Take a drive up to Stevenson, Washington, for the annual mushroom festival this weekend or sample German beers and wines at three Portland-area Oktoberfest-themed events. There are also new art show openings, several stage plays, and a circus.
Zootoberfest
Sample craft beers from as many as 45 Northwest breweries and cideries. There’s also live music, keeper talks and lawn games. 21 and older only.
5:30-9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Sept. 26–27, Oregon Zoo, 4001 S.W. Canyon Road; admission $60 includes 10 tasting tokens, non-drinking admission $30; oregonzoo.org/zootoberfest.
Stevenson Mushroom Festival
Celebrate the enchanting world of mushrooms during this event in the picturesque Columbia River Gorge. Unearth the secrets of fungi, taste culinary creations, and discover unique products offered by local and regional artisans. The “Mushroom Hunt” challenges you to collect stamps from participating locations to earn discounts at local restaurants and retailers and admission to presentations and demonstrations about mushrooms.
Gala event (21 and older only) 7 p.m. Friday, festival hours vary Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 26-28, throughout Stevenson, Washington, ticket prices vary by event; stevensonmushroomfestival.com.
“Standing Together”
Part dance, part theater, part oral history – “Standing Together” features Jorge Samuel, Brazilian dance specialist, Portland theater maker Damaris Webb, and somatics educator Wendy Hambidge in a performance that takes a hard look at personal interactions and love.
7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 26-28, Dekum Street Theater, 814 N.E. Dekum St.; tickets by donation starting at $5; tickettailor.com/events/standingtogether.
“Orange Flower Water”
A new Portland theater company, 100 Lives Repertory, takes to the stage with its debut production “Orange Flower Water” by Craig Wright. The play takes a look behind the closed doors of two marriages, showing the passion of ecstatic love as well as betrayal with zero filters. The Chicago Sun-Times called the play “A brutally honest drama about marriage and infidelity.” The performance includes mature themes and nudity.
Opens 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26 and continues 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 5 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 12, Spotlight Theatre, 1123 S.E. Market St.; tickets start at $34; 100livesrep.org/ofw.
I Put a Spell On You – Nina Simone Tribute
It’s the 10th anniversary of this annual show that pays tribute to one of the greatest multi-genre singers of all time. The show features performances by LaRhonda Steele and the Adrian Martin Quintet.
8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26, Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 N.E. Alberta St.; tickets $32.25; etix.com/ticket.
Corvallis Fall Festival
The annual fall festival offers a juried art show, two stages of live music and entertainment, a Saturday night street dance, food and drink vendors, more than 150 art booths, and a fall festival fun run.
10 a.m.-6 p.m. (with street dance starting at 6 p.m.) Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27-28, Central Park, downtown Corvallis, 650 N.W. Monroe Ave.; corvallisfallfestival.org (no pets allowed).
Yoshida Chizuko at PAM
The Portland Art Museum hosts the first major museum retrospective focusing on 20th-century painter and printmaker Yoshida Chizuko (1924–2017) from Japan. The exhibit features more than100 works, many of which have never previously been exhibited. Expect a display of early oil paintings, rare monotypes, woodblock prints, lithographs, and zinc-plate mixed media prints, in addition to archival material and ephemera. Opening lecture with the curator 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28.
Opens Saturday, Sept. 27, and remains on view during museum hours through Jan. 4, 2026, Portland Art Museum, 1219 S.W. Park Ave.; admission $22-$25; portlandartmuseum.org/event/yoshida-chizuko.
“From a Hole in the Ground”
This Oregon Book Award nominee has been adapted for the stage for Northwest Children’s Theater. Corrib Theater and NWCT offer this original fairy tale about mischief, nature, and a generational curse. Aimed at ages 8 and older.
Opens 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, and continues 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Oct. 5, The Judy, 1000 S.W. Broadway, Suite T-100; tickets $25-$35; nwct.my.salesforce-sites.com/ticket.
“Frank S. Matsura – Portraits from the Borderland”
In 1903, Frank Matsura moved from Japan to Washington to take a job at a hotel. He brought along camera equipment and began making photographs in and around Okanagan in north-central Washington, at the western edge of the Colville Reservation. Matsura eventually opened a studio in Okanagan and made numerous portraits that included Indigenous families wearing regalia. The Japanese American Museum of Oregon calls these portraits “some of the most visually potent and nuanced images of Indigenous peoples from the era.” A selection of these photos will go on display beginning this weekend
Open during museum hours beginning Saturday, Sept. 27-Feb. 8, Japanese American Museum of Oregon, 411 N.W. Flanders St., Suite 100, Portland; $5-$8; jamo.org.
Special event 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28: “Our Mr. Matsura” film screening, Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main St., Vancouver. $15.
— Amy Wang/For The Oregonian/Oregonlive.com
Estacada Oktoberfest
Downtown Estacada comes alive for a day filled with traditional German foods, local craft beer, and a lineup of festive activities including a costume contest, pumpkin painting, and pie-eating. Live entertainment includes the Portland Accordion Club, folk dancers, and Rob Gaskill and the Northwest Playboys.
11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27, downtown Estacada at 298 Broadway St.; free admission; facebook.com/events.
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
VSO kicks off its season with a collection of intermezzi from Pietro Mascagni, a beloved Italian operatic composer, and Carl Orff’s masterwork “Carmina Burana.” The program also includes Mascagni’s “Inno al sole” from Iris, a cheerful choral work featuring the Portland Symphonic Choir.
7 p.m. Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27-28, Skyview Concert Hall, 1300 N.W. 139th St.,Vancouver; tickets start at $15; vancouversymphony.org.
Weinfest (Carlton)
September is filled with Oktoberfests which typically focus on beer. But this event is an immersive celebration of German culture featuring wines, and cuisine. Attendees can try an expertly curated array of Rieslings, Grüner Veltliners, and Spätburgunders among other varieties, accompanied by traditional German specialties such as bratwurst, schnitzel, and sauerkraut, and of course, giant Bavarian-style “Bretzels.”
1-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, Abbey Road Farm, 10280 N.E. Oak Springs Farm Road, Carlton; $39 includes tasting tokens and glass; eventbrite.com/e/weinfest.
Hokus Pokus Live
Ginger Minj’s North American tour of “Hokus Pokus Live” makes a stop in Portland a bit before the traditional opening of Halloween season. The cast includes several notables from RuPaul’s “Drag Race” such as Jujubee and Sapphira Cristal. It’s a campy stage show riffing on his seasonal film favorite.
8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1, Revolution Hall, 1300 S.E. Stark St.; tickets start at $63; etix.com/ticket.
Complexions Contemporary Ballet – Presented by White Bird
The acclaimed group will showcase its signature blend of athletic precision and artistic innovation in a program featuring five distinctive works by co-founder Dwight Rhoden. The company’s upcoming program spans multiple musical genres, from classical to rock, and includes the meditative duet “Ave Maria,” set to the music of Giulio Caccini, as well as a percussion-driven ensemble piece choreographed to Hans Zimmer’s compositions. The program’s newest addition, “FOR CRYING OUT LOUD,” features the music of U2 and delves into themes of identity and empathy through full-bodied choreographic expression.
7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 2-4, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4, Newmark Theatre, 1111 S.W. Broadway; $40-$177; whitebird.org.
— Grant Butler | The Oregonian/OregonLive
Flynn Creek Circus
This traveling circus show (Yes! Those still exist) takes audiences on a journey inspired by Nordic legend. Expect acrobatic stunts, irreverent comedy, and visually exciting tricks. Most shows are open to all ages. Check the website for details.
7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2 adults only, and performances various times Oct. 4-5, under the Big Top Tent on the campus of Clark College, Fort Vancouver Way and East McLoughlin Blvd.; tickets start at $23; flynncreekcircus.ticketspice.com/2025.
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