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GO: Pickathon
Project Pabst may be behind us, but we’ve still got a few iconic Portland summer music festivals on the horizon. Starting tomorrow, Pickathon returns for another year of strummin’, campin’, eatin’ and explorin’ at the gorgeous Pendarvis Farm. Haven’t heard of every band in the Pickathon lineup? That’s kind of the festival’s whole deal…Pickathon has launched names like Sturgill Simpson, Big Thief and Leon Bridges. But, if you really can’t find anyone ya like (highly unlikely), there’s literally so much to explore: “neighborhoods” of art stage displays, glowing dance floors-turned-yoga studios, intimate vinyl DJ sets, speakeasies, history lounges, and more. Pendarvis Farm, 16581 SE Hagen Road, pickathon.com. See website for a full calendar of events Thursday–Sunday, July 31–Aug. 3. $16+.
SNIFF: Dahlia Festival
One of the cutest, most wholesome PDX event genres, imo, anyways, are the various flower festivals hosted across the Portland area each year. We’ve got festivals for tulips, lavender, peonies, roses…and now it’s officially dahlia szn. Starting Friday, the annual Dahlia Festival is in bloom at Swan Island Dahlias in Canby. Stroll through nearly 50 acres of rainbows of dahlia fields, eat some mini cider doughnuts, sip on some fresh squeezed lemonade, peruse the gift shop, take a floral arranging class, do some evening yoga in the flower fields, enjoy live music on the weekends—and, of course, take a bouquet of fresh-cut dahlias home with ya. Swan Island Dahlias, 995 NW 22nd Ave., dahlias.com. 9 am–5:30 pm Friday, Aug. 1–Sept. 30. Free.
LAUGH: Leave Your Troubles at the Door
Let’s play “Is it a wooden sign one might find in the foyer of a Rae Dunn aesthetic home or the name of a comedy show?” Probably both. But in this specific instance, it’s the latter. Leave Your Troubles at the Door is a completely improvised standup comedy showcase where you quite literally have to leave your troubles at the door…or in a box before the show, rather. Upon arrival, you write down your troubles, place them in said box, and then leave it up to comedians like Kenny Tam, Naomi Fitter, Amanda Cohen, Jay Flewelling, Kyle Kinane, and host Chris Hudson to make you feel better about them. Funhouse Lounge, 2432 SE 11th Ave., 503-841-6734, funhouselounge.com. 10 pm Friday, Aug. 1. $12. 21+.
WATCH: The Godfather w/ Pre-Show Trivia
You come to me, on the day of The Godfather w/ Pre-Show Trivia screening at Tomorrow Theater…OK, yeah, it’s on Saturday, but you know what I’m trying to do here. Francis Ford Coppola himself will give a talk on Sunday (it’s sold out and we’re feeling the fomo), so to pregame, Tomorrow Theater is showing his most iconic masterpiece. Kick off the evening with The Godfather trivia hosted by ShanRock’s Triviology before settling in for the screening. Sounds like an offer we can’t refuse…Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division St., 503-221-1156, tomorrowtheater.org. 3:30 and 7:30 pm Saturday, July 5. $15.
LISTEN: Vanport Jazz Festival
After the 1948 Columbia River flood devastated the city of Vanport, 18,000 people, a quarter of whom were African American, were displaced from their homes. Vanport’s uprooted Black community then decided to open jazz clubs in their designated neighborhood—establishing Portland as a true jazz city, according to the Vanport Jazz Festival. “Today, the Vanport Jazz Festival intends to carry the torch of those musicians who moved to Oregon for work and filled the air with art.” This year’s Vanport Jazz Festival includes: Avery Sunshine, Jon B, Kayla Waters, and Norman Brown. Don’t miss it! University of Portland, 5000 N Willamette Blvd., vanportjazzfestival.com 6–9 pm Friday, noon–9 pm Saturday, Aug. 1–2. $75+.
GO: St. Johns Art Walk
Sure, you could walk around and appreciate the natural beauty of St. Johns—the St. Johns Bridge, Cathedral Park, the architecture of downtown, a burrito from Tienda Santa Cruz—on any old day in Portland. But this Saturday, the artists, makers, creators, local businesses and neighbors of St. Johns will be out in full-swing for the St. Johns Art Walk. There’ll be live music, free art workshops, food carts, and over 40 different artists to peruse, shop and admire. North Lombard Street between New York and Richmond avenues, stjohnsartwalk.org 11 am–4 pm Saturday, Aug. 2. Free.
