As with most major holidays, celebrations leading up to Halloween are just as important as (if not more than) the main event. In Portland this week, the eves before All Hallow's Eve promise cauldrons of tom yum pozole, classic horror screenings, and the real Big Scary—a novel that asks, "What if the Cascadia earthquake came while you were noshing on IKEA meatballs??" Plus, screenings of Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein are a solid reminder that a woman kinda-sorta invented the sci-fi genre. Thank Mary Shelley today, and read on!
Monday, October 27
Cauldron of Culture: A Thai-Mexican Pop-Up
Two of Portland's tastiest restaurants are cooking up something special this fall... For one night only, Mis Tacones and Norah's Cauldron of Culture pop-up will serve colorful and flavorful Thai-Mexican fusion dishes including peanut satay nachos, tom yum pozole, tempeh chimichangas, khao soi tofu tacos, and a special dessert from La Casa de Mama. As the restaurant owners write, "Fall is a very special time of year for both of our communities, with its traditions, seasonality, and memories from our cultures," so don't miss this special collaborative night—no tickets or reservations needed! (1450 NE Alberta, 4 pm, more info, all ages) JANEY WONG
Tuesday, October 28
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) isn’t exactly a deep cut. But there’s a reason for that—TCM wrenched the slasher genre from its hiding place in the dark of night and shoved it into the blinding Southern sunshine. Its detached grittiness coaxed the rise of found-footage horror, and Sally Hardesty's maniacal laughter revealed the psychological toll on the final girl for the first time, a characterization that's repeated with Halloween's Laurie Strode and Scream's Sidney Prescott. I’d argue that only Alien has had a wider cultural impact on horror, but guess what? Ridley Scott cited TCM as an influence on his film. (Cinemagic, 2120 SE Hawthorne, through Oct 30, various times, $7-$9, more info, R) LINDSAY COSTELLO
Also worth it:
Frankenstein in 35mm, Hollywood Theatre, more info
Guillermo del Toro's interpretation stars Jacob Elordi as a "hear me out" version of Frankenstein's monster.
Wednesday, October 29
Emma Pattee
Emma Pattee’s debut novel Tilt takes place over the course of a single day, the day that the decades-overdue Cascadia earthquake rocks Portland. It unfolds via the wry inner monologue of Annie, who is a swole 37 weeks pregnant and shopping for a crib at IKEA when it all comes down. Tilt follows her on a trek across Portland as she tries to walk home, coming across scenes both heartwarming and harrowing. Pattee, a Mercury contributor and an environmental journalist whose climate reporting has been published by the Guardian and the New York Times, crafts a trim, 227-page narrative reflecting her dedication to research. She'll visit Milwaukie Ledding Library as part of their Fall Author Series. Read our full Q&A here. (Milwaukie Ledding Library, 10660 SE 21st, Milwaukie, 6 pm, FREE, more info, all ages) SUZETTE SMITH
Also worth it:
Hayden Pedigo, Mississippi Studios, more info
Avoid drawing quick conclusions from the country twang of avant-garde musician and sometimes-politician Hayden Pedigo's tunes. Beneath a few layers lies something American primitive-inspired and mildly psychedelic.
Thursday, October 30
Hear You Loud & Queer Halloween Comedy Show
Get ready for a raucous, fun-filled night of queer laughs with a special Halloween edition of Hear You Loud & Queer! Hosted by Mack Lee (co-host of Queer AF and the comedy dating show, Heart Throb) and Ally J Ward (a former Mercury Genius of Comedy, and Willamette Week’s funniest person 2025), not only will the show feature laffs from the spookily comedic Jane Dillinger and Moisés Araguaney, but a special headliner from Chicago, Gwen Rose, who was called a “comedian to watch” by Time Out and featured at the Columbus Comedy Festival. Oh, and if you attend in costume (and are especially fabulous), you might even win a prize! (Show Bar at Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, 7 pm, $26.05, more info, 21+) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Beyond The Dark: A Séance Party with E.R. Perkins
If you’re a fan of funny and spooky, then don’t miss the latest installment of E.R. Perkins’ increasingly wild and eerie séance parties, starring the very talented Loren Hoskins. Perkins is your tour guide into the history of séances and haunted artifacts—and trust me when I say that things will get CREEPY and WEIRD. Partially an exposé of spiritualism and a love letter to the dark arts, you will laugh, be amazed, and (if you’re anything like me during one past performance) uncontrollably blurt out “Holy SHIT” at least once. If you’re looking for a funny, smart, and occasionally astonishing Halloween event, this is the party you won’t want to miss. (Siren Theater, 3913 N Mississippi, Oct 30-31, 8 pm, $20-$25, more info, all ages) WSH
Nosferatu with Radiohead: A Silents Synced Film
The bald and spidery Count Orlok commands F.W. Murnau's eerie 1922 classic Nosferatu, which Werner Herzog once described as "the greatest German film." And he should know, right? This screening of Nosferatu will be a little different, though, and by "different" I mean "alt rock-inflected." Silents Synced pairs classic silent flicks with what they describe as "epic rock music," and while one of the most unabashedly millennial things about me is that I loved Radiohead in high school, I understand if you're suspicious of this concept. But on the playlist are Radiohead's atmospheric albums Kid A and Amnesiac—in other words, not "Creep." It should add some interesting layers of sonic depth to a 102-year-old film. (Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st, 9:45 pm, $9-$11, more info, not rated) LC
Friday, October 31
Kumoricon
Fans of anime and cosplay, unite! The annual Kumoricon convention is a particular favorite for anime lovers, who always show up in their most extravagant cosplay outfits ready to impress and be impressed. Besides the Kumorimarket, where you’ll find art, memorabilia, and manga, there will be games (such as Celebrity Anime Jeopardy), a lip sync battle, a monster masquerade ball, and of course, COSPLAY. Lots and lots of cosplay, featuring the wildest, and most inventive costumes you’re likely to see in your lifetime. Come for the fun, stay for the supportive, creative community. (Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE MLK, Fri-Sun through Nov 2, 8 am-11:45 pm, Sun 8 am-4:30 pm, $95.97, more info, all ages) WSH
Upon This Blasted Heath: A One-Hour Macbeth
"Something wicked this way comes" feels like Portland's tagline lately, which means Macbeth, Shakespeare's gore-flecked, eldritch tragedy, is bound to feel kinda cathartic. The play will cast an eerie spell on Director Park's blasted heath this Halloween. Speculative Drama's fifth annual adaptation explores the work "from the perspective of Macbeth reliving the events leading up to his bloody and merciless reign, descent into madness, and death." The free hour-long show is staged in short, macabre vignettes—perfect for those with other evening plans—and you'll even leave with a trick-or-treat bag. (Director Park, 815 SW Park, 5 pm, FREE, more info) LC
Also worth it:
Queer Horror: The Ring, Hollywood Theatre, more info
Drag clown Carla Rossi hosts this screening of J-horror remake The Ring, a beloved, queer-coded reminder that video art can also be evil.
Saturday, November 1
The Blumenauer Bridge Witching Hour Celebration
For this Halloween and Día de los Muertos festival, the witching hour will take place in the afternoon rather than the middle of the night. Come in costume for pumpkin decorating stations, bike-decorating competitions, interactive educational booths, street games, live music and DJs, and costume contests. (Maybe take a leaf out of former US Representative Blumenauer's book and don your snappiest bowtie!) Biking and other modes of car-free transportation are encouraged as the event is being staged as a pilot for a car-free Green Loop. (Blumenauer Bridge, 2 pm, FREE, more info, all ages) JW
Isabelle Albuquerque and Louise Bourgeois: The Wandering Womb
The myth of feminine hysteria didn’t start in a Victorian sanatorium. Long before Freud, ancient Greek doctors imagined the uterus as a restless “wandering womb,” traversing the body and wreaking emotional havoc. In Lumber Room's latest exhibition, Los Angeles-based artist Isabelle Albuquerque revives and digs into that old myth. Her drawings and headless sculptures share space with olfactory elements and 76 drawings by modern art matriarch Louise Bourgeois. (lumber room, 419 NW 9th, Fri-Sat 12-5 pm and by appointment through Jan 31, 2026, more info) LC
Also worth it:
Tampopo, PAM CUT's Tomorrow Theater, more info
Juzo Itami's 1985 "ramen Western"—the director's term—follows a band of milk truck drivers whose pit stop at a roadside noodle shop spins into a search for the perfect noodle recipe.
Sunday, November 2
Witch
There is no time for doubt in Jen Silverman’s Witch. When the Devil appears, one must accept that he is real and be ready to bargain—because your future is at stake and you might not get another chance. The playwright’s inventive rework of a classic 17th-century English drama taps into the urgency of moment we find ourselves in America, not with obvious stand-ins for contemporary political figures or events, but with the universal struggle people feel for hope in dark times. Read our full review here. (Ellyn Bye Studio at the Armory, 128 NW 11th, through Sun Nov 2, $49.77, more info) TJ ACENA
Also worth it:
Knife + Heart in 35mm, 5th Avenue Cinema, more info
Vanessa Paradis stars in a 2018 neon-lit French horror film featuring dildo switchblades and mysterious crow feathers.
Looking for even more events happening this week? Head on over to EverOut!
