McMenamins Kennedy School

IDEAL PDX presents a unique art exhibition featuring special guest artist Rah Azul at McMenamins Kennedy School on November 1st.

The exhibition will feature nine talented artists, each showcasing their work through a personalized altar installation that reflects their unique style, perspective, and way of honoring Dia de los Muertos.

Please save the date and join us for this special evening celebrating art, memory, and tradition.

Special Guest
Rah Azul

Featured Artists
Oliver Casillas
Romina Del Castillo
Mariel Del Rincon
Isa Guadalupe
William Hernandez
Savi Santiago
Tekpatl
Yathzi Turcot
Alexis Yonathan

Join us in the Kennedy School Gym for Country Night and learn line dancing basics in a fun, welcoming environment. An experienced instructor from the PNW Stompeders will guide you step-by-step through beginner-friendly dances with music to keep the floor moving. Whether you've never tried line dancing before or just want to sharpen your skills, this class is designed to make it easy and enjoyable for everyone. Singles, couples, and dancers of all ages are welcome. Come with a partner, bring friends, or show up solo-line dancing is one of the easiest ways to meet people and have a great time. Food and drinks will be available for purchase throughout the evening, so you can grab a bite, relax, and make a night of it. No experience necessary, just come ready to learn a few steps and have some fun on the dance floor.

A three-day immersive songwriting experience for writers of all levels, focused on creative expression, musical craft, and community. Participants can write a first song or develop new material, learn techniques through workshops led by songwriting teachers, take songs from private practice to the stage, and connect through singing circles and an intimate open mic in an art sanctuary. The experience takes place at the Portland Kennedy School and a private art space across the street.

Poison Waters is not just a personality, she is an experience – a bawdy, smart, laugh-so-hard-you'll-cry experience, and she'll emcee you through a night of bingo more lively than you ever thought bingo could be. Play to win prizes like overnight stays at McMenamins historic hotels – and more.

As young musicians passionate about opera and about their hometown, Emily Nelson and Bethany Schweitzer Goshorn thought, "What better place for an Opera on Tap chapter than our fair city known for its beer, wine and cocktail culture?" Thus Opera on Tap PDX was born - one of 16 nationwide chapters of Opera on Tap. Northwest native Sadie Gregg joined the Managing Diva team in 2016, after singing with the Boston chapter.

Why are we so passionate about opera? Opera speaks to the human condition. It expresses human emotion and relationship in a very unique and profound way. The human voice in all its glory has a visceral effect on us. In a culture focused on instant gratification with short attention spans, opera demands your full attention and rewards you with a wild ride on the emotional roller coaster.

Chances are that people who say they don't like opera have never heard it live! Opera on Tap seeks to change this by bringing the genre back to the people in familiar places: community gathering spaces, restaurants, and bars - much how music was historically enjoyed in Germany pubs. We seek to share, educate and bring simply fabulous music to an audience that might not otherwise be able to enjoy the art form. So grab your friends and your favorite pint, and join us for Opera on Tap!

Opera On Tap Nationwide
Opera on Tap (OOT) was born in 2005 at Freddy's Bar and Backroom in Brooklyn and incorporated in 2007 to promote opera as a viable, living, and progressive art form and to support the developing artists who continue to keep the art form alive. What began as a small monthly gathering of ambitious, classically trained singers looking for more performance opportunities has grown into a producing organization that has gained a loyal audience base and national recognition as an innovative force on the classical music scene. Through its Chapter program, which now has sixteen vibrant national chapters, OOT has created a large network of performers, creators, and supporters.

Calling all hip cats and jazz enthusiasts! Join us at Kennedy School once a month for a night dedicated to impressive jazz riffs from musicians with serious chops - featuring a different artist each month and hosted by local jazz musician Brent Follis.

Why are some plant species rare, and what can we learn from them? These are two of the fundamental questions at the core of conservation biology. In an era of accelerated anthropogenic change, understanding how the past has shaped our biota and the distribution of species across our region is more important than ever before.

In this talk, evolutionary biologist Ash Gill will introduce some rare flowering plants of our region and the ways their habitats have been impacted following European colonization. She will go on to describe how data collected from rare species can be used to understand the evolutionary process. Lastly, she will share how citizen scientists can contribute to conservation by using tools at the Oregon Flora Project to learn about their local flora and document their observations.

Science Pubs are a casual lecture series located in fun venues across the region, recommended for ages 10 and over.

Science Pub Kennedy School is a monthly event that is open to anyone and everyone. No RSVP or scientific background required. Just bring your curiosity, sense of humor, and appetite for food, drinks and knowledge! For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: [email protected].

Dinner and drinks will be available throughout the presentation. Please visit the McMenamins Kennedy School website for a dinner menu and venue information.

Suggested donation of $8 all goes to OMSI.

About a month ago, we lost our beloved fellow musician Jere Hudson. Jere was a true light in every gathering, and he will be sorely missed. We are planning a jam in his honor, where we will play some of his favorite tunes. Cajun, old-time, bluegrass, folk, Irish: anything goes. All are welcome. Also please note that we need to buy any alcohol at the venue.

In Getting Back, six-year-old Elliott and his dog get lost in the wilderness, leaving his grieving parents heartsick, and there's only one person who can guide him home: Max, his deceased older brother who has recently passed away from cancer. Seeking normalcy, John and Michelle embark on a camping trip. When Elliott and the family dog disappear, they are forced to confront their suppressed feelings regarding their final days with Max. Meanwhile, as heroes, explorers, and wildlife photographers, Max and Elliott confront the dangers of the woods with their imagination.

Getting Back has universal themes of grief, fear, hope, family and love. There are deep emotional struggles balanced with lightness and imagination. It explores how we all deal with grief differently, while trying to hold on to the bonds we have. Stick around after the film for outtakes and a Q&A session.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED: phone (503) 249-3983 to reserve your spot

The Police Cars are Portland's own high-voltage tribute to two of the coolest bands ever - The Police and The Cars. We bring the tight grooves, neon hooks, and new-wave swagger that defined a generation. From dance-floor anthems to sing-along classics, it's wall-to-wall hits and zero filler. Big drums, smooth oscillations, big guitar riffin' and bright lights - come ready to move.

Crater Lake National Park was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1902. It was the fifth of over sixty national parks in the United States. In commemoration of Oregon's only national park, the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) has created a new exhibit, Creating a Masterpiece: Artists and the Origins of Crater Lake National Park (on view from November 20, 2026 to January 9, 2028) and published the Oregon Historical Quarterly's Fall 2026 special issue, entitled "Crater Lake and Artistic Imagination."

Professor Peter Boag and OHS curator Megan Lallier-Barron tell the story of how 19th-century landscape painters brought Crater Lake to regional and national audiences and influenced its national park designation. They share the inspiration and research behind the exhibition and discuss how - through everything from historic paintings and photographs to museum objects and QR codes - they have made the story available to a modern audience.

Peter Boag is Arnold M. and Atsuko Craft Distinguished Professor in the Department of History at Washington State University. While he now lives north of the Columbia River, he was born and grew up in Oregon and has an enduring interest in the Cascade Range. He is the author of various books, articles, and essays on Pacific Northwest history and is curator of the Oregon Historical Society's new exhibit on Crater Lake.

Megan Lallier-Barron is the curator of exhibitions for the Oregon Historical Society and is responsible for researching and developing content for exhibitions of all sizes. Megan holds an MS in arts management with a focus on museum studies from the University of Oregon and a BA in archaeology and art history from the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Potsdam.

Artwork by Peter Boag

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp

One hundred and twenty-five years ago, President Theodore Roosevelt signed the law creating Crater Lake National Park. It was the fifth of now over sixty national parks in the United States. In commemoration of Oregon’s only national park, the Oregon Historical Society designed an original exhibition, Creating a Masterpiece: Artists and the Origins of Crater Lake National Park(on view from November 20, 2026, to January 9, 2028), and published the Oregon Historical Quarterly's Fall 2026 special issue, entitled “Crater Lake and Artistic Imagination.” Together, these productions tell the story of how nineteenth-century landscape painters brought Crater Lake to regional and national audiences and influenced its national park designation. In this program, exhibition curators Megan Lallier-Barron and Peter Boag share the inspiration and research behind the exhibition and discuss how — through everything from historic paintings and photographs to museum objects and QR codes — they have made the story available to a modern audience.

Poison Waters is not just a personality, she is an experience – a bawdy, smart, laugh-so-hard-you'll-cry experience, and she'll emcee you through a night of bingo more lively than you ever thought bingo could be. Play to win prizes like overnight stays at McMenamins historic hotels – and more.

As young musicians passionate about opera and about their hometown, Emily Nelson and Bethany Schweitzer Goshorn thought, "What better place for an Opera on Tap chapter than our fair city known for its beer, wine and cocktail culture?" Thus Opera on Tap PDX was born - one of 16 nationwide chapters of Opera on Tap. Northwest native Sadie Gregg joined the Managing Diva team in 2016, after singing with the Boston chapter.

Why are we so passionate about opera? Opera speaks to the human condition. It expresses human emotion and relationship in a very unique and profound way. The human voice in all its glory has a visceral effect on us. In a culture focused on instant gratification with short attention spans, opera demands your full attention and rewards you with a wild ride on the emotional roller coaster.

Chances are that people who say they don't like opera have never heard it live! Opera on Tap seeks to change this by bringing the genre back to the people in familiar places: community gathering spaces, restaurants, and bars - much how music was historically enjoyed in Germany pubs. We seek to share, educate and bring simply fabulous music to an audience that might not otherwise be able to enjoy the art form. So grab your friends and your favorite pint, and join us for Opera on Tap!

Opera On Tap Nationwide
Opera on Tap (OOT) was born in 2005 at Freddy's Bar and Backroom in Brooklyn and incorporated in 2007 to promote opera as a viable, living, and progressive art form and to support the developing artists who continue to keep the art form alive. What began as a small monthly gathering of ambitious, classically trained singers looking for more performance opportunities has grown into a producing organization that has gained a loyal audience base and national recognition as an innovative force on the classical music scene. Through its Chapter program, which now has sixteen vibrant national chapters, OOT has created a large network of performers, creators, and supporters.

Our mission is to bring the Portland film community together through exciting screenings and networking events where filmmakers, industry professionals, and creatives connect, collaborate, and support one another's talent and work.

Since our launch in 2017, these events have grown in popularity, drawing engaged audiences and offering filmmakers the chance to showcase their projects while building valuable industry connections with producers, directors, actors, crew members, and other creative minds.

Hosted by Jerry Bell Jr. (JBj) — award-winning film producer, director, and actor-this event promises a special evening featuring a curated lineup of regional independent films from talented filmmakers. Following the screenings, directors and producers will share unique insights into their work.

It's a night to celebrate storytelling, foster collaboration, and highlight Portland's vibrant indie film community.

Catch these singers in Victorian costume strolling about our property, singing all your holiday favorites.

Calling all hip cats and jazz enthusiasts! Join us at Kennedy School once a month for a night dedicated to impressive jazz riffs from musicians with serious chops - featuring a different artist each month and hosted by local jazz musician Brent Follis.

Catch these singers in Victorian costume strolling about our property, singing all your holiday favorites.

Make your plans now for New Year's Eve shenanigans, and get ready for a night packed with dancing and live music; plus, a champagne toast and balloon drop to mark the turn of the new year!

Book your room now, and make your stay extra special with our New Year's Eve package offering two keepsake sparkling wine flutes, bottled water and festive surprises! When booking through our website, select your location and dates, then your room + rate, and a list of additional packages will appear under "Package Options," including the New Year's Eve Package!

Check out live music below...

LIVE MUSIC

Theater
The Saloon Ensemble * 9pm
$29 advance, $34 day of * 21 and over

Gymnasium
Kris Deelane & the Hurt * 9pm
Free * All ages welcome

Portland based band, conceived of and birthed on the open playa of Nevada's own Burning Man festival! Many members are also musicians in Portland's favorite bands including March Fourth Marching Band, Vagabond Opera, and Trashcan Joe. Their specialty is rocking contemporary tunes with a swingy, jazzy, campy, loungey, wild & crazy flare!

With over 4 hours of material, ranging from comic and stomping originals to clever covers of familiar hits from every genre imaginable. The Saloon Ensemble encompasses the spirit of one thing only: FUN. Crazy Costumes, Kazoos, Tap-Dancing, Shark Attacks, and Whiskey Sipping.. You never know what to expect at one of their shows.

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp

Enjoy 15% off your hotel stay on History Pub nights! Show your ticket at check-in.

These events are open to everyone interested in Pacific Northwest history, and beyond! Often co-sponsored by local or state historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers, historians and documentaries expounding on topics from indigenous history to the birth of Portland, early explorers to hop growing, and on and on! It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp