Trying to add a payment method? You can do this on the 
QuickTake:
The most expensive event on this week’s roundup of things to do will cost you $5. (Not including the new “Spider-Man.”)
Happy late July-into-August, Lookout readers! It’s been a long, hot month, and I’ve spent far too much money on different events. Which is why I’m happy to say the bulk of events in this week’s roundup are free.
Let’s get into it:
Concerts in the park
This listing is a two-for-one! Willamalane’s free summer concert series kicks off this week with cover band Code Red on Thursday and Grateful Dead tribute group Skeletons From the Closet on Friday.
- When: 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 30, and Friday, July 31. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
- Where: Island Park, 200 West B St., Springfield
- How much: $5 or free with two nonperishable food donations
Pegasus Playhouse’s ‘Chicago’
We’re in Eugene, yes, but this weekend it will also be “Chicago.” The classic musical is being staged by Pegasus Playhouse’s teenage summer theater camp. Students from local high schools have spent weeks diving into the John Kander and Fred Ebb classic.
- When: Three performances, at 6:30 p.m. Friday, July 31; Saturday, Aug. 1; and Sunday, Aug. 2.
- Where: Oregon Contemporary Theatre, 194 W. Broadway, Eugene
- How much: Admission is on a pay-what-you-can scale at the theater.
Warehouse District Art Hop anniversary
This Saturday marks the one-year anniversary of the Warehouse District Art Hop, the pop-up tour of artistic spaces and local businesses in west Eugene. Highlights of this month’s tour include a work-in-progress monkey automaton and free T-shirts commemorating the Art Hop’s first birthday.
- When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1. Some specific venues have varying hours, so check the Art Hop map and listings for specific hours on individual stops.
- Where: West Eugene’s industrial warehouse district at participating businesses.
- How much: Free
PorchFest
Eugene PorchFest is this weekend, the continuation of an off-and-on concert series on people’s porches and yards throughout the city. Lineups are extensive, with more than 140 bands and musicians setting up shop. The weekend also includes the one-day immersive pop-up art installation “In Depth,” where a Moss Street basement has been transformed into a deep-sea scene.
- When: Throughout the day Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 1-2
- Where: Various locations across Eugene on Aug. 1, and a focus on the Whiteaker neighborhood Aug. 2. Check the PorchFest maps.
- How much: Free, though tips for artists are encouraged.
Axé Samba Festival
Are you ready to samba? This festival celebrates 25 years of Eugene samba-reggae drum group Samba Ja, with a day of free music and dance. The lineup will feature Samba Ja and fellow Eugene group Duck Samba, in addition to Portland Samba and the Seattle-based VamoLá.
- When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1
- Where: Eugene Downtown Riverfront Park, 500 Ferry St.
- How much: Free
Maude Kerns’ birthday celebration
Happy birthday, Maude! The Maude Kerns Art Center is celebrating the 150th birthday of its namesake, the pioneering avant-garde artist and art educator Maude I. Kerns. The celebration will feature ice cream, wine and cake, along with a special display of Kerns’ work, and Maude’s Mystery Bags, containing work from Eugene artists for people to take home.
- When: 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1
- Where: Maude Kerns Art Center, 1910 E. 15th Ave., Eugene
- How much: Free, but donations are appreciated.
What’s playing at the movies?
Special screenings
Are you down for a beach party? What about a “Psycho Beach Party”? This 2001 comedy horror parody mashup is a send-up of both teen beach movies and slashers, with its plucky misfit wanting to fit in with the cool surfers pulling double duty as a serial killer with split personalities.
Playing at the Art House Saturday, Aug. 1; Sunday Aug. 2; Wednesday, Aug. 5; and Thursday, Aug. 6.
One of my favorite stories I’ve ever written in my journalism career was a 50-year retrospective of the Gene Wilder “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” as an intern at The Washington Post, talking to one of the few remaining actors who played an Oompa-Loompa, the screenwriter, and the grown children, including a Zoom call from Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) that he took from the attic of his upstate New York home. (He grew up to be a retired large-animal veterinarian.)
This is a tangent to justify my love for this very, very strange, charming movie, which is screening in Eugene in honor of its 55th anniversary. How the time flies!
Playing at the Art House, Regal Valley River Center and Cinemark Eugene-Springfield.
Box office
Tom Holland as a young man disconnected from a major person in his life, trying to figure out what he owes to his home as the pressures of leadership strain him … no, we’re not talking about your friendly neighborhood Telemachus, son of Odysseus. It’s time for “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” the latest installment in young Holland’s series as the comic book superhero.
Playing at Metro Cinemas, Cinemark Eugene-Springfield and Regal Valley River Center.
“I Want Your Sex” has everything. It’s a sex comedy drama starring Cooper Hoffman (son of Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Olivia Wilde! It’s from Queer New Cinema auteur Gregg Araki (“The Doom Generation,” “Nowhere,” “Mysterious Skin”)! It’s going to be weird, fun and risqué.
Playing at Metro Cinemas.
That’s what I have for you this week, Lookout readers! If my picks aren’t up to your liking, check out our events calendar for more things to do. As always, if there are any events I should include here, or any feedback for this weekly list, drop me a line at annie@lookoutlocal.com.
