This is one of the many articles in the Mercury’s 2026 Holiday Issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you’re feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us here.—eds.
Morgan Ritter: Space Available
THROUGH FEBRUARY 2027
(VISUAL ART) The airport is a liminal space—a threshold, neither here nor there. You might find yourself inside the in-between over the next month or two, but holiday travel becomes marginally less stressful with Portland artist Morgan Ritter’s Space Available, a “large-scale hand-sewn textile curtain with interspersed sculptural objects” currently adorning Concourse E. Installed near the Stumptown Coffee as part of the Converge 45 art triennial, the piece borrows an all-too-familiar real estate term, creating room for viewers to “pause, drift, and imagine other kinds of space” within the commercial cavern of PDX. (Portland International Airport, 7000 NE Airport, all hours daily, FREE, converge45.org, all ages) LINDSAY COSTELLO
An Iliad
THROUGH NOVEMBER 22
(THEATER & PERFORMANCE) Here at the close of Hot Greek War Epic Summer, Third Rail Theatre stages Lisa Peterson and Denis O’Hare’s An Iliad. The well-respected reimagining pulls from Robert Fagles’ lauded ’90s translation of Homer’s Trojan War poem, using that to dig down deeper into ancient war, contemporary war, and the immeasurable cost of violence. Conveyed through just a bard and a musician, An Iliad is exactly as good as its central poet protagonist—and in this case he’s played by Isaac Lamb, so we have high hopes. (CoHo Theater, 2257 NW Raleigh, Wed-Sun, $59.50 w/ a variety of pay tiers, thirdrailrep.org, all ages) SUZETTE SMITH
The Big Trans Comedy Show
NOVEMBER 13
(COMEDY) Longstanding queer comedy showcase Hear You Loud and Queer puts together this big fundraiser for Portland’s Sexual / Gender Minority Youth Resource Center (SMYRC) on an annual basis, and it’s always a blast. Hear some out-of-town talents like the obsession-worthy Mx. Nola Bradley, River Butcher, and Hayden Johnson. You know the locals are good: Ally J Ward, Imani, Mack Lee, and more! It’s the middle of goddamn November, so you need a laugh—even better if it’s for a good cause. (Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta, 8 pm, $25+, albertarosetheatre.com, 18+) SS
Columbia Gorge Model Railroad Historical Society Fall Show
NOVEMBER 14-DECEMBER 6
(COMMUNITY) All aboard, model train and miniature lovers: Portland’s premier model railroad club is hosting its big fall show. Check out the custom-built scale model of Union Station, watch the tiny loaf of bread spin atop Franz Bakery, visit Multnomah Falls without the traffic, and scope out the lumber mill near Hood River. True railroad nerds can purchase VIP tickets, which come with a guided tour and exclusive access before the show opens for general admission. (Columbia Gorge Model Railroad Society, 2505 N Vancouver, Sat-Sun 8:30 am VIP, 10 am-5 pm GA, $25 VIP, $15 adults, $12 seniors, $5 kids 3-11, under 3 FREE, cgmrhs.org, all ages) KATHERINE CHEW HAMILTON
The Residents
NOVEMBER 17
(MUSIC) The Residents are weird, and that’s entirely the point. A group of high school friends formed the band/art collective in the ’60s, traveling from Louisiana to San Francisco to join the hippie movement and start making music. Regarded as one of the longest-running bands still making music today, the Residents have been instrumental in the proliferation of the experimental and avant-garde genres, releasing over 60 albums, scoring multiple films, and making videos that are now part of the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection. The group, which masks their identities with eyeball helmets and top hats, is on tour performing their 1979 concept album Eskimo in full. The project explores music as a collection of noises without much melody or beat. Even if it’s not your thing, the iconic experimental band is known for putting on quite the show, creating a spectacle from their music, costumes, and elaborate visual projections. (Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 8 pm, $50, wonderballroom.com, all ages) SHANNON LUBETICH
Thundercat
NOVEMBER 19
(MUSIC) Watching Thundercat live will be one of the greatest decisions you’ll ever make. That sounds dramatic—yet, as someone who saw Thundercat alongside Flying Lotus at Roseland Theater in 2014 (and remembers every moment of it), I stand by that statement. And all that came before the release of the truly astronomical Grammy-winning hit, It Is What It Is (2020); still eons before his latest work, Distracted (2026). Thundercat, AKA Stephen Bruner, knows how to whip up a potion brewed of R&B and funk, with a twinkle of stardust-like jazz-fusion-meets-psychedelic-cartoonish wonder. This Distracted AF Tour is sure to get galactic, groovy, and graced with off-kilter basslines, jazzy drums, and delightfully twisted synth riffs. This shit is riding across the stars. Don’t miss your chance to catch Thundercat’s cosmic wave. (Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 8 pm, $58.81, crystalballroompdx.com, all ages) STARLY LOU RIGGS
Little Shop of Horrors
NOVEMBER 20-DECEMBER 24
(THEATER & PERFORMANCE) The classic 1982 musical Little Shop of Horrors is often staged around Halloween, due to the “horrors” alluded to in its title. But Portland Center Stage apparently understands Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s musical about a flesh-hungry venus fly trap is the perfect show to watch with your family during the holiday season. Yes, Little Shop is filled with death, destruction, literal sadism, blood, guts, and interpersonal violence. But it’s also very funny and warm-hearted (at times). At least, there’s definitely some catharsis involved. Most importantly, its score is filled with bangers. Plus, there’s a big plant. What more could you want? Nothing, in my opinion. (Portland Center Stage at the Armory, 128 NW 11th, Wed-Sun 7:30 pm, weekend matinees 2 pm, $25+, pcs.org, may not be suitable for young children) TAYLOR GRIGGS
Bernice Ye
NOVEMBER 22
(COMEDY) Hailed by our sister newspaper, The Stranger, as “the Jackie Chan of comedy,” Bernice Ye is a Wuhan, China native who cut her stand-up chops in Seattle before relocating to LA and spreading her inspired (and very original) brand of comedy across the nation. Combining stand-up comedy with rap and martial arts (!!), this former Microsoft tech sis is also a Taekwondo black belt, and uses all three talents on stage to hilarious effect. Whether rapping about her naturalization test (and her OB-GYN), commenting on using her American name to confuse the Chinese government, or waxing poetic on the pros and cons of having a pretty husband, this triple threat of comedy is a must-see. (Kickstand Comedy, 1006 SE Hawthorne, 7 pm, $17+, kickstandcomedy.org, all ages) WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY
Mx. Dahlia Belle: Affirmed
NOVEMBER 22
(COMEDY) You’ve seen Mx. Dahlia Belle featured in the Mercury’s Geniuses of Comedy, and may even remember her great former column—The Party Review, in which she attended and reviewed parties—in these very pages. Mx. Dahlia Belle is an absolute joy to behold onstage, and for this show, expect that joy to be extended to a full hour. Belle pulls together her best routines (regarding pets, the foibles of LGBTQ+ living, and gender affirming care) for this live taping at Polaris Hall. Her stage presence is simultaneously comforting, wise, and silly, and her cackling laugh is infectious. Don’t miss one of Portland’s brightest talents—now in long form! (Polaris Hall, 635 N Killingsworth, Sun Nov 22, 7 pm, $13.62, polarishall.com, 21+) WSH
Bike the Lights
NOVEMBER 29
(SPORTS) You’ve seen the Christmas lights at Peacock Lane, but how about the 250-plus light displays at the Portland International Raceway? The drive-through lights are open to cars from November 27 through December 31, but for one night, it’s reserved for bikes alone. Over the years, it’s become a rain-or-shine tradition for Portland cyclists—something of a winter Pedalpalooza ride, if you will. Costumes are encouraged, and you might even want to wrap your bike in some holiday lights to really get in the festive mood. (Portland International Raceway, 1940 N Victory, 4:15-9:30 pm, $16-$18 adults, $5-$7 kids, winterwonderlandportland.com, all ages) KCH
Les Blank Celebration
NOVEMBER 29
(FILM) Documentarian Les Blank had a wild gift for capturing American culture with warmth, intimacy, and a freewheeling cinéma vérité style. His films feel totally alive—unvarnished and improvised, but still insightful. The Hollywood’s 13th annual celebration of Blank features a live Q&A session with his son, Harrod Blank, plus screenings of polka romp In Heaven There Is No Beer (1984), Blank’s unfinished six-minute documentary Motorcycle Moment (1964), and Harrod’s short doc Salvation Mountain: Leonard Knight (2025). (Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy, 6 pm, $12, hollywoodtheatre.org, not rated) LC
Daniela Naomi Molnar in Conversation with Julia Rosen
DECEMBER 4
(READINGS & TALKS) In the Mercury’s August Climate Issue, I spoke with Portland artist and writer Daniela Naomi Molnar about climate grief. She’s spent years exploring the relationships between ecology, memory, and grief through her creative practice, to critical acclaim—her poetry collection Chorus won the 2024 Oregon Book Award for Poetry. “I think a lot of climate denialism is actually a form of grief,” Molnar explained. “It’s not wanting to engage with a reality that we can all feel in our bodies.” Molnar’s new collection, Memory of a Larger Mind, is an elegiac selection of glacier-inspired poems; she’ll discuss the work with Julia Rosen, a science and environmental journalist. (Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7 pm, FREE, powells.com, all ages) LC
Feeble Little Horse
DECEMBER 5
(MUSIC) Ready to get blitzed? Pittsburg-pitted project Feeble Little Horse’s latest creation, Blitknot, ought to do it. The Midwestern four-piece’s newest album sounds like what dreams are made of—not those fantasyland fragments of a perfect future, more like the strange visual twitch that happens as you close your eyes and hit REM. It’s that honeyed hallucinatory state of dream where a person can be a person, but also everyone and no one—both familiar and mysterious. Fun-loving though slightly askew, the band’s not-so-feeble sounds form a larger-than-life luster. Collectively, the tracks resemble a dance along the carpet as the rug is slowly ripped out from under, soon to reveal a glitchy underbelly of exposed wires across the floor. Feeble Little Horse is that beautiful thing that happens when an old television is disassembled: There’s a whole world inside those little colorful circuit boards. Why not crawl inside and explore their sweet sound? (Wonder Ballroom, 128 NE Russell, 8 pm, $29+, wonderballroom.com, all ages) SLR
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker
DECEMBER 5-24
(THEATER & PERFORMANCE) If you can’t tell a plié from a pirouette, the name George Balanchine might not mean much. But the famed choreographer held court for nearly 30 years in New York City, establishing the iconic steps and positions that define traditional ballet to this day. His legacy lives on in Portland as the Oregon Ballet Theatre presents The Nutcracker. Attendees can expect to see what makes this ballet so timeless, as a trained troupe of dancers translate the whimsy and intrigue of a young girl’s visit to a magical kingdom into a stunning wintertime display. (Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay, various times, $39+, obt.org, suitable for ages 5+) SS
Taylor Tomlinson
DECEMBER 6-9
(COMEDY) Once considered a wunderkind, it’s wild to realize we’ve enjoyed sixteen years of Taylor Tomlinson’s wry, relatable wit. And since she started out so young, she’s still in her early 30s (still kind of a wunderkind in comedian years). In 2026 we find her on the road, maintaining her staunch stand-up following. Tomlinson’s material is deeply approachable: dating stories, red flags, family stuff, and the mental health that ties it all together. In 2025, burnout and health concerns forced the comic to quit her late night show, After Midnight, but by September 2026 she released her first book, a memoir titled Actually, Nevermind. (Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th, 6:30 pm, SOLD OUT but available for exorbitant resale prices, 21+) SS
Carol x Pride Northwest
DECEMBER 6
(FILM) Based on Patricia Highsmith’s 1952 novel The Price of Salt, Todd Haynes’ Carol (2015) is not only a Christmas film, but also an opportunity to watch two distractingly beautiful and talented actresses appreciate each other for two hours. The story follows Carol (Cate Blanchett), a glamorous and unsettled housewife, and Therese (Rooney Mara), a retail clerk, as they fall in love in ’50s New York while chatting about a toy train set. Shot on Super 16 mm, Therese would appreciate Carol’s lit-from-within feel and expressive grain—beneath the film’s romantic A-plot is the lighter story of her development as an aspiring photographer. Longtime LGBTQ+ organization Pride Northwest hosts this screening. (Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division, 7 pm, $15, tomorrowtheater.org, R) LC
Live Wire with Pattie Gonia, Ophira Eisenberg, and Team Dresch
DECEMBER 10
(READINGS & TALKS) Oregon-based drag activist Pattie Gonia has done incredible work advancing trans rights, intersectional environmentalism, and social justice. Her recent projects include an impressive 100-mile trek through California in drag that raised more than $1 million for environmental and social justice organizations, speaking out in support of a free Palestine, and producing Save Her! The Environmental Drag Show, which has toured across the country while raising money for organizations working to diversify the outdoors. Pattie Gonia has built something genuinely powerful at the intersection of environmentalism, queer liberation, and outdoor culture. Let’s say it together: NATURE IS GAY! She’ll be joined by Canadian American stand-up storyteller Ophira Eisenberg and pioneering queercore band Team Dresch for this edition of variety show Live Wire. (Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, 7:30 pm, $46.06 w/ Arts for All tickets available, livewireradio.org, all ages) BRI BREY
Criminal
DECEMBER 15
(READINGS & TALKS) True crime, as a genre, gets a lot of guff for making anxious people more uptight and perpetuating prejudice. However, podcasts like Criminal get it right by not only featuring stories about injustice but also casting a wider gaze on history—like in episode “The Poison Squad,” about a government experiment that poisoned participants for research—and tragically tricky grey areas, we find in “The Comfort Kit,” where a daughter was charged with homicide after her mother dies in hospice. Host Phoebe Judge exhibits a masterclass in storytelling on every episode, so fans will probably feel deeply curious that this live tour touches on her own family secrets. (Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, 8 pm, $47.08+, thisiscriminal.com, all ages that can handle stories about crime) SS
The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show
DECEMBER 17
(THEATER & PERFORMANCE) Celebrating their ninth year of throwing an unholy wrench into the holidays, the dynamic drag queen duo, BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon, are back with another laugh-filled show sure to make baby Jesus fall out of the manger. Past shows have included send-ups of The Nutcracker, A Christmas Carol, and more, but they’re always infused with a sense of sweet, hilarious lunacy that pokes holes in the stuffy traditions of the holidays while also preaching a message of love and inclusion. While Jinkx and DeLa are mum on the details of this year’s extravaganza, you can always expect original songs, sexy dancing elves, and the slapstick comedy that have made this duo one of the very few true Xmas miracles. (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, 7:30 pm, $54.20+, portland5.com, all ages) WSH
New Year’s Eve Dinner at Andina
DECEMBER 31
(FOOD) If you aren’t headed to Peru this New Year’s Eve, Andina can introduce you to a Peruvian NYE tradition that just might help you get there. During Andina’s party, you’ll partake in the suitcase walk, where revelers travel around the block with luggage in the hopes that they’ll get to travel in the new year. A three-course Peruvian dinner and live music will also help you get in the festive, travel-minded mood. (Andina, 1314 NW Glisan, 5 pm, $125 adults, $75 12 and under, andinarestaurant.com, all ages) KCH
New Year’s Eve Cowboy Prom with Jenny Don’t and the Spurs
DECEMBER 31
(MUSIC) A New Year’s Eve tradition several years running which originated at the Landmark Saloon, Cowboy Prom with Jenny Don’t and the Spurs will ring in 2026 with a whiskey-soaked good time. You can be sure that this boot-scootin’ party will be packed with Portlanders sporting bolo ties, pearl snap buttons, and 10-gallon hats. Jenny Don’t and the Spurs’ brand of garage-honky-tonk-country provides the perfect backdrop for a chandelier-swinging celebration—bust out your boots and get to two-steppin’. (Aladdin Theater, aladdin-theater.com, 3017 SE Milwaukie, 8 pm, $40.39, all ages) BB
