POOL FUN: The Oregon City Swimming Pool, 1211 Jackson St., has announced its schedule for 2024. The pool will be closed Jan. 1 and 15 but otherwise open in the new year. A special swim with disco lights projected overhead while underwater lights turn colors is set for Saturday, Jan. 20, from 6:30-8 p.m. Tickets must be purchased online at least 48 hours in advance. Youth under the age of 9 must have an adult in the water with them. Youth under the age of 13 must have an adult onsite. See orcity.org for more info or call 503-657-8273.
WILLIAM STAFFORD POETRY READING: From 5-7 p.m. Jan. 17, join the Oregon City Public Library for a celebration of William Stafford and his poetry. The event have special featured readers presenting Stafford’s Poetry. There will also be an open mic for members of the audience to share some of their own favorite William Stafford poems, as time allows. This is an hybrid event with in person (Library Community Room) and online options.
AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE: American Red Cross will be having a blood drive at the Oregon City Public Library from 12:30-5 p.m. Jan. 26. Schedule an appointment and search for drives near 97045.
MUSEUM OF THE OREGON TERRITORY: Brought to you by the Clackamas County Historical Society, this museum is chock-full of exhibits on the local history of Clackamas County, from the Indigenous people who have called this land home for thousands of years to modern industrial marvels that brought power to Portland. Special exhibits include the Kaegi Pharmacy — a complete pharmacy from the late 1800s and early 1900s — and the Industrial Hall, focusing on the many industries of the Willamette Falls area. Open 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Guests who have purchased tickets may stay until 4:30 p.m. As an additional incentive, the museum features excellent views of the Willamette River and the now-defunct Blue Heron Paper Company mill. This day-trip destination is inexpensive: $8 for adults, $5 for youth, $7 for seniors and veterans are admitted free. The address is 211 Tumwater Dr., Oregon City. More: clackamashistory.org.
END OF THE OREGON TRAIL: Open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1726 Washington St., in Oregon City, the End of the Trail Interpretive & Visitor Information Center is a window into the history of our state. For complimentary admission, check out a Cultural Pass from the Canby Library or one of the Clackamas County Library locations. The website provides more information and details regarding programs, events, and winter exhibits. When you visit, see the center’s new film, “Oregon’s First People.” More: historicoregoncity.org.
CLACKAMETTE PARK: Clackamette Park lies at the confluence of the Willamette and Clackamas rivers in Oregon City, with easy access from I-205 and 99E. All year, visitors come from miles around to enjoy the many amenities of the 25-acre park, which include a boat launch, walking paths, horseshoe pits, an RV park, a swing set, a skate park, and beach access. It’s the perfect place to plan your next family get-together, birthday party, company picnic or special event. The park is at 1955 Clackamette Drive, Oregon City. More: orcity.org.
‘A TOMB WITH A VIEW’: Laugh along during this comedy-mystery-thriller at Lakewood Center for the Arts in Lake Oswego, Jan. 5-Feb. 11, 2024, during Lakewood Theatre Company’s 71st season. Directed by Nancy McDonald and Laurence Overmire, “A Tomb With a View” introduces audiences to the eccentric Tomb family, which gathers at the family estate after the death of their father. There, a lawyer reads a will involving millions of dollars to a family in which one member has werewolf tendencies, another wanders around in a Julius Caesar toga, and a third plants more than seeds in her flower beds. Soon, more corpses than live members are left, and the plot twists and turns to a very surprising conclusion. More: lakewood-center.org.
BOAT SHOW: It’s a highlight of the outdoors calendar, and the Portland Boat Show is being held Wednesday, Jan. 10-Sunday, Jan. 14, at Expo Center, 2060 N. Marine Dr. People show up to dream about buying a boat, and some buy. It’s open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Jan. 10-12; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Jan. 13; and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Jan. 14. More: thesportshows.com.
TINA FEY/AMY POEHLER: The comedians, actors and former “Saturday Night Live” cast members come to Portland on their “Restless Leg Tour,” doing shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 12, at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 S.W. Broadway and 3:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13, at Moda Center. More: portland5.com, rosequarter.com.
FAN EXPO PORTLAND: The fan event returns to the Oregon Convention Center, 777 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Jan. 12-14, featuring Danny Trejo, Charlie Cox, Vincent D’Onofrio, Peter Cullen, Jason Lee and more. There’ll be celebrities, creators, exhibitors, cosplayers, authors, programming and more. More: fanexpohq.com/fanexpoportland.
OREGON CIDER WEEK: Join your friends and sip some Oregon-produced cider at various locations throughout the Portland area from Jan. 13-21. This Oregon Cider Week special edition is happening in conjunction with CiderCon 2024. Stay tuned for details. More: oregonciderweek.com.
CONSTITUTION PLAY: Heidi Schreck, a Wenatchee, Washington, screenwriter and playwright, comes to Portland Center Stage at the Armory, 123 N.W. 11th Ave., Jan. 20-Feb. 18, 2024. Schreck’s “What the Constitution Means To Me,” a Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama, is a deft analysis of gender and racial biases inherent to the U.S. Constitution that examines how this living document could evolve to fit modern America. Days and times vary. Cost: $25-$93. More: travelportland.com.
‘DOUBLE THREAT TRIO’: It’s coming to the Broadway Rose New Stage in Tigard Jan. 25-Feb. 18, 2024. To make it on Broadway, you must be a triple threat — sing, dance AND act. Enjoy the screwball hijinks of these three Broadway hopefuls as they pool their talents to pursue their dreams in this madcap musical comedy. More: broadwayrose.org.
‘LISTEN TO THIS: AN EVENING WITH ALEX ROSS’ — Acclaimed author and music writer Alex Ross joins the virtuosos of 45th Parallel for an evening of words and music at 7 p.m. Jan. 26. Ross will read from his books and essays, providing compelling context to the music that 45th Parallel performs. This co-production with The Reser will be recorded for broadcast on All Classical Portland. Ross has been the music critic of The New Yorker since 1996. He is the author of “The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century,” “Listen to This,” and “ Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music.” In 2008, he received a MacArthur Fellowship. Tickets and info: thereser.org.
LESBIAN CHOIR: The Portland Lesbian Choir puts on its “Feelin’ Good” concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28, at Parkrose Performing Arts Theater. More: plchoir.org.
PORTLAND ART MUSEUM: The Portland Art Museum, 1219 S.W. Park Ave., features “Black Artists of Oregon” through March 17, 2024. Celebrating the work of Black artists in and outside the collection will deepen awareness of the talented artists who have shaped and inspired artists regionally and nationally. The exhibition will be the first of its kind to consider the work of Black artists collectively in Oregon, often underrepresented and unacknowledged. Among those included in the collection are Al Goldsby, Thelma Johnson Streat, Isaka Shamsud-Din, Ralph Chessé, Arvie Smith, Shedrich Williames, Harrison Branch, Robert Colescott, Adriene Cruz, Charlotte Lewis, and Carrie Mae Weems. More: portlandartmuseum.org.
CHAMBER MUSIC NORTHWEST: Goldmund Quartet, 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 28, The Old Church; More: cmnw.org.
SECRET ROLLER DISCO: Every Thursday from 7-9 p.m. at a different location, dancers on wheels gather to dress up and freak out to a mobile sound system or music by a guest DJ. Channeling the spirit of Venice Beach, California, in old parking lots, schoolyards and interstitial strips of the urban core, four-wheel, inline and even skateboard lovers move to a ’70s pop beat because they can. Themes in the past have been aliens, post-apocalypse, and things with wings. The location is revealed on Instagram (instagram.com/secretrollerdisco/) 48 hours before. Select food carts will feed hungry patrons.
THE DIBBLE HOUSE HISTORICAL MUSEUM IN MOLALLA: To get a feel of Oregon when it was first settled, visit the Dibble House at 620 S. Molalla Avenue. This site includes one of the few salt-box houses in Oregon. You’ll also find a former stagecoach station and an exhibit hall. More: cityofmolalla.com.
LUNAR NEW YEAR: It’s the Year of the Dragon for the Lunar New Year, and celebrations at Lan Su Chinese Garden take place in January and early February. A highlight is the lantern viewing. More: lansugarden.org.
AFRICAN FILM FEST: The Cascade Festival of African Films annually takes place in February and early March. Last year, it was at Hollywood Theatre and Portland Community College Cascade Campus. More: africanfilmfestival.org.
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