Music❯Blues

Join an afternoon with Grammy Award-winning soprano Audrey Luna. Audrey will give a masterclass with L&C and PSU students and present a lecture titled "The Business of Singing."

Born in Miami, during World War II, Chris Smither grew up in New Orleans where he first started playing music as a child. The son of a Tulane University professor, he was taught the rudiments of instrumentation by his uncle on his mother’s ukulele. “Uncle Howard,” Smither says, “showed me that if you knew three chords, you could play a lot of the songs you heard on the radio. And if you knew four chords, you could pretty much rule the world.” With that bit of knowledge under his belt, he was hooked. “I’d loved acoustic music – specifically the blues – ever since I first heard Lightnin’ Hopkins’ Blues In My Bottle album. I couldn’t believe the sound Hopkins got. At first I thought it was two guys playing guitar. My style, to a degree, came out of trying to imitate that sound I heard.”

The annual Portland Holiday Market is the premier venue for holiday cheer! Kickstart your festive decor and gift shopping while enjoying gourmet food and festive family activities. The three-day market brings the community together for a weekend of getting into the spirit before the season begins in earnest.

This year’s market features one-of-a-kind treasures from hundreds of artisan shops and local makers, sensational bites and sips from local vendors, live carolers roaming the aisles, hands-on workshops from DIY holiday decor to cookie decorating, and adoptable pups at Puppermint Lane in partnership with One Tail at a Time. Snap a photo with the 25-foot living blue spruce, take a break with a festive cocktail in the YuleTide Lounge, and bring the little ones by to meet Santa. It’s a one-stop shop to prepare for holiday hosting, gifting, and celebrating before the hustle and bustle begins.

General admission is $13 online and $14 at the door, and tickets are FREE for children ages 12 and under. Bundle two tickets plus parking for $33, and parking is free after 4:00 pm on Friday.

DATES:

Fri 11/6 from 10am-7pm

Sat 11/7 from 10am-7pm

Sun 11/8 from 10am-6pm

Jake Shimabukuro is a world-renowned ukulele virtuoso whose groundbreaking artistry has redefined the instrument for the 21st century. Hailed as the “Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele,” Shimabukuro has captivated audiences across the globe with his masterful technique, innovative spirit, and deeply expressive performances that seamlessly blend elements of jazz, rock, classical, blues, folk, and traditional Hawaiian music.

Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, Jake began playing the ukulele at age four, quickly developing a unique style that pushed the instrument far beyond its traditional boundaries. He first gained international recognition after his jaw-dropping rendition of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” went viral, introducing millions to the ukulele’s untapped potential.

Over the course of his career, Shimabukuro has released numerous acclaimed albums, collaborated with an array of legendary artists—including Bette Midler, Yo-Yo Ma, Jimmy Buffett, Ziggy Marley, and Mick Fleetwood—and performed everywhere from the Sydney Opera House to the Hollywood Bowl and the Kennedy Center. His most recent projects showcase both his dazzling technical command and his growing focus on emotional storytelling through music.

Beyond the stage, Jake is a passionate advocate for music education and community outreach, frequently performing at schools and benefit concerts to inspire the next generation of musicians. Whether playing an intimate solo show or headlining with a full band, Shimabukuro continues to prove that the ukulele is an instrument of infinite possibilities—one that speaks a universal language of joy, connection, and hope.

Join the Harvest Celebration, a one-of-a-kind evening where the worlds of art and wine come together in the heart of Portland. Presented by the Portland Art Museum and the Willamette Valley Wineries Association, this immersive tasting experience celebrates the creativity, craftsmanship, and intersection between artists and winemakers. Enjoy wines from 50 Willamette Valley wineries alongside engaging artistic experiences, seasonal culinary offerings, and opportunities for discovery throughout the evening.

Each artist will be paired with a collection of participating wineries, creating unique intersections between visual art and winemaking. Meet the artists, learn about their creative process, and discover how artistic expression and winegrowing share a common foundation.

The evening will also feature a live artist creating work in real time, offering guests a firsthand look at the creative process. Interactive experiences invite attendees to become creators themselves, including opportunities to design a custom wine label and blend a personalized spice mix to take home. Guests can further extend their experience by exploring works available through the Portland Art Museum’s Rental Sales Gallery, offering an opportunity to bring a piece of local art home and continue the experience long after the event concludes.

Kevin Selfe’s Blues Jam is a high-energy Sunday afternoon session kicking off at 5 PM, led by acclaimed guitarist and vocalist Kevin Selfe. Featuring a rotating lineup of top Portland musicians, the jam delivers spontaneous collaborations, extended grooves, and plenty of room for musical surprises.

Band members: Kevin Selfe (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Jimi Bott (drums), Allen Markel (bass), and friends.

Doors open at 4 PM for dinner & drinks
Music kicks off at 5 PM

Here’s the quick rundown so everyone has a blast:

• No reservations needed — first come, first served. Grab a good spot early!
• There’s a $6 cover
• 21+ show

Make life a little easier on our Oregon winter birds with some crafty edible artistry for all ages.

Bottleneck Blues Band was voted Best New Blues Act in 2015 and nominated for the Best CD of the Year by the Cascade Blues Association. The band is a featured act this year at the Waterfront Blues Festival, Cathedral Park Jazz Festival, Illwaco Seafood and Blues Festival, The Taste of Tacoma, the Wallace Idaho Blues Festival and the Crawdad Festival.

Bottleneck is fronted by Noah Bell and is backed up by an all-star lineup with Randy Monroe on the bass guitar, Pete Moss on saxophone, Franklin Spicer on keys and Devon Shazier kickin' the drums. Bottleneck plays red-hot funky blues designed to make your body move. They are currently debuting new material to be featured on their second album. Their first CD "Twenty First Century Blues" was warmly received and the band is looking forward to their next recording project.

The Portland Grief House invites you to join The Lost Table, a welcoming space to gather in community, remember those we’ve lost, and share in the traditions that help us keep them close. Bring a dish, pull up a chair, and make a place at the table for the dead. Grief can be hard to understand, and sometimes what we need most is community, ritual, conversation, and food.

Together, we’ll explore how different cultures and traditions call to, honor, and make offerings to those who have died. In the spirit of Día de Muertos, we’ll create a shared space where the living and the dead can gather around the same table.

We’ll begin with a creative activity led by Mario Mesquita, inviting us to reflect on memory, food, and our relationships with those we’ve lost. Participants will be introduced to the ritual elements that will carry us through the evening.

Laura Green will lead a community conversation about intercultural traditions of Día de Muertos and other ways communities call to and remember their dead. Participants will have an opportunity to share stories, traditions, and memories, and to dedicate an offering to someone they have lost.

Bea Yeh will introduce the tradition of Hungry Ghost and lead us in making an offering to the dead. We’ll set places at our table for those who are no longer with us and share food as an act of remembrance and connection.

Our community offerings and tributes will be gathered at Ximena Morales’s altar, creating a shared space of remembrance that connects the different traditions and offerings brought into the room.

Throughout the evening, we’ll create something together through words, offerings, and remembrance. We’ll dedicate a community poem to the dead and close our gathering with a collective ritual of words, sound, and stillness.

Please bring:

• A dish to share, plus any serving utensils it needs. Consider bringing something that reminds you of a loved one or connects you to a family or cultural tradition.
• Please label your food with a card identifying any allergens or dietary considerations.
• Your own dinnerware (plate, bowl, utensils, napkin).
• A beverage for yourself, if you’d like something other than water.
• A photograph, name, or other small tribute to a loved one for the community altar, if you’d like.
• Please do not bring chips, salsa, or guacamole—Milagro will provide these.

The Portland Grief House is honored to continue this tradition, originally started by Side Yard Farm. El Centro Milagro is excited to partner with Portland Grief House to create a space for English- and Spanish-speaking community members to gather, remember, share traditions, and honor the dead together.

Schedule
4:00–4:30 PM — Opening Ritual & Activity
4:30–5:45 PM — Community Conversation & Offerings
5:45 PM — Dedication & Closing

Estimated Running Time: 3 hours
Age Recommendation: Ages 10+