We’ve got a great big pile of fun events on the list this week that includes several cultural festivals which will keep you dancing and enjoying fun foods. There are also kite and surfing events at the coast as well as the openings of a few new plays and operas.
Oaks Park Oktoberfest
If you can’t find a enjoyable way to celebrate Oktoberfest this year, you’re not trying at all. The annual Oaks Park Oktoberfest combines the fun of the traditional Bavarian celebration with Oaks Park’s rides and games. Enjoy German food and beer, live polka bands, wiener dog races, Kinderplatz children’s activities, and local art and gift vendors.
4-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 19-21, Oaks Amusement Park, 805 S.E. Oaks Park Way; admission (gate only) $4.50-$7.50, parking fee charged; oakspark.com/oktoberfest.
Lincoln City Fall Kite Festival
Kite flying and beach going have gone hand-in-hand for a long time. And many generations of families flock to Lincoln City in September for the annual Fall Kite Festival. See hundreds of colorful kites fill the skies over D River Wayside Park. Experts in kite-miking and kite flying will give demonstrations. Other events generally include a kite art show, and the “Mega Fly” where hundreds of kites take to the skies at once. See the website for a complete schedule.
Festival events 7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 19-21, D River State Recreation Site, Lincoln City; free; explorelincolncity.com/events.
Cape Kiwanda Longboard Classic (Pacific City)
If you’re on the coast anyway, you might as well get in on this annual celebration in the sea beginning with an opening party and live music on the beach on Friday evening followed by two days of non-stop surfing including cross steps, cutbacks, and nose rides. If you love surfing, this is your weekend. At the end of the contest an awards ceremony on the beach brings everyone together to recognize the surfers’ achievements and honor this long-standing event. For those who can’t make it, the event will be livestreamed on Youtube.com.
Various times Friday-Sunday, Sept. 19-21, on Cape Kiwanda beach near Pelican Brewing; free to spectate; capekiwandalongboardclassic.com/the-classic.
Atoms & Artifacts
New Wave Opera offers the west coast premieres of two operas about the perceptions and experiences of historical women. “Marie Curie Learns to Swim” by Jessica Rudman and Kendra Preston Leonard and “Alice Tierney” by Melissa Dunphy and Jacqueline Goldfinger will be performed with a complete chamber ensemble and includes ASL interpretation. Recommended for ages 13 and older.
7:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday and 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, Sept. 19-21, Mago Hunt Recital Hall, University of Portland, 5000 N. Willamette Blvd.; tickets $15-$40; newwaveopera.org/atomsartifacts.
Taste of the Season
SoundsTruck NW presents a free outdoor community concert and arts showcase featuring several local performance arts groups each taking the stage for about 20 minutes to share details on their upcoming seasons. Groups scheduled to appear include Lewis & Clark College, Fear No Music, Chatter, PDX, 45th Parallel Universe, Takohachi & Kotori Kai Shamisen Ensemble, and Renegade Opera.
7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, on the lawn outside the Evans Music Building, L&C College, 0615 S. Palatine Hill Road; free; soundstrucknw.org.
“Triangle”
Broadway Rose presents a new love story set against the backdrop of the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire in New York and its modern-day inhabitants. This musical follows two romances: a Jewish immigrant seamstress and her Italian foreman, and a graduate student and his relationship with a handsome free-spirited stranger.
Opens 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, and continues 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays through Oct. 12, Broadway Rose New Stage, 12850 S.W. Grant Ave., Tigard; tickets $25-$54; broadwayrose.org.
St. George’s Middle Eastern Festival
Enjoy Middle Eastern foods, music, dancing, children’s activities and more at this annual festival held at St. George Church.
11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20-21, at the church, 2101 N.E. 162nd Ave.; free admission; stgeorgepdx.org/pix.
Festa Italiana
If you’re a fan of this beloved Italian cultural festival, you’ll know that it has moved locations a few times in the past few years. Please note the 2025 event will be held at the St. Philip Neri Church in Southeast Portland. Come for the food, but stay for live music performance, opera singing, a bocce ball tournament, raffle, and grape stomping.
10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20-21, at the church, 2408 S.E. 16th Ave.; admission $9, ages 12 and younger free; portlandfesta.com.
Sun Day
This solar powered day of action will be celebrated across the country. Portland’s Sun Day at Tom McCall Waterfront Park offers a rally, parade, speakers, and live music and dancing meant to send a message that the people want a transition to clean energy and the jobs that come with that change. Visit the website for more information on how to get involved with this movement.
Noon-6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, Waterfront Park, 200 S.W. Naito Parkway; free; RSVP requested: actionnetwork.org/events/sun-day-pdx.
Many of the McMenamins properties will host Oktoberfest special events including Edgefield where you can play in a golf tournament, shop the plant sale, enjoy live music and balloon artists and get your face painting. It’s a fun outing for the whole family. Check McMenamins fall calendar for more info on events at other locations.
Noon-7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, Edgefield, 2126 S.W. Halsey St., Troutdale, free admission; mcmenamins.com/events.
Masters of Hawaiian Music
Alberta Rose Theatre welcomes George Kahumoku Jr., Daniel Ho and Tia Carrere for a show highlighting Hawaiian slack-key guitar and traditional as well as new Hawaiian songs. The Portland stop is the group’s first in a tour that will take them all over the western United States.
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, Alberta Rose, 3000 N.E. Alberta St.; tickets $34.25; etix.com/ticket.
Portland Zine Symposium artist exhibition
The Multnomah Arts Center will host an art exhibit in conjunction with the annual Portland Zine Symposium. See the work of more than 75 regional artists in a wide range of styles and formats.
Exhibit begins Friday, Sept. 19, and the opening reception is 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 25. Continues with viewing during art center hours through Oct. 25, at 7688 S.W. Capitol Hwy; free admission; multnomahartscenter.org/gallery-calendar.
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