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OGLE: Dahlia Festival
If you’ve managed to avoid it for the breadth of summer, today is your last day to take in the extraordinary beauty and whimsy of Swan Island Dahlia Festival, an annual tradition that winds like a colorful flower crown around summer, marking the onset and sunset of the season. Wear comfy shoes that photograph well: Across more than 50 acres are some 375 varieties of floral fantasia to navigate, and you’re gonna want those humble-brag photos for your ’Gram. Swan Island Dahlias, 995 NW 22nd Ave., Canby, dahlias.com. 9 am Wednesday, Sept. 30. Free.
SEE: Nankama
Local African dance company Sebé Kan’s annual, multigenerational performance embodies the West African, Malinké/Maninka term “nankama,” which translates to something like “born to do this.” Featuring dancers across age groups, the performance aims to transcend movement alone and become something that examines purpose, identity and the depth and complexities of human emotion. Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, portland5.com. 6:30 pm Thursday, Oct. 1. $30.
WATCH: Black Zombie
If the first people were Black, it stands to reason the first zombies were as well. SXSW Film Fest fave Black Zombie, a documentary directed by Maya Annik Bedward, features interviews with luminaries in the realms of vodou, alternative Black culture, special effects, horror and film to paint the clandestine history of the zombie film and its Haitian, sugar-cane-field origins, because frankly, as far as bone-chilling terror goes, horror ain’t got nothin’ on history. Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division St., tomorrowtheater.org. 6:30 pm Thursday, Oct. 1. Free. All ages.
LAUGH: Leave Your Troubles at the Door
In this standup showcase, audience members confess their problems anonymously, suggestion-box style, and comedians then work said issues into improvised scenes. Will it help solve all your issues? Most likely not. Will it give you a couple of hours’ reprieve from said issues? Maybe. Will you at least get to laugh at the problems of others? Definitely. And that alone feels worth the price of admission. Funhouse Lounge, 2432 SE 11th Ave., funhouselounge.com. 10 pm Friday, Oct. 2. $10–$20. 21+.
GO: Radical Harvest Craft Faire & Community Center
This monthly event bills itself as part craft fair and part pop-up community center. As for the quirky shopping, you’ll find more than 40 artisans, crafters and makers—knitters to needlepointers to tattooists. Elsewhere are a handful of mutual-aid resources, free activities for families, and a slew of craft stations. SymbiOp Garden Shop, 3454 SE Powell Blvd., knotspritestudios.com. 11 am–4 pm Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 3 and 4. Free.
SEE: Portland Dance Film Festival
Portland’s annual Dance Film Festival celebrates a decade by revisiting a cohort of nine films that hold particular value in the fest’s history. Global picks showcase a diverse range of stories, filmmaking styles and unique voices—the artistic kind of voice, of course; most dance films don’t have speaking parts. Tomorrow Theater, 3530 SE Division St., tomorrowtheater.org. 7 pm Sunday, Oct. 4. $15.
EAT: Taste of Portland
Farm-to-table vibes are on full display at Taste of Portland, where more than 20 of the city’s best chefs, breweries, distilleries and vineyards come together for an evening of sensory indulgence completely unique to our region. Proceeds benefit the Oregon Food Bank. So, yes, this is a feast that’s also a fundraiser for those in need of food. Castaway, 1900 NW 18th Ave., urban-restaurants.com. 6 pm Monday, Oct. 5. $56. 21+.
