Summer officially doesn’t end until mid-September, but Labor Day often is considered the final big bash of the season. If you’ve not already filled your weekend with plans of cookouts, camping trips, hikes or bikes, we’ve got a few great events that offer fair fun, live music, and visual art to enjoy.
Montavilla Jazz Festival
The 12th Annual Montavilla Jazz Festival presented by Accelerator Design Studios celebrates the vibrant voices of Portland’s music scene in a three-day, village-style party of original, boundary-pushing jazz performed by area artists. You get a whole weekend filled with 26 featured concerts in five venues including Alberta Rose Theatre, Mt. Tabor Caldera Amphitheater, SoundsTruck NW @ Montavilla Plaza, Portland Metro Arts, and The 1905. Performers include Mary Flower, Dani Barker, James Powers’ New Communion, Quinn Walker, Lion Cotter Quintet and many others. See the website for the complete schedule and information on ticketed events, some events are free.
Various hours Friday-Sunday, Aug. 29-31, in east Portland; montavillajazz.org/festival-passes.
Oregon State Fair
Have you made it down to the Oregon State Fair? There’s still a full weekend of events left. Grab a corn dog and a funnel cake while you tour the livestock barns, see some epic flower arranging and visual art, and have a seat to watch many of the free live entertainment shows each day. This weekend also features concerts by The String Cheese Incident (Friday) and The Beach Boys (Sunday). Extra admission charged for concerts.
10 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday, Aug. 29-Sept. 1, Oregon State Fairgrounds, 2330 17th St. N.E., Salem; gate admission $10-$12; oregonstatefair.org
End of Summary Evening Carnivàle
Experience Theatre Project celebrates the end of its first full season in its new space with an evening of carnival games and prizes, live music, a silent auction, barbecue meal (with veg/vegan options), roaming characters from shows of the past and more fun events. All ages welcome.
6:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, in the parking lot at 18850 S.W. Alexander St., Beaverton; $5 donation suggested; experiencetheatreproject.org
Art in the Pearl
This top-shelf outdoor art show has been giving Portlanders something cool to do every Labor Day weekend for nearly 30 years. View and shop the work of more than 100 artists who display their creations on the North Park Blocks. Also enjoy hands-on activities for all ages, live music, and other entertainment.
10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30-Sept. 1, on the North Park Blocks between northwest Flanders and Davis streets; free admission; artinthepearl.com.
“Some Like It Hot”
It took two tries for Broadway to produce a sizzling adaptation of the 1959 movie classic “Some Like It Hot.” Critics and audiences soured on 1972’s “Sugar,” the first musical incarnation, which was named after Marilyn Monroe’s ukulele-strumming character. With a swinging score from “Hairspray” composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, a book co-written by comedian Amber Ruffin, Art Deco sets and costumes and Tony-winning tap numbers, the new version fires on all cylinders. As it should.
This campy romp — in which a pair of male musicians on the run from the mob join an all-women’s jazz band — isn’t called “Some Like It Tepid.” As with the recent stage adaptation of “Tootsie,” writers here gave the dusty cross-dressing trope a modern makeover for a more fleshed-out portrayal of gender identity.
Opens 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 2 and continues various times daily through Sunday, Sept. 7, Keller Auditorium, 222 S.W. Clay St.; tickets start at $58; portland.broadway.com/shows/some-like-it-hot/
— Lee Williams – Special to The Oregonian/Oregonlive.com
– 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 [email protected] at least three weeks prior to the start of your event. Digital images or links to videos are helpful.
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