GET OUT

Christine Davis compiles best bets for family fun, festivals, comedy and more. Send events submissions to eventsbestbets@oregonian.com.

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PDX Drive-In Movie Spectacular

Revisit your childhood (or teenage) drive-in movie experience (with or without a car) on the parking lot of The Portland Expo Center, with an updated drive-in movie re-creation that boasts a giant screen, digital projection, and sound through outdoor speakers and FM signal. Featured movies: “Alien” (Friday night), “Little Shop of Horrors” (Saturday night), and “Purple Rain” (Sunday night).

Gates open at 6:30 p.m., movie begins at dusk (approximately 8:30 p.m.), through-Sunday; Expo Center Parking Lot, 2060 N. Marine Dr.; $18-$20; expocenter.org/content/pdx-drive-movie-spectacular

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Photo by Jordan Smith

Grand Ronde Contest Powwow

Arrive in time for the Grand Entries, then watch Native American dancers and drummers in full regalia compete for cash prizes.

Grand entries at 7 p.m. Friday, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, and at 1 p.m. Sunday; Uyxat Powwow Grounds, next to Fort Yamhill State Park, Grand Ronde; free to watch, $1 (or a donation of canned food) for parking; facebook.com/events/449529949136139/

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Stephanie Yao Long/Oregonian file photo

Banks BBQ and Tractor Pull

This event starts out simple enough, with a poker and pancake breakfast. Then the action starts with six-gun draw competitions, truck and tractor pulls, and a destruction derby.

Opens 6 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. Saturday, 7 a.m. Sunday; Banks Sunset Park, 12765 N.W. Main St., Banks; $7-$30; bankssunsetpark.com

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Portland Hot Sauce Expo

Compete in a spicy food challenge on the Stage of Death, which includes the Doughnuts of Death, Sausage of Destruction and the Guinness Book of World Records Reaper Eating Challenge with a $1,000 grand prize. Or just sample hot sauce.

10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; OMSI parking lot, 1945 S.E. Water Ave.; $7 general admission, $25-$75 for special packages; pdxhotsauceexpo.com

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IFBB PRO LEAGUE/NPC Portland Classic

Not quite bikini-ready? Get inspired by these body-builder competitors who are all about the pure embodiment of streamlined muscle.

Morning round begins at 9 a.m. evening finals begin at 6 p.m. Saturday; Oregon Convention Center, 777 N.E. Martin Luther King Blvd.; $25-$80; spectrumfitnessproductions.com/portland-classic

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Beth Nakamura/Oregonian file photo

PDX Adult Soap Box Derby

At this blast from the past, adult contenders drive their creations of death and destruction (translation: gravity cars) down Mount Tabor in the hopes of making it to the finish line without any broken parts or appendages.

10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; Mount Tabor Park, S.E. 60th Avenue and Salmon Street; free; soapboxracer.com

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Oregon Bigfoot Festival

Looking for Bigfoot? This festival may not promise a sighting, but it does promise Bigfoot exhibits, food carts, vendors, and carnival-style games.

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Glenn Otto Park, Troutdale; $2-$5 donation; oregonbigfootfestival.com

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Wings & Wheels Air and vehicle show

Treat yourself to an eyeful of auto and air-craft beauty at this community event, which features a classic car cruise-in as well as a fly in, half marathon, vendors, food, beer garden, music by Hit Machine, and kids activities. Marathon starts at 7:30 a.m.

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Scappoose Airpark, 34020 Skyway Dr., Scappoose; free; sccchamber.org/wings-wheels

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Photo by Corey Shelton

Multnomah Days Parade and Festival

Stroll around this community festival, which features a petting zoo, wine and beer garden, arts and crafts, refreshments, and live entertainment. The parade is at 10 a.m.

8 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, Multnomah Village between Southwest 31st and 39thavenues along Southwest Capitol Highway; free; facebook.com/events/multnomah-village-along-sw-capitol-hwy-between-31st-39th-st/multnomah-days-street-fair/273847636062714/

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Tiny Homes

If you want to downsize big-time, explore these tiny houses; talk to builders; attend workshops; then expand your tiny-house experience with live music and food.

10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Polk County Fairgrounds, 650 S. Pacific Hwy. W., Rickreall; $5-$20; tinyfestnorthwest.com

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Oregonian file photo, 2003.

Forest Grove Uncorked

Feel “Uncorked” at this fest, which promises a nice downtown stroll; micro-brew beer, spirits and wines; food, art and music.

4-9 p.m. Saturday, Main Street, Forest Grove; $10; 21 and over; fguncorked.com

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Oregonian file photo

O-Bon Festival

Get a taste of Japanese culture while enjoying the garden, food, drink, music and traditional dance.

10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Portland Japanese Garden, 611 S.W. Kingston Ave.; $13.50-$18.95; japanesegarden.org/events/obon-sapporo-cultural-festival

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Photo by Diego Diaz

Beaverton Night Market

This multicultural, family-friendly event offers ethnic food and crafts, as well as entertainment on two stages.

5-10 p.m. Saturday, The Round, 12725 S.W. Millikan Way, Beaverton; free; beavertonoregon.gov/1570/Beaverton-Night-Market

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Stephanie Yao Long/Oregonian file photo

Twilight Tuesdays

Only one more Twilight Tuesday this summer at the Oregon Zoo -- your last chance to hang out with lions and tigers while listening to music, eating dinner from food carts, and sampling Oregon beers while your kids run around doing crafty stuff.

5-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oregon Zoo, 4001 S.W. Canyon Road; $9; oregonzoo.org/events/twilight-tuesday-1

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THE ARTS

Arts editor Amy Wang compiles theater, classical music and visual arts events. Email submissions to fineartsbestbets@oregonian.com.

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"Persephone" will be presented in Leach Botanical Garden, which spans 17 acres along Johnson Creek in Southeast Portland. (Stephanie Yao Long/Oregonian file photo)

“Persephone”

The classic Greek myth about a young goddess torn between Hades, lord of the underworld, and her mother, Demeter, goddess of agriculture, gets a new telling in an apt setting: Southeast Portland’s Leach Botanical Garden. Audience members will be expected to move with the Bedrock Theatre production along a hiking trail.

7 p.m. Friday and Sunday, Aug. 16, 18, 23 and 25; low-impact/accessible performance, 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, Leach Botanical Garden, 6704 S.E. 122nd Ave. Pay what you will; reservations required, bedrocktheatre@gmail.com.

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Works from "State Dinner" series by Bean Gilsdorf. She's among the artists participating in the "Dear Lucy" group show at Upfor. (Mario Gallucci).

The title of this group exhibit comes from a letter from artist Nancy Spero to critic Lucy Lippard that reads, in its entirety, "Dear Lucy/The enemies of women's liberation in the arts will be crushed/Love Nancy." Artists Faith Wilding, Wendy Red Star, Michelle Grabner, Bean Gilsdorf and April Bey present works that explore feminism, gender and the "domestic arts."

Panel discussion with Bean Gilsdorf and curators Grace Kook-Anderson (Portland Art Museum) and Ashley Stull Meyers (2019 Portland Biennial), 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17; on view, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday through Aug. 31, Upfor Gallery, 929 N.W. Flanders St. Free.

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The Tao of Tea's Tower of Cosmic Reflections teahouse in Portland's Lan Su Chinese Garden, which will host a Chinese opera performance. (Erin E. Williams/For The Washington Post)

Chinese opera

Portland’s Lan Su Chinese Garden hosts a special performance of a story about a medieval Chinese general who is captured by an enemy princess, marries her and then finds himself accused of treason and his parents imprisoned. A three-member cast performs a scene from the opera in which the general and the princess discuss his unhappiness.

7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, Lan Su Chinese Garden, 239 N.W. Everett St. Free with garden admission, $7.95-$10.95, lansugarden.org or 503-228-8131.

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Joe Rudko, Rising Tide, 2019, found photographs on paper, 30” x 22.” The work is part of the group exhibit "It's Summer!" at PDX Contemporary Art. (Courtesy of PDX Contemporary Art)

PDX Contemporary Art

The group exhibit “It’s Summer!” features new works by artists either represented by PDX Contemporary Art or invited to participate. “The show is quite diverse with 28 different artists all showing work fresh from their studios,” says Jordan Pieper, gallery manager.

11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, through Aug. 31, PDX Contemporary Art, 925 N.W. Flanders St. Free.

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Trio Musicorum Medicorum

The name of this Portland ensemble – Andrew Bonner on piano, Rebecca Reese on cello and Alistair Leon Kok on violin – is a nod to the fact that all three are health care professionals. They also all bring degrees in music and extensive performance experience to a concert featuring Beethoven and Smetana.

Noon Wednesday, Aug. 21, The Old Church, 1422 S.W. 11th Ave. Free.

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CONCERT GUIDE

Nathan Rizzo puts together seasonal, monthly and weekly concert guides. Email submissions at least 4 weeks ahead of the event to musicbestbets@oregonian.com.

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King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard

With a jagged songwriting sensibility and novel flair for microtonal guitars, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard can be an acquired taste. But the band’s hypnotic psych-rock is undeniably original and has cultivated a generous following in their native Australia. A turn toward the straighter aesthetic of ’80s thrash on “Infest the Rats’ Nest”could solidify King Gizzard’s place stateside.

9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16, Roseland Theater. All ages. Tickets: sold out, try resellers. roselandpdx.com

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Pink Martini

His eyeglasses and blond coiffure a moving abstraction in the triangle of an opened piano, Pink Martini’s Thomas Lauderdale is a portrait of quintessential Portland. Singers China Forbes and Storm Large headline a superb cast of musicians, including former Diana Krall guitarist Dan Faehnle, who will accompany Lauderdale for two nights at McMenamins Edgefield.

6:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Aug. 16-17, McMenamins Edgefield. All ages. Tickets: $45-$95. edgefieldconcerts.com

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Weyes Blood

Singer-songwriter Natalie Mering, who performs as Weyes Blood, is already returning to follow up her sold-out May performance at Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge. “Titanic Rising,” a new release Mering characterizes as “Bob Seger meets Enya,” was received enthusiastically by influential music outlets, making her August Wonder Ballroom show a rare second chance to witness the outset of a rising artist’s ascent to grander stages.

9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, Wonder Ballroom. All ages. Tickets: $16 - $18. wonderballroom.com

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Herbie Hancock and Kamasi Washington

It is telling that a figure of Herbie Hancock’s stature would book a joint tour with cosmic afro-jazz revivalist Kamasi Washington. Where the ceaselessly metamorphic composer and pianist could fill concert halls with only his 1960’s-era songbook, he is instead playing for a place in the future.

7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, Oregon Zoo. All ages. Tickets: $42.50 - $102.50. zooconcerts.com

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Trio Subtonic

Trio Subtonic, an outfit composed of keyboardist Galen Clark, bassist Bill Athens and former Shook Twins drummer Russ Kleiner, has quietly built a local following over the past several years. Often looking to guitarist Dan Balmer for finer shades of accompaniment (and, surely, a burning solo or two), the group projects its spectrum of influences, including Elliott Smith and the Black Keys, through a heavily predominant jazz-funk paradigm.

10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, The Goodfoot Pub & Lounge. All ages. Tickets: $10. thegoodfoot.com

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Lionel Richie

Even if his career had ended with The Commodores in the early 1980s, Lionel Richie would be widely remembered for “Easy,” the swaying ballad that became his prototype for the run of hits succeeding it. On tour, Richie has been reaching back to his Motown catalog, enlivening solo-era camp with dashes of the hallmark R&B that first brought him stardom.

7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, Moda Center Theater of the Clouds. All ages. Tickets: $58 - $344. rosequarter.com

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Josh Groban

Josh Groban has spent enough time showing off his acting chops on “The Office” and “The Good Cop.” Now he’s back to what he does best: singing the heck out of songs new and old.

6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 22, Edgefield. All ages. Tickets: $89.50-$225. edgefieldconcerts.com

-- Robert Ham