
City Cast Portland
🐔 Wing Week, a chicken beauty contest, and the Belmont street fair
September 18, 2026 · — Rachel Monahan
Good morning! It’s the last weekend of summer. I know we’ve all mostly moved on to fall, but it’s going to be sunny and warm ☀️
And there’s even a street fair to check out — on Southeast Belmont. Plus, there’s the Portland Polish Festival (which, in case you missed our guide, is a reason to head up to the Overlook neighborhood).
Or if you’re looking for something a little more Portland-weird, there’s a whole festival for that, including a chicken beauty contest 🐔
Plus, there’s something to look forward to on Monday: Negroni Week and Portland Mercury's Wing Week both start then 🍸

What's CITY Talking About
An Under-the-Radar Violence Prevention Program
A program that allows social workers to support gunshot victims from the time they’re treated at a hospital — through many years afterward — has been helpful to families and shown promise in preventing a cycle of violence. Healing Hurt People was among the programs saved from Mayor Keith Wilson’s budget cuts this past year, but it still faces threats from the Trump administration’s slashing of social services. [Bolt Magazine via Portland Mercury]
Alleged Serial Killer Indicted in Sixth Murder
This week, a grand jury indicted Jesse Calhoun for the murder of Elizabeth “Libby” Gibson, 32, of Portland — making it six women he’s accused of killing. He’ll stand trial in July, as one of the Pacific Northwest’s most deadly serial killers. [Oregonian]
Books To Read This Fall
The kids are back in school, and maybe it’s time for the rest of us to hit the books too. Literary Arts’ Amanda Bullock shared a fall book list on the podcast today. She recommends a bunch of writers who’ll all be at the Portland Book Festival in November. [City Cast Portland 🎧]
- The novel Beginning Middle End, by Valeria Luiselli
- How To Be Less Useful, essays by Priyanka Mattoo (coming out in November)
- Happy Snacking, Don't Die! — a cookbook by the vegan TikToker Alexis Nikole Nelson (coming out next week)
- Local writer Renée Watson’s Local: Everything New Again, which is young-adult fiction (coming out next month)

Where Is It?

You’ll find this replica of an Oregon landmark at the newly renovated East County Library in Gresham.
“Art by Crystal Schenk and Shelby Davis (same artists who did the tiny people sculptures all up and down Southeast Division),” wrote reader Barbara A. (One of the Division Street sculptures has been featured in a previous scavenger hunt.)
“This one depicts Multnomah Falls, and others in this series also at the library depict different iconic local land and water sites,” wrote reader Jeannette S. “There are about eight of this series, found along the north/south outdoor walkway and on the patio on the roof.”
“I had a geocaching meeting here, and this sculpture is part of one of the caches, the WherIGo ones,” wrote reader Audrianna Joy. “Super cool nerd activity that introduces one to new places all the time. This sculpture is in the outside portion of the library.”
“The sculpture is in the outdoor plaza. I got to check out the library recently. It's friendly and beautiful!” wrote reader Jody Anderson.
A shoutout to them and the other readers who identified the location — Bonnie A., Rhee H., Kim Streuli, Tim Baker, and Jane Jarrett.
This week's scavenger hunt is for some portraits I spotted recently:

Have you seen them?
Please click here to submit the location — and, for unofficial bonus points, anything you know about it.
If you’re new to the newsletter, there’s a scavenger hunt every Friday. In next week’s newsletter, I’ll reveal the answer and shout out the first 10 readers who respond correctly.
📸 Want to submit a photo? Please email me a snapshot of somewhere in the Portland metro area, and we’ll consider it for an upcoming “Where Is It?” segment!

What To Do
Friday, Sep. 18
- 🏳️🌈 Newport Pride: Movie & Picnic | Newport Recreation Center (Newport, Ore.)
- 💃 Club Curfew Happy Hour Dance Party | Lola's Room (Downtown)
- 🍺 Mt Angel Oktoberfest | Mt. Angel, Ore.
- 🪕 Easyfolk Fest | Winningstad Theatre (Downtown)
- 🍺 Fresh Hop Pop-Up Beer Fest | Prost! Marketplace (Boise)
- 🐉 Realms Unknown Festival | Lewis River Golf (Woodland, Wash.)
- 🎭 Fantastical Cabaret | Alberta Rose Theatre
- 🔞 Hump! Film Festival | Cinema 21
Saturday, Sep. 19
- 🌱 Milwaukie Sustainability Fair | Milwaukie Farmers Market
- 🎨 Wildwood: Crow Painting with Mike Bennett | Mike Bennett Studios (King)
- 🚗 Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live | Moda Center
- 🧸 Big Bounce America | Westside Commons (Hillsboro)
- 🎬 Sonic Silents: Keaton at 100 | Hollywood Theatre
- 🎵 Newport Pride: Elton John Tribute Band | Newport Performing Arts Center (Newport, Ore.)
- 🎉 End of Summer Pearl Party | NW 13th Ave (Pearl District)
- 🇵🇱 Portland Polish Festival | Polish Library Association Hall (Overlook)
- 🏃 MLK Dream Run Kickoff & Movement Market | PCC Cascade Campus (Humboldt)
- 🎪 Belmont Street Fair | Southeast Belmont Street (Sunnyside)
- 🎬 Food Foray | PAM CUT Tomorrow Theater (Richmond)
- 🎪 Portland Weird Fest | Oaks Park
Sunday, Sep. 20
- 👗 The Biggest Clothing Swap in the Northwest | Crystal Ballroom
- 🎬 Sonic Silents: Keaton at 100 | Hollywood Theatre
- 🏃 Newport Pride Run | Newport Performing Arts Center (Newport, Ore.)
- 💃 BodyMagick Temple Burlesque Fall Showcase | Mission Theater (Northwest District)
- 🥦 Circle V: Vegan Food & Drink Festival | Castaway (Northwest District)
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