If you appreciate the Mercury‘s interesting and useful news & culture reporting, consider making a small monthly contribution to support our editorial team. Your donation is tax-deductible. You can also subscribe and have our papers delivered! Good Morning, Portland! WEATHER NICE? WHAT IS THIS. 😧 LADDERS AND LADLES WE ARE IN THE FEBRUARY FAKEOUT. IN LOCAL NEWS:• The man […]
c3Category — Arts & Culture
Mercury Music Picks: Dante’s Turns 26, Self Group Collective Turns 16, MJ Nebreda Turns It Out
Nolan Parker
Where to Eat for Valentine’s Day 2026
Whatever your Valentine’s Day plans may be, we’ve gathered a bouquet of swoon-worthy options around town, with tasting menus at Mis Tacones and OK Omens, plus sweet treats from Gluten Free Gem. For more ideas, check out our food and drink guide. AdelledaLove is in the air at Vtopian’s sibling restaurant, which has a three-course […]
Remembering Judith Arcana
In 2017, Judith Arcana sent a postcard to the old Mercury offices in Old Town/Chinatown. I was the arts editor at the time—it was my first real journalism job—and after many stories covering local theater (I still think about the plays I saw at Shaking the Tree) and books (a reading at Powell’s followed by […]
The Mercury’s Do This, Do That: Your Top Events for February 2-8
What’s up, February? The annual Portland Winter Light Festival illuminates the city this week, with glowy mood-enhancers like a “cosmic” cuttlefish and touch-sensitive light installations. Topping the list of “dudes you have heard of” are Chuck Klosterman and Todd Barry, both of whom will swing by to share their stuff—a new football-themed book and new […]
Blazers and Beyond
Cameron Crowell
YOUR SUNDAY READING LIST: Stopping the ICE Creep, Beloved Restaurant Closes, and a BANGER of a Pickathon Lineup!
GOOD MORNING, SUNDAY! It’s the perfect time to catch up on some of the great reporting and stories the Mercury churned out this week! (PRO TIP: If you despise being “the last to know,” then be one of the first to know by signing up for Mercury newsletters! All the latest stories shipped directly to […]
The Best Things To Do in Portland This Month: February 2026
February may be the shortest month of the year, but there’s no shortage of exceptional things to do. In addition to big dates like Black History Month, Lunar New Year, and Valentine’s Day, there’s the usual array of concerts, major author appearances, food and drink events, and more. Find all of February’s highlights below, with events […]
Hurricane Envy Has Something to Do with You
In Sara Jaffe’s short story “Today’s Problems,” the narrator keeps a living document of national and international headlines—police violence, Israel’s potential annexation of Jerusalem—alongside intimate anxieties, like their own kid’s possible ringworm. The combined list functions as a reminder that “today’s problems” aren’t abstract forces. They express themselves in the strange frictions of everyday life. […]
The Best Bang for Your Buck Events in Portland This Weekend: Jan 30–Feb 1, 2026
We’ve got the makings of a busy weekend with cheap and easy picks from ICE OUT! Justice for Alex Pretti, Renee Good, and all others murdered by ICE to Labor Says ICE Out and from The Portland Mercury’s Wiener Week to a Howl at the Moon gathering. For more ideas, check out our top picks of […]
Gimme Shelter: Jason Statham’s Latest Thriller Warms Up a Typically Cold January
Is that you Jason? I mean, Mason?
Ticket Alert: Kid Cudi, Tedeschi Trucks Band, and More Portland Events Going On Sale This Week
It’s time to bust out your concert calendar. Genre-bending rapper Kid Cudi will bring M.I.A. and Big Boi along on his Rebel Ragers Tour. Blues rock 12-piece Tedeschi Trucks Band supports their forthcoming album, Future Soul, at Edgefield this August. Plus, rising indie pop singer Em Beihold hits the road after her debut album drops […]
