Read the poetry of Stud Walker in this week’s local poetry spotlight.

If you could send a message to aliens/extraterrestrials what message would you send?

Flor makes an extremely rare appearance at Hood River’s River City Saloon on Saturday, May 7 after punching concert tickets in New York and L.A. RollingStone dishes on the band in a recent article.

More than 30 downtown businesses in The Dalles are pairing up with food and beverage businesses tonight, May 6, to bring locals a Taste of the Gorge. Beer, wine, meats, cheese, guitars and even hat contests are on tap as TD comes alive for First Friday in its second rendition. Grab your appetite and a lust for fun. And see you there!

Billy Bob Thornton is just the tip of the iceberg this week in local entertainment. TD kicks of its First Friday tonight at 5 p.m. with more than 20 businesses participating and music events abound in the Gorge. Read about all your choices here as well as upcoming shows. They include Bingen Theatre, Discovery Center, Bargeway Pub, Maupin Daze, Zim’s, The Pines, Red Carpet, River City Saloon, Ruins, Everybody’s Brewing, Double Mountain, TD Civic, Working Hands Beer, White Salmon Library, Goldendale.

Join Columbia Gorge Orchestra Association & STAGES for the first ever Gorge production of Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning, groundbreaking musical, RENT at the Bingen Theatre on May 6th, 8th, 20th, and 21st.

Come party like an Ewok, bring your Wookie friends! Enjoy themed snacks, games, prizes and activities at The Dalles Library, 722 Court Street. This Star Wars themed event, for all ages, will take place on, of course, May 4th, starting at 3:00 p.m.

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.