to share the wealth, whether it's skill sharing, recipe sharing, or just plain sharing your creations. Seasoned fermenters can swap vinegar, kombucha, or sourdough starters at the Starter Barter & Adoption Center (um, that's the cutest name!) while newbies can check out the Bacterial Petting Zoo (also cute) to get the basics on SCOBYs and cultures. Get ready to awaken your tastebuds with samples of kimchi, miso, natto, cheese, long-fermented bread, hard cider, kombucha, and more. Plus, fuel your fermentation journey at a variety of demos—you might even meet local celebrity Dillon T. Pickle! (Ecotrust Building, 721 NW 9th, 6-9 pm, $15–$20, more info, all ages) JW
Pictures Tell the Story: Poli Cartooning in Portland
Portland Design History founder Melissa Delzio opens this discussion, providing a brief history of Oregon's political cartoonists in mainstream outlets, alt weeklies, and web and indie outfits. Panelists from the local nonfiction and political comics scene—Shay Mirk, Jonathan Hill, and David Walker—further the conversation, bringing it into the present. In person attendees can browse work by local artists at a political comics fair, starting at 6 pm. (PNCA, 511 NW Broadway, 6 pm, FREE, RSVP to attend in person or watch the PNCA livestream, all ages) SS
Also worth it:
QStep queer ballroom class, Dance With Joy Studios, more info
Portland’s only queer-led ballroom dancing class explores the rumba style this month.
Patrick Shiroishi: Forgetting is Violent Tour, Show Bar, more info
The Japanese American multi-instrumentalist brings his saxophone and effects pedals to town; opener M. Sage crafts ambient explorations of Colorado nature.
Friday, October 10
Ask Wampire Carla
Thank Jebus (which is the name of my friend's Miniature Pinscher, and I thank him) that we finally have a place to pay drag queens for advice—I have been receiving it, for free, for far too long! Portland’s premier drag clown Carla Rossi hosts this talk show-adjacent evening of overshare, with local queens Adrienne Alexander, Monica Boulevard, and Wanda Bones. My favorite Anthony Hudson/Carla Rossi work is almost always riff-related so this sounds unmissable. Given the season [gestures at cobwebs], expect the advice to skew Dracula daddy or dungeon design. Do not expect this girl to have tickets at the door—she's gonna sell out. (Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division, 7 pm, $25, more info, "Don’t bring your children.") SS
Bo Johnson
All hail one of my fave Pacific Northwest comedians, Bo Johnson, who hails from Seattle, but is returning once again to Portland after recording his first hour-long special here in April. Johnson’s comedy plays particularly well on TikTok, where his seemingly laid-back attitude contains a multitude of spice underneath. He’s been featured on Netflix is a Joke, as well as Comedy Central, and while his lineup of jokes (which includes the non-sexiness of Murphy beds, the fine art of hostage negotiation, and how his voice is often confused for an NPR pledge drive), are consistent bangers, it’s Johnson’s improvised, fourth-wall breaking crowd work (in which he often dissects his own comedy set before it starts) which makes him a comedian to never miss when he swings through town. (Kickstand Comedy, 1006 SE Hawthorne, 9:30 pm, $15-$25, more info, 21+) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Also worth it:
Tehran Lost and Found: Films From the Edge of the Revolution, 5th Avenue Cinema, more info
Mohammad Reza Aslani's queer murder mystery Chess of the Wind, a banned gem of the pre-Revolution Iranian New Wave (it was found in an antique shop in 2014), will screen alongside Marva Nabili's The Sealed Soil.
Black Community Science Night, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), more info
OMSI will keep its doors open after hours with science demos, community vendors, and other all-ages entertainment celebrating the Black community.
Saturday, October 11
claire barrera & Maya Dalinsky: The Fantastical Power of Two
In our Fall Arts Guide interview with Linda Austin, the Performance Works Northwest co-founder explained that claire barrera and Maya Dalinsky's work explores "the value of friendship," a theme that feels largely absent from the contemporary art scene. On top of three workshops on "language for friendship," "videowalking," and language generation (on October 5, 10, and 11, respectively), the pair will also perform The Fantastical Power of Two, which draws inspiration from the artists' 30-plus-year camaraderie and the "creative scores" of Italian children's writer Gianni Rodari. (Performance Works Northwest, 4625 SE 67th, Oct 10-11, 7 pm, $5-$27, more info) LC
Dancing on the Sabbath
Shaking the Tree's season opener sounds promising on a number of levels. It's a reimagined fairytale—12 Dancing Princesses—told on a topical slant, which has become something of a specialty for the theater company that brought us _____ the Wolf in 2018 and The Brother and the Bird in 2024. Some of the city's finest talent are at Dancing on the Sabbath's creative center: with the company's Samantha Van Der Merwe directing and a notable cast that includes Sammy Rat Rios and Kai Hynes. ProLab's Laura Cannon choreographs "12 ritual dances" to convey "silent resistance and rebellion." (Shaking the Tree, 823 SE Grant, Thurs-Sun through Nov 8, $12-$48, more info, 16+) SS
D&D Presents “The Grim Inevitability of Death”
Lovers of Portland sketch comedy should be familiar with the group D&D (shorthand for the comedic duo of David Burnett and David Wester)—and if not… why not? Exceedingly clever and full of oddball takes on the human condition, D&D has been featured in the Portland Sketch Comedy Festival, the Mercury’s Geniuses of Comedy show, and (in case you missed it) last year’s Halloween show, which was the stuff of hilarious legend. In this year’s not-as-dour-as-it-sounds caper, the duo are promising a brand new set of fun-filled sketches where “they confront, flee, and stridently ignore the grim inevitability of death”—which, trust us, is exactly what we need right now. (Siren Theater, 3913 N Mississippi, Oct 10-11 and 16, 8 pm, $18, more info, all ages) WSH
Also worth it:
Indigenous Peoples Day Weekend, Oregon Convention Center, more info
This two-day event includes drumming and flute performances, plus dozens of Indigenous artists on site.
Agency and the Image: Photo Symposium, Portland Community College Cascade campus, more info
In partnership with Blue Sky Gallery, you’ll find photo workshops, panel discussions, and an interactive camera obscura installation on PCC’s Cascade campus.
Sunday, October 12
Parallel Worlds Bookshop Grand Reopening Weekend
Last year, we described Parallel Worlds Bookshop as a "sprawling cosmos of books to get lost in." The descriptor holds true, but the science fiction- and fantasy-themed bookstore is even better now, because it tripled its floor space (while staying in the same location). Head to the expanded space for bingo and a treasure hunt on Sunday, or drop by earlier in the weekend for readings by award-winning authors like Caitlin Starling (October 10) or live music and giveaways (October 11). (Parallel Worlds Bookshop, 2639 NE Alberta, Oct 10-12, free, more info, all ages) LC
Also worth it:
Pick a Pumpkin, Pet a Donkey, Oregon Donkey Sanctuary, more info
Bet you never thought you could do both!! Your pumpkin purchase supports sweet donkeys and their "forever home" at the sanctuary.
A Place of Rage with woo-woo, PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater, more info
Ambient cellist Harlan Silverman and wellness experts woo-woo will set the energy for this screening of the 1991 documentary, which features interviews with Angela Davis, June Jordan, and Alice Walker.
Looking for even more events happening this week? Head on over to EverOut!
