summer events – Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon https://oregonculture.org Advocating for arts, culture, history, heritage and humanities. Tue, 04 Aug 2026 21:33:55 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1 https://oregonculture.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/cropped-Untitled-2-32x32.jpg summer events – Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon https://oregonculture.org 32 32 Your Oregon summer, curated (August events) #3 https://oregonculture.org/2026/08/augustevents-3/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=augustevents-3 Tue, 04 Aug 2026 21:24:58 +0000 https://oregonculture.org/?p=7325 Don’t blink! August in Oregon is packed! If you thought the summer was winding down, Oregon’s arts and culture community has other ideas. August brings everything from world-class chamber music on the coast to a poetry slam in Portland, a celebration of a beloved Twin Peaks icon at the World Forestry Center, and historic aircraft

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If you thought the summer was winding down, Oregon’s arts and culture community has other ideas. August brings everything from world-class chamber music on the coast to a poetry slam in Portland, a celebration of a beloved Twin Peaks icon at the World Forestry Center, and historic aircraft in Salem. There’s even a little Jaws chaos at a Eugene theater, just in time for the season to close out in style. This is your last full month of summer. Make it count.

Are you a CACO supporter with events to share? We’d love to include you in a future issue. Reach out to Marie Gettel-Gilmartin to be considered for a possible September or holiday events issue.

8/6-29: Summer Free for All concerts and movies in the park across Portland, including the Washington Park Summer Festival from 8/8-9, Portland Parks & Recreation

8/7: First Friday Arts Walk, Lane Arts Council, Eugene

8/7-23: “I Hate Hamlet,” Cottage Theatre, a hilarious send-up of actors, ambition, and the Bard, Cottage Grove

8/9: Clash of the Bands, Portland vs. Vancouver, Friends of Noise, Portland

8/11 and 8/25: Music at the Mill, Water Street Project and PDX Preachers, Willamette Heritage Center, Salem

8/12-22, “Beyond the Sea: Crosscurrents and Convergences,” The Shedd, Eugene, their 35th annual Oregon Festival of American Music exploring American musical crosscurrents and convergences, with 8 concerts, the Jazz Party, talks, films, and 2 community singalongs!

8/13-23: Siletz Bay Music Festival, Lincoln City Cultural Center, uplifting, world-class concert music on Oregon’s beautiful central coast

8/17: Art Exploration Camp for Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth, Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, Eugene

8/17-21: Arts Ahoy! Summer camp and other summer activities, Columbia River Maritime Museum, Astoria

8/18-24: Flying Legends Tour, B-17 Alliance Foundation, Salem, hosting historic aircraft, classic car cruise-ins, and live entertainment that celebrates the American spirit

8/20: Slamlandia, Literary Arts, Portland, a poetry open mic and slam providing a creative, fun, and welcoming space for all

8/22: Musical Playground, Reser Center for the Arts, Beaverton, a FREE, fun, interactive event for families with children ages 10 and under where participants can explore music and instruments from around the world

8/22: High Desert Rendezvous, High Desert Museum, Bend, the museum’s signature fundraiser

8/23: Log Lady Day, World Forestry Center, Portland, a celebration honoring the iconic Log Lady and the life and legacy of Catherine E. Coulson from Twin Peaks

8/27: Talking About Values Across Political Divides, Oregon Humanities, online and free

8/28-9/13, “The Shark Is Broken,” Very Little Theatre, Eugene, reveals the chaos behind the scenes, friction, and mechanical failures during the filming of Jaws

All summer: 

“Beyond 250: Conversations about Democracy and Community,” presented by Oregon Humanities across the state, inspired by the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Join your neighbors to dig into questions such as, “what does it mean to be American?” “who are ‘we the people’?” and “are we created equal? Find a conversation near you

Kickstand Comedy in the Park, free comedy in Laurelhurst Park every Friday from June 5 to September 4

Britt Music Festival in Jacksonville, featuring diverse events such as Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back concert, Holst, Dvorak, Mozart, Beethoven, Elle King, David Lee Roth, Young the Giant, Ani DiFranco, Modest Mouse, Portugal.The Man, Alison Krauss, Los Lobos, Pink Martini, Jim Gaffigan, Chicago, and kids’ concerts

Art in the Parks sponsored by the City of Eugene Cultural Services, featuring Ambient Music in the Park, Gilbert Park Community Days, a Juneteenth Celebration, free summer concert and outdoor fun, Oregon Asian Celebration, The Winter’s Tale, Axé Samba Festival, and Oregon Aloha Festival

Events at the Elsinore Theatre in Salem: Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin and Jane Lynch & Kate Flannery

A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Come from Away, A Raisin in the Sun, Yellow Face, and Henry IV, Part 1 at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland

Movies at Portland Art Museum’s PAM CUT Tomorrow Theater (The Seeds of Peace, The Remains of the Day, Cat Video Fest 2026, Wild, Mary Oliver, Heathers, Desert Hearts, Drugstore Cowboy, etc.)

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]]> Your Oregon summer, curated (July events) https://oregonculture.org/2026/06/julyevents/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=julyevents Sat, 27 Jun 2026 23:18:20 +0000 https://oregonculture.org/?p=7317 If June was Oregon’s warm-up act, July is when our arts and culture scene hits its stride. Outdoor stages are full, gallery walks stretch into long summer evenings, and small towns from the coast to the high desert are hosting festivals that have been building all year toward this month. Whether you’re after live music

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If June was Oregon’s warm-up act, July is when our arts and culture scene hits its stride. Outdoor stages are full, gallery walks stretch into long summer evenings, and small towns from the coast to the high desert are hosting festivals that have been building all year toward this month. Whether you’re after live music under the stars, a new museum exhibit, or a film screening in a park, Oregon isn’t asking you to choose just one. What follows is just a sampling of what’s on offer this July. We’ll be back in August with more.

Are you a CACO supporter with events to share? We’d love to include you. Reach out to Marie Gettel-Gilmartin to be considered for an upcoming edition.
June 6-July 25: Nez Perce Artists Exhibit, presented by the Josephy Library of Western History & Culture and Nez Perce Tribe, Josephy Center for Arts and Culture, Joseph.

June 25-July 19: Chamber Music Northwest’s CONFLUENCE: Our Shared Voices, music that transcends cultural, geographical, and political borders with more than 70 chamber musicians as they bring dozens of classic, new, beloved, and rarely performed masterpieces of boundless variety to life, Portland.

June 27-July 11: “Telephone,” Portland Experimental Theatre, exploring the limits and limitlessness of communication.

June 27-July 12: Oregon Bach Festival, Eugene. Don’t miss your chance to experience world-class artists, unforgettable performances, and musical moments you’ll be talking about all summer. Student and youth tickets are just $5!

July 2 and 5: Free days at the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, Portland.

July 3-5: 2026 Festival of New Works with Coho Productions’ 2026 Artists in Residence Monel Chang, Kayla Kelly, and Julia Bray, Portland.

July 4: “Soul Proof” band at 4th of July Concert & Laser Light Show, Wilsonville Town Center Park

July 5, 8, and 10: “The Fellowship of the Ring” showings as the first in the Lord of the Rings series, shown through September, Whiteside Theatre, Corvallis.

July 8: “Tough Shit,” Oregon Humanities at the Tomorrow Theatre, Portland, an onstage conversation about the most challenging questions Portlanders are facing.

July 9: “Many Cultures, One Community: A Celebration of Eastern Arts,” Wilsonville Town Center Park

July 10: Historic Jacksonville Haunted History Walking Tour, only $10! and “Gathering: An Evening for Creatives of All Kinds,” Toolbox Gallery, Milwaukie

July 10-19: Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe’s “Brigadoon,” The Shedd Institute, Eugene.

July 13: Drag as a Doorway to the Forest, World Forestry Center, McMenamins Mission Theater, Portland, inviting fresh voices and new ways of connecting to our forests, featuring Efemmera Gendera and Thespis D. Light of Drag Me Outside, Portland.

July 15: “Welcome the Night,” High Desert Museum, Ashland, a family-friendly event featuring galaxy exploration, bat detection, insect discoveries, owl encounters, food and drinks, and raffle prizes.

July 16: Slamlandia, poetry open mic and slam, Portland Literary Arts.

July 16: “Book Club is Wine Club: Portland’s Audacious Champion,” Japanese American Museum of Oregon, a special book club discussion (including wine) with Erica Naito-Campbell, author of Portland’s Audacious Champion, Portland.

July 17: Poetry in Place: Oregon Poet Laureate Ellen Waterston, Oregon Humanities, Clatskanie.

July 18: Astoria Column One-Hundredth Anniversary Rededication, Oregon Humanities, Astoria.

July 18: ForestFest, World Forestry Center, Portland, a FREE full-day event with community vendors, food, music, story time, workshops, and a Moon Tree Dedication ceremony.

July 24-25: Portland Playhouse Summer Teen Production 2026: Beetlejuice Jr.

July 24-26: JAW New Play Festival, Portland Center Stage.

July 25: Arts at the Creek, Estacada, all ages art and music festival featuring youth and adult art vendors, local food carts, as well as a great music lineup, and Lacey Lady Birthday Bash & Car Show, B-17 Alliance Museum & Restoration Hangar, Salem, a spirited community celebration honoring the restoration of the iconic B-17G Lacey Lady and the women whose service, sacrifice, and determination helped reshape American history during World War II.

July 26: free Symphony in the Park, Eugene Symphony, Cuthbert Park, Eugene.

July 30-August 23: “A Chorus Line,” Clackamas Rep.

July 31: “Search and Destroy,” Performance Works NW, a multimedia variety show featuring dance and other artistic mediums where artists & local leaders share their craft and discuss what matters most to them; parental discretion is advised for audience members under 18 years of age.

All summer: 

– “Beyond 250: Conversations about Democracy and Community,” presented by Oregon Humanities across the state. Join your neighbors to ponder questions like “what does it mean to be American?” Find a conversation near you.

–Kickstand Comedy in the Park, free comedy in Laurelhurst Park every Friday from June 5 to September 4

– Britt Music Festival in Jacksonville, featuring diverse events such as Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back concert, Holst, Dvorak, Mozart, Beethoven, Elle King, David Lee Roth, Young the Giant, Ani DiFranco, Modest Mouse, Portugal.The Man, Alison Krauss, Los Lobos, Pink Martini, Jim Gaffigan, Chicago, and kids’ concerts

– Art in the Parks sponsored by the City of Eugene Cultural Services, featuring Ambient Music in the Park, Gilbert Park Community Days, a Juneteenth Celebration, free summer concert and outdoor fun, Oregon Asian Celebration, The Winter’s Tale, Axé Samba Festival, and Oregon Aloha Festival.

– Events at the Elsinore Theatre in Salem: Christopher Cross, American Ballet Company, Nearly Dan (Steely Dan tribute band), Blackhawk, Jane Lynch & Kate Flannery, etc.

– Music at the Mill, Willamette Heritage Center, Salem, every other Tuesday for an evening of great tunes, featuring a different band each night

– A Midsummer’s Night Dream, Come from Away, A Raisin in the Sun, Yellow Face, and Henry IV, Part 1 at Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ashland

– Music in the Park, Town Center Park, Wilsonville

– Movies at Portland Art Museum’s PAM CUT (Moonlight, Days of Heaven, West Side Story, etc.)

Have a great summer!

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