Read the poetry of Beth Slowick in this week’s local poetry spotlight.

Serious Theater in partnership with the Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) present a Mother’s Day recital at Zion Lutheran Church in The Dalles on Sunday, May 8 at 2:00 P.M. (10th and Union Streets).

Our own local school students will unlock the imaginations of our local citizens this May at The Dalles Civic Auditorium. They will bring the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie La Bird, the Whos in Whoville and other Seuss favorites to life with their production of Seussical JR.

The Dalles High School Drama Department’s spring musical “Spin: A Musical Myth” has two final showings on Thursday and Friday, April 28th and 29th. “Spin” is a musical retelling of the myth of Arachne and Athena set to a rock, jazz, and folk score.

Music and entertainment are on tap for this weekend with a plethora of events and music. Start your Friday with a free concert at The Dalles Art Center as Jenny Don’t and the Spurs will be rockin’ a block party complete with food and drinks. Streets are always open, but drinks and food start at 4:30 p.m. Music at starts at 5:15 p.m.

It’s beautiful and sad and fun and amazing to behold up on the big screen. What else can you ask for from a movie? This is the superhero movie I have been waiting for—but it’s also not just a superhero movie. Daniels (director duo Dan Kwan and Daniel Schienert) have truly created a marvel, but thankfully not for Marvel. The action in Everything Everywhere All at Once was some of the best I’ve seen in years.

Supporters of The Dalles Art Center had a huge turnout of fellow residents to help create a public sculpture on the SW corner of Second and Washington streets. Check out the videos here.

Read the poetry of Cole Goodwin in this week’s local poetry spotlight.

In less than an hour a class of rank Harp beginners were cranking out tunes like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” a free-form piece called “Medevil Drone,” “Greensleeves,” and more. The class was full - with every age group represented.

Watch for the first Cherry Fest queen at the annual parade slated for 10 a.m. in The Dalles on Saturday, April 23. The parade starts at Sixth and Webber streets (Burger King) and flows east down Third Street in downtown before heading north on Monroe Street at Optimist Printers and then returning west on Second Street to the U.S. Post office.

Julien Whitney, 23, of Yakama was up and at ‘em this morning, April 21, setting the stage for Rainier Amusements carnival on First Street downtown The Dalles. The carnival will be running Friday through Sunday for Cherry Fest.

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.

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.

Darcelle XV & Co. will perform two evening drag shows at Route 30 in The Dalles on Monday, April 11th, to sold out crowds.

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.