Sports

Girl Winter Film Tour is a collection of femme-forward and gender-nonconforming films. The tour aims to shift the narrative of ski and snowboard films seen on the big screen each fall and include new voices in the stories. Girl Winter tour stops will make you want to start planning dawn patrols and lift laps for this upcoming season right this second. Each event will feature the film program followed by a Q+A with the athletes and filmmakers who brought the films to life. Back for its second year, the Girl Winter Film Tour screenings will provide a space to continue celebrating women in snow sports. All are welcome to attend! All Ages

Admission: No admission, but registration fees to compete

What can South Korea teach us about tradition and life in a global society?

Join us for a 12-day faculty-led program in Seoul, South Korea, exploring how cultural traditions, rapid modernization, and global influence shape everyday life. Discover how South Korea’s transformation from postwar recovery to a cultural and economic powerhouse reflects connections among collective identity, innovation, and global competitiveness.

Through museum visits, cultural experiences, and explorations of Seoul’s urban landscape, you’ll examine the intersection of history, technology, media, and society. Experiences include visiting Gyeongbokgung Palace in traditional Hanbok, the Samsung Innovation Museum, K-Pop media sites, and a professional KBO baseball game, alongside visits to traditional markets and the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

Open to students from all majors, this program is especially suited for students interested in global studies, business, media, sociology, anthropology, international relations, and the arts.

Program Dates: June 22–July 3, 2027
Course: KOR 330 U-Section
Prerequisite: None
Program Leader: Young-Ju Han, Korean Language Program

Information Session: November 9 at 11 a.m. — KMC 580
Education Abroad Fair: November 18, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. — SMSU 296/298. Explore the Fair
Prerequisite: CH 426

View Program Details

Join us for a special basketball skills and drills event with Michael Holton! Play games, learn new skills, and enjoy free pizza, snacks, and prizes while learning more about the Reynolds Middle School basketball program.

This event is free and open to all youth ages 5–14. Youth should wear athletic shoes, preferably basketball shoes, bring a water bottle and a smile, and be ready to play!

Registration required

DevonWood will once again host the USDF/FEI Youth Clinic Series in Sherwood, Oregon, with clinician Sabine Schut-Kery. Applications will be available online. The series receives funding support from The Dressage Foundation and the United States Equestrian Federation, and The Dressage Foundation provides grant opportunities for these clinics.

Meeting new people and learning to climb in the same night?! Join the Outdoor Program for an introduction to the Climbing Center, some climbing tips and tricks, and to meet other new climbers. Make sure to complete the climber orientation quiz at Member Services and then grab a wristband and some climbing shoes at equipment checkout. If you need accommodations please email the Outdoor Program: [email protected].

ASL Game Night at Sign Language Cafe is always an evening of connection, fun, and inclusivity. Gather for an immersive experience that celebrates the Deaf and signing communities. This family-friendly event offers an array of card and board games, including options created by Deaf artists, providing a unique opportunity to explore creative contributions from within the community. Participants are encouraged to bring their favorite games to share, fostering a diverse and exciting environment.

The cafe setting provides an accessible and welcoming atmosphere, perfect for families and individuals alike to engage in spirited competition, learn new games, and make lasting connections. In addition, the Sign Language Cafe offers a space for Deaf and hearing individuals to communicate and collaborate seamlessly, supporting community bonds through shared interests.

Attending and participating in ASL Game Night, you’ll contribute to a culture of inclusivity and support both CymaSpace’s mission and the wider Deaf community. Join and connect over your favorite games, and help build a more inclusive Portland.

Improve tumbling and vaulting skills through strength training with bars. Designed for those with basic skills, it includes practice of forward rolls, bridge kickovers, round-offs, back handsprings, and techniques on high beam, bars, and vault for gymnastics progression. Pre-requisite: Must have completed Gymnastics - Level 1 or similar course.<div><br></div>

Ages: At least 9 but less than 13

Openings: 4

Never heard of Crokinole? You’re in for a treat! Imagine a game that combines the strategy of curling, the precision of shuffleboard, and the angles and bank shots of pool. That’s Crokinole! Crokinole is a fast-paced, easy-to-learn dexterity game where players flick wooden discs across a beautifully crafted circular board, aiming to land their shots in high-scoring areas while knocking their opponents’ discs out of the way. It’s a game of skill, strategy, and a little friendly rivalry. The best part? You can learn to play in just a few minutes, but you’ll discover there’s always room to improve! Join the West Side Crokinole Club at Mox Boarding House for a fun, welcoming Crokinole event. Whether you’ve never played before, tried it once, or are already hooked, we’d love to have you join us. We’ll have boards available, experienced players ready to teach, and plenty of opportunities to jump into a game. No experience or equipment is necessary. Just bring your curiosity and a willingness to have fun! Come give it a flick! You might just discover your new favorite game. Learn more about the Westside Crokinole club here. Entry: Free! Experience Level: All experience levels are welcome!

Get your dancing shoes on—or really any shoe, boot, slipper that you can find, and join us as we learn line dances for fun and exercise.

Let’s spend a Sunday doing some good and getting to know each other along the way! Join our 30s & 40s Singles Group to support athletes at Special Olympics Oregon’s Beaverton Regional Aquatics competition on Sunday, November 1.

Expect swimming, teamwork, plenty of cheering, and a chance to connect with other community-minded singles. The event coordinator is excited to have our group help!

We have two exciting ways to participate based on how involved you want to be.

🙌 Path 1: Come volunteer directly with us

No sports knowledge, athletic ability, or previous volunteer experience needed. The Special Olympics Oregon team will train you onsite and assign your role at check-in.

You might help with:

• Athlete escorts: Guide swimmers from staging to their lanes and then to awards.
• Timing: Time races and call the finish order.
• Results: Deliver and record race results.
• Awards: Prepare medals and ribbons and help with presentations.
• Developmental skills: Help with staging, escorting, and timing for the morning skills competition.

Have relevant experience? Let the team know at check-in!

You can choose between a full-day shift of about 8–9 hours or a half-day shift of about 4–4.5 hours, depending on availability.

All volunteers receive a Special Olympics Oregon T-shirt, and full-day volunteers receive lunch.

📝 How to join as a volunteer

1. RSVP here so we know you’re joining our Meetup group.
2. Register directly with Special Olympics Oregon and choose your shift (link here or in comments). Your Meetup RSVP alone does not reserve a volunteer spot.
3. Watch for a Meetup message from me! I’ll check in to confirm your shift, help with questions, and coordinate our group.

Please register promptly if you’d like to volunteer, since shifts have limited spaces. Follow the arrival and check-in instructions for your selected shift.

💛 A small commitment that makes a big difference

The event team relies on registered volunteers to keep the competition running smoothly. Please choose a shift you can commit to attending in full and plan ahead for the day.

Of course, unexpected things happen! If you can no longer volunteer, please notify the Special Olympics coordinator promptly, update your volunteer registration, and update your Meetup RSVP too. Keeping everyone informed as timely as possible gives the team time to adjust.

📣 Path 2: Prefer to cheer? Join the audience!

You can also support the athletes from the sidelines. If committing to volunteering in a shift isn’t the right fit, or the shifts have filled, come enjoy the competition and help us give the swimmers an enthusiastic audience!

Please let me know whether you’re volunteering or coming to cheer, so I can coordinate our group. Only people registered directly with Special Olympics Oregon will be counted as volunteers.

Which ever path you choose, we’re happy to have you!

Come lend a hand, bring your cheering voice, and spend a Sunday supporting our greater Portland community. 💛

Stromgard’s gathering offers time for practice, crafting, and socializing. Heavy and rapier fighters have space to fight and teach, while tables are available for scribal work and other crafts. Attendees are asked to sign in and complete a waiver.

Get your 'kicks' with us! Discover the Korean martial art that uses kicks, blocks & strikes to increase self-confidence & discipline. Students develop better coordination, strength & flexibility with non-contact drills & sparring. Gain life skills through an emphasis on the 5 tenants: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control & indomitable spirit.

Ages: At least 5 but less than 8

Openings: 8

A safer space for youth/beginners to learn and practice their skating. Youth must be accompanied by an adult (limit of five youth per adult). Check-in for this program will be down at the roller rink office. Skate rentals are available for $2.00.

Location: MSCC - Roller Rink

Gain insight into basics of attack, defense, goal tending & ball handling. Focus on techniques, tactics & physical fitness in a safe environment. Build strength in an environment of sportsmanship & fair play. Develop outstanding dribbling skills & exceptional field vision & awareness. You will see dramatic improvement!

Ages: At least 6 but less than 10

Openings: 0

Tech talent pool This is a fun networking event to play pool and talk tech. We will have free tables to play on and Happy Hour runs until 6pm. Everyone is welcome, you do not have to be great at pool to attend!

• A waiver is required for all participants. To be completed prior to the start of class.
• All equipment is provided for classes.

Do you have a basic understanding of anchor principles and know how to build a few simple ones? Excellent, let's learn a lot more!

Crafty anchor tricks we’ll cover MAY include (we won’t get to all of these . . .)

Cordelette: using a long cordelette on two bolts close together

Sling anchors: V clove anchor - 120 cm sling and 3 anchor points

Sling anchors: SWAMP anchor - 60 cm sling and 2 anchor points

Using a second “rigging rope” for building a top rope anchor, when anchor points are far back from the edge

Using the climbing rope and BHK (Big Honkin’ Knot) to use anchors that are far from the edge on multi-pitch climbs to bring up your second

Walking the rope around a tree or tossing it over a rock spike, tie a BHK

Double-strand bowline around a tree or rock block

The “Alex Honnold anchor” with the rope: clove to one bolt, butterfly on backside of cove, clove or figure 8 to the other bolt.

Safety near cliff top: friction hitch and figure 8 on a bight backup

The easy-to-clean top rope anchor - First person up threads the rope through the hardware, and then clips a carabiner onto the bolt hanger

Children can increase body awareness and coordination through gymnastics! This is a great class for a child ready to participate without a parent. Learn basic gymnastics shapes and have fun with movement. We will use a variety of equipment and introduce 4 Olympic events!

Ages: At least 5 but less than 7

Openings: 0

When Toni Morrison declares that she “can't wait for the ultimate liberation theory to imagine its practice and do its work,” she raises an issue at the heart of modern democratic life: What does freedom mean in the shadow of racial slavery and colonialism? While Morrison's literary achievements are widely celebrated, her contributions as a “revolutionary political thinker” remain underappreciated. Lawrie Balfour approaches Morrison’s political thought through her account of “word-work,” or the creative use of language, as a practice of freedom. First, Balfour considers Morrison’s defense of the necessity of writers to the flourishing of democracy and her reflections on the political implications of her own literary practice. Second, Balfour examines Morrison’s use of the language of “sovereignty” to convey what writers do, when they create worlds out of words. Third, she asks what Morrison might say about the part her novel Beloved played in the 2021 governor’s race in Virginia and concludes with some thoughts about the political urgency of Morrison’s word-work today.

Lawrie Balfour is James Hart Professor of Politics and a member of the American Studies faculty at the University of Virginia, where she offers courses on race, gender, democracy, and literature. She is the author of Toni Morrison: Imagining Freedom; Democracy’s Reconstruction: Thinking Politically with W. E. B. Du Bois; and The Evidence of Things Not Said: James Baldwin and the Promise of American Democracy. Lawrie’s current projects include a series of essays on reparations for slavery and a study of the Black feminist visions of the journal Freedomways (1961-1985).

Free and open to the public.

SSI Open Climb Night — MMC/Holman Foam Artificial Ice Wall

Join us for an evening of climbing on the Foam Artificial Ice Walls at the MMC/Holman facility! This event is designed for climbers who are new to ice climbing, offering an introduction to essential techniques and a chance to practice in a fun, supportive environment.

We’ll have three ropes set up on the Foam walls and three additional ropes on “dry-tool” routes for those interested in learning the skills used on mixed routes (which simulate both rock and ice movement—common on technical alpine climbs).

Because space is limited, we can only accept a small number of participants. Priority will be given to climbers who have not yet participated in an SSI class or Open Climb Night. If accepted, you’ll be charged $20 for members or $25 for non-members.

No prior ice climbing experience required — this session is geared toward beginners.<br> You must be able to belay independently.<br> Gear provided: Ice tools.

Please bring: Harness, helmet, belay device, mountaineering boots, and horizontal-point crampons (we will have a few loaner pairs available) and approach or rock shoes for mixed climbing.

At 6:30 PM, we’ll begin with a short demonstration of ice climbing techniques, followed by open climbing time. Our experienced volunteers will be available throughout the evening to offer guidance, tips, and feedback.

Expand your knowledge & range of actions in this non-contact, non-competitive sport. Develop & increase concentration, coordination, discipline & esteem while benefiting from aerobic exercise.

Ages: 6 and up

Openings: 15

Build a strong foundation, focusing on basic tumbling, vaulting, and bar skills. Ideal for beginners or those seeking more confidence in their fundamentals. Learn the forward roll, ¾ handstand, and cartwheel.

Ages: At least 7 but less than 10

Openings: 0

Want to play like a pro? This is where they all started! Develop & improve fundamentals including ball handling, shooting techniques & defensive skills while improving endurance, flexibility & strength. Learn special strategies, basic plays & develop a teamwork mentality.

Ages: At least 7 but less than 11

Openings: 0

Inspired by Crater Lake National Park, Michael Gordon’s Natural History weaves Native and symphonic music in this paean to the natural landscape. Plus, hear works by two of classical music’s most intrepid pioneers: Stravinsky’s experimental musical essay on wind and brass sounds, Symphonies of Wind Instruments,and Beethoven’s vivacious and dramatic Symphony No. 1. Oregonian Grace Miedziak enhances the program with a new work that celebrates the Pacific Northwest.

• Norman Huynh Conductor
• Steiger Butte Drum and Singers Native American ensemble
• Members of Portland State University Chamber Choir Ethan Sperry, Conductor
• Oregon Symphony

• STRAVINSKY Symphonies of Wind Instruments
• Michael GORDON Natural History
• Grace MIEDZIAK Cascadence (Rizzo-Cummings Emerging Composer Fellow at the Oregon Symphony, Oregon Symphony commission)
• BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21

This concert is part of Classical Series A, and is eligible for the Choose Your Own Series (Portland only). Concert length is approximately 1 hour 33 minutes, with one intermission.

This pre-concert talk takes place one hour before the Sunday matinee performance.

SUN, NOV 1, 1PM: Conductor Norman Huynh and Rizzo-Cummings Emerging Composer Fellow Grace Miedziak with All Classical Radio host Warren Black.

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.

• Thursday, November 5
• The Heathman Lodge | 7801 NE Greenwood Dr., Vancouver
• Doors Open: 6:00 p.m. | Program Begins: 6:30 p.m.

Dribble! Shoot! Take the ball to the Hoop! If you are ready for the game, here is the place to start! Develop coordination, stamina, ball handling skills, shooting techniques & footwork.

Ages: At least 4 but less than 7

Openings: 0

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.

Poets Victoria Chang and Beth Piatote sit down for a conversation on their recent publications and their evocative use of nature throughout their poems. Moderated by writer and editor Alyssa Ogi, this discussion promises a rumination on our shared home, oppressive efforts of erasure, and the art and language that we use to understand our world and ourselves.

Celebrate over 50 years with the Portland Timbers. Watch the home team take on Houston Dynamo FC. Cheer with the Timbers’ Army at Providence Park and become part of a Portland tradition.

Play the game as American as apple pie! Enjoy a recreational introduction to the basics of the sport - throwing, catching & hitting. No big-league pressure here. Self-esteem soars as 'little big-leaguers' develop skills necessary to master game fundamentals. Batter Up!

Ages: At least 3 but less than 6

Openings: 0

Gain more knowledge into formations of attack, defense, goal tending & ball handling. Focus on technique, tactical work & physical fitness in a safe environment. Build strength in an environment of sportsmanship & fair play. Showcase outstanding dribbling skills & exceptional field vision & awareness. Come play some futsal!!

Ages: At least 6 but less than 9

Openings: 0

Kick it! Chase it! Stop it! Develop skills together that promote foot-eye coordination, balance & agility. Active games, creative drills & an emphasis on the joy of physical activity provide a playful introduction to a popular sport.

Ages: At least 1½ but less than 4

Openings: 0

Lewis & Clark College Department of Music and Portland State University’s School of Music and Theater present an afternoon with Grammy Award-winning soprano Audrey Luna on Wednesday, November 4, 2026 from 3pm to 6pm in Evans Auditorium.

In this stunning and compulsively readable memoir, the Oscar-winning star of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Goonies, and Everything Everywhere All at Once, Ke Huy Quan, tells the story of his journey from Vietnamese refugee to 80s child star to the most inspiring comeback in Hollywood history. Interviewed by OPB’s Dave Miller. Ke Huy Quan’s Hollywood adventure began when he was twelve years old, a mere five years after his family escaped Communist Northern Vietnam and settled down to a relatively peaceful life in L.A.’s Chinatown. After attending an open call audition on a whim, he was unexpectedly swept up in the wild world of filmmaking: learning to swim from Harrison Ford on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, receiving trucks full of toys from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas for his birthday, meeting Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, and making lifelong friends on the set of The Goonies.

A star of two of the most beloved movies of the ‘80s, there appeared to be no limit to Ke’s rise. But just a few years later, the roles had dried up and it seemed like Hollywood no longer had a place for him. He eventually left acting to work odd jobs behind the scenes for directors like Wong Kar Wai. His confidence was badly shaken, but his love of performing never abated. It wasn’t until decades later, when he was 49 years old, that he stepped back in front of the camera to star in a strange little indie film called Everything Everywhere All at Once, which surprised everyone with its incredible box-office and awards season success. To call Ke’s Oscar-winning performance a triumphant return would be an understatement.

In this moving, inspirational memoir, Ke paints a vivid self-portrait, telling both heart-wrenching and funny stories of his early rise, slow fall from the spotlight, the resilience that kept him going through his darkest times, and his eventual resurrection on one of the biggest stages in Hollywood. Never Say Die is the story of Ke’s extraordinary life, a love letter to the movies and people that shaped him, and a powerful testament to never giving up on your dreams.

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.

Gain confidence & make new friends & teammates. Refine motor skills through expanded interactive drills & play. Emphasize the basics of kicking & dribbling in a high-energy, safe environment. Your dream starts here!

Ages: At least 3 but less than 6

Openings: 6

Would you like to experience the finest expression of Scotch whisky produced today? Would you like to expand your knowledge of Scotch and the many styles and flavours that make up quality whisky? Do you love smoky whisky?!

Join The Scotch Malt Whisky Society for a rare single malt Scotch whisky tasting experience at The Scotch Lodge! Attendees will be among the first to taste six (6) unique single malts from our upcoming November Peated Outturn in a seated, guided tasting format designed to expand your knowledge and appreciation for Scotch whisky.

Based in Edinburgh, Scotland, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is the world’s largest whisky club of whisky lovers. More than just a club, the Society is known for offering the finest expression of Scotch whisky produced today. It acquires exceptional whisky casks from distilleries across Scotland and beyond. Each cask is then bottled and offered exclusively to its community of members through the Society’s online shop smwsa.com.

While Society whisky is available for purchase by members only, this event is open to anyone eager to taste and learn in the company of fellow whisky lovers. Members enjoy a reduced price for admission and all attendees who order tickets before 2pm PT on October 15th will get the early bird special pricing.

Slàinte Mhath!

Join an intimate evening featuring a pre-show discussion and Q&A with Soccer Mommy and special Guest Interviewer, followed by a local opener and solo performance by Soccer Mommy. This event is hosted by Papertrees Creative, in partnership with Literary Arts and the Portland Book Festival 2026.

Sophie Allison has always written candidly about her life, making Soccer Mommy one of indie rock’s most interesting and beloved artists of the last decade. Allison has used Soccer Mommy’s songs as a vehicle to sort through the thoughts and encounters that inevitably come with the reality of growing up. After all, Soccer Mommy began as a bedroom-to-Bandcamp exercise with teenage Allison posting her plaintive songs as demos. Over the years, though, she has often enhanced that sound, using the endless production possibilities, newly at her fingertips, to outstrip singer-songwriter stereotypes. The records would start with songwriting’s kernels of truth, and she would then imagine all the unexpected shapes they could take. Every Soccer Mommy record has felt like a surprise.

On Soccer Mommy’s fourth album, the tender but resolute Evergreen, Allison is again writing about her life. But that life’s different these days: Since making her previous album, 2022’s Sometimes, Forever, Allison experienced a profound and also very personal loss. New songs emerged from that change, unflinching and sometimes even funny reflections on what she was feeling. (Speaking of funny, this is a Soccer Mommy album, so there’s an ode to Allison’s purple-haired wife in the game Stardew Valley, too.) These songs were, once again, Allison’s way to sort through life, to ground herself. She wanted them to sound that way, too, to feel as true to the demos—raw and relatable, unvarnished and honest—as possible. The songwriting would again lead where the production would follow. Nothing overindulgent, everything real.

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.

Get your 'kicks' with us! Discover the Korean martial art that uses kicks, blocks & strikes to increase self-confidence & discipline. Students develop better coordination, strength & flexibility with non-contact drills & sparring. Gain life skills through an emphasis on the 5 tenants: courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control & indomitable spirit.

Ages: At least 5 but less than 8

Openings: 0

Embark on a spooky voyage aboard the Explorer Jetboat to the famous Spirit of Halloweentown in St. Helens. Skip the hassle of driving, with the dock less than a block from the festivities. Along the way, a guide will share chilling tales of St. Helens and Portland's seedy past. Once ashore, you'll have about 4 hours to explore, including access to the paid attractions. Whether you're a fan of the iconic Disney movie “Halloweentown" or seeking Halloween family fun, this cruise has something for everyone.

Gain confidence & make new friends & teammates. Refine motor skills through expanded interactive drills & play. Emphasize the basics of kicking & dribbling in a high-energy, safe environment. Your dream starts here!

Ages: At least 3 but less than 6

Openings: 0

Alexis Nikole Nelson, best known to millions of fans as Black Forager, invites you on an adventure to discover the delicious and wild foods hiding in plain sight. Alexis captivates people with her joyful enthusiasm and deep knowledge of foraging and inspires them to explore the bounty of their own backyards, parks, and trails, and now she does the same in her eagerly awaited first book.

Happy Snacking, Don’t Die! is a one-of-a-kind collection of recipes and foraging wisdom that teaches you how to turn common plants, flowers, and fungi into yummy, plant-based meals. This unique work is almost like two books in one—foraging plant guide and vegan cookbook—organized by season to guide you through a year of appetizing discoveries. In spring, you’ll learn to pickle Magnolia flowers and turn Japanese Knotweed into a refreshing granita. Summer is for frying up Milkweed Buds, making Juneberry Hand Pies, and crafting Rosewater Baklava. When fall arrives, you’ll be making savory mushroom dishes (a.k.a. chicken of the woods) like Maitake steak and bacon. And in winter, cozy up with Pine Shortbread Cookies and Oyster Mushroom Chowdah.

Parallel Worlds Bookshop and the Hollywood Theatre present a special author conversation with Jane Schoenbrun and SenLinYu, celebrating the release of Jane’s debut novel, Public Access Afterworld, followed by a screening of Schoenbrun’s acclaimed film I Saw the TV Glow.

When: November 5, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Where: Hollywood Theatre 4122 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97212
Tickets: $18 sold via Hollywood Theatre
Ticket price does not include a copy of the book. Preorder Here!

A mysterious realm waits on the other side of our screens. A dark force draws victims into its static. An unlikely hero must save them, and herself, from an electric hell.

Spanning decades and realities, Public Access Afterworld follows an unforgettable ensemble of outcasts and obsessive television viewers whose lives become entangled with a surreal pirate network. At the center is Bethany Peters, a trans content moderator working the night shift at a sprawling tech corporation. When a young streamer begins appearing in her feed and calling out to Public Access Afterworld, Bethany is pulled into a conspiracy stretching across screens, timelines, and realities.

A mesmerizing collision of speculative fiction, horror, conspiracy, and queer transformation, Public Access Afterworld marks the literary debut of the celebrated filmmaker behind I Saw the TV Glow and We’re All Going to the World’s Fair.

Jane Schoenbrun is an award-winning filmmaker and writer. Their films include I Saw the TV Glow and We’re All Going to the World’s Fair. Their newest film, Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, starring Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder, releases in 2026. Public Access Afterworld is their first novel.

Tickets for the screening and conversation are sold through the Hollywood Theatre. Copies of Public Access Afterworld will be available for purchase onsite from Parallel Worlds Bookshop.

Jane Schoenbrun and SenLinYu will not be signing books. Pre-ordered books or books purchased at event will be pre-signed.

Still photography is permitted. Audio and video recording are not permitted unless approved in advance.

1. Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun - Signed Edition
   (Pub Date: October 27, 2026)
   A mysterious realm on the other side of our screens. A dark force that draws victims into its static. The unlikely hero called to save them and herself from this electric hell. Public Access Afterworld is the profound, binge-all-night, headrush of a novel by the celebrated filmmaker of I Saw the TV Glow and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.

2. Alchemised by Senlinyu Signed Edition (Out Now)

3. Alchemised by Senlinyu 3 Volume Deluxe Boxset(Pub Date: October 13)
   In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy—and the man tasked with unearthing the deepest secrets of her past.

Portland Art Museum invites the community to join a Free First Thursday event, offering free admission to the museum for all, plus a Live Wire event as part of the Literary Arts Portland Book Festival. Visitors can take in the afternoon gallery pop-ups, the evening show, or both!

4:30 – 6 p.m. — Free, pre-show, pop-up performances will take place throughout the Museum’s galleries. Performers are poet and rapper Dessa, bestselling children’s author Mac Barnett, Pulitzer Prize Finalist Ed Park, and Portland comedian Mx. Dahlia Belle.

Free First Thursday tickets can be reserved online one week in advance and are also available at the door.

7 p.m. — Enjoy a fully seated, ticketed Live Wire taping hosted by Luke Burbank with announcer Elena Passarello, featuring a blend of interviews, comedy, and music performed live for the audience, then edited into an episode for broadcast to over 200 public radio stations nationwide. Performers are poet and rapper Dessa, bestselling children’s author Mac Barnett, Pulitzer Prize Finalist Ed Park, and Portland comedian Mx. Dahlia Belle. Doors will open at 6:30pm.

GA Tickets are $15. Preferred Seating is $40. Discounts available to Portland Book Festival passholders.

Dessa is a singer, rapper, and writer who fell in love with language as a toddler—and just never got over it. Now, she works in fields that traffic in words: she’s recorded rap bangers as part of the fiercely independent Doomtree collective, released a live album with the Grammy-winning Minnesota Orchestra; contributed to The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler; delivered a TED Talk on the intersection of romance and neuroscience that’s notched more than 4 million views; hosted 2 seasons of behavioral science podcast Deeply Human (BBC/American Public Media); and published a memoir recounting most of the above called My Own Devices (Penguin Random House).

Mac Barnett, the 2025–2026 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, is a New York Times bestselling author of stories for children. Mac’s books have won many prizes, including two Caldecott Honors, three New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children’s Book Awards, three E. B. White Read Aloud Awards and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, as well as several international prizes. He lives in Oakland, California. His latest book, illustrated by X. Fang, is Tom Nancy: The Sheep Who Swapped Brains with a Boy. From two of the most exciting picture book makers today comes a hilarious trickster tale and Freaky Friday switcheroo story: a sneaky, cheeky sheep named Tom Nancy has a brain swap proposal for an innocent farm boy named Felix that will change both of their lives forever. Laugh-out-loud, subversive, and totally unexpected.

Ed Park is the author of the novels Personal Days and Same Bed Different Dreams. He is a founding editor of The Believer, and has worked in newspapers, book publishing, and academia. His writing appears in The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, Harper’s Magazine, The Atlantic, and elsewhere. Profound, wily, and beautifully wrought, his new book Three Tenses: A Transmission from the Nineties is a meeting of memory and myth, confession and obfuscation, coalescing to offer a singular picture of creativity in action.

The princess of Portland comedy, best known for her breakout performance on the popular Netflix special Hannah Gadsby’s Gender Agenda, Mx. Dahlia Belle has been compared to a Swiss Army knife—different tools to extract sharpness, softness, vulnerability, hope, and wicked wit. She’s been declared one of “11 Trans Comedians… Funnier Than Dave Chappelle” by Out Magazine, repeatedly featured on NPR, and has written for Cosmopolitan Magazine, The Guardian, The Stranger, and Portland Mercury. Her live performances have included NW Black Comedy Festival, Upper Left Comedy Festival, SF Sketchfest, and an awkward conversation with John Waters and Piers Morgan. In the upcoming live taping of her comedy special Affirmed at Polaris Hall on November 22nd, Mx. Dahlia Belle delivers 60 new minutes of stand-up to celebrate and affirm being human in the modern world through a combination of the wholesome and mundane, anecdotes about house cats, liscivious foibles of the LGBT community, and an unapologetic account of her personal journey with gender-affirming care, all delivered with her trademark free form wit.

Free First Thursdays at the Museum and PAM CUT’s Tomorrow Theater aligns with the revitalization of the long-standing Portland art galleries’ tradition of opening their doors for openings, receptions, and events on the first Thursday of each month. In recent months art and culture organizations have joined to bring back this popular activity, including the Pacific Northwest College of Art and the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education in the North Park Blocks.

Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.

Want to play like a pro? This is where they all started! Develop & improve fundamentals including ball handling, shooting techniques & defensive skills while improving endurance, flexibility & strength. Learn special strategies, basic plays & develop a teamwork mentality.

Ages: At least 8 but less than 11

Openings: 0

Young adult authors, Maggie Stiefvater (The Dream Thieves) and Isabel Cañas (The House of Gardenias) come together for a conversation on the hauntingly enchanted worlds in their latest releases. In the newest installment of the graphic novel iteration of The Raven Cycle, Stiefvater and adapter Sas Milledge bring the original text to life with rich illustrations and suspenseful panels. Like Stiefvater, Cañas expertly constructs a gothic world threatened by an unimaginable ancient power. Moderated by Alicia Tate, these authors discuss the mythical worlds they built and the characters that try to understand them.

The second book in Maggie Stiefvater‘s #1 NYT bestselling series The Raven Cycle, now gorgeously illustrated as a graphic novel!

Ronan Lynch is made of secrets. His longest kept one? He can pull impossible things out of dreams. It’s a secret that’s nearly killed him more than once. Waking the corpse road should have led Blue and the Raven Boys straight to Glendower, the Whelsh king rumored to be sleeping beneath the mountains of Henrietta. But instead, the forest of Cabeswater has disappeared, energy hums and sputters beneath the town, and the Raven Boys’ search is at a dead end.

Ronan’s dreams may be the key to finding Glendower, but none of the Raven Boys are prepared for what will be unleashed in Ronan’s desperate attempt to finally control his power. Reimagined as a stunning full-color graphic novel adapted and illustrated by Sas Milledge, Dream Thieves blurs the line between reality and nightmare until they are one and the same.

A debut gothic YA from the USA Today bestselling author of The Hacienda and The Possession of Alba Díaz Sixteen-year-old Minerva has endured hunger, violence, and unrest in a capital city inspired by colonial Mexico.

Determined to escape her father’s cruelty, she reinvents herself in a wealthy loyalist enclave, becoming lady’s maid to the formidable widow Encarnación del Valle.

For the first time, Minerva knows stability with regular meals, warm light powered by magical chispa, and a measure of protection. When a ruthless regime rises to power, the household withdraws to the del Valle family’s secluded estate, Casa de las Gardenias. There, amid resentful heirs and rigid social hierarchies, something far older than the nation’s turmoil waits in the shadows.

It’s a haunting, timely gothic novel that weaves Mexican history, class tension, and supernatural dread.