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GO: Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology
OMSI is a great place to be any day, but we especially recommend paying the museum a visit this week—specifically today through Sunday. Across the next five days, the Portland Festival of Cinema, Animation & Technology will screen over 110 different films and animation from 23 countries. There are gonna be parties, panel presentations, special technology showcases (think VR and planetarium dome screenings), and Q&A sessions with visiting filmmakers. Our film rec? Downwind: a documentary by Portland director Mark Shapiro about the impact of nuclear testing and radioactive fallout. OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave., 503-797-4000, omsi.edu. Various showtimes Wednesday–Sunday, Aug. 21–25. $48.
LISTEN: Volume Bomb Block Party 7
The Titty Babies…Sad Boy Union…The Latter Day Skanks—these are just a few of the 50 (incredibly named) bands performing at Volume Bomb Records’ Summer Block Party. The annual gathering, themed “Block Together, Rock Together,” will be held across five different venues: Space Room, Quarterworld, the Trough, Bar of the Gods and, for one night only, making a comeback to Hawthorne’s bar scene…Tanker. From hardcore punk to metal to rock to indie sleaze—you could say it’ll be a jam-packed Saturday night (sorry). Southeast 49th Avenue and Hawthorne Boulevard, volumebomb.com. 4 pm–midnight Saturday, Aug. 24. $15+.
GO: Portland Hip-Hop Week
You don’t have to be a hip-hop expert to get down—I mean, just look at Raygun at the Olympics. Break-dancing icon, or not, everyone’s invited to Portland Hip-Hop Week, an event originally established to address the relationship between the hip-hop community and the city of Portland. Whether you’re wanting to showcase your DJ skills at the “Get in the Game” DJ Workshop, or join “Meet the Plug” (aka a networking mixer), head to “Skate ‘n Shake” at Oaks Amusement Park, or attend a “Hip Hop, Wine & Chill” mixer, DJ O.G.ONE—yes, the Trail Blazers’ DJ—and his crew will be keeping it real all week long. Various locations, pdxhiphopweek.com. Various times Tuesday–Monday, Aug. 20–26. Prices vary.
ENJOY: Hawthorne Street Fair
Imagine if one of Portland’s coolest, most iconic streets got even cooler and more iconic. Well, if you’ve ever been to the Hawthorne Street Fair, you don’t have to imagine. A bittersweet sign that summer in the Rose City is coming to a close—this year’s 41st street fair will shut down the entire block from Southeast César E. Chávez Boulevard to 30th Avenue to host over 200 local businesses, vendors and food pop-ups, plus a whole lineup of local musicians playing everything from Zimbabwean dance music to Louisiana zydeco. Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard and 34th Avenue, hawthorneblvd.com. 11 am–5 pm Sunday, Aug. 25. Free.
GO: Meet Your Monsters
You know those adorably awesome little guys painted outside the Sidestreet Arts building in the Kerns neighborhood? Well, Gary Hirsch, Portland muralist and creator of said guys, apparently had a whole lot more of them living in his head—so many that he created a show dedicated to them! Meet Your Monsters, an exhibition being held at Sidestreet Arts throughout the month of August, invites guests to name all of the awesome little guys on display. And if whoever buys the painting ends up choosing your name, you’ll get a hand-painted domino Bot (Hirsch’s signature guy). Sidestreet Arts, 140 SE 28th Ave., 503-327-8064, sidestreetarts.com. Noon–5 pm Thursday–Sunday, through Aug. 31. Free.
GO: Portland Flea
Typically, the Portland Flea is all about #fleastyle—otherwise known as the impromptu fashion show that inevitably occurs when all of PDX’s thrift baddies join forces in the Ecotrust parking lot. But this weekend, the flea is about more than just vintage clothing, jewelry, home goods, and craft cocktails—it’s also about saving puppies! On Sunday, the nonprofit dog rescue One Tail at a Time will be at the flea, adoptable puppies in hand. And even if you’re not looking to adopt, you can bring your own pup, snap a photo, and tag #pdxfleadogs, and Portland flea will donate $10 for each photo to OTAT. Ecotrust parking lot, 721 NW 9th Ave., pdxflea.com. 11 am–4 pm Saturday, Aug. 24. Free. Nova parking lot, 240 SE Clay St., pdxflea.com. 11 am–4 pm, Sunday, Aug. 25. Free.
ENJOY: Zoo Nights
Lions and tigers and bears—and elephants and giraffes and pygmy goats and African bullfrogs and river otters and ring-tailed lemurs and train rides and bubble dance parties and puppet shows and snacks and bevs—oh my! This Friday is your last chance of the summer to explore the Oregon Zoo after dark (well, past close, anyways) and to get to know some of the animals active during twilight hours. You can expect all of the above, plus special zoo keeper chats, animal activities, and a live performance by reggae musician Aaron Nigel Smith. Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Road, 503-226-1561, oregonzoo.org. 5–9 pm Friday, Aug. 23. $21–$26.
Got an event tip? Email shannon@wweek.com.