Food & Drink❯Dining

The In Bocca books are a curious and beautiful collection of 20 Italian cookbooks, each devoted to a different region of Italy. Originally published in the 1970s, they’re filled with recipes, hand-drawn illustrations, folk art, and wonderfully wonky English translations, offering a glimpse into the food and character of Italy from region to region. Long out of print, they’ve become cult objects for collectors and lovers of Italian food.

For the past three years, Cathy Whims and the Nostrana team have cooked their way through the entire collection, creating 19 dinners: one for each book. Now, for the Portland Book Festival, that journey comes to an end with Roma in Bocca the 20th book.

For this special finale, Cathy Whims is welcoming Italia in Bocca director Robert Serrini, an expert and passionate champion of these remarkable books. Robert will mingle with guests throughout the evening and document the dinner as part of a short film about Roma in Bocca. He also dreams of one day seeing the full collection published once again, bringing these quirky, art-filled books back into the hands of a new generation.

Whether you’ve followed the series from the beginning or are discovering these peculiar books for the first time, come take one last trip Italy in Bocca with us.

Cathy Whims recently published her own culinary book: The Italian Summer Kitchen: Recipes for La Dolce Vita. During this event her book will be available for purchase and signing.

Reservations required. Limited seating available. Paid reservations sold by Nostrana nostrana.com/romabook

Portland Book Festival welcomes Molly and Meherwan Irani, the husband-and-wife team behind Asheville’s nationally celebrated Chai Pani Restaurant Group. Their flagship restaurant, Chai Pani, was named Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2022.

This year, Molly and Meherwan each bring a new book to the table. Meherwan has written No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World: At-Home Recipes from the Streets, Truck Stops, Villages, and Palaces of India. Molly’s Service Ready: A Story of Love, Restaurants, and the Power of Hospitality was published earlier this year. Together, the books offer two very different—and deeply connected—perspectives on food, restaurants, and hospitality.

In celebration of Diwali—the Hindu festival of lights, marked by food, gathering, and celebration—Molly and Meherwan will join their longtime friend Chef Troy MacLarty at Bollywood Theater on Alberta Street for a collaboration. Bollywood Theater will serve a special menu inspired by recipes from Meherwan’s book alongside its own Diwali-inspired menu. It’s a gathering of longtime friends, great food, and two books that reflect different sides of a shared life in restaurants.

Both books will be featured at Portland Book Festival, and Molly and Meherwan will be on hand at Bollywood to meet guests and sign copies.

Few foods inspire the kind of irrational devotion like a good hot dog. Chef Farideh Sadeghin is bringing The Hot Dog Cookbook: 50 Recipes for the World’s Best Food to life with a special afternoon collaboration featuring some of the Rose City’s favorite chefs. Farideh will be joined by Peter Cho of Han Oak, Mika Paredes of L’Echelle, and Chef Sam Smith, each creating their own take on the hot dog inspired by recipes from The Hot Dog Cookbook.

Guests will enjoy samples of one hot dog from each chef, and a welcome cocktail.

Hang out and meet Farideh, Mika, Peter, and Sam. Bring your copy of the book or purchase one onsite to have it signed.

Ticket includes:

• Tasting of three chef-created hot dogs
• One cocktail (additional cocktails will be available for purchase)
• Meet-and-greet with Farideh Sadeghin, Peter Cho, Sam Smith, and Mika Paredes
• Book-signing opportunity with Farideh Sadeghin

Annam's 3-year anniversary dinner featuring a collaborative kitchen takeover with uncle Peter from @havl.noodles (Hà VL). The evening includes deep-cut à la carte Việt food, cognac, live jazz by Brian's Blade (featuring @chochu_local members @cmlgsn, @Aidan.jacobs._, and grateful_marcus), and a custom jade jewelry pop-up by Le Petit Hoa. Menu to be announced closer to the date; available until sold out.

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+

Nuwave Runway is a celebration of the Pacific Northwest fashion community and the many designers, models, creatives, businesses, nonprofits, and organizations that make it unique. This year’s theme is “Awareness,” focusing on increasing visibility of the fashion industry in the PNW and highlighting communities and talent that deserve more recognition.

The evening will begin with a pre-show dinner social at 6:00 p.m., followed by the fashion show at 7:00 p.m., featuring over nine designers from across the Pacific Northwest, showcasing their unique designs and perspectives on the runway.
Throughout the show, designers will have an opportunity to introduce themselves, share the stories and inspiration behind their designs, and talk about who they are. Select sponsors will also have the opportunity to speak about their fashion-related business or nonprofit, helping connect the audience with organizations contributing to the growth of the PNW fashion community. The dress code is to wear anything fun and fashionable in your own way.

2026 Cinnamon Bear Cruise Dates:
Saturday, 11/28
Sunday, 11/29
Saturday, 12/5
Sunday, 12/6
Saturday, 12/12
Sunday, 12/13
Saturday, 12/19
Sunday, 12/20
Monday, 12/21
Tuesday, 12/22
Wednesday, 12/23
Thursday, 12/24
Saturday, 12/26
Sunday, 12/27

Boarding: 9:00 am
Cruising: 9:30 am – 11:30 am

• 2-hour cruise on the Willamette River
• Plated hot breakfast (eggs, potatoes, bacon, fruit and pastries) for adults & youth, excludes infants
• Hot cocoa, orange juice, coffee and hot tea
• Souvenir photo with Cinnamon Bear for every child 12 and younger
• Signature Cinnamon Bear treat for youth
• Character storytelling, autograph sessions and magic show
• Reserved table
• Service gratuity

Boarding Location:
Salmon Springs Dock
1010 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97204

Return Details: Returns to original departure point.

Tickets start at $72 for adults or $52 for children 12 and younger. Cinnamon Bear has been a holiday tradition for generations and you’re invited to make this season one your child will remember forever.

Reservations available at portlandspirit.com/cinnamonbear or by calling 503-224-3900.

Closing out the Portland Book Festival with a special edition Soju Party, celebrating Korean food, drinking culture, and Irene Yoo’s James Beard Award-winning cookbook, Soju Party: How to Drink (and Eat!) Like a Korean, as part of Portland Book Festival’s “living cookbook” weekend.

Expect Han Oak favorites and anju-inspired bites with specialty soju + wine cocktails with CHO Wines, and plenty of reasons to raise a glass. Irene will be there celebrating the book, with copies available for purchase throughout the evening. Come eat, drink, and learn to party like a Korean. Everyone’s invited.

About the author:

Irene Yoo is a Korean American food writer, recipe developer, chef and co-owner of Brooklyn’s Orion Bar, whose work explores Korean food, drinking traditions, and the culture of gathering around the table.

The Portland Grief House invites you to join The Lost Table, a resilient, welcoming space to gather in community and share experiences of loss. Bring a dish, pull up a chair, and share your heart in good company. Grief can be hard to understand, and sometimes what is needed most is community, conversation, and food. During the gathering, each participant will have a few minutes to share their grief in whatever way feels right—whether it's someone who is missed, something that has changed, a loss being carried, or an experience that continues to shape. While one person shares, the rest will listen with care and presence. Save time at the end of the evening to thank one another and connect, but please refrain from interrupting or responding during the sharing portion.

Día de Muertos and the month of November invite you to reflect on and remember loved ones who have passed—a time to celebrate their lives and meet death not with fear, but with love, memory, storytelling, and even humor. Mario Mesquita will lead an opening creative activity exploring memory and the role of cuisine in honoring loved ones, building toward a collective community tribute. Participants are welcome to bring a photograph of a loved one or create an offering featuring their loved one's name.

Bea Ogden will present the Hungry Ghost tradition and make an offering for the community ofrenda, opening a cultural exchange around how different traditions honor and remember the dead. Mario and Bea will also guide participants in writing a community poem, inviting each person to contribute a line or dedication to place on the altar.

Please bring:

• A dish to share, along with any serving utensils it requires. You're welcome to bring something simple—such as a bag of chips or fresh fruit—or a favorite dish that reminds you of a loved one.
• Your own dinnerware (plate, bowl, utensils, and napkin).
• Optional: A beverage for yourself if you would like something other than water.
• Optional: A photograph of a loved one to include in our community tribute

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 welcoming space for both English- and Spanish-speaking community members to gather, remember, and heal together.

Portland Grief House les invita a unirse a La Mesa Perdida, un espacio resiliente y acogedor para reunirnos en comunidad y compartir nuestras experiencias de pérdida. Traigan un platillo, acerquen una silla y compartan su corazón en buena compañía. El duelo puede ser difícil de comprender y, a veces, lo que más necesitamos es comunidad, conversación y comida. Durante el encuentro, cada participante tendrá unos minutos para compartir su duelo de la manera que le resulte más natural: alguien a quien extrañamos, algo que ha cambiado, una pérdida que llevamos con nosotros, o una experiencia que sigue marcando nuestra vida. Mientras una persona comparte, el resto escucha con atención y presencia. Guardaremos tiempo al final de la noche para agradecer y conectar, pero pedimos que los participantes se abstengan de interrumpir ni de responder durante el momento de compartir.

El Día de Muertos y el mes de noviembre nos invitan a reflexionar y recordar a nuestros seres queridos fallecidos—un tiempo para celebrar sus vidas y enfrentar la muerte no con miedo, sino con amor, memoria, relatos e incluso humor. Mario Mesquita dirigirá una actividad creativa de apertura que explora la memoria y el papel de la cocina para honrar a nuestros seres queridos, construyendo hacia un tributo colectivo. Los participantes pueden traer una fotografía de un ser querido, o crear una ofrenda con el nombre de su ser querido.

Bea Ogden presentará la tradición del Fantasma Hambriento y hará una ofrenda a nuestra ofrenda comunitaria, abriendo un intercambio cultural sobre cómo distintas tradiciones honran y recuerdan a los difuntos. Mario y Bea también guiarán a los participantes en la escritura de un poema comunitario, invitando a cada persona a aportar una línea o dedicatoria para colocar en el altar.

Por favor traigan:

• Un platillo para compartir, junto con los utensilios de servir que necesite. Algo sencillo es bienvenido—como una bolsa de papas fritas o fruta fresca—o un platillo favorito que les recuerde a un ser querido.
• Su propia vajilla (plato, tazón, cubiertos y servilleta).
• Una bebida para ustedes mismos, si desean algo más que agua.
• Una fotografía de un ser querido para incluir en nuestro tributo comunitario (opcional).

Portland Grief House se siente honrado de continuar esta tradición, iniciada originalmente por Side Yard Farm. El Centro Milagro se emociona de asociarse con Portland Grief House para crear un espacio acogedor donde los miembros de las comunidades de habla inglesa y española puedan reunirse, recordar y sanar juntos.

Book Bar is a temporary bar, café and cultural clubhouse bringing cocktails, coffee, food, live music and literary programming to downtown Portland during Portland Book Festival week. Created and produced by Fuller Events in partnership with Literary Arts and Portland Book Festival, Book Bar transforms a vacant former restaurant space into a welcoming gathering place for readers, writers, artists and the community. Stop in before or after festival events, or make Book Bar a destination in its own right.

Portland Book Festival welcomes Molly and Meherwan Irani, the husband-and-wife team behind Asheville’s nationally celebrated Chai Pani Restaurant Group. Their flagship restaurant, Chai Pani, was named Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2022.

This year, Molly and Meherwan each bring a new book to the table. Meherwan has written No. 1 Best Indian Cookbook in the World: At-Home Recipes from the Streets, Truck Stops, Villages, and Palaces of India, releasing September 22. Molly’s Service Ready: A Story of Love, Restaurants, and the Power of Hospitality was published earlier this year. Together, the books offer two very different—and deeply connected—perspectives on food, restaurants, and hospitality.

In celebration of Diwali—the Hindu festival of lights, marked by food, gathering, and celebration—Molly and Meherwan will join their longtime friend Chef Troy MacLarty at Bollywood Theater on Alberta Street for a collaboration.

Bollywood Theater will serve a special menu inspired by recipes from Meherwan’s book alongside its own Diwali-inspired menu. It’s a gathering of longtime friends, great food, and two books that reflect different sides of a shared life in restaurants.

Both books will be featured at Portland Book Festival, and Molly and Meherwan will be on hand at Bollywood to meet guests and sign copies.

The Portland Princess Ball returns bigger, more enchanting, and more unforgettable than ever! Explore three magical ballrooms and meet nine beloved princesses as they bring their stories to life through special interactions, live performances, photos, and dancing.

Meet the royal team. These queens and princesses are kind, sweet, and gentle, with hearts full of love for children. They embody grace and warmth, ensuring every moment is magical. Many of the performers are professional dancers, actors, and singers, bringing their talents and charisma to life with every wave of the wand. Of course, they’re always true to character, making each experience unforgettable.

The princess roster:

• Ice Queen
• Ice Princess
• Cinderella
• The Island Princess
• Little Mermaid
• Beauty
• The Arabian Princess
• Snow White
• The Frog Princess

* Princess appearances are subject to change in case of illness, emergency, or circumstances beyond control.

Event Highlights:

• Nine enchanting princesses
• Famous princess songs performed live on stage
• Special princess interactions, photos, and dancing
• Three uniquely themed ballrooms
• Tea sandwiches, royal desserts, and princess tea
• Freshly scooped ice cream
• Two photo booths
• Two bouncy castles
• Glitter tattoos
• Princess crafts

Come experience one of the largest pop-up art movements to hit North America over the past decade. Celebrating over 15 years of serving free pancakes and introducing you to some of the nation's leading emerging artists. The LA-based event originated in 2009 and has since popped up more than 500 times in 35+ cities around Europe and North America.

Batter sizzles, beer foams, and canvas lines the walls from ceiling to floor as hundreds, sometimes thousands, of revelers indulge in endless pancakes.

This is no stuffy wine-and-cheese, pretentious, someone-gag-me art event. It’s an innovative reimagining of the art show concept. A welcoming vibe for up-and-coming artists to sell and strut their stuff in a free-verse, anything-goes environment.

Join Vancouver Elks Lodge #823 on Saturday, November 7, 2026, for a special evening honoring our veterans and thanking them for their service.

The evening begins with a social hour at 5:00 PM, followed by a delicious Prime Rib Dinner at 6:30 PM, featuring mashed potatoes and green beans.

Guests will also enjoy a Veterans Day Service presented by the Lodge Officers, a special performance by The Vancouver Music Organization Ceremonial Trumpets, and a video slideshow honoring our veterans.

Dinner is FREE for veterans and $35 for non-veterans. This event is open to the public, and everyone is welcome to attend!

Reservations are requested. Please contact the Lodge office at (360) 256-0823 or reserve your dinner through Zeffy. https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/veterans-dinner-5

Location: Vancouver Elks Lodge #823, 11605 SE McGillivray Blvd., Vancouver, WA 98683.

Come together with friends, family, and neighbors for an evening of appreciation, remembrance, and community as we honor those who have served our country.

Dovetail Cellars and Eryngium Papeterie will host Snail Mail Social from 3-5 p.m. on the first Sunday of the month from November through April at Dovetail Cellars, 404 E. Evergreen Blvd., Vancouver. Take time to write letters and cards while sipping wine with friends. Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks will be available to buy. All ages are welcome.

A one-night tasting tour celebrating Asian American culture, food, and community. Guests experience Asian fusion food and drink in a night market atmosphere featuring art, music, food, and wine. Proceeds support @apanocuf, a nonprofit advancing equity for Asian and Pacific Islander communities in Oregon.

Hands-on pasta making with wine and a shared meal to enjoy together in a beautiful vineyard setting. Join Aurora Vineyards for a relaxed, hands-on pasta experience set in the heart of wine country—where you’ll learn to make fresh pasta from scratch, then sit down and enjoy a shared meal together.

• Learn to mix, roll, and shape fresh pasta by hand
• Small group setting (intimate and social)
• A beautiful vineyard atmosphere
• Sit down together and enjoy a shared pasta meal at the end

Included:

• A complimentary glass of wine
• Additional wine available for purchase
• All ingredients and tools provided
• Take-home pasta with recipe guidance and a family-style meal

This is more than a class—it’s a slow, shared experience centered around creativity, connection, and good food. You’ll make pasta together, enjoy a glass of wine, and end the afternoon gathered around the table—just like an evening among friends.

Book Bar opens early on Portland Book Festival Saturday for a full day of coffee, food, drinks, pop-ups and gathering just steps from the South Park Blocks and Festival venues.

Start the morning at Book Bar with coffee, then stop back throughout the day as the programming shifts from morning coffee to afternoon treats and evening cocktails.

Join a screening of Union County, starring Will Poulter and Noah Centineo alongside a cast of non-actors from central Ohio. Set in the shadow of the opioid epidemic, this hopeful drama follows two brothers navigating court-mandated recovery and the community that helps them imagine a different future.

Ohio-born filmmaker Adam Meeks drew inspiration from the real-life recovery community he encountered in his hometown, full of people healing and rebuilding their lives. Some of them were cast in the film, and the result is an intimate, compassionate portrait of people rebuilding their lives and finding solidarity and hope in the aftermath of a devastating drug crisis.

Wander & Whisk Cookie Co. will host a Thanksgiving cookie decorating class from 6-8 p.m. Nov. 19 at 14 Acres Vineyard and Winery, 2411 N.E. 244th St., Ridgefield. This event is for ages 21 and older. Register at wanderwhiskcookieco.com. The cost is $65 per person.

Join us at Aurora Vineyards for a relaxed, hands-on pasta experience set in the heart of wine country—where you’ll learn to make fresh pasta from scratch, then sit down and enjoy a shared meal together.

• Learn to mix, roll, and shape fresh pasta by hand
• Small group setting (intimate + social)
• A beautiful vineyard atmosphere
• Sit down together and enjoy a shared pasta meal at the end

• A complimentary glass of wine
• Additional wine available for purchase
• All ingredients + tools provided
• Take-home pasta + recipe guidance
• Family Style Meal featuring freshly made pasta

This is more than a class—it’s a slow, shared experience centered around creativity, connection, and good food.

You’ll make pasta together, enjoy a glass of wine, and end the afternoon gathered around the table—just like an evening among friends.

• Duration: 2.5–3 hours
• Group size: Limited to 10 guests for an intimate experience
• No experience necessary

Aurora Vineyards offers a warm, scenic setting in the heart of Oregon wine country—perfect for a relaxed and memorable afternoon.

Cancellation & Event Policy
A minimum number of guests is required for this experience to take place. In the unlikely event that minimum attendance is not met, guests will be notified in advance and will receive a full refund. Guest cancellations made at least 7 days before the event may receive a refund or transfer to another Pasta Serafina experience. Tickets are non-refundable within 7 days of the event.

Come enjoy Dinner and crafts with TRIO SSS.

Don’t miss Milagro’s biggest celebration of the year! ¡Viva Milagro! 2026 marks the culmination of their annual Día de Muertos festivities. You’ll enjoy a uniquely prepared dinner, wines, and desserts, plus live entertainment from local artists and musicians. It’s a night of community.

This popular event, Milagro’s largest fundraiser, also features a silent auction filled with unique Mexican artisanal goods. Your support helps Milagro continue bringing vibrant Latino theatre, culture, and art education to our community. Mark your calendar.

Hosted by the VFW 1324 Auxiliary, this annual holiday bazaar features a broad variety of vendors and seasonal treasures. Admission is free at the door, and optional donations support local veterans, active duty service members, and their families. Browse laser cut creations, 3D art, crochet and sewn goods from apparel to home decor and practical kitchen items, along with jewelry, holiday decorations, baked treats, Tupperware, and other giftable finds. The kitchen will be serving breakfast and lunch, and Janie’s pies will be available.

Paint this fun "Welcome Home" Halloween painting with us on Monday, October 26 from 6-8 pm!

Join us at Pizzario in historic downtown Hillsboro for a night of fun and creativity! Explore your inner artist while sipping on your favorite beverage and a slice of artisan woodfire pizza. Catherine will be guiding you through a fun acrylic painting, step-by-step, so all skill levels are welcome! Enjoy a night out with friends and create a unique and beautiful masterpiece to take home.

$50 per person or two for $90 Includes all supplies, first beverage and slice of pizza!

Wildwood is the first book in the New York Times best-selling fantasy series full of magic, wonder, and danger from Colin Meloy, lead singer of the highly celebrated band the Decemberists, and Carson Ellis, the award-winning illustrator of Du Iz Tak and Home. Soon to be a major motion picture from LAIKA, the studio behind Coraline. Moderated by Andrew Proctor.

Prue McKeel’s life is ordinary. She lives in Portland, Oregon, where it rains a lot. She has a mother and a father and a baby brother. Ordinary. At least until her brother is abducted by a flock of crows. And then things get really weird. You see, on every map of Portland there is a big splotch of green in the center of the city labeled “I.W.” This stands for “Impassable Wilderness.” No one’s ever gone in — or at least returned to tell of it.

And this is where the crows take her brother.

So begins an adventure that will take Prue and her friend Curtis deep into the Impassable Wilderness. There they uncover a secret world in the midst of violent upheaval, a world full of warring creatures, peaceable mystics and powerful figures with the darkest intentions. And what begins as a rescue mission becomes something much bigger as the two friends find themselves entwined in a struggle for the very freedom of this wilderness. A wilderness the locals call Wildwood.

This holiday season we're partnering with local organizations to host nightly fundraising events! Enjoy a pint or a meal and $1 from every McMenamins beer and cider and 15% of food & beverage proceeds will go to the evening's beneficiary.

But that's not all! Because these organizations are near and dear to us, we're doing a raffle for folks who show up for our community on multiple nights! You could win one of three grand prizes:

• McMenamins Getaway Package: an overnight stay at a McMenamins hotel of your choice + $100 gift card.
• Mocha Java Coffee Package:a brand-new espresso machine donated by Breville, two McMenamins mugs and two 12 oz packages of McMenamins coffee.
• Dinner & a Movie Package: four tickets to any movie showing at a McMenamins Theater + $100 gift card.

Be sure to pick up a raffle stamp card on your first visit. Click here to see the complete schedule of nonprofit organizations we're supporting, plus all the raffle rules.

Our mission is to spark joy and opportunity through the magic of a shared book. Since 1991, SMART Reading has steadily grown to become the state's largest volunteer-driven nonprofit organization devoted to children's literacy. We have served more than 373,000 children and given away over 4 million books.

Learn more about SMART Reading and donate by having fun with us!

Join the 20th year anniversary for a beloved holiday event for kids and grandparents alike. The whole family will enjoy reserved seating and a plated breakfast while whimsical characters entertain the kids with storytelling, music and magic. Cinnamon Bear has been a cherished holiday tradition for generations.

Enjoy reserved seating and a plated breakfast while a cast of fanciful characters entertains the kids with storytelling, music and magic.

Tickets include:

• 2-hour cruise on the Willamette River
• Plated hot breakfast (eggs, potatoes, bacon, fruit and pastries) for adults and youth, excludes infants
• Hot cocoa, orange juice, coffee and hot tea
• Souvenir photo with Cinnamon Bear for every child 12 and younger
• Signature cinnamon cookie for youth
• Character storytelling, autograph sessions and a magic show
• Reserved table
• Service gratuity

Thanksgiving weekend, come shop local artisans, enjoy lunch and sip on Abbey Road Farm wines. Special pricing on wine purchases.

Bring the family for a cozy movie night inside Rockwood Village! Enjoy a family-friendly, PG-rated movie with popcorn and candy, followed by pizza after the film. Pizza, snacks, beverages, popcorn, and candy are all free.

Bring a blanket, something cozy, and a chair if you’d like, and settle in for an evening of fun with family and neighbors at Rockwood Village Apartments from 4:00–6:00 pm.

Questions? Contact [email protected].

A local crafting circle where community members can bring a project, enjoy dinner, and spend time crafting with others.

One Last Gathering of the Crows. Join Darcelle XV Plaza for the Wildwood: Follow the Crows Farewell Weekend. After soaring across Portland all season, all 30 spectacular crow sculptures are coming together for one final celebration. This free, family-friendly event is your last chance to see the crows in Portland—and the only opportunity to experience the entire flock in one place.

Meet some of the talented artists behind the crows, collect autographs, take plenty of photos and support OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital through optional donations.

Costumes are highly encouraged. At 2 p.m. on Halloween Day, costumed guests can strut, flap or swoop through the plaza in a festive Costume Parade. Prizes will be awarded in both Adult and Under-18 divisions for:

• People’s Choice
• Best Themed Costume
• Best Crow Costume

Admission is free, and all ages are welcome. Bring your family, gather your flock and help give Portland’s beloved crows a send-off to remember.

A night of Connection a Night to bring us together. With a community meal, inspirational story, m usic, art and collaboration on designing the Moreland Presbyterian Christmas Pageant! Registration Required https://morelandprespdx.breezechms.com/form/KidsConnect2026

The In Bocca books are a curious and beautiful collection of 20 Italian cookbooks, each devoted to a different region of Italy. Originally published in the 1970s, they’re filled with recipes, hand-drawn illustrations, folk art, and wonderfully wonky English translations, offering a glimpse into the food and character of Italy from region to region. Long out of print, they’ve become cult objects for collectors and lovers of Italian food.

For the past three years, Cathy Whims and the Nostrana team have cooked their way through the entire collection, creating 19 dinners: one for each book. Now, for the Portland Book Festival, that journey comes to an end with Roma in Bocca the 20th book.

For this special finale, Cathy Whims is welcoming Italia in Bocca director Robert Serrini, an expert and passionate champion of these remarkable books. Robert will mingle with guests throughout the evening and document the dinner as part of a short film about Roma in Bocca. He also dreams of one day seeing the full collection published once again, bringing these quirky, art-filled books back into the hands of a new generation.

Whether you’ve followed the series from the beginning or are discovering these peculiar books for the first time, come take one last trip Italy in Bocca with us.

Cathy Whims recently published her own culinary book: The Italian Summer Kitchen: Recipes for La Dolce Vita. During this event her book will be available for purchase and signing.

Reservations required. Limited seating available.

Few foods inspire the kind of irrational devotion like a good hot dog.

Chef Farideh Sadeghin is bringing The Hot Dog Cookbook: 50 Recipes for the World’s Best Food to life with a special afternoon collaboration featuring some of the Rose City’s favorite chefs. Farideh will be joined by Peter Cho of Han Oak, Mika Paredes of L’Echelle, and Chef Sam Smith, each creating their own take on the hot dog inspired by recipes from The Hot Dog Cookbook.

Guests will enjoy samples of one hot dog from each chef, and a welcome cocktail.

Hang out and meet Farideh, Mika, Peter, and Sam. Bring your copy of the book or purchase one onsite to have it signed.

Ticket includes:

• Tasting of three chef-created hot dogs
• One cocktail (additional cocktails will be available for purchase)
• Meet-and-greet with Farideh Sadeghin, Peter Cho, Sam Smith, and Mika Paredes
• Book-signing opportunity with Farideh Sadeghin

This fall, Portland welcomes an extraordinary celebration of classical ballet as PRIMA Ballet Gala brings together artists of the Grand Kyiv Ballet and international guest performers for one unforgettable night.

More than a performance, PRIMA Ballet Gala is a night of elevated artistry – where timeless classics meet contemporary expression, and the stage becomes a space of beauty, power, and emotion.

The program features iconic highlights from world-renowned ballets including Don Quixote, Spartacus, and The Dying Swan, alongside vibrant national dance such as the thrilling Hopak, set to music by legendary composers including Tchaikovsky.

Begin your evening on the red carpet, then step inside for a celebration of artistic excellence and international cultural connection.
Guests are warmly encouraged to attend in the evening attire, helping create an atmosphere of elegance worthy of this special occasion.

Join us for a rare opportunity to experience world-class dancers, timeless choreography, and a night filled with beauty and inspiration.

Seats are limited. Be part of PRIMA Ballet Gala — where ballet speaks from the heart.

Join us at Aurora Vineyards for a relaxed, hands-on pasta experience set in the heart of wine country—where you’ll learn to make fresh pasta from scratch, then sit down and enjoy a shared meal together.

• Learn to mix, roll, and shape fresh pasta by hand
• Small group setting (intimate + social)
• A beautiful vineyard atmosphere
• Sit down together and enjoy a shared pasta meal at the end

• A complimentary glass of wine
• Additional wine available for purchase
• All ingredients + tools provided
• Take-home pasta + recipe guidance
• Family Style Meal featuring freshly made pasta

This is more than a class—it’s a slow, shared experience centered around creativity, connection, and good food.

You’ll make pasta together, enjoy a glass of wine, and end the afternoon gathered around the table—just like an evening among friends.

• Duration: 2.5–3 hours
• Group size: Limited to 10 guests for an intimate experience
• No experience necessary

Cancellation & Event Policy
A minimum number of guests is required for this experience to take place. In the unlikely event that minimum attendance is not met, guests will be notified in advance and will receive a full refund. Guest cancellations made at least 7 days before the event may receive a refund or transfer to another Pasta Serafina experience. Tickets are non-refundable within 7 days of the event.

Meet at 4:00PM, Walk at 4:15PM, the walk is 1.5 mile total out-and-back hike. Plan to meet at Lower Macleay Park - 2960 NW Upshur St, Portland, OR 97210.

Join Third Angle and World Forestry Center for an immersive All-Saints Day soundwalk to Witch’s Castle, featuring a spooky, site-specific soundscape created by local composer Bora Yoon. Grab your headphones, download the soundwalk, and join us under the bridge at Lower Macleay Park as we excavate memory, and bring to life place-based storytelling along the wooded path.

The Philip Glass Ensemble returns to Portland for Powaqqatsi, an artful cinematic experience that speaks to the impact of modernization and industrialization on traditional ways of living. Seen through the lens of communities across the globe, the narrative is amplified by a masterful Philip Glass score that features native, classical, and electronic instruments. Enjoyed alone or as the second in the Qatsi series, you won’t want to miss this thought-provoking performance with the Oregon Symphony and The Philip Glass Ensemble, led by conductor Michael Riesman.

po.waq.qa.tsi (from the Hopi language, powaq sorcerer + qatsi life) n., an entity, a way of life, that consumes the life forces of other beings in order to further its own life.

In Smith Claudel's third solo exhibition with Carnation Contemporary, the yard is both a symbol and a physical source material, juxtaposing the enclosure of nature and its display with the control of the body. In this exhibition, temporary sculptures of raw clay, harvested from the artist’s yard, will soon return to the earth. A series of botanical drawings was made with the artist's menstrual blood. And a site-specific installation displays a collection of yard work specimens: a small patch of grass unnaturally maintained, nail enamel coating unfired pinch pots, and plant clippings caught in resin.

Yard Work examines the absurdity and care of maintaining one's landscape, and the tension between being kept and being desired.

Kim Smith Claudel is an artist and visual designer based in Portland, Oregon. Working across painting, sculpture, and installation, Smith Claudel creates work that exists in deliberate flux. Her process-driven approach embraces the ephemeral, the decaying, and the mundane, building visual systems that resist completion. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including a recent solo exhibition (End Cycle) at The Vestibule in Seattle. Other recent solo exhibitions include The Arts Center (Corvallis, OR), The Painting Center (NYC), Mt. Hood Community College (OR), and KyotoBA (Japan). Recent residencies include Building 5 in Portland and the Boston Center for the Arts. She holds an MFA from the School of Visual Arts. She received an MS in Media Arts and Sciences from the MIT Media Lab, where she was a Learning Innovation Fellow. She is a member of Carnation Contemporary Gallery and the WAVE artist collective.

Opening Saturday, October 03, 5–8 p.m.

Join an essential lecture by the acclaimed Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath. Jared Cooney Horvath (PhD, MEd) is a neuroscientist, educator, best-selling author and expert in the field of human learning. His new book, The Digital Delusion: How Classroom Technology Harms Our Kid's Learning - And How to Help Them Thrive Again, pulls back the EdTech curtain and explains the research showing how digital tools in the classroom consistently undermine learning. It also explains how parents, teachers and schools can push back with purpose.

As a leading expert in learning and technology, Jared testified before the US Senate on EdTech and is an internationally sought-after speaker.

Sponsored by the Institute for Families and Technology and OR Unplugged.

Internationally renowned artist Pipilotti Rist presents her major installation 4th Floor to Mildness in a West Coast premiere and only second exhibition in the U.S.

Pipilotti Rist dissolves exhibition spaces through luminous color, moving imagery, and melodic sound. 4th Floor to Mildness immerses the viewer in a soft, aquatically inspired environment, where a film shot underwater plays across two biomorphic-shaped screens hanging from the ceiling. A soundtrack by experimental musician Soap&Skin/Anja Plaschg adds to the ambience with lyrics about dreams, love, and memories as the camera catches glimpses of floating bodies. Two projected light circles move across the room, enlightening it with visceral hues. For Rist, this light represents a “desire to turn yourself inside out.”

Rist creates conditions for visitors to come together in unconventional ways so that they might better understand their relationships to one another, their own bodies, and nature. In the gallery, raft-like beds provide a place or visitors to rest and share social space as they watch the projection overhead. She asks: “What happens to our perceptions when we don’t have to stand or fight gravity?” The sensation of floating may evoke a sense of returning to an elemental state. For the artist, the work “describes the fantasy of [ourselves] being an organic plant . . . and simulates our dissolution into water, mud, slime, molecules and atoms.”

Originally created for the fourth floor of the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York, PAM adapted the work to the Crumpacker Center with the assistance of the artist’s team at Atelier Rist; production partner Portland Garment Factory, a woman-owned B-corp and zero-waste creative factory, created the curtains, beds, and bed coverings, and Figure Plant engineered and fabricated the hanging screens.

Featuring special guest Gary Hershberger (Mike Nelson) in person!

Joins us for the complete Twin Peaks series on the big screen for the first time in history! We continue our year-long celebration of the greatest TV show of all time The Missing Pieces. Rarely shown in theaters, this feature film presents deleted scenes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me assembled together as an untold portion of the story’s prequel. Following a Q&A, we’ll then begin The Return with episodes “My Log Has a Message for You” and “The Stars Turn and a Time Presents Itself.”

Gary Hershberger will be signing autographs and taking photos with fans for an additional fee at the event.

What’s Up, Doc? (1972) Directed by Peter Bogdanovich. 1hr 34min. Rated G. 35mm.

Join Film School x PAM CUT @ The Whitsell for What’s Up, Doc (1972) in 35mm. The 1972 screwball comedy, starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan O’Neal, follows a wild and eccentric mix-up of plaid luggage through 70’s San Francisco. This portrait is tailored to showcase Barbra Streisand’s unique and distinct comedic persona and the chaotic magnetism she brings to the screen—echoing the screwball heroines that came before her.

Film School is a community film club hosting monthly screenings, discussions, and a blog. They celebrate cinema, spark conversation, and connect film lovers—on and off the screen.

We do not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, and films exhibited don’t necessarily reflect the views of PAM CUT or the Portland Art Museum. In addition to the synopses, trailers, and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on sites like Common Sense Media, IMDb, and DoesTheDogDie.com.

Inspired by Davide De Pierro’s newly released novel The Letters I Never Sent, his live show blends personal storytelling, humor, and audience conversation. Throughout the night, De Pierro will deliver a monologue and read selections from the book, followed by an open Q&A with the audience. Limited meet-and-greet opportunities will also be available for those who purchase in advance. Davide is a New Jersey native that has cultivated over 3M followers on TikTok and 2.7M followers on Instagram and has been earning millions of views online. Known for his commentary on relationships, finances, and those relatable moments that capture the human experience, Davide is excited to be expanding into a fresh medium.

Broadway Books is thrilled to welcome Anthea Kreston with her debut memoir Crescendo: Chronicles of an Adventurous Violinist (Paul Dry Books, 2026). She will be joined in conversation with Ling Ling Huang, author of Natural Beauty and Immaculate Conception.

When American violinist Anthea Kreston, called “An Indomitable Spirit” by Yo-Yo Ma, is selected as the fourth member of Germany’s Artemis Quartet, it is the culmination of decades of dedication. In Crescendo, her enchanting and deeply personal memoir, Kreston writes about growing up in a well-to-do but difficult family in Chicago, leaving home at age sixteen, studying at the ultracompetitive Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia (Hilary Hahn was a classmate), then burning out and leaving it all behind for a commune in Oregon.

The second night of 'Sight Reading - Musical Dialects' at the Portland Book Festival features world-renowned songwriters Anna Tivel, Willy Vlautin, and Wonderly collaborating in real time. Performers are accompanied by new arrangements from 45th Parallel Universe.