Couve Culture Weekender: Mar 13 - Mar 16

Author

Jay Letlow
March 13, 2025

It's Thursday the 13th of March in the Couve.

Aloha from Maui, where I'm currently "researching" the best beach positions and mai tai recipes for scientific purposes! Don't worry, I'm somehow still managing to compile this newsletter between sunscreen applications and spotting sea turtles. I'll be back in our beloved rain-soaked hometown by Friday, ready to attend some of these amazing events myself.

There's a TON happening this weekend, especially with St. Patrick's Day celebrations taking over the city. Don't miss the total lunar eclipse late Thursday night, the VHS Swap at Vice Beer, and plenty of great live music options. For the culture lovers, there's burlesque, comedy, and theater too - something for everyone unless your hobby is complaining about having nothing to do.

What's in store for this weekend:

  • St. Patrick's Day celebrations across the city

  • Total lunar eclipse viewing Thursday night/Friday morning

  • Clark County Quilters Guild Show at the Event Center

  • Cascadia Reptile Expo makes its Vancouver debut

  • The Lalas burlesque show at Cowlitz Ballroom

Quick Links

Local News

Breakside Brewery to open first Washington location in beautiful downtown Vancouver

According to filings, the brewery will be opening a brew pub at 700 Washington street at the space previously occupied by Locust Cider company.

They have filed a liquor license for spirits, beer and wine with the latter two being available for purchase to be brought off premise as well as indicated they will be offering food at the location. This will mark their first foray into the Evergreen State. Read More

Vancouver's first Montessori high school will open in August

Atlas Montessori High School recently got its nonprofit status and will welcome 9th- and 10th-graders in August. Read More

Cheap Flights

Need an escape from the perpetual spring drizzle? Here are this week's escape routes for your wanderlust and wallet. This week we have cheap flights to Costa Rica, Banff National Park, and California.

PDX - San Jose, Costa Rica 🇨🇷
From $398, normally $750+
Departing May 2025
American Airlines
Economy Seating
Layovers
4h12m in Dallas
3h24m in Dallas (return)
*Price will last ~7 days
sample pricing

PDX - Calgary, Canada (Banff) 🇨🇦
From $278, normally $400+
Mar - Jun 2025
United Airlines
Economy Seating
Layovers
39m in San Francisco
1h40m in Vancouver (return)
*Price will last ~7 days
sample pricing

PDX - Sacramento
PDX - Oakland
PDX - San Jose
From $97, normally $300+
Departing Apr - Jun 2025
Southwest Airlines
Economy Seating
Nonstop
*Price will last 1-2 days
sample pricing to Sacramento
sample pricing to Oakland
sample pricing to San Jose

These flight deals might disappear faster than my tan lines after returning from Maui. Remember to play around with the dates to score the best deals, and pack me in your suitcase if you go somewhere warm!

St. Paddy's Celebrations

3/14-3/17 | St. Patrick's Day Blind Tasting | Airfield Estates | FREE | 🍀 See if the luck of the Irish helps you identify single-varietal reds without peeking at the labels. More Info

3/15 @ 5-11pm | St. Paddy's Celebration | Donnell's Bar | FREE | 🍀 Shake your shamrock and go green at a party that promises to be more memorable than your actual St. Patrick's Day plans. More Info

3/15 @ 9-11am | Felida Shamrock Run | Mahoney's Public House | Starting at $35 | 🍀 Run (or walk) for charity while wearing green - the only acceptable reason to be sweaty before noon on a weekend. Register Here

3/15 @ 11am-9pm | St. Patrick's Day Shenanigans | Ashwood Taps & Trucks | FREE | ☘️ Photos with a leprechaun and cornhole tournaments - the authentic Irish traditions your ancestors definitely celebrated. More Info

3/15 @ 11am-1:30pm | St. Patrick's Day at Vancouver Mall | Vancouver Mall | FREE | ☘️ Live Irish performances and MyPerks events featuring snacks, games, and the rare chance to enjoy the mall without holiday shopping crowds. More Info

3/15 @ 12pm, 1pm, 8pm | St. Paddy's Weekend Irish Music & Dance | Brickhouse | FREE | ☘️ Authentic Irish entertainment paired with food that's about as Irish as a potato made in Idaho - but delicious nonetheless. More Info

3/15 @ 5pm | St. Paddy's Party with Adrenaline Rush | Cascade Bar and Grill | FREE | 🍀 Rock your green attire and dance like the leprechauns are watching - they probably are. More Info

Food & Drink

3/14 @ 1-8pm | Blind Wine Tasting | Burnt Bridge Cellars | FREE | 🍷 Put your wine snobbery to the test and see if you can actually tell a Cab from a Merlot when the labels are hidden. More Info

3/14 @ 5-8pm | Date Night | Bethany Vineyard | Reservation required | 💕 A chance to stare at your partner across a table instead of across the living room couch - fancy! Reservations

3/14 @ All Day | Pi Day Special | Hungry Sasquatch | $3.14 cheese slices | 🍕 Mathematical pizza pricing that makes more sense than anything you learned in high school geometry. More Info

3/15 @ 3-10pm | Selection Series IPA Flight | Final Draft Taphouse | FREE entry | 🍺 Experience how different hops change the same base beer - it's like a science experiment, but you get tipsy instead of a grade. More Info

Community & Volunteering

3/13 @ 12-6pm | Native Plant Sale | Clark College | FREE | 🌱 Start your spring with some PNW native plants that benefit student learning and restoration work. More Info

3/14 @ 10am-12:30pm | Flora & Fauna Friday | The Downs Neighborhood Park | FREE | 🌿 Distribute mulch, pick up litter, and pull invasive plants - basically be Mother Nature's cleaning crew for a few hours. RSVP Required

3/15 @ 10am-1pm | David Douglas Park Cleanup | David Douglas Park | FREE | 🌳 Three hours of volunteering that'll make you feel superior to your friends who slept in. RSVP Required

3/15 @ 5-8pm | Every Day is a Miracle Gala | Heathman Lodge | Tickets from $150 | 🥂 A fundraiser for Recovery Café Clark County - where you can feel good about spending money on fancy food because it's for charity. Tickets Here

Vancouver Events

Thursday

3/13 @ 10am-12pm | Mom Walk & Coffee | Fort Vancouver | FREE | 👩‍👧 Walk, talk, and caffeinate with other moms - stroller-friendly and includes a raffle, because moms deserve prizes just for showing up. Register Here

3/13 @ 4-7pm | Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic | Art At The Cave | $5 suggested donation | 🎭 Anti-racist, LGBTQ+ friendly, pro-science poetry night - be prepared for words that might make your conservative uncle uncomfortable. More Info

3/13 @ 7-8:30pm | Thursday Trivia Night | Ghostrunners Brewery and Kitchen | FREE w/reservation | 🧠 Test your useless knowledge while consuming very useful beer - reservations required because apparently trivia is more popular than we thought. Reserve Here

3/13 @ 8pm | Comedy on Tap | Kiggins Theatre | $15 | 🎭 Local and regional comics who are either tomorrow's Netflix special stars or people with day jobs for very good reasons. Tickets Here

3/13-3/15 @ 10am | Clark County Quilters Guild Quilt Show | Clark County Event Center | $10/day | 🧵 "From Pieces to Masterpieces" - see what people with actual patience and attention to detail can create. More Info

Friday

3/14 @ 1:30-3:30pm | 50 and Better Dance | Firstenburg Community Center | $11-14 | 💃 Dance with other folks who remember when music was actually good, with live tunes by Music We Remember Trio. RSVP Required

3/14 @ 5-6:45pm | First Time Climb Friday | Firstenburg Community Center | $19-24 | 🧗 Finally tackle that climbing wall you've been eyeing without the embarrassment of falling in front of experienced climbers. RSVP Required

3/14 @ 5-9pm | Stormdog Live Music | Cascade Bar & Grill | FREE | 🎸 Quality live music at a venue where the drinks are stronger than your willpower to stay home on a Friday night. More Info

3/14 @ 6pm | Rodeo Rose | Rock and Brews @ Ilani Casino | FREE | 🤠 Turn the casino into a honky-tonk for the night - because nothing says "responsible financial decisions" like line dancing after losing at blackjack. More Info

3/14 @ 7:30-10pm | Teen Late Night with PAL | Firstenburg Community Center | FREE | 🏀 Middle schoolers and law enforcement officers hanging out - it's like a buddy cop movie but with pizza and basketball. RSVP Required #kids

3/14 @ 9pm-12am | Andy Stokes | Billy Blues Bar and Grill | $15 Cover | 🎵 Soul-stirring tunes that'll make you forget you spent fifteen bucks to stand in a crowded room. More Info

3/14 @ Late Night | Total Lunar Eclipse | Your Backyard | FREE | 🌕 The moon turns red as it passes through Earth's shadow - nature's version of a light show without the expensive ticket price. More Info

Saturday

3/15 @ 8:30-10:30am | Learn to Crochet | Kindred Vancouver | $60 | 🧶 Master the basics of crochet and walk away with a dish cloth that cost you $60 to make instead of $3 to buy. Register Here

3/15 @ 10am-12pm | Gardening Workshop | Pomeroy Living History Farm | $35 | 🌱 Learn composting practices and planting timelines from an expert who probably doesn't kill succulents like you do. Tickets Here

3/15 @ 10am-2pm | Vancouver Farmers Market | Downtown Vancouver | FREE | 🥕 Buy produce with the best intentions before it inevitably rots in your crisper drawer. More Info

3/15 @ 10am-2pm | VHS Swap | Vice Beer | FREE entry | 📼 Discover vintage VHS, Laserdisc, and collectibles from 20 vendors - hipster heaven or nostalgia paradise, you decide. More Info

3/15 @ 10am-12pm | STEM Adventures | Kiddie Academy of Vancouver | FREE | 🧪 Bring the family for hands-on STEM activities that'll make your kids think you're signing them up for something educational on a Saturday. Register Here

3/15-3/16 @ 10am-5pm | Cascadia Reptile Expo | RV Inn Style Facility | $7-15 | 🦎 Vancouver's first annual reptile expo - where you can admire creatures that blink less than your ex. Tickets Here

3/15 @ 1pm | Commemorating Fort Vancouver's 200th | Fort Vancouver Visitor Center | FREE | 🏛️ A talk on historical archaeology that'll be more interesting than it sounds - we promise. More Info

3/15 @ 3-5:30pm | Queer Craft Club | Kindred Vancouver | FREE | 🧵 Bring your own project to this creative circle for queer folks - or use their supplies if your craft drawer is as disorganized as your life. More Info

3/15 @ 6-8pm | Kiley Jeanne Live Music | Playmakers in Hazel Dell | FREE | 🎵 Soulful melodies, acoustic guitar, and a looping machine that's working harder than you did all week. More Info

3/15 @ 8pm | The Lalas Burlesque Show | Cowlitz Ballroom | Tickets available | 💃 Side-splittingly hilarious, jaw-droppingly sexy entertainment - perfect for date night or ladies' night out with friends who aren't easily scandalized. Tickets Here

3/15 @ 9pm-12am | Night Rose | Billy Blues Bar and Grill | $10 Cover | 🎸 Get there early for dinner and the best seats, or get there late and stand awkwardly by the bar - your choice. More Info

3/15 @ 9pm-12am | Fightin Foos & Island in the Sun | Billy Blues Bar and Grill | $15 Cover | 🎸 Tributes to Foo Fighters & Weezer that'll have you singing along to songs you didn't realize you still remembered all the words to.More Info

3/15-3/16 @ 8:30am-4pm | IABCA Evergreen Spring Sieger Dog Show | Clark County Event Center | $6 parking | 🐕 Watch perfectly groomed dogs strut their stuff while yours sits at home licking inappropriate body parts. More Info

3/15-3/16 @ Various Times | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Metropolitan Performing Arts | Tickets from $4 | 🍎 Family-friendly theater written by in-house playwright William Johnson - much cheaper than a Disney trip. Tickets Here

Sunday

3/16 @ 10am-4pm | Traditional Plant Medicine Workshop | Confluence | $140 | 🌿 Learn from a Tribal plant practitioner and take home elderberry syrup and herbal salves - actual useful skills for zombie apocalypse preparation. Tickets Here

3/16 @ 11am-12pm | Edible Landscaping | Vancouver Community Library | FREE | 🥬 Learn how to make your garden both pretty AND practical - revolutionary concept, we know. More Info

3/16 @ 5:30-7:30pm | Dinner & Jazz: Kathleen Hollingsworth Trio | The Grant House | $20 cover | 🎷 World-class jazz in a historic setting - finally, a cultured excuse to drink on a Sunday evening. Reservations Here

3/16 @ 5-7pm | Vancouver's Funniest Comedians Competition - 2nd Round | TBA | TBA | 🎭 The top 20 comics advance - support local funny people as they battle for the crown and minimal prize money. More Info

Sports Ball

3/16 @ 1:30pm | Portland Timbers vs LA Galaxy | Providence Park | Tickets from $30 | ⚽ Watch grown men chase a ball around a field while you pay $12 for a beer - the American sports experience. Tickets Here

3/16 @ 3pm | Portland Trail Blazers v Toronto Raptors - Women's History Night | Moda Center | Tickets from $14 | 🏀 Basketball at prices that won't make your wallet cry - unlike the concession stand. Tickets Here

Looking Ahead

3/22 @ 10am-12pm | Propagating Workshop | Pomeroy Living History Farm | $35 | 🌱 Learn how to produce multiple plant starts from a single root - nature's own cloning technology without the ethical dilemmas. Tickets Here

3/30 @ 7-9pm | HUNKS The Show | Georgie's Garage and Grill | Tickets from $15 | 💃 The "Ultimate Girls' Night Out" - doors open at 6pm, and you must be 21+. Bring singles. Tickets Here

5/17 @ 10am-1pm | 5k Beer Run | Trap Door Brewing | Registration $35 | 🏃‍♀️ Running followed by beer - because you deserve a reward for all that cardio. Register Here

Concert Calendar

THURSDAY, May 23, 2025 @ 7pm | James Taylor & His All-Star Band | RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater | From $93 | Fire and rain not guaranteed, but sweet baby James definitely is. 🎸 Tickets Here

SATURDAY, May 24, 2025 @ 2:40pm | Outlaw Music Festival: Willie Nelson & Family, Bob Dylan, Billy Strings & Lake Street Dive | Cascades Amphitheater | From $87 | The legends are getting older, so don't miss your chance to see them while they can still remember their own lyrics. 🤠 Tickets Here

SATURDAY, May 31, 2025 @ 8pm | Ben Schwartz & Friends | Cowlitz Ballroom | From $49 | The guy from Parks & Rec who's somehow funnier in person than he was as Jean-Ralphio. 🎭 Tickets Here

FRIDAY, Jun 6, 2025 @ 8pm | Sessanta V 2.0: Primus, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle | RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater | From $56 | For when you want your rock to be experimental, weird, and just a little unsettling. 🎵 Tickets Here

SUNDAY, Jun 15, 2025 @ 6:45pm | Styx & Kevin Cronin + Don Felder | RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater | From $40 | Come sail away with some 70s rock legends who are somehow still touring. 🎸 Tickets Here

MONDAY, Jun 23, 2025 @ 7pm | Pierce the Veil | RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater | From $49 | Your chance to feel 16 again or bring your actual 16-year-old for major cool points. 🎤 Tickets Here

THURSDAY, Jun 26, 2025 @ 7pm | Halsey | Cascades Amphitheater | From $69 | Perfect for those who like their pop music with a side of artistic complexity. 💫 Tickets Here

WEDNESDAY, Aug 13, 2025 @ 7pm | Creed | RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater | From $90 | With arms wide open, they're taking you back to 1999. Higher ticket prices than you might expect. 🤘 Tickets Here

FRIDAY, Aug 22, 2025 @ 7:30pm | Parker McCollum | RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater | From $44 | Country music for people who say they don't like country music. 🤠 Tickets Here

SATURDAY, Aug 23, 2025 @ 7pm | Pantera | Cascades Amphitheater | From $55 | Headbanging required, neck brace recommended for the day after. 🤘 Tickets Here

SATURDAY, Aug 30, 2025 @ 6:45pm | Toto + Men At Work + Christopher Cross | RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater | From $31 | The "songs you didn't know you knew all the words to" tour. 🌧️ Tickets Here

THURSDAY, Sep 4, 2025 @ 7pm | The Offspring, Jimmy Eat World & New Found Glory | Cascades Amphitheater | From $52 | Your 90s teenage self is absolutely freaking out right now. 🤘 Tickets Here

THURSDAY, Sep 11, 2025 @ 6pm | Kidz Bop Live | Cascades Amphitheater | From $50 | For parents who've already given up on introducing their kids to "real music." 👧👦 Tickets Here

FRIDAY, Sep 19, 2025 @ 7:30pm | Billy Idol & Joan Jett and The Blackhearts | Cascades Amphitheater | From $44 | It's a nice day for a... rock concert with two legends who still have more energy than you. 🎸 Tickets Here

FRIDAY, Sep 26, 2025 @ 7:30pm | Thomas Rhett | RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater | From $47 | Country music that your non-country friends might actually enjoy. 🤠 Tickets Here

THURSDAY, Aug 21, 2025 @ 7pm | Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, and Spin Doctors | Cowlitz Ballroom | From $50 | A 90s alternative rock trifecta that'll have you singing "Run Around" for days after. 🎸 Tickets Here

That's it for this week! Let me know what you think I missed, and I'll see you next week when I'm back from paradise, probably still peeling from my inevitable sunburn. Mahalo!

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