🛎️ The vibe

🍄 The food

• Lagers for Lloyd: Holiday Happy Hour | Wednesday, Nov. 29-Wednesday, Dec. 20 | 4-6 p.m. | Upright Brewing, 240 N. Broadway, Portland | Free | Make a Give!Guide donation to Lloyd EcoDistrict and enjoy a free beer while you decorate a holiday ornament and listen to festive tunes.
• “Home for the Holidays” | Wednesday, Nov. 29-Saturday, Dec. 23 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Broadway Rose Theatre Company, 12850 SW Grant Ave., Tigard | $20-$52 | Contemporary and classic tunes carry this lighthearted musical about a group of people trying to get home for the holidays when a blizzard strands them at a bus station.

• Brett Goldstein: The Second Best Night of Your Life | Thursday, Nov. 30-Saturday, Dec. 2 | Times vary | Keller Auditorium, 222 SW Clay St., Portland | $79-$159 | Roy Kent of “Ted Lasso” is crossing the pond to make us Yanks laugh with his stand-up comedy talent.
• “Black Nativity” | Thursday, Nov. 30-Sunday, Dec. 10 | Times vary | Portland 5 Centers for the Arts, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland | $27-$40 | Scripture, poetry, dance, and song come together to tell the Nativity story from an African American perspective.
• The Holiday Express | Thursday, Nov. 30-Sunday, Dec. 17 | Oregon Rail Heritage Center, 2250 SE Water Ave., Portland | $25-$99 | Join Santa and his elves for a magical ride along the Willamette River in vintage rail cars pulled by a historic steam locomotive.

• Troutdale Windy Wonderland | Friday, Dec. 1-Sunday, Dec. 3 | Times vary | Downtown Troutdale, 411 E. Historic Columbia River Hwy., Troutdale | Free | Shop at a holiday market featuring dozens of local vendors selling handcrafted gifts, activities for kids, and seasonal treats and drinks; Santa will stop by on Saturday + Sunday.
• The 1975 Still ... at their very best | Friday, Dec. 1 | 7:30 p.m. | Moda Center, 1 N. Center Court St., Portland | $49-$90 | If you’re a fan of this English pop-rock band, then don’t let “Somebody Else” take your place at their show.
• Christmas Ships Parade | Friday, Dec. 1-Sunday, Dec. 17 | Various locations on the Columbia and Willamette rivers, Portland | Free | Brightly lit, colorful flotillas will set sail for the 69th year, drawing thousands of onlookers to the river banks.

• A picturesque route along the northern Oregon Coast has reopened after nearly 11 years. A landslide closed part of the Cape Meares Loop in January 2013, leaving the town of Oceanside with just one way out via OR 131. Now, visitors can complete the entire 40-mile Three Capes Scenic Loop. (The Oregonian/Oregon Live)

• Sneaker-shod servers, R&B music, game-night TV, and a black marble bartop will set the stage at Kaya, a new cocktail bar opening next month in the Alberta Alley building. The space, described by owner Katya Suh as stylish but open to all, will showcase inventive drinks and “elevated bar food.” (Eater Portland)

• Spending more time exploring the great outdoors in 2024 just got a little bit easier. During December, you can buy an Oregon State Parks 12-month parking permit for $25. The annual pass, which is normally $30, covers all 25 parks that charge day-use fees. Buy one online or in person.

• ōkta has a new 10-course tasting menu celebrating the Willamette Valley’s bounty. The McMinnville restaurant, which was named one of The New York Times’ 50 Best Restaurants of 2023, will offer the Cloud + Forest menu — think: foraged mushrooms and produce from ōkta’s farm — through January at $285 per person.

• Dropkick Murphys are shipping up to Portland in early 2024. Hear the millennial generation’s unofficial Celtic punk anthem and rock out with special guests Pennywise and The Scratch from Dublin during the “St. Patrick’s Day Tour” on Saturday, Feb. 17, at the Moda Center.

• It seems the curtain has fallen on another of Aaron Barnes’ ventures. The owner of The 1905, a North Portland jazz bar that closed earlier this month, appears to have also shuttered his Italian restaurant, Scholar. But we’re still awaiting an official announcement from the Northeast Broadway eatery. (Eater Portland)

• Finding a therapist who understands how both different sexual and gender identities and alternate relationship structures impact a relationship can be challenging. Bryce Cohan, MA at the Couples of Clinic of Portland, can help.*

• We aren’t given many 21-month grace periods. Oil checks, doctor appointments, Tax Day... time speeds by between them. But The Ascent found a credit card offering 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 21 months — among the longest we’ve seen to avoid interest charges. Learn more.*

• Did you know some foods contribute to unwanted pounds, especially around your midsection? Three common breakfast foods can act like glue and attract fat — this video explains how.*

• Which ugly Christmas sweater would you choose? We’re liking: the Santa hat-topped wine glass or the “Home Alone” print featuring Catherine O’Hara.*

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