We’re mid-way through July people, and if you’ve not attended one outdoor concert, festival or theater performance we’ve got to wonder what you’ve been doing. There’s still time to catch up. Several big-name festivals happen this weekend including the Robin Hood Festival in Sherwood, the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival in north Portland, and the return of the Portland Highland Games, but without, (sadly), the athletic events this year. We’ve also got stage shows and some indoor event options for those who may want to stay out of the summer heat.
Teatro Real offers live flamenco performances this weekend.
Teatro Real – Flamenco
The Royal Opera of Madrid and Fever have teamed up to bring invigorating traditional flamenco dance touring to more than 30 cities worldwide, including Portland this July. Enjoy a live dance performance that showcases the rich heritage of this traditional Spanish artform. The show features dancers Amador Rojas and Ángeles Gabaldón, vocalists Diego Amador and Tomasa Peña, and musicians Paco Iglesias, Elena Mikhailova, and Luis Amador.
Two shows nightly Friday-Sunday, July 14-16, Alberta Rose Theatre 3000 N.E. Alberta St.; tickets start at $40; authenticflamencoshow.com/portland.
“The Marvelous Wonderettes”
Lakewood Theatre follows the fortunes of four girls who dream of being musical superstars. The score includes more than 20 chart-topping hits of the 50s and 60s like “Dream Lover, “Son of a Preacher Man,” and “It’s My Party.”
Opens 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 14, and continues 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, and a few other matinees through Aug. 20; Lakewood Arts Center, 368 S. State St., Lake Oswego; tickets $25-$42; lakewoodtheatrecompany.
Milwaukie Porchfest offers music throughout the neighborhoods. Dylan May and the Message performed in 2022.
Milwaukie Porchfest
It’s music in the streets (and driveways, and porches and even in a few front yards) as the Portchfest event returns for three Friday evenings in July. Meet your neighbors and enjoy live entertainment without having to pay for parking or drive through a lot of traffic.
6:30 p.m. Fridays, July 14, 21 and 28. Grab a map and get in on the music; free; milwaukieporchfest.com.
The Sherwood Robin Hood Festival offers medieval-themed fun this weekend. Oregonian file photo.
LC- The Oregonian
Sherwood Robin Hood Festival
Do you love to party like you’re a medieval maiden or mighty warrior? This is your festival. All the jousting and juggling, fifes and ballads, villains and maidens in distress you can handle over the course of a weekend. The annual festival offers a parade (10 a.m. Saturday), archery tournaments, dancing in the streets, plenty of live entertainment, and stunts, swordplay, fencing, clowns, magicians, and alchemists.
Various times and venues around Sherwood Friday-Saturday, July 14-15, free admission; robinhoodfestival.org.
The clan tent area at the Portland Highland Games, in 2015. Oregonian file photo. LC- The Oregonian/Oregonlive.com
The Portland Highland Games return
A metro-area favorite, the Portland Highland Games return to the campus of Mount Hood Community College this summer with a scaled back event that celebrates the traditions of Scotland. Listen to the bagpipes, watch highland dancers, enjoy fiddle and Celtic music, and visit Clan Tents to hear the histories of the people of the Highlands. There will be no athletic competitions this year, but those 21 and older can taste distilled spirits from Rogue Distillery.
8-5 p.m. Saturday, July 15, on the campus of MHCC, 26000 S.E. Stark St., Gresham; admission $10-$25; phga.org.
The parade coming off of Beachy Bridge onto Pacific Avenue during the 2022 Dory Days Parade. File photo. Photo courtesy Pacific City Dorymen’s Association
Dory Days Parade (Pacific City)
A favorite of New England fishermen, Pacific City celebrates the small sea-worthy craft with a parade showcasing the unique heritage of the dory boat. The parade kicks off at 11 a.m. and winds its way through the heart of Pacific City starting at the Tillamook County boat landing and ending at the Oar House. Spectators will see a variety of floats, and dory boats decorated in creative ways. There’s also a fish fry, live music, and children’s events.
11 a.m. Saturday, July 15, Pacific City; free; pacificcitydorydays.com.
42nd Annual Cathedral Park Jazz Festival
This north Portland annual jazz festival is held on the grass of the park under the St. Johns Bridge and boasts local jazz, blues, soul, and Latin artists in a free weekend of community and great music. It’s also the longest-running free annual jazz festival west of the Mississippi. Friday’s lineup includes Terry Robb, The Gold Experience, and Mary Flower. On Saturday take in the Dmitri Matheny Group and 3 Leg Torso. Sunday’s schedule includes Jessie Marquez, Yak Attack and Jr. Soul Masters of Funk.
Festival hours 4:30-10 p.m. Friday, 1-10 p.m. Saturday, 1-8 p.m. Sunday, July 14-16, Cathedral Park, 8706 N. Bradford St.; free; jazzoregon.org.
Jessie Queen creates chalk art during the La Strada Chalk Art Festival. Photo by Wayne Renshaw. Image by Wayne Renshaw
La Strada Chalk Art Festival
It’s quite amazing what a professional artist can do with a bucket of colorful chalk and a chunk of sidewalk. The festival returns to Hillsboro this summer promising national and local large-scale chalk artists getting down on the ground to create stunning works of art. There will even be space for visitors to try their hand at it. Also: Live performances, dance groups, demonstrations, kids’ activities and food sales.
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, July 15-16, downtown Hillsboro on Main Street between First and Fourth avenues; free; hillsboro-oregon.gov.
“In Good Hands”
Cascadia Composers offers a concert series where composers work with young musicians facilitating growth in their mastery of piano music. Students from 7-18 will perform pieces written by professionals, some written specifically for them, as well as work by their instructors. The concert features 26 students, 11 instructors and 15 Cascadia Composers.
4 p.m. Saturday, July 15, Lincoln Hall, Room 75, Portland State University, 1620 S.W. Park Ave.; free; cascadiacomposers.org/in-good-hands.
Paseo
Portland Parks Foundation presents its third free, family-friendly festival of art, music, learning, on the South Park Blocks at Shemanski Square. The festival will be held over three weekends. The first weekend focuses on social justice. Portland-area civil rights activist and arts curator Taishona Carpenter will host an outdoor pop-up school to promote science, music, art, and social justice. Ethos Music Center will offer free interactive music technology lessons with midi controllers, keyboards, laptops, mics, etc. Social justice non-profit Don’t Shoot Portland will host a hands-on art-making workshop with community muralists and artists. The following weekends will offer events related to jazz and art (July 23), and Indigenous arts (July 30). See the website for a complete schedule.
3-6 p.m. Sunday, July 16 (and 23, 30) , Shemanski Square, 1010 S.W. Park Ave., behind the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall; free; paseopdx.org
The Basset Hound Games are this Sunday in Woodburn. File photo. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Annual Basset Hound Games (Woodburn)
The long low dog famous for its incredible scenting abilities takes center stage at Legion Park in Woodburn this weekend. Oregon Basset Hound Rescue hosts the event to show the breed’s strengths, and just how adorable they are. Money raised goes to help with rescue efforts. Check out the fun, and funny, games including “longest ears” contest, a grueling 10-yard dash, and howling competitions.
10:30 a.m. Sunday, July 16, Legion Park, 1385 Park Ave., Woodburn; free admission; facebook.com/OBHRescue.
“Pinocchio and the Most Valuable Lesson”
Broadway Rose’s family performances return with a musical production about the wooden boy who learns bravery and self-acceptance. This is a great show for families with little ones who may not be able to sit through a traditional stage performance. Audience can meet the cast after the show.
Opens 1 p.m. Wednesday, July 19 and continues 11 a.m. Thursday-Saturday, July 20-22, Deb Fennell Auditorium, 9000 S.W. Durham Road, Tigard, tickets $10-$12; broadwayrose.org.
North Willamette Research & Extension Center Open House
Head to Aurora for a community open house featuring a close-up look at Oregon State University’s only agriculture field research station located in the northwestern part of Oregon. See agricultural demonstrations and learn about crops important to this part of the state. Taste some local berries, take a hayride farm tour, view farm equipment, and see farm-fresh vegetables as they grow in the fields.
4-7 p.m. Wednesday, July 19, at 15210 N.E. Miley Road, Aurora; free; extension.oregonstate.edu.
Comedians With Disabilities Live Show
Nina G headlines a slate of comedians who have disabilities, both seen and unseen, and bring forth the humor they find in their life experiences. The tour will have stops in Montana, California, and Oregon celebrating Disability Pride month in July.
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 19, Curious Comedy Theater, 5225 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.; tickets $20; curiouscomedy.org/shows.
Portland Sketch Comedy Festival
The Portland Sketch Comedy Festival heats up the stage with a long list of funny folks performing for three nights. Enjoy sketch comedy from 12 local and national acts. It’s always something fresh from this slate of comedy professionals. This year’s schedule includes Mark Kendall (Atlanta), Butter, Death Cult (both from Portland), Day Job (Seattle), Jordan Moeller (Brooklyn), Field Trip (Boston), and many others.
Opens 7:30 p.m. Thursday and continues 7-10 p.m. Friday, 7-9:30 p.m. Saturday, July 20-22, Siren Theater, 3913 N. Mississippi Ave.; tickets $15 per show, weekend passes available; sirentheater.com/portlandsketchfest.
– If you have events you’d like to see highlighted at OregonLive.com or in the weekly printed A&E section of The Oregonian, please email submissions to events@oregonian.com at least three weeks prior to the start of your event. Digital images or links to videos are helpful.
— Rosemarie Stein
503-221-4376, events@oregonian.com; @trafficportland
Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe
