What’s that? You wanna do Halloweeny stuff this week? Word—we’ve got not one but six recommendations on that front, from repertory cinema (a slasher, a century-old vampire film, et al.) to a haunted corn maze to a creepy Halloweentown cruise. Plus, Portland TextileX Month’s programming is both high-tech and cozy, John Wilson’s new documentary is an idiosyncratic delight, and you should consider popping an edible before the Oregon Symphony presents Gustov Holst’s cosmic suite.

Exploring a “layers of resilience” theme this year, Portland TextileX Month (PTXM) will tangle up with notions of mending, fraying, and material repair, thinking through how these textile techniques might inspire perseverance and resistance. On the docket are some interesting workshops and shows: Lan Su Chinese Garden will exhibit Joshua Sin’s mythical Chinese guardian sculptures, Portland Japanese Garden will display techy works by textile design studio NUNO, and at Portland State University, artist Freda Xinyue Xia will share an installation made of “translucent protein-based biomaterial membranes.” Rug-tufting and drop-spinning workshops are woven into the schedule, too. (Various locations, times, and prices, more info) LINDSAY COSTELLO

Fans of the HBO docuseries How To with John Wilson can finally breathe a sign of relief—Wilson’s movie debut, The History of Concrete, is as good as the show. In fact, according to Mercury critic Robert Ham, Wilson’s idiosyncratic storytelling style works even better as a movie! It has all the quirky humor and poignant insight about the world that his fans demand and even more room for tangents, which Wilson nevertheless combs together by the end. (Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st; Regal Fox Tower 10, 846 SW Park, 100 minutes, not rated) SUZETTE SMITH

The former Black Midi frontman is many things: a cantankerous samba-addict, a purveyor of vivid storytelling from the POVs of incels and creeps, and the guy turning the nation’s youths onto jazz-rock and Willie Colón records. 2024’s The New Sound is one of the more singular experiences to come along in the last few years, and Greep’s last Portland show in support of that record was a three-hour odyssey that left us wanting even more. The Greepster’s return is a classic “Evening With” setup, meaning you can count on another mega-sized block of virtuosic, cross-genre bangers that make the title The New Sound seem far less self-aggrandizing. (Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, 8 pm, $34.41, more info, all ages) HOLLY HAZELWOOD

It’s that time of year when fans of Friday the 13th take a cinematic swing around cursed Camp Crystal Lake, pursued by a hockey-mask-wearing Jason Voorhees. Clinton Street Theater will screen the first four films from October 5-9, sticking to the original “final chapter”—before Jason traipsed off to Manhattan and then outer space. Tuesday’s showing of Friday the 13th Part 2 comes with an extra special appearance by Amy Steele, who played iconic final girl Ginny Field. It’s worth noting that Friday’s Final Chapter is presented by Portland Retro Gaming Expo and hosted by horror publication Rue Morgue Magazine. (Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton, 7 pm, $15, more info, rated R) SS

Last year, I saw an outdoor Jane Remover set that lasted exactly 30 minutes. During that time, Remover climbed the stage’s scaffolding barefoot, screamed “WHERE’S MY WIFE?!?!” in the faces of everyone they could reach, and drank champagne out of their high heel. They also made every trans person within earshot sob at noon on a Friday with a rendition of “Claw Machine” from the film I Saw the TV Glow. Remover headlining a show in Portland in a room as big as Revolution Hall feels long overdue, and the joy of seeing a trans person taking over such a space is, frankly, truly goddamn inspiring. If you aren’t feeling up for the weekly T4T Social at the Worker’s Tap just up the street, this is truly the best alternative. (Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark, 8 pm, $40.31, more info, all ages) HH

DIY artist and vicarious joy-spreader Mike Bennett brings another goofy, imaginative wooden cutout pop-up to his Fremont studio—this time delving into an alphabet of movie monsters at Dead Media Video Rentals. Disappear into the horror section of this fictional video library, where good movies never die. Inside, you’ll find all sorts of antagonists, from aliens to zombies, tucked among the shelves. This “haunted house,” so to speak, is free to tour and kid-friendly, though Bennett still aims to make it scary enough for horror buffs. No jump scares, no nightmares—just a very Portland Halloween experience for you and the whole family. (Mike Bennett Studios, 707 NE Fremont, hours vary Wed-Sat through Nov 1, FREE, more info, all ages) BRI BREY

Everybody loves to get baked and listen to Gustov Holst’s The Planets—no? Well, you should try it. But even if you don’t partake, Holst’s seven-part orchestral suite can put you into space through sound alone. The Oregon Symphony presents the entire series at these shows with the added treat of composer Kaija Saariaho’s four-minute Asteroid 4179: Toutatis and the West Coast premiere of Gabriela Lena Frank’s Picaflor: A future myth, which won the composer a Pulitzer Prize in 2024. Oregon Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Bravo! Vail Music Festival co-commissioned the 32-minute work, and now we enjoy. (Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, times vary Oct 8-11, $40+, more info, all ages) SS

Cellist/songwriter Alexis Mahler has spent the past decade as an indispensable collaborator with touring and local artists like John Craigie, Sleater-Kinney, and Isabeau Waia’u Walker. That spectrum-spanning work has helped inform the bones of her debut LP, Body of Water, which sees a formal release at Desert Island Studios this week. The album is a sweeping, vulnerable affair, showcasing Mahler’s enchanting vocals over a menagerie of plucked and bowed strings, echoing the classical foundations for her songs while thrusting them into an altogether more spacious soundscape that’s a perfect, occasionally haunting companion for the onset of autumn. (Desert Island Studios, 1316 SE 12th, 7 pm, $23.18, more info, all ages) RYAN J. PRADO

If you read Min Jin Lee’s lauded multi-generational family tragedy Pachinko and thought it could use more characters and heavier exposition, then I have good news for you. That’s what we’re hearing in previews about Lee’s latest epic American Hagwon. It sounds like I’m poking fun, but I’m very interested to view Asia’s 1997-98 financial crisis through the eyes of the Koh family as they try to find financial security, moving from Seoul to Sydney and finally California. Migration is beautiful; so is Lee’s style of unpacking history via complex yet sympathetic characters. Lee will be joined in conversation by Mitchell S. Jackson (Survival Math)—pushing this talk from yes, please into must see. (The Reser, 12625 SW Crescent, Beaverton, 7:30 pm, $47-$61 w/ Arts for All tickets available, more info, all ages) SS

Are you the type of person who loves hip-hop, but misses when it was a lot more cartoonish and goofy? You’re in luck: Bay Area legend Lyrics Born will be returning to Portland after a pair of excellent sets at this year’s Pickathon to deliver a bevy of hits about smoking weed (with or without your lady), the joys of rapping, and being the bringer of great vibes to any party he steps into. His stage presence is goddamn infectious, a reminder of a bygone era in rap when being a rapper was supposed to be really fun. Plus: he’ll have a backing band with him, one of the best choices any rapper can make! (The Den, 116 SE Yamhill St, 8 pm, $32.44, more info, 21+) HH

Also worth it:

In Spite of Ourselves, Living Room Theater, more info
It’s a big month for Portland-themed movies, with Wildwood coming out later this month—this one follows the romance between a Portland baker and a Los Angeles comedian (played by Brett Dier, AKA Michael from Jane the Virgin).

Night Heron, The Off Beat, more info
Chill out to the R&B-influenced, sax-heavy soft sounds of local band Night Heron.

Portland Wine Company has been producing its Love and Squalor label in Southeast Portland for two decades, and everyone is invited to come out and squish grapes beneath their bare feet in celebration. In order to stomp, you’ll need to register as a team of four; up to 20 teams can participate, competing to see who can crush the most juice in five minutes. Plus, dress up as an I Love Lucy lookalike or get your team to dress up together and you might win a costume contest. Food and live music will be flowing; most importantly, so will the wine. (Portland Wine Company, 3201 SE 50th, 2 pm-7 pm, $40 ($25 for designated drivers and wine club members), more info, 18+ to stomp, 21+ to drink) KATHERINE CHEW HAMILTON

Every Friday and Saturday night until October 30, meander through a terrifying corn maze on the Bella Organic Farm property on Sauvie Island. Bundle up and get ready to be spooked and stalked by ghouls, goblins, zombies and demented farmers. Don’t forget to check on the baby dolls before you leave. This one isn’t for kids, or wimps, or even those with high blood pressure or other medical conditions that could be aggravated by unexpected frights. Check out the disclaimers before you go! (Bella Organic Farm, 16205 NW Gillihan, Sauvie Island, Fri-Sat 6:30-10 pm, $35-$55, more info, 13+) COURTNEY VAUGHN

In 2025, playwright Caryl Churchill pulled a project with Off-West-End London theater Donmar Warehouse because it refused to cut ties with sponsors Barclays. “Theatres used to say they couldn’t manage without tobacco sponsorship, but they do,” she announced. “Now it’s time they stopped helping advertise banks that support what Israel is doing to Palestinians.” Churchill has spent over five decades penning astonishing critiques of war and other abuses of power, so her actions remained in step with her scripts. It still feels exceptional that the 88-year-old playwright uses her clout to take a stand and that she continues to put out prescient contemporary works, like the four short dramas Glass. Kill. Bluebeard. Imp., which beloved local envelope pushers Shaking the Tree have adapted as their opening production this season. We wrote about the work in-depth in our Fall Arts Issue. It’s likely to be one of the most talked about plays this fall. (Shaking the Tree Theatre, 823 SE Grant, Thurs-Sat 7:30 pm, Sun 5 pm, $39 w/ several pay tiers, more info, 16+) SS

Also worth it:

The Haunting (1963), Cinema 21, more info
Based on Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House, Robert Wise’s psychological horror classic makes the novel’s unreliable narrator feel especially potent and frenzied on screen.

You’d be hard-pressed to find more Halloween events in one place than on a weekend in Halloweentown, AKA St. Helens, the town about 30 miles north of Portland where the 1998 film by the same name was made. Everything from dancing witches to pumpkin bowling to a trolley tour of filming locations is fair game, and actors from the film series will appear throughout the month. The only way to make this more exciting? Book a round-trip jetboat ride to St. Helens through the Portland Spirit. The splashy 1.5-hour trip comes complete with creepy narration and admission to several Halloweentown attractions, including the haunted house. (Caruthers Landing Dock, 110 SE Caruthers, Sat-Sun 10:15 am-5:15 pm, $115 adult, $95 12 and under, more info, ages 5+) KCH

F.W. Murnau’s Faust (1926) came to define German Expressionist cinema. You probably already know the story: Loosely adapted from Goethe’s 1790 tragedy, Faust follows a gentle, bearded alchemist (Gösta Ekman) whose village has been ravaged by plague. When Mephisto (Emil Jannings) offers him youth and passion in exchange for his soul, Faust accepts out of desperation—which wreaks havoc on his life and the person he loves. It’s a lot to take in, and it’s worth it. Seattle soundscapers Accendino will live score this 16mm screening; their “garage jazz” approach blends prog rock, doom, funk, and ambient elements. Sure, why not? Read more in Second Run Portland. (Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton, 7 pm, $15, more info, not rated) LC

Looking for even more events happening this week? Head on over to EverOut!