Live comedy, music and theater are all on the bill this weekend in Salem.
Here’s your guide to Salem events from Friday, April 12, to Sunday, April 14.
Shopping
Vintage sale The Great Junk Hunt is back at the Oregon State Fairgrounds Friday from 4-9 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets range from $10-20 depending on entry time, with earlier admission more expensive. Parking is $5 per car, 12 and under free. The fairgrounds is at 2330 17th St. N.E.
Comedy
Comedian and actor Felipe Esparza is bringing “The Bigfoo Tour” to the Elsinore Theatre on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Esparza is working on his fourth standup special, with three already on Netflix and HBO. Tickets range from $42 to $52. The theater is at 170 High St. S.E.
Infinity Room, 210 Liberty St. S.E. #150, will host several live shows this weekend:
- The Electric Baguette All-Ages Improv on Friday, is a unique show based on audience suggestions. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 online and $12 at the door.
- Chicago Comedian Ken Hamlett will host several comedians from across the country for “A Drunken Night Out.” They will revisit their worst drunken nights out, perform standup comedy and do improv “not so sober” on crowd-sourced topics, an event listing said. The show will be at 9:30 p.m. on Friday. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.
Music, theater and art
The curtains at Willamette University’s M. Lee Pelton Theatre will make way for “Dancing at Lughnasa,” a play written by Brian Friel and directed by Susan Coromel. “One man’s childhood memories of his 1936 summer in Ballybeg, Ireland, unfold before us – the time of the festival of Lughnasa, which celebrates the pagan god of harvest with drunken revelry and dancing. His crowded home includes his mother and her four extraordinary sisters, all changed forever by a surprise visitor and their first radio,” an event listing said. Shows will be Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the theater, 900 State St. Performances will continue through April 27, with dates listed online. Tickets range from $9 to $15.
The Keizer Homegrown Theater is performing “Silent Sky,” written by Lauren Gunderson and directed by Loriann Schmidt. “The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific and heart-bound discoveries,” an event listing said. Shows this weekend are Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Keizer Heritage Center, 980 Chemawa Rd. NE. The production runs through Sunday, April 28. Tickets are $15 and free for those with Oregon Trail Cards
“Get ready to swing, jump, and jive” when the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies perform on Friday at Salem’s Historic Grand Theatre, an event listing said. “The concert promises an immersive experience where the boundaries of musical genres blur, and the audience becomes part of a pulsating, dancing sea of fans.” The show will go from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday, and the theater is at 187 High St. N.E. Tickets are $35.
Festival Chorale Oregon performs Dvořák’s best known sacred work, “Stabat Mater,” on Sunday, April 14, at 4 p.m. at the Elsinore Theatre. The work puts to music the liturgy of Mary’s suffering during the crucifixion of Jesus. Get tickets here.
Skating
Traveling Wheelz is hosting three open skate events this weekend. People can bring their own skates or rent them for $5. Tickets are $15. Register online and sign a waiver for the 18+ Friday event from 9-11 p.m. (18+), or the all ages events on Saturday: 3-5 p.m. or 5:30-7:30 p.m. They will be held at the Madhouse, 1335 Madison St. N.E.
Coming up
The Hallie Ford Museum of Art is hosting a demonstration by art conservator Tom Fuller, who will work with objects from the museum’s Native American collection. “Fuller’s skills as a conservator play a vital role at the museum, where he has worked as a consultant since the early 2000s,” according to an event listing. The demonstration will be from 1-3 p.m. on Tuesdays April 16, 23 and 30 at the museum, 700 State St.
Pentacle Theatre’s newest play, “Ripcord,” opens Friday, April 19. It’s a comedy about a conflict between two women in a nursing home. Visit the theater website for showtimes and tickets.
Salem is hosting the International Uranium Film Fest on Friday, April 19, and Saturday, April 20, with screenings of films about nuclear weapons both evenings at the Ike Box. The event is sponsored by Nuclear Abolition Now and seeks to highlight the impact of atomic weapons and perspectives missing from the blockbuster film “Oppenheimer.” A schedule of films is here.
Chemeketa Community College will host Boston Brass on Tuesday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for students and $30 general admission. More information here.
CORRECTION: Tickets for Keizer Homegrown Theatre’s “Silent Sky” show are $15 for general admission. An earlier version reported they were $25. Salem Reporter apologizes for the error.
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
SUPPORT OUR WORK – We depend on subscribers for resources to report on Salem with care and depth, fairness and accuracy. Subscribe today to get our daily newsletters and more. Click I want to subscribe!
Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered criminal justice and housing for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers city news, education, nonprofits and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for a decade. Outside of work, she’s a skater and board member with Salem’s Cherry City Roller Derby and can often be found with her nose buried in a book.
