New month, new weekend, and a whole new round of events to get you out and about and enjoying the city of Portland.
We’re rolling into Friday at Monument Square, dancing into the weekend with Hustle & Flow, flashing back at Free Street, and launching into Saturday at Stroudwater Distillery. Confused? Don’t worry, this will all make sense soon. Just get ready to enjoy!
Here’s the Weekend Guide for Friday, Nov. 4th – Sunday, Nov. 6th, 2022
Friday the 4th
New Brunswick Calling | SPACE Gallery | 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM (Repeats Saturday)
Back in June, 3 bands, 1 solo artist, 1 DJ, 2 videographers, and 12 music and arts workers from Maine caravanned up to Fredericton, New Brunswick to showcase at the 2022 Flourish Festival. Now some of the Canadian friends are heading down to Maine for a visit. During First Friday Art Walk, SPACE Gallery will host a diverse mix of New Brunswick music with experimental rock trio Motherhood, Mi’kmaq rapper-producer-singer Wolf Castle, string duo Pallmer, and eclectic selector DJ Lu. On Saturday, music and arts workers from Maine and New Brunswick will convene alongside in the morning and afternoon for roundtable conversations and social events. All invited and all welcome.
SAD – Burlesque & Drag | Free Street | 8:00 PM – 11:45 PM
An emotional flashback to your emo years! Burlesque and drag performances from the hottest Scene kids in Portland Maine, Queer art from amazing vendors, a dance party where you can unleash your inner angst and karaoke to sing away all your tears and fears. Tickets here.
Brazilian Beat Samba Dance Pop Up | Hustle & Flow | 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Warm-up, learn combinations and dance into playful, spirited Brazilian and Reggae inspired dance moves. Explore and learn the many delights of Brazilian dance and culture with Beto, an extraordinary human who shines light on dance as a form of happiness and self expression. As always 18+. Book class here.
First Friday (Rock and) Slow Roll | Monument Square | 7:00 PM
Every First Friday of every month, a group of dedicated cyclists get together for social fun. Happening year round, rain or shine, the ride is about 5-10 miles at a social pace. Music, lights, fun! All wheels welcome. Leave at 7pm sharp from Monument Square.
Saturday the 5th
Get Happy! | A Judy Garland Celebration | Merrill Auditorium | 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM (Repeats Sunday)
Celebrate silver screen legend Judy Garland! Acclaimed singer Joan Ellison and your Portland Symphony Orchestra bring Judy’s original symphonic arrangements back to life in a glorious musical trip from technicolor Hollywood to the concert hall! Tickets here.
Just Love Gala | Halo at The Point | 6:30 PM – 11:30 PM
Join Just Love Worldwide for an elegant, fun evening of live music, scrumptious food and beverages while supporting an amazing cause! Join for a night of laughs and dancing to kick off the holidays and celebrate Just Love who has been making a lasting impact. Dress is black tie optional, but you can come however you are comfortable. There will be a delicious menu planned provided by Black Tie Company. All are welcome. Tickets here.
GooeyGump Designs Annual Holiday Market | GooeyGump Designs | 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Repeats Sunday)
Mark your calendars, call your friends, and book your babysitters! The GooeyGump Designs Annual Holiday Market is coming right up. Join GooeyGump Designs for 2 days of merriment where they will unleash Christmas in a BIG way. Raffles, food, and other fun planned.
Banded Repose Launch Party | Stroudwater Distillery | 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Join Stroudwater Distillery for the launch of Banded Brewing’s brand new a Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout using Stroudwater Bourbon Barrels – Repose! A Stroudwater x Banded collab! Giveaways, live music, cornhole and more. Stroudwater will have Repose on draft as well as food and cocktail specials.
Fabiola Méndez’s Trio: “Afrorriqueña” | Mayo Street Arts | 7:30 PM
Fabiola Méndez’s concert “Afrorriqueña” is a musical tribute to the Jíbaro and African roots in Puerto Rican culture. The music itself, inspired by poetry from Puerto Rican female poets (Angelamaría Davila, Yara Liceaga-Rojas, and Ana Teresa Toro to name a few) aims to take the listener through the feelings of pride, beauty, cultural responsibility, and love for afro roots. With the Puerto Rican cuatro (traditional guitar) as the protagonist of this journey, Fabiola will be accompanied by bassist and producer Juan Maldonado, and percussionist and traditional güiro player Miguel Martínez. Tickets here.
Sunday the 6th
Sarah Shook & the Disarmers | Portland House of Music and Events | 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
North Carolina’s Sarah Shook sings with a conviction and hard honesty sorely lacking in much of today’s Americana landscape. Always passionate, at times profane, Sarah walks the line between vulnerable and menacing, her voice strong and uneasy, country classic but with contemporary, earthy tension. The Disarmers hit all the sweet spots from Nashville’s Lower Broad to Bakersfield and take Sarah’s unflinching tales out for some late-night kicks. Tickets here.
Unleashed Fest New England | Brick South | 11:30 AM – 6:00 PM
Featuring practitioners from around New England including a nationally known healer, + intuitive coach serving as the keynote to expand you. You will leave this Fest feeling fully expressed, alive and empowered. Fest highlights include swag bags, elevated practitioners offering complimentary workshops, Ecstatic Dance facilitated by DJ Ka from Portland Community Dance, and an opening and closing ceremony facilitated by Jen Cabot, M.A, Intuitive Mindset Coach, Psychic and Healer, alongside Lauren from New Moon Wellness. Tickets here.
PMA Films: The Learning Tree | Portland Museum of Art | 11:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Directed by Gordon Parks, The Learning Tree is based on Parks’s own semi-autobiographical novel, The Learning Tree. Following the journey of Newt Winger, a teenage descendant of Exodusters growing up in rural Kansas in the 1920s, as he experiences the bittersweet flowering of first love, finds his relationship with a close friend tested, and navigates the injustices embedded within racist legal and educational systems. Tickets here.
Le Vent Du Nord | One Longfellow Square | 8:00 PM – 11:00 PM
The award winning and highly acclaimed band Le Vent du Nord are a leading force in Québec’s exciting and progressive Francophone folk movement. The group’s vast repertoire draws from both traditional sources and original compositions, while their highly rhythmic and soulful music, rooted in the Celtic diaspora, is enhanced with a broad range of global influences. On stage these five friends create intense, joyful and dynamic live performances that expand the bounds of tradition in striking global directions. Tickets here.
For more events, head to our full Events Calendar here.