A great weekend of concerts at the Oregon State Fair: Saturday it's Uncle Kracker, Sunday Twisted Sister featuring Sebastian Bach Where are my 80's rock girlies?! I know this is Sebastian from 1988, but in my mind he still looks like this. Labor Day it's "Weird Al" - maybe he’ll bring back the educational gem called Al’s Brain. The 11 min 3D educational short (below) was shown at state fairs in 2009 and this week he finally got permission to upload the video.

At Oaks Park it's Halloween! The family friendly Swamp Meet is spooky face painting, tarot card readers, local artists and vendors with unique fall wares from horror masks to voodoo bags and one of a kind artwork. And of course a costume contest

The Timbers are home Saturday against Minnesota, 7:30p at Providence Park and on Apple TV.

College Football is back. #2 ranked Ducks are a 24 ½ point favorite headed into the home opener against Boise State Saturday 12:30 at Autzen (CBS, Paramount+).
Oregon State, led by their brand new coach Jamarcus Sheppard are in Houston Saturday, Beavers are 20 ½ point underdogs. (ESPN)
The 2026 Apple Cup rivalry game between Washington and Washington State 1pm at Husky Stadium Sunday (NBC and Peacock +)

Saturday is the grand opening of the season at The MAiZE at the Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island. September hours for The America 250 MAiZE are 9am - 5pm (last ticket sold at 4:30pm)

Bella Organic, also on Sauvie Island, has their Sunflower Festival going on until September 14.The pumpkin patch opens on the 21st but the "5 Kind Acts" corn maize is open now.

The Bridge City Block Festival at Waterfront Park features live music Saturday and Sunday.

The Montavilla Jazz Festival celebrates local jazz musicians and fans September 4-6.

Friday is the final Kickstand Comedy in the Park of the summer. Blankets drop at 6pm, show starts at 6:30pm at Laurelhurst Park.

It wouldn't be Labor Day weekend in the Pearl without Portland’s Art In The Pearl Fine Arts and Craft Festival, in its 30th year in the North Park Blocks.

It's a great weekend to hit the Eastside for First Friday PDX. More than 23 independent galleries, shops, and studios, as well as a street exhibition. Plus Central Eastside PDX has partnered with nearly 60 local businesses to launch the first-ever District Passport to shop, dine, and explore all this district has to offer, day to night.

At Director Park is The Portland Arab Mahrajan Festival.

Portland is on Swifts Watch. Thousands of Vaux’s swifts fly through Portland on their annual migration from Canada to Central and South America. After three decades swirling the chimney nightly at Chapman elementary, the swifts have relocated to other chimneys around Portland neighborhoods, according to the Bird Alliance of Oregon, including Abernathy Elementary School and the University of Portland.

LOOKING AHEAD

If you use i5 near the Rose Quarter, hope you’re planning your work around. The 5 week closure of I-5 southbound at I-405 begins Sept 11. Crews will be doing major repairs to the freeway surface and that closure will last up to five weeks. All I-5 southbound traffic will be directed onto I-405.

Portland Staycation Weekend September 11-13. Stay local and explore more than 100 businesses and attractions and stay in one of 23 downtown hotels just for funzies.

Rose City Comic Con, also Sept 11-13 at the Oregon Convention Center. Celebrating comics, gaming, sci-fi, cosplay, anime, fantasy, and everything pop culture with celebrity guests including Chase Crawford from Gossip Girl, Star Trek’s Star Trek’s Anson Mount & Christina Chong, Lena Headey from Game of Thrones, and Tom Skerritt, who’s been in everything…Alien, Top Gun, Contact, Steel Magnolias.

Squeeze, Adam Ant and Haircut 100 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall at 7:00 PM

Dogstar (Keanu's band, not the Ridley Scott movie that just flopped at the box office) will be playing Crystal Ballroom Thursday, September 17.

Oktoberfest is just around the corner. Mt. Angel's Oktoberfest is Sept 17-20, and McMenamins locations are starting Sept. 18th.

STACEY & MIKE'S WATCHLIST

Stacey: Lioness S3. Feels like new writers but this season is the best so far.

Mike: Eagerly awaiting the murderer's reveal in The Shards on Hulu! (Ditto for Stace!)

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