Saturday September 6top

Oktoberfest

Christmas, though agreed upon by many to be the most wonderful time of the year, still rubs some folks the wrong way. Oktoberfest, on the other hand, has a little something for everyone: sweet and savory German treats, foot-tapping live music, and for the brew fans out there, troughs of cold beer. But if you can't make it to Munich this year for the big two-week extravaganza, try settling for a one-day feel-good fest at Widmer Brothers Brewing, complete with yodelers and accordion players. Still not convinced? How ’bout the prospect of sampling a brand new pale ale by Widmer that won't be available to the public until 2009? Admission is free, but beer can only be purchased after buying a 2008 souvenir stein, so grab a mug and join thousands of your fellow Oregonians in toasting to the good times. Widmer Bros. Brewing, 929 N Russell St., 281-3333. Event opens at 3 pm. Free admission. Map

Sunday September 7top

Hog Heaven

In Good Taste Cooking School offers up a hands-on class on the protein that makes life worth living: pork. Instructor Maya Klein tempts cooks with visions of prosciutto-wrapped plantains and spice-rubbed pork chops with rum-pineapple pan sauce, among other dishes. Plus, she'll school class members on different pig cuts and what cooking methods work best with each part of the oinker. For more info and to register, call 248-2015 or visit ingoodtastestore.com. In Good Taste, 231 NW 11th Ave., 248-2015. 2 pm. $100. Map

Tuesday September 9top

Eating for Planetary Survival

Repent the sins of the cooked! The “father of the raw food revolution,” Viktoras Kulvinskas, speaks to his followers (and skeptics) and chews the fat on the global food crisis and animal sentience Tuesday and Wednesday (Sept. 9-10). Regardless of your dietary stance, Kulvinskas, author of Survival Into the Twenty First Century, has got something to say. An Essene bishop and the co-founder of the Hippocrates Health Institute, he has done research on blue-green algae and enzymes. So yeah, he keeps busy. Register by emailing paypal@thumis.net. People's Food Co-op, 3029 SE 21st Ave., 232-9051. 7 pm. $15 pre-registration. $20 at the door. Visit wellness.meetup.com/304 for more info. Map