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MONDAY

LIVE MUSIC

Devendra Banhart Past Event Like List
On his new album, Flying Wig, Devendra Banhart explores the emotional side of synthesizer music with the help of Welsh art-pop queen Cate Le Bon. The result is dreamy, delicate, and hopeful—reminiscent of the Magnetic Fields's sweeter side (think: 69 Love Songs). Banhart has noted many romantic details about the album's creation, including the scenic California cabin studio in which it was recorded and the dress (gifted from Le Bon) and pearls (from his grandmother) he wore while recording. He will support the album after an opening set from avant-garde musician/performance artist Hayden Pedigo. AV
(Revolution Hall, Buckman)

TUESDAY

PERFORMANCE

Bear Grease Past Event Like List
Popping by Portland for one night only, the touring musical Bear Grease will lend an Indigenous twist to the '78 classic with a blend of hip-hop, parody, improv, and freestyling. The production promises "a new historical perspective," and this December edition will also be holiday-themed. That sounds like a lot to tackle at once, but I have the utmost confidence in the LA-based hip-hop duo LightningCloud, which includes MC RedCloud, a one-time Guinness World Record holder for longest freestyle rap. LC
(Portland Art Museum, South Park Blocks)

READINGS & TALKS

Nature Night - Keep Looking Up: Your Guide to the Powerful Healing of Birding with Tammah Watts Past Event Like List
If you're already dreaming of warmer days, there's nothing like an avian mood-lifter. The soon-to-be-renamed Portland Audubon will play host to this online discussion with Tammah Watts, an LMFT and author of Keep Looking Up: Your Guide to the Powerful Healing of Birdwatching. Watts will "weave together personal stories and avian life to reveal the marvelous phenomenon shared among us," explaining the benefits of birding for mental health and how feathered fellows can teach us about mindfulness and community. (I'm still reeling from what I learned yesterday about the communal roosting habits of Portland's crows.) LC
(Audubon Society of Portland, Northwest Portland)

WEDNESDAY

COMEDY

Portland Mercury Presents: Two Evils with Arlo & Kate—A Comedy Game Show! Past Event Like List
Portland Mercury Undisputed Geniuses of Comedy Arlo Weierhauser and Kate Murphy (noted Bigfoot skeptic) get straight-up diabolical in this live game show, which sees the chucklesome pair answer a series of "truly evil" questions on stage. The audience (and special guest Adam Pasi) will then decide which of the responses is less evil. It's kinda like a Catholic confessional, except FUN and non-judgy. Okay, maybe a little judgy. You'll have to go to find out. Plus, there'll be prizes—the perfect antidote for a little moral corruption. LC
(Siren Theater, Boise)

LIVE MUSIC

Comfort & Joy with the Oregon Symphony Past Event Like List
Associate conductor Deanna Tham will take the reins of the sleigh as the Oregon Symphony brings tidings of comfort and joy during this classy evening concert. Look forward to plenty of class with classical renditions of Christmas classics. AV
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks)

X: XMas Time Again Tour Past Event Like List
Have yourself a merry little Xmas with the un-Googleable SoCal punk legends, X. If you consider yourself too punk for Christmas, then fear not! According to recent setlists, the band won't be covering any Christmas carols (but wouldn't it be cool if they did!?) Bop along to classics like "Los Angeles" and "Soul Kitchen" after a set from Oklahoma City-born riot grrl revivalists Skating Polly. AV
(Revolution Hall, Buckman)

THURSDAY

COMEDY

The Eric Andre Explosion Past Event Like List
The creator of The Eric Andre Show has described his Adult Swim series as "like poop and pee mixed together." While that undersells the program—a hyperbolic and absurdist parody of public-access talk shows—it underscores Andre's scatological sensibilities and knack for shocking and mocking decorum. Since 2012, Andre has hosted and cowritten The Eric Andre Show with fellow stand-up comedian Hannibal Buress. It's a mélange of pranks, physical humor, and celebrity interviews that veers 180 degrees from talk shows' ho-hum formulas. In his stand-up performances, Andre delivers similarly skewed observations with a gravel-voiced hysteria. Some subjects include his biracial status, the mentality behind homophobia, Wendy's Baconator, and the show MANswers, whose hyper-macho approach to television he hilariously dissects. STRANGER CONTRIBUTOR DAVE SEGAL
(Crystal Ballroom, West End)

Kickstand Comedy Presents: Secret Aardvark Past Event Like List
Over 30 of Portland's best improvisers will gather again for this who's who of Rose City comedy. Named after the organizers' favorite local hot sauce, each Secret Aardvark event features an extra-special mystery guest (past guests have run the gamut from David Lynch to random high school theater students). This holiday edition of the show should be wrapped up in a particularly funny bow. LC
(Kickstand Comedy Space, Ladd's Addition)

LIVE MUSIC

Kristin Chenoweth with the Oregon Symphony Past Event Like List
Tony-, Grammy-, and Emmy Award-winning Broadway sweetheart and recording artist Kristin Chenoweth has earned national treasure status with beloved roles like Glinda in Wicked, Sally in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, and Olive Snook in Pushing Daisies—just to name a few. She will be accompanied by the Oregon Symphony for a festive evening of holiday tunes from her 2021 Christmas album Happiness Is...Christmas! AV
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks)

PERFORMANCE

Live Wire with Luke Burbank Past Event Like List
Live Wire's 2023 offerings will conclude with another edition of the honest and funny conversational show hosted by Luke Burbank. This time around, featured guests will include comedian, writer, musician, and actor Dave Hill, who penned The Awesome Game: One Man’s Incredible, Globe-Crushing Hockey Odyssey, and Hari Kondabolu, a sharp comic with a sociopolitical bent. Local legends Quasi (Janet Weiss of Sleater-Kinney and Wild Flag and Sam Coomes of Heatmiser) will sling some indie rock tunes. LC
(Revolution Hall, Buckman)

FRIDAY

FILM

Violet Hex presents Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me Past Event Like List
“Through the darkness of future past, the magician longs to see, one chance out between two worlds, fire walk with me!” It's been over 30 years since David Lynch's batshit brilliance shone in his soapy nod to film noir. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me hit the big screen and immediately, critics were weird about it—in the words of one New York Times writer, "It's not the worst movie ever made, it just feels like it." Luckily, we all came to our senses and the flick is now a cult classic of the murder mystery genre. Anyway, it's basically winter, but the misty, autumnal gloom of Twin Peaks still feels close by; what better time to reimmerse yourself in the town's murky underbelly? Violet Hex's queer celebration and screening of the film will kick off with a drag show of Twin Peaks tributes. LC
(Clinton Street Theater, Hosford-Abernethy)

PERFORMANCE

S P A C E: The Drag Show - SATURN! Past Event Like List
Guided by cosmic host Max Little and featuring performances by Asia Consent, Helen of Boy, Xavier Knight, and others, this sliding-scale drag experience blends DIY energy with interstellar vibes for a unique exploration of Saturn's shiny rings. Head to Black Water before the show starts to meet with local astrologers and peruse heavenly wares by local makers. LC (Black Water, Irvington)

SATURDAY

FILM

Animated Christmas 11 Past Event Like List
"It's time to unwrap the Christmases of yesteryear," I just began typing, knowing in my heart that it sounded corny. And yet, the 11th edition of Darkroom Associates and Re-Run Theater's Animated Christmas isn't corny at all, it's just super cute and family-friendly and sometimes that's what we all need, okay?! This year, the curated selection of vintage cartoons will include The Snowman, Rankin Bass holiday classic 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, and several holiday shorts. Go forth and get festive. LC
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District)

The Siren Theater's Best Christmas Ever! Holiday Comedy and Variety Show Past Event Like List
Portland's finest funny people will stuff their merrymaking talents into one overflowing stocking, aka the theater's annual variety show, which promises music, special guests, prizes, sketch comedy, and "totally legit" holiday cheer modeled after old-school TV specials. (The lineup includes Shelley McLendon, Justin Himes, and plenty of other local laughers—The Mercury's own Wm. Steven Humphrey will make an appearance!) Grinches beware, though: "If you are looking for a show that is crabby about the holidays, look elsewhere," the promotional materials warn. LC
(Siren Theater, Boise)

SUNDAY

FILM

Batman Returns Past Event Like List
Tim Burton's gothic, broody, high-body-count Batman installment is also a Christmas movie, so yes, you can watch Danny DeVito act like this and celebrate the holidays at the same time. Batman Returns has it all: the shadowy sewers of Gotham, Michelle Pfeiffer in a catsuit, a vampiric Christopher Walken in pinstripes, The Duck, lots of kitties, and the scorn of Roger Ebert. Oh, and Batman, I guess. What more could a moviegoer ask for? LC
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District)

MULTI-DAY

EXHIBIT

Our Unfinished Past: The Oregon Historical Society at 125 Past Event Like List
The Oregon Historical Society is a history-maker in itself—founded in 1898, OHS has become a vital source of perspective on our region's story, sharing critical context with visitors for 125 years. Featuring over 100 objects and archival materials from its museum and library collections, Our Unfinished Past: The Oregon Historical Society at125 examines the institution's complex history and its unique mission to "advance knowledge and inspire curiosity" about Oregon history. LC
(Oregon Historical Society, South Park Blocks, Monday-Sunday; closing)

FILM

The Boy and The Heron (Subbed and Dubbed Screenings) Past Event Like List
Over the last 30 years, Studio Ghibli has become legendary for its lush visuals, emotional and affecting storytelling, and poetic, intelligent approach to nature and the more-than-human world. One of its central figures is (duh) cofounder Hayao Miyazaki, who has made some of the studio's most revered flicks (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and Kiki'sDelivery Service among them). He's also the most endearingly idiosyncratic director, like, maybe ever, and has announced, then broken, his retirement a total of four times. Never change, Miyazaki!! Anyway, if you're a Ghibli fan, you probably know all of this and are already jazzed for his first feature film in 10 years, The Boy and The Heron. It's a hand-drawn, semi-autobiographical fantasy that seems likely to fall in line with all of the reasons you love him already. LC
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District, Monday-Sunday)

Dream Scenario Past Event Like List
Fans of last year's Everything Everywhere All at Once will likely dig Dream Scenario, which continues A24's recent propensity for gonzo dream sequences and madcap visuals with a fun plotline: Nicolas Cage stars as a typical dude whose life flip-flops when he begins appearing in millions of people's dreams. If that sounds familiar, you're not wrong—it seems likely that the film was inspired by This Man, who allegedly began appearing in dreams back in 2006. Does this mean we'll start to see more flicks based on old memes, guerilla marketing tactics, and internet hoaxes? I'm here for it. LC
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District, Monday-Thursday)

Poor Things Past Event Like List
Real Lanthimos heads know that he doesn't direct anything without dystopic, black comedy underpinnings and plotlines that make audiences ponder why they're on the planet at all. He is weird, as directors should be, and you're either in or you're out. This time around, he's adapted a '92 Scottish novel for the screen, painting the picture of a young woman (played by Emma Stone, who is raven-haired and looks charmingly bananas) brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist (played by my famous dad, Willem Dafoe). Best part? Poor Things "saved" my other dad, Mark Ruffalo, from "depressed dad typecasting." Praise be. LC
(Hollywood Theatre, Hollywood District, Thursday-Sunday)

Saltburn Past Event Like List
Emerald Fennell's latest film is nothing if not polarizing ("Saltburn is the sort of embarrassment you’ll put up with for 75 minutes. But not for 127," says the New York Times), but as the world's preeminent Barry Keoghan stan, I have to at least entertain the idea that it has legs. Saltburn is billed as a "wicked tale of privilege and desire" (oOoOo) that sees an Oxford student attempt to infiltrate the aristocratic world of a classmate on an "eccentric family’s sprawling estate." (Has anything good ever happened at a "sprawling estate?") If you like Agatha Christie and drugs, this one might hit. LC
(Cinema 21, Nob Hill, Monday-Thursday)

FOOD & DRINK

Dongzhi: Tangyuan Vs. Jiaozi Past Event Like List
In celebration of Dongzhi, a traditional Chinese festival that takes place during the winter solstice, Lan Su Chinese Garden will host this playful face-off between two of the holiday's most beloved foods: tangyuan, a dessert made of chewy glutinous rice balls in a broth or syrup, and jiaozi, a type of pleated dumpling. (Personally, as a diehard dumpling devotee, I'm Team Jiaozi all the way!) Sample the delicacies, cast a vote for your favorite, and snap a Polaroid selfie with adorable jiaozi and tangyuan plushies. One lucky person from the winning team will receive a $25 restaurant voucher. JB
(Lan Su Chinese Garden, Old Town-Chinatown, Saturday-Sunday)

Miracle at Deadshot Past Event Like List
In 2014, New York bar owner Greg Boehm temporarily transformed his space into a kitschy Christmas wonderland replete with gewgaws and tchotchkes galore. The pop-up phenomenon has expanded to more than 100 locations all over the world, including Portland's stylish cocktail bar Deadshot. Specialty cocktails are housed in tacky-tastic vessels and christened with names like the “Bad Santa,” the “Yippie Ki Yay Mother F**r,” and the “Jolly Koala.” JB
(Deadshot, Hosford-Abernethy, Monday–Sunday)

Sippin' on Sixth Past Event Like List
This holiday-tiki-themed cocktail bar pop-up (a spinoff of the hit Miracle pop-up, which takes place at Deadshot this year) invites you to "imagine Santa on a surfboard instead of a sleigh and palm trees instead of pine." Drinks range from the "Merry Spritzmas" (Prosecco, aperitif, tawny port, cognac, lemon, falernum, fig preserves, and cardamom bitters) to the "Jingle Bird" (bourbon, pineapple rum, Campari, lime, pineapple, and "jingle mix"). JB
(Courtyard by Marriott Portland City Center, Downtown, Monday–Sunday)

Sleigh Love Past Event Like List
Sleigh the day with a menu of delightfully tacky holiday-inspired drinks and other nostalgic treats at the cocktail bar and restaurant Hey Love. The vibe is described as "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation but more, and located in a cocktail-soaked indoor jungle." Sample offerings include "Noggy by Nature" (an eggnog slushie) to "Toboggan Time" (Hey Love's signature frozen spin on Irish coffee, made with a Rumplemintz float, whipped cream, and candy cane sprinkles). DJs will add to the chaotic merriment starting at 9 pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. JB
(Hey Love, Buckman, Monday–Sunday)

2nd Annual Holiday Lights Wine Walk Past Event Like List
Traipse through picturesque Abbey Road Farm at night, illuminated by dazzling holiday lights. You'll get to grab a glass of wine before touring the goat barn, vineyard overlook, poultry pasture, toolshed, silo garden, and pig pasture, all decked out in their holiday best. Fertie's BBQ will sling succulent smoked meats for dinner, and the trailer will offer warm treats and candy canes. Plus, proceeds will be donated to a different charity each weekend. JB
(Abbey Road Farm, Carlton, Friday-Sunday)

LIVE MUSIC

December to Remember 2023 Past Event Like List
Portland's alt-rock station 94/7 is back with its annual December To Remember concert series featuring a lineup of radio regulars. Think of it like one of those holiday advent calendars, but instead of cheap, tasteless chocolate, you get to see live music. This week, the festivities come to a close with Portland-based indie rock band Portugal. The Man (Monday), ska/punk veterans Fishbone (Tuesday), and sunny indie rockers Beach Weather + The Beaches (Sunday). AV
(Crystal Ballroom, West End, Monday-Wednesday/Sunday)

The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert with the Oregon Symphony Past Event Like List
Christmas just isn't Christmas without the Muppets. Every year, I pop in my VHS copies of the Muppet Christmas Carol and the lesser-known TV special A Muppet Family Christmas to gawk at how fabulous Miss Piggy is—seriously, she's my #1 inspiration. Experience Piggy, Kermit, Gonzo, and the whole gang on the big screen as they retell Charles Dickens's classic holiday tale. The Oregon Symphony will accompany the film with a live performance of Miles Goodman's memorable score. It's time to play the music, it's time to light the lights, it's time to meet the Muppets because, as Dickens himself once said, “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.” AV
(Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, South Park Blocks, Saturday-Sunday)

PERFORMANCE

A Christmas Carol Past Event Like List
If the impending holiday season elicits your well-deserved "Bah, humbug," I recommend taking this dependable Yuletide delight for a spin. After all, what's more Christmassy than a bunch of intrusive ghosts and a notably grumpy old dude? Portland Playhouse's A Christmas Carol is a Dickensian feast of holiday theatrics that offers a contemporary interpretation of Ebenezer Scrooge's ghostly journey, adapted with original lyrics by award-winning playwright and director Rick Lombardo. LC
(Portland Playhouse, King, Wednesday-Sunday)

Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really Past Event Like List
Look, I love Dracula as much as the next person, but he definitely has what I'd describe as a misogyny issue—I mean, who kidnaps women and sucks their blood?? Couldn't be me! Anywho, playwright Kate Hamill's adaptation of Bram Stoker's sanguinary novel "bounces between horror and humor," challenging gothic tropes and twisting the vampire tale on its gory head to create something cool and feminist, but still scary. After all, isn't it about time we drive a stake through the heart of the patriarchy? LC
(Portland Center Stage, Pearl District, Wednesday-Sunday)

George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker Past Event Like List
It's The Nutcracker—you already know the premise, but it never really gets old, does it? Tchaikovsky’s magical score will spring to life again in this sugar plum-packed rendition of the longstanding holiday tradition, complete with mice, tin soldiers, and a timeless trip to the Land of Sweets. LC
(Keller Auditorium, Downtown, Friday-Sunday)

Home for the Holidays Past Event Like List
In this cheery musical revue, a bus full of passengers headed home for the holidays find themselves stranded in Iowa, where they wrangle up some Yuletide spirit with stories and songs to ward off the snow storm. LC
(Broadway Rose New Stage Theatre, Tigard, Thursday-Sunday)

Liberace & Liza Holiday at the Mansion (A Tribute) Past Event Like List
The holidays are in full swing, whether you like it or not!! Get into it with this sequined holiday tribute, in which classically trained pianist David Saffert and singer/actor Jillian Snow Harris will charm the crowd as showstoppers Liberace and Liza Minnelli. Liberace's real-life music director Bo Ayars will conduct the musical performance; expect foot-tapping piano medleys and jazzy tribute songs. LC
(Portland Center Stage, Pearl District, Wednesday–Sunday)

NOT-Cracker Past Event Like List
For those who are just a smidge too cool for The Nutcracker, this "unconventional" dance show fits the "holiday-themed, but make it edgy" bill. Choreographed by the cofounders of contemporary dance company Open Space and "renowned Tokyo Street artist" Uno, the production is set in Portland and stars the company's dance artists, NØIR, and dozens of kiddos from The School at Open Space. NOT-Cracker also includes an act by performance artist Charles Roy starring the city's gender-nonconforming ballroom legends House of Ada, who recently competed on HBO’s Legendary. LC
(Newmark Theatre, South Park Blocks, Saturday-Sunday)

White Album Xmas Past Event Like List
The White Album Christmas variety show is surprisingly really fun. This annual show very much attracts a certain demographic: Beatles lovin', patchouli smellin', nouveau circus appreciators. But really, as long as you can stand the Beatles, it's a damned good time. There are standout performances by the Rose City Circus and their compadres, a near spot-on re-creation of the Beatles' White Album (which is a bit of mixed blessing..."Revolution 9," ugh) by the Nowhere Band. PORTLAND MERCURY CONTRIBUTOR COURTNEY FERGUSON
(Alberta Rose Theatre, Concordia, Wednesday-Saturday)

Wizard People, Dear Portland Past Event Like List
Ho, ho, dear reader...check in with Harry, Haggar, and "Roast Beefy Weefy" at this unauthorized parody of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, which has very little to do with J.K. Rowling's TERFy bullshit and instead celebrates the book with self-contained, Mystery Science Theater 3000-style, fourth-wall-breaking schlock. (If you haven't yet experienced the absurd satire, it's 100% worth a listen.) Dress in costume and you might score a prize, too. LC
(Mississippi Pizza Pub & Atlantis Lounge, Boise, Friday-Saturday)

ZooZoo Past Event Like List
Imago's globe-trotting holiday tradition returns this year with a colorful array of "hippos with insomnia, arrogant anteaters, introverted frogs, paradoxical polar bears, acrobatic worms, self-touting accordions," and other tricky critters. They'll all come together on stage for an eye-popping family production before heading back into storage (aka Imago's warehouse, which probably looks pretty wild for the rest of the year). LC
(Imago Theatre, Buckman, Friday-Sunday)

SHOPPING

The Makers Fair Holiday Market Past Event Like List
This 11-week market will feature 140 local craftspeople all under one roof, so consider your gift-giving list trounced. Vanquished. Utterly defeated. If you are the type of person who starts stressing about "the holidays" long before they're here (aka me), never fear: You'll find pretty much everything under Santa's sun, from woodturned decor to vintage goods, candles, and holiday treats, at the gargantuan pop-up. LC
(Rejuvenation, Buckman, Monday–Sunday)

VISUAL ART

A Sense of Place: the Art of George Tsutakawa Past Event Like List
One of George Tsutakawa's gargantuan fountains once graced the Lloyd Center, and they still stand at the Seattle Public Library's downtown branch and the Memorial Gates of Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum. Seattle-born but educated in Japan, the sculptor's public works blend Pacific Northwestern and Japanese aesthetic sensibilities; they also seem to draw inspiration from Abstract Expressionism, feeling both ambitious and personally expressive. Tsutakawa, who passed in '97, created over 70 bronze fountain sculptures in the US, Japan, and Canada, and his artistic process was complex, spanning a wide variety of mediums like sumi ink and woodblock printing. (I highly recommend looking him up on YouTube and watching a documentary or two.) A Sense of Place: The Art of George Tsutakawa is the first Oregon exhibition of his work. LC
(Japanese American Museum of Oregon, Old Town-Chinatown, Thursday–Sunday)

Anya Roberts-Toney: Water Witch Moon Mother Past Event Like List
I gushed about Anya Roberts-Toney's work in a piece for Art & About PDX a few years back, so it's safe to say I'm stoked to see her return to Nationale for another solo exhibition of jewel-toned compositions, which typically contain equal parts feminine revelry and illusive unease. Sneak peeks on her Instagram reveal a move toward bolder, more color-forward compositions in oil-on-linen, but Roberts-Toney maintains a dreamy sensibility that always reminds me of that one episode of Wishbone where he travels to the Eloi's futuristic, pink-tinged fruit garden from The Time Machine, in the best possible way. (If you have no idea what I'm referencing, why not remedy that by spending some time with Water Witch Moon Mother?) LC
(Nationale, Buckman, Monday/Thursday-Sunday)

Converge 45 Contemporary Arts Biennial Past Event Like List
The free, citywide art exhibition Converge 45 is in full swing, with artists showcased across over 15 venues in Portland, including college campuses, the Portland Japanese Garden, and Pioneer Square. The biennial's theme, Social Forms: Art as Global Citizenship, takes on topics of Amazon deforestation, indigeneity, citizenship, and immigration, and aims to amplify the voices and experiences of people of color, so you're bound to find a cause you can get behind. I'm looking forward to local textile legend and Seneca Nation member Marie Watt's Chords to Other Chords (Relative). LC
(Various locations, Monday-Sunday)

Elefant Medium Past Event Like List
Jeffry Mitchel's solo exhibition concludes the year's programming at this Portland staple gallery. Furniture pieces made of ceramic and wood feature, alongside prints in wonderful hand-crafted frames. The lightheartedness of Mitchel’s work—which is often characterized by whimsical florals and animals—is adeptly timed as we enter the holiday season. PORTLAND MERCURY CONTRIBUTOR ASHLEY GIFFORD PETERSON
(PDX CONTEMPORARY ART, Slabtown, Tuesday–Saturday)

Masterpieces in Miniature: The Art of Netsuke Sculptures Past Event Like List
The days are short, the nights are cold, and you're probably trying all sorts of anti-depression strategies. I suggest this one: Head to the Portland Japanese Garden to look at tiny carvings of critters and gods. During the Edo period, netsuke were killer fashion accessories worn on the sash of a man's kimono. The "never-before-seen" selections featured in Masterpieces in Miniature: The Art of Netsuke Sculptures are small enough to fit in your palm, and super detailed, too. LC
(Portland Japanese Garden, Washington Park, Saturday-Sunday; opening)

Nona Faustine: She was a culmination of all things in Heaven and Earth Past Event Like List
Brooklyn-based photographer Nona Faustine's She was a culmination of all things in Heaven and Earth encompasses a decade of her explorations into "the perseverance and strength of Black life," including selections from her lauded self-portrait series White Shoes and the new domestic life series Mitochondria. Of the fresh series, Faustine explains: "I wanted to show the quiet, normal moments of this family of African-American women: our everyday life, our happy moments, our down moments. Mitochondria is a family album, a visual diary of our intimate lives." LC
(lumber room, Pearl District, Friday-Saturday)

Richard Mosse: Broken Spectre Past Event Like List
Have you been adequately blown away by Richard Mosse's Occidental? (If not, make time to see it—the current Blue Sky Gallery show displays Mosse's photo documentation of oil spills from an abandoned pipeline in northwest Peru's Indigenous Kichwa territory.) Fans of Mosse can head to another installation of his work at Lewis & Clark College's Hoffman Gallery. The lauded artist's film Broken Spectre "seeks to overcome the inherent challenges of representing climate change" with three years' worth of footage from the heart of the Brazilian Amazon. LC
(Hoffman Gallery of Contemporary Art at Lewis & Clark College, Southwest Portland, Monday-Friday; closing)

Secret Room Work•Shop Pop-Up Past Event Like List
Risograph print studio and comics and art publisher Secret Room Press has joined the other lovably artsy weirdos at Lloyd Center and opened a sparkly new pop-up art gallery and print shop. The Secret Room Work•Shop home to Life on Earth: A RISO Art Show, "a RISO art show showcasing over 25 cartoonists from the Pacific Northwest and beyond," plusweekly events and workshops and a curated selection of books, cassettes, vinyl, and VHS. Drop by the next time you're headed to Floating World Comics. LC
(Lloyd Center, Lloyd District, Wednesday–Sunday)

WINTER HOLIDAYS

Creatures of Christmas Past Event Like List
Mysterious creatures from Nordic lore will stop by Nordic Northwest this holiday season, including the 13 Icelandic Yule Lads (don't worry, they were banned from tormenting children in 1746), a Swedish Yule goat (cute and tied to ancient Pagan festivals), Danish and Norwegian nisse (gnome-like dudes with conical caps), and the Finnish Santa, Joulupukki, who looks a lot like the American one these days. While you're there, don't miss Ole Bolle, Thomas Dambo's own mythical creature (a giant troll made of recycled materials). LC
(Nordic Northwest, Metzger, Monday–Sunday)

Peacock Lane
Portland's very own "Christmas street" is back at it this year as charming Tudor homes are decked out in lights and garland. The weekend of December 15 through 17 will be pedestrian-only, so bundle up and don't forget to stop by the free cocoa and cider booth for extra warmth. On other nights, you can enjoy the decorations from inside your car, just be sure to drive slowly to take it all in and make sure everyone (inside and outside of cars) is safe! Can you spot all the iconic characters? We hear the Grinch is on the loose. SL
(Peacock Lane, Sunnyside, Friday-Sunday)

Zoo Lights Past Event Like List
Lions, tigers, and bears will have you saying "oh my!" in childlike wonder at the Oregon Zoo's immersive holiday lights experience. Be mesmerized as you walk through tunnels of sparkling lights, take a ride on the zoo train, and enjoy treats like elephant ears and hot cocoa. SL
(Oregon Zoo, Washington Park, Monday-Sunday)