There’s quite an eventful weekend ahead as far as national holidays are concerned, giving you an excuse to order takeout and books for the newly declared Arab American Heritage Month, stare at paintings for Slow Art Day, try new brews for Beer Day, and visit a dog-friendly patio for Pet Day. See those and more of our picks for COVID-compliant weekend activities and events below, like the reopening of the Portland Art Museum and Jack London Revue. For even more options, read our guide to the best online events this week.
NATIONAL HOLIDAYS
Order books and takeout for Arab American Heritage Month. The State Department has officially declared April Arab American Heritage Month! If you’re looking for a way to honor the new designation, we suggest supporting some local Arab-owned restaurants and carts, such as Al-Amir, Habibi, Aladdin’s Cafe, DarSalam, Hoda’s, or the Lebanese favorite Nicholas, which just opened a new location on Southeast Madison this week. If you opt for takeout, bolster your tuck-in with a new book by an Arab American author, like Zaina Arafat’s debut novel You Exist Too Much, which follows a queer Palestinian American through vignettes that toggle between the US and the Middle East; Olivia Abtahi’s Perfectly Parvin, about a 14-year-old Iranian American girl seeking out a date to homecoming (approved by comedian Mitra Jourhari); or Laila Chatti’s locally published collection Deluge, which explores themes of “shame, illness, grief, and gender, transmuting religious narratives through the lens of a young Arab American woman suffering a taboo female affliction.” They’re all available for purchase or pre-order from Powell’s and Broadway Books.
