Who’s ready to have some fun? Well, the Mercury is here to help with FREE TICKETS to see some of Portland’s best concerts and events—our way of saying thanks to our great readers and spread the word about some fantastic upcoming performances! (Psst… if you want to say thanks to the Mercury, please consider making […]
c3Category — Arts & Culture
Posted inHoliday Guide 2024 🎅
It’s the Mercury’s Guide to the HO-HO-HOLIDAYS!
Featuring advice you need to navigate the highs and lows of the holiday season.
[Editor’s note: Read all our holly jolly HOLIDAY GUIDE articles here. Looking for a print copy? Good! You can find it in more than 500 spots across Portland with this handy map!] With election season in the rearview, it’s time to focus on the next upcoming traumatic event: THE HOLIDAYS. (Seriously, can we just have […]
Posted inHoliday Guide 2024 🎅
Portland’s Top Holiday Events: A Critical Review
The best traditional events—and how they can be improved.
You’re welcome.
[Editor’s note: Read all our holly jolly HOLIDAY GUIDE articles here. Looking for a print copy? Good! You can find it in more than 500 spots across Portland with this handy map!] When it comes to holiday traditions, Portland is horny as all get-out. We love cramming as much festivity into our festivities as possible—regardless […]
Posted inHoliday Guide 2024 🎅
Let’s Start Things! Let’s End Things!
A witch, an artist, and two mental health
professionals on how to face the New Year.
[Editor’s note: Read all our holly jolly HOLIDAY GUIDE articles here. Looking for a print copy? Good! You can find it in more than 500 spots across Portland with this handy map!] The days are short, the rain is acting like someone put out a casting call for a vertical river, and odds are high […]
Posted inHoliday Guide 2024 🎅
Holidays For Humans
Or, what to say when Aunt Barbara insults your Thanksgiving gravy.
[Editor’s note: Read all our holly jolly HOLIDAY GUIDE articles here. Looking for a print copy? Good! You can find it in more than 500 spots across Portland with this handy map!] Back in the olden times, I used to host a public radio show that recorded in front of a live audience. In December of […]
Posted inHoliday Guide 2024 🎅
Last-Minute Gifts from PDX Airport—That Are Actually Great
In Portland even our airport presents are thoughtful, lovely, and local.
[Editor’s note: Read all our holly jolly HOLIDAY GUIDE articles here. Looking for a print copy? Good! You can find it in more than 500 spots across Portland with this handy map!] At 10 pm on Christmas Eve you could generally find my father at an office supply store; the chains used to stay open […]
Posted inHoliday Guide 2024 🎅
Season’s Reelings: Your 2024 Holiday Movie Guide
Spend time NOT talking to family with our preview
of the holidays’ most-hyped new releases.
[Editor’s note: Read all our holly jolly HOLIDAY GUIDE articles here. Looking for a print copy? Good! You can find it in more than 500 spots across Portland with this handy map!] Holidays are usually meant for time with family, which is obviously why so many people elect to go to the movies […]
Posted inHoliday Guide 2024 🎅
Zen and the Art of Holiday Pet Sitting
I’m permanently estranged from my family.
Here’s what cats and dogs have taught me.
[Editor’s note: Read all our holly jolly HOLIDAY GUIDE articles here. Looking for a print copy? Good! You can find it in more than 500 spots across Portland with this handy map!] From etymonline.com: estrange (v.) late 15c., from French estrangier “to alienate,” from Vulgar Latin *extraneare “to treat as a stranger,” from […]
Posted inHoliday Guide 2024 🎅
Knives Out: An Extremely Sharp Holiday Gift Guide
Everybody wants a good knife.
Here’s where to find the best in the land.
[Editor’s note: Read all our holly jolly HOLIDAY GUIDE articles here. Looking for a print copy? Good! You can find it in more than 500 spots across Portland with this handy map!] For your favorite home chef or local line cook, a new knife is a thing of glory—and it’s even better when someone else […]
Posted inHoliday Guide 2024 🎅
Fairytale of Old Portland
A love letter to a less shiny city, and the teenagers, insomniacs,
and eccentrics who populated it.
[Editor’s note: Read all our holly jolly HOLIDAY GUIDE articles here. Looking for a print copy? Good! You can find it in more than 500 spots across Portland with this handy map!] It was December 25, 2013, and everyone in the gay steakhouse was getting amiably drunk. It was one of those Portland winters that […]
Posted inHoliday Guide 2024 🎅
Eight Vinyl Gift Ideas for the Holidays
Nothing says “you’re cool” like the gift of vinyl.
[Editor’s note: Read all our holly jolly HOLIDAY GUIDE articles here. Looking for a print copy? Good! You can find it in more than 500 spots across Portland with this handy map!] The holidays are a great time to support your loved one’s passions (read: greatest obsessions) by splurging on vinyl copies of their favorite […]
Posted inHoliday Guide 2024 🎅
Fantastic Holiday Treats (and Where to Find Them)
A roundup of the best holiday sweets and snacks for your festivities.
[Editor’s note: Read all our holly jolly HOLIDAY GUIDE articles here. Looking for a print copy? Good! You can find it in more than 500 spots across Portland with this handy map!] Throughout centuries of human civilization, people have sought out ways to combat the darkness and cold temperatures of winter: from ancient temples that […]