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  "path": "/do-this-do-that/2026/03/02/48355902/the-mercurys-do-this-do-that-your-top-events-for-march-2-8",
  "publishedAt": "2026-03-02T21:20:00.000Z",
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  "tags": [
    "Do This, Do That",
    "Calendar",
    "_Portland Mercury_ 's Sandwich Week!",
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    "Big Sky Conference Tournament",
    "_more info_",
    "View this post on Instagram",
    "A post shared by CCAC @ PNCA (@ccac_pnca)",
    "here",
    "A post shared by Queer Soup Night PDX (@queersoupnightpdx)",
    "EverOut"
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  "textContent": "Tortoise is not jazz and not krautrock, but a secret third thing by Lindsay Costello\n\nThe three daffodils I saw on my sanity walk this weekend would like to inform you that IT IS MARCH. Yes, you already knew that, but have you really taken it in? The Bad Months are over. The Okay Months are here!!! And with this shift comes several opportunities to remove your puffer coat and wear, like, a regular coat. Among them: $10 sandwiches alllll week long thanks to the _Portland Mercury_ 's Sandwich Week, and Tortoise is not not jazz and not not krautrock, but also a secret third thing. The Portland Small Press & Art Book Fair delivers what's on the tin. Also, yo-yo contests are _real_ , and your donation at Queer Soup Night benefits the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition. Onward...\n\nMonday, March 2 The _Portland Mercury_ 's Sandwich Week\n\nIT'S A FACT: Sandwiches are the best thing since sliced bread. And thankfully, it's time to celebrate this feat of ingenuity with the _Portland Mercury_ 's Sandwich Week! (Big thanks and \"what’s up!\" to our pals at Jim Beam and Travel Portland for their help). Starting Monday, March 2, through Sunday March 8, Portlanders can feast on delectable creations built by 88 (!?!) fabulous chefs for only $10! And better yet, you can win delicious prizes with the _Mercury's_ SANDWICH PASS. Get your pass NOW and check-in to sandwich locations to be automatically entered to win restaurant gift cards and _Mercury_ swag bags. Are you kidding me? NO, WE ARE NOT!_(Various locations, March 2-8, $10/sandwich,more info)_\n\nLauren Groff in Conversation with Lydia Kiesling\n\nIn a 2023 interview with the _New York Times_ , Lauren Groff explained her editing process. After completing the first draft of a novel, she places it in a banker’s box, and never reads it again. Then, she starts from scratch, with the goal that only the most vital and potent aspects of her story will remain. Seems kind of extreme. But maybe a little extremity is good for the creative process. Clearly it’s working for Groff, whose novels (_Fates and Furies, Florida, Matrix_) have snagged three National Book Award nominations. She’ll chat about _Brawler_ , her new short story collection, with local writer Lydia Kiesling, author of _Mobility_. _(Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W Burnside, 7 pm, $41.95,more info, all ages)_ **LINDSAY COSTELLO**\n\nPortland State Vikings vs. Weber State Wildcats\n\nThe Portland State Vikings clinched the Big Sky Conference title for the first time since 2008, so this last home game of the college basketball season is a call for celebration. Three Vikings starters will play their final game at Viking Pavilion: the highlight dunk/passing machine Jaylin Henderson, Terri Miller Jr., the forward dubbed the “Big Sky Jokić” by local comedians/basketball sickos Seth Allen and Andy Clark, and the reigning Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year, Tre-Vaughn Minott. The key identity of this squad is an elite turnover forcing defense and relentless pace of play instilled by the caffeine-soaked brain of head coach Jase Coburn. The Viks take on Weber State, and while this is the final game at Viking Pavilion this year, the season isn’t over yet. The Viks head to the Big Sky Conference Tournament next week, and will hopefully be an early round upset pick in the March Madness tournament later this month. _(Viking Pavilion, 930 SW Hall, 7 pm, $12+,more info, all ages)_**CAMERON CROWELL**\n\nTuesday, March 3 Michael Pollan With Dave Miller\n\nBest known for his food world investigation books like the _Omnivore's Dilemma_ (2006) and _In Defense of Food_ (2008), non-fiction author Michael Pollan excels at breaking down complicated systems in interesting, even illuminating, ways. Somewhat inevitably, that means you're at a party with someone who thinks Pollan's arguments fully support why you personally should eat meat. But just because he writes know-it-all fuel doesn't mean we should throw him out with the bathwater. The framing of his most recent book, _A World Appears_ , makes heavy use of words like \"exploration\" and \"journey\" as it introduces a dozen or more theories on consciousness. That could also be a byproduct of Pollan's recent books on cannabis and psychedelic use. Attendees of this talk benefit from the professional question-it-all of OPB's Dave Miller who interviews Pollan and moderates questions. (_Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, 7:30 pm, $52.22 includes a copy of_ A World Appears _,__more info_ _, all ages that can quietly enjoy sciencey talk_)**SUZETTE SMITH**\n\nTortoise / Spacemoth\n\n_For fans of Ui, Jeff Parker, The Durutti Column_\n\nChicago’s Tortoise will play two nights at Aladdin, supporting the late-2025 release of their album _Touch_. Not not jazz, and not not krautrock, Tortoise have been delivering and defining cool since the early ’90s. Is this what the Grateful Dead would sound like if they were good? Hard to say, but Tortoise are real good and real hard to define with any certainty. Replacing SML as the opener, Spacemoth will pull up sounding like she sat between Broadcast and The Fiery Furnaces in Stereolab’s class. _(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie, March 3-4, 8 pm, $43.73,more info, all ages) _**NOLAN PARKER**\n\n****\n\n**Also worth it:**\n\n**Middle-earth Film Festival** , Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), _more info_\nSpeak, friend and enter the mythical realm of Middle-earth; this festival honors J.R.R. Tolkien’s monumental novels-turned-blockbuster movies with extended versions of all six films from  _The_ _Hobbit_ and _Lord of the Rings_ trilogies.\n\nWednesday, March 4 _Lizard Boy_\n\nComposed and written by the PNW’s own Justin Huertas, this hybrid indie rock opera and superhero story is a love letter to weirdos and a beautiful story of finding acceptance. _Lizard Boy_ follows Trevor, a young man who was left with green scaly skin after an encounter with a dragon as a child, who now only leaves his house during the once yearly MonsterFest extravaganza. Every character plays an instrument live on stage—guitar, cello, ukulele—making the performances even more impressive and the songs more grand. Don’t miss this uniquely musical coming-of-age chronicle, especially with one of the main roles being played by Portland music royalty Lo Steele. _(Portland Center Stage, 128 NW 11th, Wed-Sun through March 29, $34-$68,more info, 15+)_ **BRI BREY**\n\n**Also worth it:**\n\n**Slough Fest** , various locations, _more info_\nBird Alliance of Oregon and other nature-happy organizations will lead a series of events on the Columbia Slough through March 8, including birding treks, guided walks, and a regenerative agriculture workshop.\n\nThursday, March 5 Portland Small Press & Art Book Fair\n\nSmall press and art book fairs are like zine fests with less trades. You'll find some zines. You'll find some interesting art books, priced for small print runs ($$) but exclusive and limited in their number. Absolutely check what Container Corps is up to. See if Secret Room Press has anything new. Kate Bingaman-Burt's Outlet will be there, as will a number of new publisher-printers foraying into the field. (_Pacific Northwest College of Art, 511 NW Broadway, March 5-7,__more info_ _, all ages_) **SS**\n\n>  View this post on Instagram \n>\n> A post shared by CCAC @ PNCA (@ccac_pnca)\n\n****\n\nPortland Jazz Festival\n\nRecently I’ve had several friends and people in prominent Portland bands say they’re keen to check out more jazz in 2026. If not at the Portland Jazz Festival, then where? This year, as with all years, the festival’s cup runneth over with local and international talent by jazzists and jazz-adjacent artists. 2026 festival highlights include Portland’s own Shirley Nanette—this year’s “Portland Jazz Master”—opening for the incomparable Mavis Staples; Pickathon favorites SML; Portland’s first all-femme big band, Stumptown Sirens Jazz Orchestra; Rose City rising jazz luminary Charlie Brown III; and the forever homies in Dreckig. Read our full festival breakdown here. _(Various locations, times, and prices,more info)_****NP****\n\n**Also worth it:**\n\n**Kelly Reichardt retrospective,** Clinton Street Theater,  _more info\n_ Oregon’s favorite director receives some well-deserved flowers with Clinton Street's month-long series, which screens  _alllmost_ her entire filmography, opening with _Old Joy_ on March 5. If you missed _The Mastermind_ (2025), you'll have another shot on March 22. (Read our review here.)\n\nFriday, March 6 Third Rail Repertory presents _A Mirror_\n\nA reflective and cryptic wedding ceremony becomes an exploration of free speech in this Sam Holcroft “multi-layered exploration of censorship and storytelling,” apt for the fraught times we live in. Can you believe a story of government censorship hits home right now? I’m interested in anything described as “meta-theatrical,” and the hall of mirrors structure reveals more as the play goes on, deepening the audiences’ involvement in the narrative and the theatrical action itself. If you’re unsure what you just witnessed once the curtains close, not to worry; a talkback will follow most performances. **(**_Coho Theater, 2257 NW Raleigh, through March 15, $7 - $60.50,__more info_ _, 16+_) **BRI BREY**\n\n****Kushi Beauchamp, Leif Norby, and Jonathan Thompson in _A Mirror_. JOHN RUDOFF\n\n**Also worth it:**\n\n**WWE Friday Night Smackdown,** Moda Center, _more info_\n\nProfessional wrasslin’ comes to Portland in this edition of Smackdown, featuring brawling from a host of your faves, including former WWE champion Cody Rhodes who in January lost his belt to the detestable Drew McIntyre—awkwardly enough, he's _also_ on this bill. (Wonder if anything fucking crazy will happen?)\n\nSaturday, March 7 Pacific Northwest Regional Yo-Yo Contest\n\nOkay, look… I don’t want to hear any bullshit from you, particularly on the subject of being too cool to attend a yo-yo competition. The facts are these: You live a largely boring life without enough day-to-day variety. It’s time to break out of your monotony, and do something weird, and I think the Pacific Northwest Regional Yo-Yo Contest will fit the bill nicely. The best yo-you tricksters in the region—along with some duos—will face off against each other and strut their most amazing stuff in this daylong contest to get a coveted seat at the upcoming national championships. Plus, there will be plenty of fun and vendors on hand, which might inspire you to pick up a yo-yo of your own—thereby making you far more interesting (and therefore) cool again._(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside, 9:30 am-5 pm, $11, $5 for 13 and under,__more info_ _, all ages)_ **WM. STEVEN HUMPHREY**\n\n****\n\nThe Wild Bunch\n\nFor those who like their wine on the wilder side, The Wild Bunch, a festival celebrating low-intervention AKA natural wines, is returning for its five-year anniversary. There’ll be over 400 wines and ciders from 70 different wineries, cideries, and distributors all over the world to sip on. Food and drinks will be available for purchase from vendors including Hayward, Astral, and Puff Coffee, and music will be spinning all afternoon from DJ Rev Shines. The event usually sells out in advance, so don’t count on being able to grab tickets at the door. _(Premier Gear & Machine Works Building, __1715 NW 17th, 11 am-4 pm, $58, 21+,__more info_ _)_**KATHERINE CHEW HAMILTON**\n\n_Fellow Travelers_\n\nYou loved the Showtime miniseries. Why not try it as an opera? Adapted from the novel by Thomas Mallon, the opera version of _Fellow Travelers_ tells the story of two politico paramours, eking out an affair under the oppressive gavel of ’50s McCarthyism politics. Somewhat ironically, the wizened and well-connected Hawkins \"Hawk\" Fuller (Joseph Lattanzi) gets his bright-eyed, younger lover Timothy Laughlin (Andy Acosta) an aide position in Senator Joseph McCarthy's office as a way to gather information on the emerging Lavender Scare. _(Newmark Theater, 1111 SW Broadway, select dates, times vary, $31-$106,more info)_ **SS**\n\nMosh Pit\n\nYou’re a fan of heavy metal music AND comedy?! You're certainly a special snowflake, aren’t you? Finally there’s a comedy show just for YOU. Mosh Pit features a live, onstage episode of the hilarious _What’s More Metal_ podcast—in which host Nariko Ott (Portland’s Funniest Person 2016 and a _Mercury_ Genius of Comedy) along with the also hee-larious Dan Weber (_Reading the Bible with Dan_) compare a variety of things to determine which are indeed “more metal.” PLUS, there will be sketch comedy from Death Hammer (SF Sketchfest, Out of Bounds Comedy Festival) as well as some primo riffage from guitarist Eric Faucette—who knows a thing or two about shredding. So if you like metal, it’s like the devil made this comedy show especially for you! _(Siren Theater, 3913 N Mississippi, 8 pm, $18,more info, 18+)_ **WSH**\n\nSunday, March 8 Erinn Kathryn and M. Earl Williams: _A Land That Remembers_ This collaboration between artists Erinn Kathryn and M. Earl Williams juxtaposes their approaches to “how landscapes endure over time.” Kathryn’s installation “Echo of the Oak” uses tree bark and other natural material to create a haunting sculpture, representing the forefathers of the forest that long outlived their colonizers. Williams’ “Ghost Dance in the Machine” takes a more technology-based approach, with photographs and videos exploring how Indigenous people navigate virtual worlds. _A Land That Remembers_ invites viewers to witness these perspectives on how landscapes persist in the face of colonial systems._(Carnation Contemporary, 8371 N Interstate, Sat-Sun 12-5 pm through March 29, FREE,more info, all ages) _**BB** Queer Soup Night\n\nAlthough this winter has been “milder” than winters past, it’s still been a freezing, less-than-pleasant time. As we emerge from the worst months of the year (argue with the wall), Queer Soup Night makes its triumphant return to warm our hearts and bellies. Queer folks and allies alike are invited to the creepy yet homey bar the Uncanny for steaming bowls of vegan soup and baked good offerings made by queer local chefs. The community care is two-fold: You’ll nourish yourself and hopefully meet some new friends. Plus, the suggested donation benefits the Portland Immigrant Rights Coalition’s vital work.  _(The Uncanny, 3560 N Mississippi, 4–7 pm, $15–$20 suggested donation,__more info_ _)_ **JANEY WONG**\n\n>  View this post on Instagram \n>\n> A post shared by Queer Soup Night PDX (@queersoupnightpdx)\n\n****\n\nLooking for even  _more_ events happening this week? Head on over to EverOut!",
  "title": "The Mercury’s Do This, Do That: Your Top Events for March 2-8"
}