September is a confusing month. Consumers crave the autumnal delight of pumpkin and apple spices, even if it probably won’t be cool enough for flannel weather until October.
Summer still dominates most of the month, but summer break is officially over, especially for Portland’s creative sectors. Most theater and dance seasons will be back in full swing by October, but theaters shouldn’t shut off their air conditioners just yet. Likewise, anyone who ran to movie theaters for chilly relief will soon have to carry a sweater with them, and not just for the inconsistent arctic blasts of AC.
Arts for All, a program lead by the Regional Arts and Culture Council, allows people with Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program cards to get sweet deals on shows and movies from some of the Portland area’s leading creative, artistic and cultural institutions. Unless otherwise noted, RACC’s partner organizations allow SNAP cardholders to get $5 tickets for events that can be at least three times as pricey just by showing their Oregon Trail cards. RACC does not require each organization to use the same system to release Arts for All tickets. So, unless otherwise noted, you should be able to buy Arts for All tickets online under a specialized tier, or you just need to show your Oregon Trail card to the box office before the show.
Ongoing and outdoors
The Lan Su Chinese Garden in Old Town is an artfully manicured traditional Chinese garden escape from the city. A proud reminder of the historic Chinatown neighborhood, Lan Su regularly hosts art classes, tea tastings and a rotating roster of cultural experiences such as calligraphy, tai chi and Chinese folk music. It also hosts seasonal celebrations, including the midsummer Lotus Festival, the Chrysanthemum Festival in November and the Dongzhi winter solstice. 239 NW Everett St., 503-228-8131, lansugarden.org. 10 a.m.–6 p.m. daily.
Leach Botanical Garden celebrates 90 years of growth this year. Its free Garden for All program doesn’t require an Oregon Trail card, just ask for it by name in person on entry. First opened in 1936 by John and Lilla Leach and bequeathed to Portland following Lilla’s passing in 1980, the 16-acre botanical garden offers amenities including an aerial tree walk, four Heritage Trees of Portland and a year-round native pollinator garden. 6704 SE 122nd Ave., 503-208-6030, leachgarden.org. 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday–Thursday.
The sprawling Portland Japanese Garden covers 12.5 acres near the Oregon Zoo in Washington Park. It opened in 1967 as part of a larger national effort to heal post-WWII Japanese-American relations, and has been called one of the world’s most authentic Japanese gardens blooming outside Japan. The Portland Japanese Garden hosts regular artistic and cultural experiences with its tea house, onsite art galleries and natural wonders. 611 SW Kingston Ave., 503-223-1321, japanesegarden.org. 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Wednesday–Sunday, noon–5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Present your Oregon Trail card in person for two $5 tickets per adult and free admission for up to four children ages 17 and under.
Want to get hyped for the upcoming Wildwood movie, or beat the crowds likely to flock to Pittock Mansion after its release? Go now while the weather’s good! The historic 16,000-square-foot mansion — which appeared briefly in exterior for Madonna’s “Body of Evidence,” by the way — is an architectural marvel with stunning views of Portland. Built by The Oregonian publisher Henry Pittock, the namesake mansion is more than a century old. If only those walls could talk. 3229 NW Pittock Dr., 503-823-3623, pittockmansion.org. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday–Monday, noon–5 p.m. Tuesday. Present your Oregon Trail card in person.
Events
Wednesday, September 9
MUSIC: To commemorate his late mother and the late Russian composer Vladimir Horowitz, musician Brian Michael will play Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff arrangements from a Horowitz recital that inspired Michael to return to the piano, which his mom introduced in his childhood. The Old Church Concert Hall, 1422 SW 11th Ave., 503-222-2031, tocportland.org. Noon on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Free.
Thursday, September 10
FILM: “By Hook or by Crook” (2001) is a transmasculine buddy road comedy featuring Shy (Silas Howard) and Valentine (Harry Dodge) and the bond they forge committing petty crimes on a journey of self-discovery. Tomorrow Theater. 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10.
Friday, September 11
THEATER: The classic comedic family drama “You Can’t Take It With You” includes themes of mistaken identity, acceptance, embarrassment and tax evasion. Lakewood Theater Company’s production joins a tradition now 90 years in the making. Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S State St., Lake Oswego, lakewood-center.org, call 503-635-3901 to verify Arts for All showtime availability. Sept. 11–Oct. 18.
Saturday, September 12
FILM: The gorgeously dressed, textually faithful ‘90s fashion dream movie “Romeo + Juliet” (1996) is just as romantic now as it was 30 years ago, thanks in no small part to the costuming department. The Whitsell at PAM. 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12.
FILM: The over-the-top Indonesian action movie “Lady Terminator” (1988) blends basic Schwarzenegger plot points with sex magic and grindhouse maximalism. Tomorrow Theater. 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12.
Sunday, September 13
FILM: “Jane B. by Agnes V.” (1988) sees legendary filmmaker Agnes Varda in conversation with acclaimed actress Jane Birkin discussing life, mixed with fake film footage and interview snippets for an artful blend of fiction and reality. The Whitsell at PAM. 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13.
Wednesday, September 16
MUSIC: Ballaké Sissoko is a professional kora player. A kora is a 21-stringed African instrument resembling a lute and a harp — readers might remember that U.S. Customs and Border Protection destroyed Sissoko’s kora in 2020,
as the instrument is worth more than $5,000, and the blatant disrespect made global headlines. English singer-songwriter Piers Faccini joins Sissoko for two nights of original music. Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St., albertaabbey.org. 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16 and 17.
Thursday, September 17
MUSIC: Ballaké Sissoko is a professional kora player. A kora is a 21-stringed African instrument resembling a lute and a harp — readers might remember that U.S. Customs and Border Protection destroyed Sissoko’s kora in 2020,
as the instrument is worth more than $5,000, and the blatant disrespect made global headlines. English singer-songwriter Piers Faccini joins Sissoko for two nights of original music. Alberta Abbey, 126 NE Alberta St., albertaabbey.org. 7:30 p.m. Sept. 16 and 17.
FILM: Club kids, assemble! “Party Monster” (2003) walks a fine line between documenting and glamorizing the New York nightlife scene Michael Alig (Macaulay Culkin) ruled over in the late ‘80s through mid ‘90s. The shocking turn it takes handles the murder of Andre “Angel” Melendez (Wilson Cruz) with the level of care the Y2K era was capable of handling at the time, for better or for worse. Tomorrow Theater. 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17.
Saturday, September 19
FILM: “Star 80” (1983), the Bob Fosse crime drama (yes, you read that right) chronicles the rise and fall of Dorothy Stratten, a 20-year-old actress and Playboy model murdered by her estranged husband. The Whitsell at PAM. 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19.
FILM: The dark comedy “Maddie’s Secret” (2025) is something of a mix between John Waters’ “Female Trouble” and the ‘80s TV movie “Kate’s Secret.” Maddie (John Early) goes viral for her food content, but a problem from her past reemerges amid the pressure of newfound viral fame. Tomorrow Theater. 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19.
MUSIC: The Revival Brothers Band, a beloved Allman Brothers Band tribute group (Brady Goss, Chuk Barber, Timmy Blakley, Justin Defreece, Andrew Matthews, Jerry Jaques, Jeff Frankel), takes to the stage with The Hank Shreve Band playing selections from The Allman Brothers’ first four albums. Alberta Abbey. 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19.
Sunday, September 20
FILM: Pedro Almodóvar’s dark comedy “Kika” (1983) follows the namesake makeup artist (Verónica Forqué) in a noir-like world of crime and voyeurism. The Whitsell at PAM. 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20.
Wednesday, September 23
FILM: One of two encore showings for the star-studded poetry documentary “Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World” (2026) is already sold out, as was the case when it showed in August. Tomorrow Theater. 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23.
MUSIC: NoPo Big Band’s concert, Uncommon Ground, features new, original music scored by band leader Scott Anderson. Alberta Abbey. Wednesday, Sept. 23.
Thursday, September 24
THEATER: Lester Purry stars in “Thurgood,” the one-man play based on the life of former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall. Adrienne C. Nelsen High School, 14897 SE Parklane Dr., Happy Valley, portlandplayhouse.org. Sept. 24–27.
LITERATURE: Barrio Girlz, a.k.a. Aline Chercover, hosts a launch party for “Discoteka Magazine,” a zine celebrating the perspectives of queer women of color in underground music. The launch party will also host an onsite art exhibition by Latinx photographers, designers and other creatives. Milagro. 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24. Free or pay what you can.
FILM: Spooky season starts early with the original Suspiria (1977), the dark dance horror film in which an American dancer learns that her prestigious European dance academy is more evil than any school she attended in the United States. Tomorrow Theater. 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24.
Saturday, September 26
FILM: “Nowhere” (1997), the third of Gregg Araki’s queer club-kid, Doom Trilogy, follows a group of teens through a future-forwardly stylish yet hopelessly nihilistic Los Angeles the night before a house party. The Whitsell at PAM. 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26.
FILM: Maggie Gyllenhaal’s second written/directed film, “The Bride!” (2026) is an ambitious mish-mash of dramas. It is based loosely on Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” or more specifically, the classic monster movie, “The Bride of Frankenstein” (1935). Whether you were bewildered by it on its first run or have waited for a group of like-minded ghouls to assemble, witness this in all its messy glory. Tomorrow Theater. 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26.
Sunday, September 27
THEATER: Kate Hamill’s acclaimed adaptation of “Pride & Prejudice” might upset some Austen purists, but should be a delight for anyone else who loves class-based romcoms that joyfully break social rules. Portland Center Stage at The Armory, 128 NW 11th Ave., 503-445-3700, profiletheatre.org. Sept. 27–Oct. 25.
FILM: It’s now nearly 30 years old, yet “10 Things I Hate About You” (1999) still feels cute, snarky and impossibly bratty for people who lived that era or people who insist on calling it “the nineteen-nineties.” The Whitsell at PAM. 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 27.