If the way to their heart is through their stomach

• Get cozy and sip a glass of wine in a candlelit nook at M Bar.
• Sit under the pale silk petals of a decorative cherry tree while eating Japanese-Korean fusion dishes at Janken.
• Bond over sourdough pizzas and scratch-made limeade under the lantern-lit, grape-vine-covered patio at The Turning Peel.
  

For the ones who like to play games (just not with your heart)

• Show your shared love for a local sports team at a home game for the Trail Blazers, Timbers, Thorns, or Pickles, to name a few.
• Up for some friendly, 8-bit competition? Pocket a bottle of hand sanitizer and indulge in vintage video gaming at Ground Kontrol or Next Level Pinball Museum.
  

If fall always makes you fall in love

• Plan a tour of Portland’s unbe-leaf-ably beautiful fall foliage hotspots. The leaves are dead but the chemistry won’t be.
• Pick pumpkins at a local farm to carve and decorate together. You can learn so much about a person from their jack-o'-lantern choices.
• Take a drive through the Hood River Fruit Loop, where you’ll find a bushel of orchards offering u-pick apples.

• Canstruction PDX | Friday, Sept. 20-Sunday, Sept. 22 | 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Pioneer Place Mall | Free | Marvel at towering works of art created using full cans of food; each of these building blocks is then donated to Oregon Food Bank.
• Realms Unknown | Friday, Sept. 20-Sunday, Sept. 22 | Times vary | Lewis River Golf Course, Woodland | $40+ | A portal has opened — step through and enter this “all-genre fantasy festival” where interactive quests, magical food + retail vendors, and live entertainment await.
• Elktoberfest | Friday, Sept. 20-Saturday, Sept. 21 | 4-10 p.m. | Vancouver Elks Lodge #823, Vancouver | $10 | Join the B.P.O.E. Elks of Vancouver for a German-style celebration complete with beers and brats, live music, and kids’ carnival games.

• Community Recycling Event by New Seasons Market | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Revolution Hall | Free | Get rid of those hard-to-recycle items you’ve been collecting like plastic straws + bags, bread clips, e-waste, Styrofoam, and more; some items cost a fee.
• 9th Annual Rose City PhotoFair | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Kliever Armory | $6+ | Shop for modern + vintage photography gear for all skill levels, get your hands on cutting-edge lenses for nearly any camera body, and meet local pros.
• St. Johns Boosters Fall Fling | Saturday, Sept. 21 | 11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Locations vary | Free | Jump into the season like it’s a big pile of crunchy leaves at this family-friendly festival featuring local businesses, drawings, music, mini horses, and more.

• Let’s Go Girls Build Pop Up Shop | Sunday, Sept. 22 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | The Sports Bra | Free | Shop for women’s workwear and customize your items at a screenprinting station; a portion of sales benefits the Girls Build nonprofit.
• Sunflowers After Hours | Sunday, Sept. 22 | 6-8:15 p.m. | Topaz Farm | $25 | Sip a complimentary drink, then get lost (in the best way) along paths bordered by thousands of towering sunflowers.
• Paint Fight PDX | Sunday, Sept. 22 | 6-10 p.m. | The High Water Mark | $5 | Watch as paid artists go brush-to-brush in this three-round painting competition where the winner is crowned by popular vote.

• Downtown Portland’s historic Thompson Elk Fountain won’t be reinstalled by the end of 2024 as previously hoped. A new contract approved by the City Council will pay a local company $1.8 million to restore, renovate, and reinstall the landmark — a process that might be completed sometime next year. (OPB)

• But first, coffee. According to WalletHub’s list of Best Coffee Cities in America, Portland is comin’ in hot at No. 1. The study factored in key metrics like coffee houses and cafes per capita + the average price per pack of coffee. Explore our guide to great local coffee shops.

• Gluten-free bakery Kirari West is expanding up the West Coast. The company will open its first location outside of California, moving into the former Boxer Ramen space on Northwest 23rd Avenue. You’ll find breakfast offerings and all-day items like sandwiches, bowls, loaves, pastries, and smoothies starting in mid-October. (Eater Portland)

• Introducing Jobs, our new virtual bulletin board featuring local job openings in all industries. It’s simple: Post your listing (it’s free for a limited time), and watch those applications roll in.

• Sea Otter Awareness Week is next week. The Oregon Zoo’s marine life area will have host activities, keeper talks, and otter training sessions Monday, Sept. 23-Friday, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Learn about local sea otter reintroduction efforts on Sunday, Sept. 22, 10 a.m.-3 pm.

• The figurative campfire has gone dark at downtown Portland’s 1927 S’mores Company. The company, known for slinging creative versions of the classic treat, closed its walk-in shop and mobile bar without warning, leaving some event planners who had put down deposits in the lurch. (KGW)

• The WNBA’s 15th franchise, new jerseys for the Trail Blazers, and Adrian Wojnarowski retiring; Locked On Blazers host Mike Richman takes a timeout from player previews to discuss the biggest basketball stories bouncing around the Rose City right now.

• Grab a cup of apple cider and get lost in Bella Organic’s 7-acre corn maze on Sauvie Island now through Oct. 31. Get a sneak peek of this year’s maze design — and plan your visit. Bonus: Entry is free for all school staff in Oregon.*

• The Habitat for Humanity ReStore team is currently hiring a Store Supervisor for the Beaverton ReStore. This is a full-time position with a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, paid time off, and more. Interested? Submit an application.*

• If you’re looking for one of the most sought-after wild mushrooms in the world, we’ve found it. Discover Boletus edulis (and much more) this Saturday, Sept. 21 + Sunday, Sept. 22 during the Porcini Mushroom Festival at Oak Flat Vineyards. Plus, try different mushroom dishes with wine pairings. Buy tix.*

• Rates just dropped. Now could be the perfect time for you to tap into your home equity — calculate your payment.*