Downtown, Pearl & NW

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.

Fred Armisen is a comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He is the co-writer and co-star of IFC’s Emmy-nominated series Portlandia. He is in the hit Netflix series Wednesday as Uncle Fester. He stars in HBO’s Los Espookys, which he co-wrote and executive produced. He can also be heard in the hit animated Super Mario Bros movie. Armisen stars in, writes, and produces IFC’s hit show Documentary Now. He has also appeared in HBO’s Our Flag Means Death, Judd Apatow’s The Bubble, andAmazon’s series Forever. He voices characters in Big Mouth and The Mitchells vs. The Machines. He is currently starring in the Broadway play All In. Armisen is an 11-season veteran of Saturday Night Live. From 2014-2024, Armisen was band leader of the 8G Band on Late Night With Seth Meyers.

Live Wire joins forces with the Portland Art Museum for an afternoon of roving performances ahead of an evening recording of the program. The event coincides with PAM's monthly Free First Thursday and the Portland Book Festival's expanded programming. Performers will include poet and rapper Dessa, bestselling children’s author Mac Barnett, Pulitzer Prize Finalist Ed Park, and Portland comedian Mx. Dahlia Belle.

Free pop-up performances will take place throughout the Museum’s galleries, giving visitors a chance to catch live performances and storytelling while moving through the PAM spaces. Completely free through PAM’s Free First Thursday general admission. Also, 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.

Visitors can take in the afternoon gallery pop-ups, the evening show, or both.

What do you get when Don Lemon, award-winning journalist, and DL Hughley, one of the original Kings of Comedy, and highly recognized stand-up comedians come together for a night of conversation?

Expect the unexpected from these two brilliant minds doing their public service while taking you on a journey exploring topics spanning everything from social issues, race, pop-culture and current events. Nothing is off limits!

British breakthrough Brett Goldstein has swiftly cemented his status as a formidable creative force, both on and off screen.

Goldstein most recently starred opposite Jennifer Lopez in the Netflix’s irreverent romantic comedy “Office Romance,” which he also co-wrote and produced alongside Joe Kelly. The film immediately soared to the No. 1 spot globally, drawing an astonishing 20.9 million views in its opening weekend.

He also continues to push creative boundaries as co-creator and executive producer of the cathartic comedy “Shrinking,” alongside Jason Segel and Bill Lawrence. The Emmy-nominated Apple TV series is currently in production on its fourth season. In addition to his work behind the scenes, Goldstein’s pivotal guest performance has drawn widespread critical acclaim. His contributions to the series have earned him a BAFTA TV Craft Award nomination for ‘Writer: Comedy,’ a SAG Award nomination for ‘Outstanding Ensemble,’ and a 2024 WGA nomination for ‘New Series.’

Goldstein first broke through as writer, executive producer, and star of the Apple TV phenomenon “Ted Lasso,” set to return for its fourth season in August. His brash yet lovable performance as Roy Kent previously earned him two consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for ‘Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy’ – the first back-to-back win in the category in nearly 15 years. He also received a Critics Choice Award, Golden Globe nomination, and shared in the SAG Award for ‘Outstanding Ensemble,’ along with the WGA Awards for ‘Best Comedy Series’ and ‘Best New Series.’

Most recently, it was announced that Goldstein will create and star in the male escort comedy series “Escorted” for Amazon MGM Studios. This is on the heels of bringing his signature charm and sharp wit to HBO with his first stand-up special, “The Second Best Night of Your Life,” following a sold-out North American tour. The special earned him nominations at the 2026 Golden Globe Awards and Critics Choice Awards.

In film, Goldstein stars in Kornél Mundruczó’s latest drama “At the Sea” alongside Amy Adams and Murray Bartlett, which had its world premiere at the 2026 Berlin Film Festival. He also lent his voice to Craig Mazin’s animated feature “The Sheep Detectives” for Amazon MGM Studios. This follows his devasting performance opposite Imogen Poots in “All of You,” a humorous and heart-wrenching romantic drama he also co-wrote and produced. The film premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, later screened at BFI London, and is now streaming on Apple TV.

The tour de force also hosts the iHeartRadio award-winning podcast “Films to Be Buried With,” which finds him in candid, often hilarious conversations with special guests as they discuss the films that have shaped them.

He has no time for dinner.

Comedy: KELLY’S OLYMPIAN AND VLVT HEART RECORDS PRESENT OPEN MIC NIGHT! at Kelly's Olympian.

What do you get when Don Lemon, an award-winning journalist, and DL Hughley, one of the original Kings of Comedy and a highly recognized stand-up comedian, come together for a night of conversation?

DL + DL ‘Anything Goes’

Expect the unexpected from these two brilliant minds doing their public service while taking you on a journey exploring topics spanning everything from social issues, race, pop culture and current events. Nothing is off limits.

Live Wire teams up with the Portland Art Museum during First Thursday and the Portland Book Festival. From 4:30 to 6 p.m., complimentary pop-up performances roam the museum galleries, no ticket needed. At 7 p.m., host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello lead a seated, ticketed taping with poet and rapper Dessa, children’s author Mac Barnett, Pulitzer Prize finalist Ed Park, and Portland comedian Mx. Dahlia Belle. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.. Portland Book Festival passholders get 10% off.

PAM gallery pop-ups: 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Doors for Live Wire seated show: 6:30 p.m.
Live Show: 7:00 p.m.

Live Wire Radio, the Portland-based public radio variety show, joins forces with the Portland Art Museum for an afternoon of roving performances ahead of an evening recording of the program. The event coincides with PAM’s monthly Free First Thursday and the Portland Book Festival’s expanded programming.

In the afternoon, free pop-up performances will take place throughout the Museum’s galleries giving visitors a chance to catch short live performances and storytelling while moving through the PAM spaces. Performers will include genre-blending rapper and writer Dessa, National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and children’s author Mac Barnett, National Book Award Finalist Ed Park, and Portland comedian Mx. Dahlia Belle among others.

The evening will feature 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.

Visitors can take in the afternoon gallery pop-ups, the evening show, or both!

Note: Admission is free to the afternoon gallery pop-ups as part of general admission on Free First Thursday at Portland Art Museum. Tickets available on the museum website.

Ticket Prices:
$40 Preferred Seats
$36 Bookfest Pass Holder Discount – Preferred Seats (10% off)
$15 General Admission Seats
$13.50 Bookfest Pass Holder Discount – General Admission (10% off)

The New Stuff is your weekly front-row seat to raw, unfiltered stand-up comedy. Every week, local favorites and touring pros try out brand-new material—sometimes sharing jokes for the very first time. Be part of the creative process as comedians present fresh bits, some of which may never be heard again.

You might recognize faces from Netflix, Hulu, Don’t Tell Comedy, Helium Comedy Studios, and more. Admission is free; tips are strongly encouraged to keep the laughs coming. Chris Hudson (Leave Your Troubles at The Door, @chriees on Instagram) hosts The New Stuff, pulling back the curtain on how great comedy is born—don’t miss it. It all happens at the historic McMenamins Al's Den.

All promo photos by @comedyinfocus

Pack your bags for a night of world-class laughs without leaving the city. Destination: Comedy is Portland's premier free comedy showcase, bringing together top local talent and traveling comedians from across the country, telling you secret or exclusive spots in Portland to visit. Held on the first Wednesday of every month, this one-of-a-kind show brings together global travelers and Portland locals for an evening of clever, high-energy, and welcoming stand-up.

Portland Theater lists ticket options for Comedy Night Hosted by Brandon Lyons at McMenamins Al's Den in Portland, OR. Ticket options may be available from verified providers.

A free standup comedy show featuring Portland's best up and coming comedians (along with a few surprise veterans and touring guests). Hosted by James Hartenfeld, this is a sure fire way to bring some laughs into your week. Tips are strongly encouraged, and every last Wednesday of the month there will be a live podcast instead of live comedy.

Laughing through life’s darkest sh*t. Portland’s darkest comedy show, because life can be dark af, and all you can do is laugh. Mental health, addiction, 51/50 squad, toxic relationships (with yourself and with others). It’s a comedy show, but it’s also a place to remind you you’re not alone if you’ve been, or are currently going, through some dark shit. Think of it like a fun little “effed up community”. Hosted by comedian, depressive, and anxious ball of mass, Cait Chock, she invites some of Portland’s premier comedians to delve into the dark recesses of their minds and the jokes that follow.

Cait is often asked why she got into comedy, and it’s always with a self-deprecating laugh that she answers, “Honestly, depression. In my darkest moments, I’ve always found myself making jokes, not because it feels funny but because finding a reason to laugh is the best coping mechanism I’ve found to keep the darkness from swallowing me whole.”

It Gets Dark celebrates the morbid laughs that allow you to keep going through the dark times. It’s about finding humor in the not-at-all funny to give you the strength to keep going. (Plus, it’s usually a funny story after) This show is all about breaking the stigmas around mental illness, addiction, and celebrating a twisted sense of humor, intrusive thoughts, and trauma. Come laugh, come relate, and come help break the stigmas. Hell, come and drag a few skeletons out of your own because there will be an audience participation portion at the end if there is a story you’d like to share.

“At the end of the day, comedy saved my life, and I think it can save yours,” shares Cait. “Sorry, I gagged on my own vomit saying that, cuz it sounds corny, but it’s also true. Just come to the show, please and thank you.”