How to Eat and Drink in Portland, Oct. 24-30

Thursday, Oct. 24

Keep Portland Lost

It’s pumpkin patch time at the Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island. This year’s Maize is themed “Keep Portland Lost,” because that’s the goal: to trap Portlanders inside the maze of corn, then harvest the hapless denizens of the Rose City into, I don’t know, corn syrup or something. The Maize at the Pumpkin Patch, 16511 NW Gillihan Road. Various hours. Check portlandmaze.com for details. $5-$7, free for children under 5.

Haunted Pub Crawl

BeerQuest PDX’s latest pub crawl kicks off at Kells, runs through downtown and Old Town, and includes a tour of the Shanghai Tunnels. I took one of those tours years ago, and while the legend and lore they feed you is almost entirely bullshit, the tunnels could still be referred to as “creepy”—especially since The Big One could hit and you’d be sandwiched under Old Town for the rest of time. Ain’t nobody comin’ for ya. Multiple locations. 8 pm Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 24-Nov. 2. Check beerquestpdx.com for details. $25. 

Friday, Oct. 25

Beer 101 at the Oregon Coast

One of Oregon’s best-kept secrets is the Northern Coast in the fall, where the summer crowds have long dissipated and you can typically get by with a sweater if it isn’t raining. This event ranges from Astoria to Cannon Beach, and includes stops along the region’s burgeoning brewing industry. Boo! Multiple locations, 888-306-2326.

Best $10 Blind Wine Tasting

With a low-cost cover and reasonably priced contenders, this is a wine event for the proletariat. It also takes place at one of the city’s oldest wine shops. True story: My buddy stumbled upon some old gems at Woodstock Wine & Deli, including a 10-year-old Jubelale and an Anchor barley wine from the mid-’90s. I’m planning to murder him for both, but you would not believe how long it takes to plan murder. Woodstock Wine & Deli, 4030 SE Woodstock Ave., 777-2208. 6-9 pm. $10. 21+.

Saturday, Oct. 26

Oregon Brew Crew’s Fall Classic

Homebrewers can enter their brews for awards in up to 28 categories of beer, cider and mead. I had a homebrew the other week that blew me away, which I wouldn’t say is a common occurrence. When I asked the brewer what his secret ingredient was, he told me “cardamom and souls.” I laughed because I thought it was a joke, but he just kind of smiled. Portland Brewing Co., 2730 NW 31st Ave., 228-5269. 9 am. Free.

Great Pumpkin Event
As the legend I heard as a boy had it: In 1977, a young couple was brutally murdered and strung across the trees of the Park Blocks. At the base of each tree’s north side was a single pumpkin carved with bizarre numerals. The killer was never found. Commemorate the grisly anniversary with a kids’ costume party, pumpkin carving and other harvest-type events! Portland Farmers Market, South Park Blocks between Southwest Montgomery and Harrison streets, 241-0032. 9 am-1 pm. Free.