The Best Bang for Your Buck Events in Portland This Weekend: June 26–28, 2026
The rain is back, but don’t let that stop you from heading to weekend events from the Good in the Hood Multicultural Festival to the Summer Story Fest and from the Tigard Festival of Balloons and to the Portland Cherry Bombs’ final match of the season. For more ideas, check out our top picks of the week. FRIDAY LIVE MUSIC Stepping Out ShowcaseThis weekend, rapper, producer, writer, and artist Sole Context presents the first Stepping Out Showcase in partnership with local nonprofit Friends of Noise and its all-ages venue the Off Beat. The goal of the series is to celebrate…
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World Cup Diary: Week Two
Two decades ago, when their nation hosted the World Cup, Germans enjoyed what they still call the sommermärchen: the summer fairytale, when the country fell back in love with its national soccer team as it embarked on a stirring run to the World Cup semifinal. The sommermärchen felt relevant last Friday in Seattle, when, on a picture-perfect Northwest summer day, in front of a raucous crowd of nearly 67,000 fans in the American game’s heartland, the United States beat Australia 2-0 to secure their place in the World Cup knockout stages. After the match, with the crowd belting out John…
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Good Morning, News: Much Ado About Moda, Heartbreaking Venezuela Quake, and NYC Is Freezing (Rent)
If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution to the Mercury, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Good Morning, Portland! Well, here comes the rain again. We can expect five days of overcast, wet weather, which might be a good break from the heat and a good reset for the garden. If you’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest for long, you know summer doesn’t start until the 5th of July, so we’re a bit ahead of schedule with the hot hot heat mid-June. Hey, this gives you…
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Highlights of the Big Ticket Metro Chamber Event? Maybe the Catering.
It’s unclear if anyone who purchased a $350 ticket to this year’s chamber of commerce meeting is feeling buyer’s remorse, but if they expected anything more than a pep rally, sans pep, they certainly could be. The Portland Metro Chamber held its annual meeting at the Moda Center on Wednesday, a fundraiser for the local tax-exempt business organization. With roughly 800 people in attendance, the event’s headliner was none other than Tom Dundon, the new, Texas-based majority owner of the Portland Trail Blazers. City, county, and state elected officials spoke in uninspired monotones about their governments’ public investments in the…
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Come Hungry for the Portland Mercury’s Food Issue Launch Party, July 8!
Portland’s food scene is something to celebrate every day, but it’s not every day you get to celebrate it with your pals at the Mercury! Our new food issue hits stands July 8, and on that day, we’re celebrating with an all-ages, free-to-attend shindig at one of Portland’s very best food cart pods, The Heist (4727 SE Woodstock), from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. The theme of this year’s food issue is Get Out and Eat. It’s summertime, AKA peak food cart season—and this issue features our brand-new guide to Portland’s very best food carts. It’s also jam-packed with other…
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FREE TICKETS THURSDAY: Win Tix to Snooper, James McMurtry, Queer Cinema, and MORE!
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 a small monthly contribution to keep us alive and kickin’!) And oh boy, do we have some fun events coming at ya this week! CHECK IT OUT! (Note: This contest is active from June 25 through June 29.) Join us for a month of…
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POP QUIZ PDX: Let’s Bail Out a Billionaire!
CALLING ALL BRAINY PANTS! It’s time to put that brainy-brain to the test with this edition of POP QUIZ PDX—our local, sassy-ass trivia quiz. And this week we’ll see how much YOU know about local roller rinks, incoming sportsball coaches, and what we should give billionaire Tom Dundon instead of $120 million! (Would an expired gift certificate from Shari’s work?) 🧐 But first, how did you do on our last quiz? Whoopty-whooo! You are the brainiest in the land! And I heartily agree with the majority of you who think the WORST company in the world is “anything that Elon Musk touches.”…
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Good Morning, News: Moda Center Drama, Lloyd Mall Drama, and Taylor Swift Drama… So Much Drama!
If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution to the Mercury, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! And hey: in case you haven’t noticed, the Mercury is now offering audio versions of many of the stories you love—including Good Morning, News, which is especially entertaining when narrated by the Mercury’s resident robot, Debbie. (In an effort to reward you for listening to Debbie—click play on the audio article above—I’m asking her to tell you a joke or two. Oh, boy! This…
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In Latest Newsletter, Mayor Wilson Ridicules Blazers Fan and Influential Critic as a “Techbro”
Updated: 10:27 pm June 25 Portland Mayor Keith Wilson had critiques and a sharp tongue in a Tuesday newsletter that took jabs at city councilors as well as a data analyst who’s become one of the most influential sources of information about the city’s upcoming Moda Center lease contract. What the mayor didn’t have? Accuracy. Wilson’s newsletter—sent to email subscribers the day before Portland city councilors were scheduled to meet for a work session on Moda Center lease negotiations—focused solely on the Moda Center and what he believes is at stake. “Portland has a big decision looming,” Wilson noted, recounting…
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Let’s Celebrate: The Mercury’s Nacho Week is Happening NOW!
Oh, hello… and hurrah! It’s time for the Portland Mercury’s Nacho Week! Not only are nachos the platonic ideal of bar food, they also present a wonderful canvas for creativity: Crunchy tortilla chips (or tots or what have you) provide a base for whatever toppings your heart desires! The Portland Mercury’s annual Nacho Week, which is happening NOW through Sunday, June 28, demonstrates the dizzying versatility of the beloved Tex-Mex dish with exclusive specials from over 50 chefs all over Portland… and for a mere $10 each! Your mission: Try as many as your stomach (and dignity) will allow. Use…
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Good Morning, News: Mamdani’s Political Sway, the Rise (and Risk) of Neobanks, and City Councilors’ Final Maneuver to Save Jobs
If you’re reading this, you probably know the value of the Mercury’s news reporting, arts and culture coverage, event calendar, and the bevy of events we host throughout the year. The work we do helps our city shine, but we can’t do it without your support. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Good morning, Portland! We’re in for another hot day today, with a high of 91, but by tomorrow, we should see things cool down…
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City Council Held Their Noses and Passed a Budget—Now They Want Changes
The city of Portland approved its budget last week, but that doesn’t mean efforts to avoid impending cuts are over. Hours after Portland City Council approved an $8.5 billion 2026-27 budget last Wednesday evening, five city councilors brought forward an ordinance to restore some of the frontline services Mayor Keith Wilson eliminated in the budget. It’s a pared down version of a budget amendment that failed along increasingly clear party lines, including six councilors who consistently vote together on more moderate and conservative positions, and six councilors who vote together on progressive policy. Councilors Candace Avalos, Mitch Green, Sameer Kanal,…
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SAVAGE LOVE: Cleaning House
Bisexual AFAB non-binary here. (And a Magnum sub!) I have a legal query I’m hoping you or perhaps one of your guest experts might be able to help with? I’m a self-employed cleaner in Portland, Oregon, who offers a discount for LGBTQ+ folks on first cleans. The discount attracts the kinds of clients I want, queer and straight. I don’t work for MAGA types or even third-party types — and that’s a two-way street. Those people don’t usually like my prices, pronouns, tattoos, and hair. I don’t want to be alone in their homes or take their money I have a regular slot…
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Good Morning, News: Amazon Delivery Vans Aflame, Blazers Have a New Coach, and Trump’s Pool Crash Out Continues
If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution to the Mercury, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! Good morning, Portland! It’s gonna be another hot one today, with temperatures expected to linger in the low 90s through the evening. Luckily, we are due for some reprieve later this week in the form of temps in the 60s and possible showers. But for now, stay hydrated and as cool as you can! 🥵🥵 Also, you know you need to partake in the Mercury’s nacho week, which is happening…
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The Mercury’s Do This, Do That: Your Top Events for June 22-28
This week’s entertainment choices have it all: films for every possible taste, air guitar shredders, queer events aplenty, festivals, bike rides, horror sleepovers, poetry, and of course, lots and lots of NACHOS! Let’s dive into the fun. MONDAY, JUNE 22 Portland Mercury Nacho Week Hurrah! It’s time for the Portland Mercury’s Nacho Week! Not only are nachos the platonic ideal of bar food, they also present a wonderful canvas for creativity: Crunchy tortilla chips (or tots or what have you) provide a base for whatever toppings your heart desires! Nacho Week demonstrates the dizzying versatility of the beloved Tex-Mex dish…
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