QuickTake:

Our things to do this week include a neon-lit quirky celebration of all things Eugene, a farewell to Vaux’s swifts and plenty of concerts. Also, Shaq!

I’ve been sick this week, so I bring you this roundup of things to do that I’ve typed out while curled up in bed under a few blankets. It’s being under the weather that makes you regret all the days that you didn’t do something fun. With that in mind, here’s our weekly roundup of events to not regret missing, in case you catch whatever’s going around like I have. 

I’ll also be rounding up fall and Halloween-themed activities for the month of October! I love all things spooky and eerie, but this is my first Halloween in Eugene. Let me know what I absolutely can’t miss by dropping me a line at annie@lookoutlocal.com. But for now, let’s get into it:

💡Eugene BRiGHT Parade: The third year of the Eugene BRiGHT Parade, an illuminated parade celebrating all things quirky and Eugene, is Saturday. Neon-lit, eccentric costumes, bicycles and more will fill the streets of downtown Eugene before an afterparty with food vendors and music wraps up the night. 

  • When: Saturday, Sept. 27, from 7:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. An afterparty follows at the Farmers Market Pavilion, ending at 10 p.m.
  • Where: The parade starts and ends at Eighth Avenue and Pearl Street.
  • How much: Free to attend.

🐦 Farewell to Vaux’s swifts: As I wrote about last week, the migratory Vaux’s swifts are on their annual stop to Eugene but will soon be flying south for the winter. So the Coast to Cascades Bird Alliance, formerly the Lane County Audubon Society, will be hosting a final group watch event to see the swifts swirl above their beloved Agate Hall chimney. Tip: Bring a lawn chair.

  • When: The group will start gathering at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26.
  • Where: The parking lot at 17th and Agate Street, on the University of Oregon campus.
  • How much: It’s a totally free event — you’re watching birds!

🔊Shaq’s Bass All-Stars: This touring bass music concert coming to Eugene is anchored by DJ Diesel. Haven’t heard of him? Yes, you have, but probably as basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal. This concert is 16+, and will see O’Neal, joined by other bass-heavy DJs, take over the Cuthbert.

  • When: Gates open at 5 p.m, and the show is scheduled to start at the same time, according to the Cuthbert’s website. 
  • Where: The Cuthbert Amphitheater, in Eugene’s Alton Baker Park.
  • How much: Available tickets range from $71.75 to $82.25. 

🎵 Kristen Ford and Rachael Sage: Looking for a Monday evening concert to start next week off right after an exciting weekend? These two alt-folk-pop musicians will take the stage in Eugene at The Art House as part of their Joy = Resistance Tour, with both playing work from their new albums, the August release “Pinto” for Ford and the forthcoming “Canopy” for Sage.

  • When: Monday, Sept. 29, starting at 7 p.m. 
  • Where: The Art House, 492 E. 13th Ave. in Eugene.
  • How much: Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 on the day of the show.

🎶 Mon Rovîa: I’ve been seeing Mon Rovîa on my TikTok feed for years, where he’s told his story of being born into conflict during a civil war in Liberia and adopted by American missionaries. Now based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, he refers to himself as an Afro-Appalachian folk artist, with his lyrical work blending those influences, set to haunting melodies.

  • When: Wednesday, Oct. 1. Doors open at 7 p.m.
  • Where: WOW Hall, at 291 W. Eighth Ave. in downtown Eugene. 
  • How much: Tickets are $23 in advance and $26 on the day of the show. 

🧙‍♀️ Hokus Pokus Live! This touring stage show is a drag queen retelling of the 1993 Halloween classic movie “Hocus Pocus.” It stars “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alums Ginger Minj, Jujubee and Sapphira Cristál as the witchy Sanderson sisters, but with a bit more spice and sequins. (This is one day after I usually cut off the timing for these roundups, but I’m worried tickets are going to sell out before I get the chance to include it next week.) The show is recommended for audiences that are at least 13 years old. 

  • When: Thursday, Oct. 2. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show starts at 8 p.m.
  • Where: The McDonald Theatre, at 1010 Willamette St.
  • How much: Regular tickets are $59, and two-tiered VIP packages offer perks like a meet and greet, a group photo, priority check-in and more for higher prices, starting at $92.75. 

🎥What’s playing at the movies

  • I teased in last week’s roundup that I’ve been looking forward to a movie for years. That would be Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio as an off-grid leftie ex-revolutionary who has to get back in the fight when his daughter is in danger. While I haven’t read “Vineland,” the Thomas Pynchon novel that “One Battle After Another” is inspired by, Anderson’s earlier Pynchon take, “Inherent Vice,” is one of my favorite movies of the 2010s. Do not miss this one. Playing at Broadway Metro Cinemas and Regal Valley River Center.
  • The other movie to watch that comes out this week is “Eleanor the Great,” starring absolute delight June Squibb as a 94-year-old woman who, after the death of her best friend and roommate, Bessie, moves from Florida to New York City. There, she falls into a convoluted lie as she starts using Bessie’s Holocaust stories to fit into a group of survivors. Reviews have been mixed, with some taking offense at the Holocaust lie premise, but praise for Squibb’s performance is universal. (It’s also Scarlett Johansson’s directorial debut, but less praise has been doled out for her filmmaking chops.) Playing at Broadway Metro Cinemas and Regal Valley River Center.

Annie Aguiar is the Arts and Culture Correspondent. She has reported arts news and features for national and local newsrooms, including at the Seattle Times, the Washington Post and most recently as a reporting fellow for the New York Times’ Culture desk covering arts and entertainment.