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GO: The Absolutely Worst, Best and Weirdest Show: BOO
7 Deadly Sins’ live storytelling, comedy and improv show assembles assorted local personalities to share their own absolutely true worst, best or weirdest scary stories. The hook? This show also invites a few select open-mikers from the audience to participate onstage as well. The most popular scary storyteller—be they audience member or performer—will have a chance to win one of the absolute best or absolute worst prizes ever awarded onstage. Spooky season has never been so, ahem, absolute. White Eagle Saloon, 836 N Russell St., 7deadlysinsshows.org . 8 pm Wednesday, Oct. 15. $11. 21+.
GO: Primary Trust
In this Pulitzer Prize–winning drama written by Eboni Booth and directed by Chip Miller, main character Kenneth spends his whole life in the same small town, working at the same bookstore, and spending his evenings with his imaginary best friend, Bert. When Kenneth is suddenly laid off from his job, he is forced out of his comfort zone and into the world, his life unfurling into a fable about the transformative nature of kindness, community, and the courage it takes to embrace change. Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th Ave., pcs.org. See website for showtimes Wednesday–Sunday, through Oct. 26. $25–$86.
GO: ¡Alebrijes! A Día de Muertos Tale
An original comedy written by Georgina Escobar, ¡Alebrijes! A Día de Muertos Tale pays homage to Mexico City’s Pedro Linares, the original creator of the surreal and imaginative “animal-like” totems, alebrijes. This mythologized account of Linares’ life joins him on his journey through a psychedelic Oaxacan underworld on a rescue mission to trade his soul with La Muerte to save his brother. Will Pedro’s alebrijes rescue him from his near-death experience? Will he reach his artistic potential by creating a cultural legacy? And what does it mean for your own ofrenda? El Centro Milagro, 537 SE Stark St., milagro.org. Preview 7:30 pm Thursday, Oct. 16. 7:30 pm Friday–Saturday, 2 pm Sunday, Oct. 17–Nov. 9. $22–$30. 12+.
GO: Retro Gaming Expo
Nerds, rejoice! It’s that special time of year again when retro gaming enthusiasts from around the globe converge on the Oregon Convention Center to mix, mingle, and square up against all manner of unique, vintage, rare, and retro games and gaming consoles—large, small, and/or projected on a big screen for all to see. And since games abound all weekend, please remember to warm up those fingers—if you remember when the OG Game Boy dropped, you might have arthritis #retro. Oregon Convention Center, 777 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., retrogamingexpo.com. Noon–10 pm Friday, 9 am–10 pm Saturday, 10 am–5 pm Sunday, Oct. 17–19. $22–$92.
DRINK: Hip Chicks Do Wine Halloween Candy Pairings
Get started on your spooky season revelry by snagging an RSVP to urban winery Hip Chicks Do Wine’s Halloween Candy and Wine Flight event. This indulgent flight includes five classic fun-size Halloween candies paired with specially selected wines and a sample of the brand’s seasonal Witches Brew Sangria. The wine pairings are curated to bring out the best in the candies and vice versa. Small plates, wines and sangria will also be available for purchase, so make sure your Lyft account is updated lest you revel a bit too spookily (i.e., get too buzzed). Hip Chicks Do Wine Tasting Room, 4510 NW 23rd Ave., hipchicksdowine.com. 2 pm Friday–Saturday, 5 pm Sunday, Oct. 17–19. $30. 21+.
GO: York Fest: Our Rooted Futures Festival
York Fest is a nine-day celebration of Portland’s first Black ancestor, a man named York who reached what is today Portland as part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. As part of the fest, Our Rooted Futures presents a community-led storytelling and wellness gathering featuring art, dialogue, and collective care. Three distinct workshops form Our Rooted Futures Festival’s backbone: Regional Community Organizing History and Tactics, Collage Placemaking, and Community Sound Bath Sessions. And like any good fest, food, beverages and a community altar will be available throughout the day. The Community Care Marketplace, 322 NW 6th Ave., yorkfest.com. 11 am Saturday, Oct. 18. Free.
GO: You Are Not Alone
For this special evening of storytelling, Alex Dang, Courtenay Hameister, Darshanpreet Gill and Jamiel Brown each explore the many ways fear shows up in our lives—protecting, guiding and potentially transforming us. Members of the audience who have faced harrowing moments of danger, wrestled with quiet anxieties, or simply want to hear how others navigate the unknown are invited to find, now more than ever, that we’re all braver and more connected than we think. Kickstand Comedy Theater, 1006 SE Hawthorne Blvd., kickstandcomedy.org. 7 pm Friday, Oct. 17. $15–$20. 21+.
GO: No Kings March
Portland and beyond, let’s remind the world who TF we are. Grab your favorite, punniest protest sign and head out to Waterfront Park to commiserate with your community and laugh directly into the tormented, paunchy, insecure face of fascism. Inflatable frog, dinosaur and/or chicken costumes suggested but not required. Battleship Oregon Memorial Marine Park, 221 SW Naito Parkway, mobilize.us. Noon–4 pm Saturday, Oct. 18. Free. All ages.
GO: Tim Curry and Tim Burton Cabaret
Rogue Apostles presents this immersive drag and burlesque cabaret paying tribute to two icons of spooky season: Tim Curry and Tim Burton. Expect performances by your favorite Curry and Burton characters, as well as a costume contest and special gift bags for VIP attendees. If you’ve been waiting your whole life to see Beetlejuice time warp with Dr. Frankenfurter, or Babs Johnson in Lydia Deetz drag (unconfirmed, but a gal can hope), this could be the Halloween-adjacent event for you (me). Echo Theater Company, 1515 SE 37th Ave., echotheaterpdx.org. 9 pm Saturday, Oct. 18. $18. 18+.
