Layups and three-point shots will fill Salem streets for much of the week as Hoopla returns to town.
For the less athletically-inclined, there’s also a board game swap, a celebration of steam power and plenty of music and comedy shows. Here’s a guide to what’s happening in Salem from Thursday, July 25, through Wednesday, July 31.
Hoopla
Special events through July 28, main tournament July 27-28
The 25th annual 3×3 basketball tournament will fill the streets surrounding the Oregon State Capitol. The main Hoopla 3×3 tournament games will be played on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Anyone can bring a chair and spectate for free.
Special events leading up to the main tournament include a free-throw competition
The event now has nearly 1,100 teams competing for six days, and has its own smartphone application so spectators and participants can keep track of teams, schedules and scores.
A full schedule of Hoopla events can be found on the event’s website.
Great Oregon Steam-Up
July 27-28, Aug. 3-4
The event includes historical demonstrations of blacksmithing, threshing and saw-milling; family activities and the Parade of Power daily at 1:30 p.m., featuring steam traction engines, vintage tractors, classic cars and fire engines.
“The Great Oregon Steam-Up is more than just an event; it’s a living, breathing showcase of our state’s rich agricultural and industrial heritage,” said Joe Tracy, marketing director for Powerland Heritage Park, in a statement. “We’re thrilled to offer families and history enthusiasts a chance to step back in time and experience the ingenuity of past generations.”
Tickets are $17 for adults, $12 for youth ages 13-17 and free for kids 12 and under. See a full schedule and buy tickets on the event website.
*Puzzle and Game Swap
July 27: Too many games taking up space in your home? Need something fresh to play? The Salem Public Library is hosting a puzzle and game swap Saturday from 1-3 p.m. at the main branch, 585 Liberty St. S.E. People can drop off new or gently-used games (no missing pieces) at the library through Friday, or bring them to the swap. The event is free, and you don’t need to bring items to swap to participate.
Live music, comedy, improv and local performances
Infinity Room, 210 Liberty St SE #150
July 25: “Oral Fixation” at Infinity Room will share comedic stories from dentists Dr. Brady Smith and Dr. Bert Walpack. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. show. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door.
July 26: Live music featuring Sunwell, Heavy Totals and Steve’s Breakfast. Doors at 7:30 p.m. for an 8 p.m. show. Tickets $12 in advance or $15 at the door.
July 27: Have you ever seen a review online and wondered “Who wrote this?!” Comedians scoured the world wide web for the strangest and most ridiculous reviews to inspire hilarious improvised comedy scenes. Watch as comedians turn the internet’s bad reviews into something new! Doors at 6 p.m. for a 7 p.m. show. Tickets $12 in advance or $15 at the door.
July 27: Karaoke fundraiser begins at 9 p.m. Sing your heart out and help raise money for the production of “Evil Dead: The Musical,” a musical theater adaptation of one of the horror genre’s most beloved staples by the Mid-Valley Theatre Network. Tickets $12 in advance or $15 at the door.
The Grand Theatre, 191 High St. N.E.
July 26: Catch The Oregon Opry with Eli Howard, The Greater Good and Tuesday String Band at the Grand Theatre. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 online and $20 the day of the show.
July 27: In The Pink, a Portland-based Pink Floyd tribute band, will perform at the Grand Theatre. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.
Other venues
*July 25: Roundhouse Band presents an evening of southern rock, blues, folk and more at West Salem City Park, 265 Rosemont Ave. N.W. The show runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Free and part of the West Salem Lions summer concert series. Concessions available for purchase.
July 27: Big Bad Beat plays the hits from the past six decades at Half Penny, 3743 Commercial St. S.E., from 8-11 p.m. Come for a dance party featuring the funk/soul/boogie band.
*July 31: A free performance by Los Angeles-based children’s musician and songwriter Nathalia comes to the Chemeketa Community College auditorium from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The show is an interactive bilingual family show covering themes such as space exploration and cruising the Amazon River. The auditorium is in building 6 of the college’s Salem campus, 4000 Lancaster Dr. N.E.
Live theater and cinema
July 25: Salem Cinema presents a day of art house theater, bringing a mix of independent films to the screen. Screenings include classics like “Purple Rain,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” as well as 2024 productions like “Songs of Earth,” a feature highlighting Norway’s majestic landscape, and “Flipside,” a tragicomic documentary about a filmmaker’s efforts to revive the New Jersey record store where he worked as a teen. See a full list of screenings here. Tickets $11, and the theater is located at 1127 Broadway St. N.E.
July 25-28, Aug. 1-4: Theatre 33 closes its summer season with “Gone” by Lolly Ward. A will provides peace of mind as four stepsiblings divide their anticipated inheritance with generosity, suspicion and greed. Shows Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in the M. Lee Pelton Theatre at Willamette University, 900 State St. Tickets free with a suggested $15 donation.
*July 26: “Wonka,” the musical origin story of the whimsical chocolatier, will show for free at Riverfront Park, part of Salem’s Movies in the Park lineup. The show starts around sunset, approximately 8:45 p.m.
Markets and shopping
Every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. is the Salem Public Market at 1240 Rural Avenue S.E.
Salem Community Markets will bring local produce, food and products to various places throughout the city all week.
The Wednesday Chemeketa Market runs from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Chemeketa Community College Agricultural Hub at 4000 Lancaster Drive N.E.
The Thursday West Salem Farmers Market runs from 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at 1260 Edgewater St. N.W.
The Saturday Market is 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at 865 Marion St. N.E.
The Monday Hospital Market will be 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on Salem Hospital’s campus, 875 Oak St., between building A & C.
Art and cultural exhibits
See what’s on display at local galleries and museums this month.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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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.
