Underground Music Therapy will provide youth with instruments and professional instruction, giving them a chance to connect with others and ground themselves through music. Lessons will be adapted for each youth and include therapeutic-based goals tailored to their strengths, learning style, and unique needs.

This weekend and upcoming weeks are loaded with entertainment at River City Saloon, The Dalles Eagles, TD Library, Bingen Theater, Granada, Bargeway Pub, Working Hands Beer, Everybody’s Brewing, Grateful Vineyard, Double Mountain, Zim’s, The Ruins, The Pines, 64 Taphouse, HR Elks.

Sarah Cook reveals the simple steps to printmaking after a crash course with Maggie Middleton, Apprentice Printer at Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts in Pendleton, who gave the demonstration at The Dalles Art Center. Check it out. Maybe it’s time for you to gouge away.

Read the poetry of Judy Bankman in this weeks local poetry spotlight.

Strong, confident people are not born. They are raised and nurtured and mentored and loved. Case in point: Gabriella Haskins - 2022 Distinguished Young Woman for Wasco County. Her path trails back to when she was a toddler watching her older sister on the balance beam and the strong girls that surrounded her.

Entertainment abounds this month with shows on tap at Working Hands Beer, Zim’s, Bargeway, Ruins, TD Civic, Grateful Vineyard, Everybody’s Brewing, Easter Bunny, Mid-Columbia Car Club Cruise-in, Double Mountain, River City Saloon, Cider Fest, Paint Night, Rockford Grange Hall, Granada, TD Library.

The Baldwin Saloon reopens today with a lunch service that goes from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The crew at the Baldwin along with Executive Chef Joe Kosarek have been working their tastebuds off for the past several weeks in preparation. And it has paid off in their fresh lunch menu.

Jeff Carrell celebrates his Birthday today, April 9, after an epic show with friends at Zim’s Brau Haus on Friday night. It was so great to see a four-piece putting screws through the rock again. Carrell, Victor Johnson Jeff Minnick and Kenny Olsen put together a 2-hour jam on Friday with some dark play on Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline. Happy 57th Jeff!

This week’s local poetry spotlight features a poem by Rebecca Sonniksen, which was inspired by her daughter Sofia.

“It has helped me to process things when I’ve submitted my own stuff,” Colleen Ballinger said about her occasional contributions to the Poetree, which change in response to seasons and current events and depending on the amount of work she receives from others, including strangers.

Columnist Jim Drake takes you through music, culture and entertainment options at Zims, Route 30, The Pines, TD Civic, 64 Taphouse, Granada, HR Library, Bargeway Pub, Thunder Island, Everybody’s Brewing, MoCo, Double Mountain, Grateful Vineyard, Easter Bunny, River City Saloon, Wine Tasting, TD Eagles, Cider Fest.

Many stopped by the “Love Where You Live” First Friday event to meet local artists, bakers, musicians, jewelry makers, artisan foods and photographers who “popped up” inside downtown shops, restaurants, and bars for the evening to sell their goods and chat with customers.

Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story is as emotionally captivating as it is breathtaking to behold. The singing, dancing, acting, and direction all come together in a nearly perfect union to bring an old story into the present.

This April 1st, downtown will be alive after five for their very first FIRST FRIDAY! Thirty small businesses in downtown The Dalles have teamed up with their favorite makers and artisans for a night of local art, shopping, wine, food, connection and more. Over 60 small businesses open extended hours this Friday night from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Things are popping this weekend as live music and First Friday events in both The Dalles and Hood River offer up some fun entertainment and dance opportunities. So, no singing the blues; put on your dancing shoes.

Coming shows and events at The Ruins, Granada, Last Stop Saloon, Zim’s, Route 30, TD Civic Auditorium, Riverside Community Church, Mosier Company, Working Hands Beer, Everybody’s Brewing, Grateful Vineyard, TD Wasco County Library, TD Eagles, The Pines, TD First Friday.

Serious Theater is holding auditions for their first production of the 2022 season, “The Stinky Cheese Man”. Though the characters may be familiar, each of your favorite storybook fables is cunningly derailed in this adaptation of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's children's book of fractured fairy tales.

Coming shows and events at The Ruins, Everybody’s Brewing, Grateful Vineyard, Bargeway Pub, Granada, River City Saloon, Zim’s, Columbia Center for the Arts, Mid-Columbia Community Concert Association, The Dalles Wasco County Library, The Dalles Eagles, Working Hands, The Pines, Downtown The Dalles, Bingen Theatre, Gorge Blues and Brews, Route 30, Cider Fest, Stone Hedge Gardens.

The Batman brings us back to Gotham—albeit a more squalid, rainy and corrupt version—where Batman (Robert Pattinson) is only in his second year as the caped crusader and finds himself squaring off against The Riddler (Paul Dano), The Penguin (Colin Farrell) and Carmine Falcone (John Turturro).

When it comes to live music, Jim Drake can get you plugged in. Our local columnist for entertainment Gorge-wide has a good sampling of coming shows and events, including Al Hare, Gary Pryor, St. Patrick’s Celebration, Tim Mayer CD, Rich Wilkins, Jazz series, Zumba for Y.E.S. House, NW Cherry Festival, Marty Stuart, Modern English, Billy Bob Thornton, Got Your Six, Wayo Hogan, Cici Artemisia, The Riff Ratts, Garrett Brenan, jamgrass, Matt Coughlin and Jugtime Ragband.