What to Do in Portland This Week (March 22-28, 2023)

One of Oregon’s older wineries—and the state’s only commercial olive mill—is celebrating 50 years in business. with a multicourse dinner in Portland.

Durant

LAUGH: Space Cats Peace Turtles

Ex-Portland heartthrob Hunter Donaldson (an alum of WW’s Funniest Five) and Arkansas fatherhood icon Matt Martens are coming to town to record an episode of their podcast Space Cats Peace Turtles. While normally a deep dive into the popular board game Twilight Imperium, the duo will instead take on the death-defying game of Live Comedy. Also performing are local standup favorites Steven Wilber, Aaron Harleman, Katie Nguyen and Jamie Carbone. Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th Ave., 503-583-8464, portland.heliumcomedy.com. 8 pm Wednesday, March 22. $20 general admission, $28 reserved. 21+.

GO: The Dolly Party: The Dolly Parton-Inspired Country Diva Dance Party

The Dolly Party is tailor-made for the modern-day working girl who’s a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll. Expect music from not only the titular Smoky Mountain Songbird, but also Tina Turner, Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, The Chicks, Loretta Lynn, Shania Twain, Whitney Houston, Kacey Musgraves, Donna Summer and more. Wrangle all of your country-diva dance queens for this one. Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark St., 971-808-5094, revolutionhall.com. 9 pm Friday, March 24. $18. 21+.

WATCH: Sweet 16 Watch Party

The Sports Bra, billed as the first and only bar that exclusively screens women’s sports, is entering its first full season of March Madness and hosting a watch party in partnership with…a car company? The collaboration may sound strange. After all, how many people do you know who automatically associate Buick with women’s college basketball? The auto manufacturer has launched a campaign to boost the visibility of female sports and chose Portland as the only location to hold its “See Her Greatness” NCAA event. In addition to the Sweet 16 games on the bar’s five TVs, you can expect appearances by yet-to-be-named women athletes, who are billed as “well known.” The Sports Bra, 2512 NE Broadway, 503-327-8401, thesportsbrapdx.com. 2-9 pm Friday and 11 am-6 pm Saturday, March 24-25.

GO: Frankenstein’s Comic Book Swap Unearthed!

Local entrepreneurs, collectors, crafters and lovable weirdos in general continue to find creative new ways to keep our beloved Lloyd Center alive. The latest pop-up event at the Northeast Portland mall is this comic book swap, which will actually include more than just comics. Collectors of classic toys, movies and more have also been invited to bring items from their personal stockpiles of pop culture. The trading takes place on both levels of the former H&M, just across from the ice rink. Lloyd Center, 1405 Lloyd Center, 503-282-2511, lloydcenter.com. 11 am-6 pm Saturday, March 25. $5 for early bird admission at 11 am, $1 for noon general admission. Free for kids and elders.

GO: Nuestra Arte Art Crawl

In observance of Women’s History Month, JUNTOSpdx is launching an art crawl showcasing the work of Portland Latinas. The route begins at Alberta Arts District gallery Walk In and continues to Mister OK’s Essentials, plant-based Mexican restaurant Chilango and Bar Cala. Along the way, you’ll be able to view stunning original art, make some of your own, and take plenty of snack breaks. Printed maps will be provided by JUNTOSpdx. Alberta Arts District, juntospdx.net. 2-7 pm Saturday, March 25.

EAT: Durant 50th Anniversary Dinner

One of Oregon’s older wineries—and the state’s only commercial olive mill—is celebrating a milestone: 50 years in business. Reaching the half-century mark deserves not just one event, but a whole series, and you can help kick things off with this anniversary dinner at Hotel Lucia. Chef Aaron Dionne will temporarily leave his post just a few blocks away at Bistro Alder to prepare the meal, which includes passed hors d’oeuvres, smoked tomato and braised green chickpeas in parsley-arbequina olive oil, pan-roasted squab and, fittingly, a Durant olive oil cake with caramelized rhubarb. Hotel Lucia, 400 SW Broadway, 503-225-1717, durantoregon.com. 7 pm Saturday, March 25. $135 per person.

LISTEN: Siren Songs | Seasons | Spring

Enjoy the angelic voices of critically acclaimed Americana folk duo Siren Songs, who will perform original music as well as genre classics with reimagined arrangements using a variety of instruments, including the banjo, guitar, viola and dulcimer. Two longtime best friends, Merideth Kaye Clark and Jenn Grinels, formed Siren Songs in late 2019 and, in just three short years, have made such a strong impression that one of their heroes, Dolly Parton (who might happen to know a little something about great music), has voiced her support for their work. The Old Church Concert Hall, 1422 SW 11th Ave., 503-222-2031, theoldchurch.org. 7 pm Saturday, March 25. $30.

WATCH: In the Beginning

This short tells the story of a young man of color who struggles to return to society following his release from prison. While trying to begin a new life, he discovers that the world only sees him for his crime, not the rehabilitated individual he’s become. Some of the film’s actors, who’ve spent time behind bars in Oregon, will participate in a post-screening Q&A. Proceeds from ticket sales go to Open Hearts Open Minds, a nonprofit that supports individuals serving prison sentences through arts and dialogue. Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-493-1128, hollywoodtheatre.org. 2 pm Sunday, March 26. $8-10.

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