Here's what's happening this weekend in Salem...

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Business People Party Celebration Success Concept
Business People Party Celebration Success Concept
Sip and sample your way across the culinary delights of our state at First Taste Oregon. Scroll down for the details.
Thursday Highlights
😂 See Live Stand-Up Comedy featuring opener Nathan Hart and headliner Kermit Apio, 8:15 p.m. Thursday, January 23 at Northern Lights Theatre Pub. $15. 18 and older. Click here for tickets.
📜 Salem Poetry Project — Featured Reader Kim Stafford writes, teaches, and travels to restore the human spirit. He has published some twenty books, including As the Sky Begins to Change (Red Hen Press, 2024), and has taught writing in Scotland, Italy, Mexico, and Bhutan. In 2018, he was named Oregon Poet Laureate for a two-year term. Following the featured reader is the the Infamous Open Mic — 3 poems or five minutes whichever is first. 7 p.m. Thursdays at Bush Barn Annex, 600 Mission St SE.
📚 Any Book Book Club — You just finished a book. You loved it. You really, really want to talk about it. What book is it? Doesn't matter. Our new Any Book Club is the group for you. We will meet to talk about all the books. Bring the book you're reading, just read, or want to read. This group will dive into the discussion of books and we'll make it fun with games and questions. In addition, we're going to kick off this group by meeting outside the library. A library hosted book club at Cinebarre. We'll meet in the upstairs lounge where you can get drinks, snacks, and comfy. Come ready to talk books, meet people, and enjoy an evening out with the Library at 6:30 p.m. January 23 at Cinebarre, 501 Marion St NE.
Taste
🍷 Sip and sample your way across the culinary delights of our state at First Taste Oregon. It’s not just about what you eat and drink (although there is definitely opportunity for that) but First Taste also features entertainment, including two stages of music; art; vendors; and more. Individual tastes are sold directly by exhibitors. Go for a taste, stay for a glass, take home a bottle! 4 to 9 p.m. Jan 24 and 12 to 9 p.m. Jan 25 in Jackman Long Building at Oregon State Fairgrounds, 2330 17th St NE. Tickets start at $9 in advance. Click here for tickets
Explore Art
🖼️ It's opening weekend for "Brenda Mallory: The North Star Changes," an exhibition showcasing the innovative sculptures and large-scale installations of Brenda Mallory, a Portland-based artist celebrated for her mixed-media compositions. Featuring 36 pieces from both public and private collections, the exhibition's title reflects the concept of the North Star or Polaris, traditionally seen as a fixed point, yet it has subtly shifted over thousands of years. This theme of transformation is a continuous thread in Mallory's work, emphasizing her belief that "The idea of change has always been in my work." The works on display are abstract yet narrative, often incorporating elements of Cherokee history and culture, showcasing Mallory's unique bricolage technique.
See an illustrated lecture by Brenda 5 p.m. January 25 in the Paulus Lecture Hall, Willamette University College of Law.
Let's Play!
🏒 A new exhibit opens this weekend at Willamette Heritage Center. Let's Play is a Heritage Invitational Exhibit looking at the history of sports in the Mid-Willamette Valley on exhibit from January 24 to May 24, 2025. Open during regular museum hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Willamette Heritage Center, 1313 Mill St SE.
For Kids
🐍 Lunar New Year Activity — Kids and their families are invited to learn about Lunar New Year celebrations and traditions from around the world with a Lunar New Year story followed by related crafts and activities. 4 to 5 p.m. January 24 in Story Room A & B at the Salem Public Library.
🐢 Celebrate the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Jan 26 at On Any Sundae, 3987 Commercial St SE, with a scavenger hunt and more.
Get Wedding Ready
👰 Willamette Wedding Show — Streamline your wedding planning process by meeting vendors and sampling services. Whether you’re just starting your wedding planning journey or you’re finalizing the details, the Willamette Wedding Show is an essential resource for Oregon couples. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, January 25 in Columbia Hall at Oregon State Fairgrounds. Tickets are $10 per person (12 and under are free). Click here for tickets
See A Moon Show
🌕 Chemeketa Planetarium Show goes Forward! To the Moon! 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan 17 (recurring every Friday through March 14). Kari Byron from Crash Test World and MythBusters narrates. Tickets are $5. Children and Chemeketa students are $4. Cash only at the door. Sorry, no credit cards. Doors open at 7:10 p.m. The Chemeketa Planetarium is located in Building 2, Room 171 on the Chemeketa campus off Lancaster Dr. Use the blue parking lot.
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MUSIC
🎵Joanne Broh & Garry Meziere will play soul blues, R&B, with a splash of jazz, 5 to 7 p.m. January 25 at West Hills Vineyard, 4785 Salem Dallas Hwy NW. Free.
🎸 Smells Like Midlife Crisis — 90s Rock Cover Band, 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday, Jan 25 at Shades of Brew Taphouse. Free.
🎵Pigeon Town Hoochers — indie, folk, Americana and country music, 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan 25 at Taproot Lounge and Cafe. Free.
This weekend at Salem Cinema...

Salem Cinema Jan 24
Theatre Talk...
Brought to you by Theatre Talk on KMUZ, here's what's happening in high school drama...
McKay High School — is on Facebook @McKayThespians
- Next up at McKay is BETTLEJUICE, running Jan. 17-25.
South Salem High School — is on Facebook @SaxonDrama
- Saxon Drama’s has announced their winter musical production. It’s HADESTOWN, Teen Edition and it runs Jan. 17-26 in the Rose Auditorium.
West Salem High School — is at westsalemdrama.com
- Their Annual Winter Showcase happens Jan. 24.
KMUZ Theatre Talk comes your way at 9 a.m. the first and third Friday of the month on KMUZ Community Radio at 100.7 and 88.5 FM, also on KMWV-FM-Dallas at 98.3 HD2, and streaming worldwide at KMUZ.org and on the KMUZ mobile app.
Plus Explore Art

Artist Brenda Mallory | Hallie Ford Museum of Art
Precessions by Brenda Mallory
Precession by Brenda Mallory
Such as...
- Nationally recognized mixed-media artist Brenda Mallory: The North Star Changes at Hallie Ford Museum of Art, 700 State St | 503-370-6855, willamette.edu/arts/hfma
- Nancy Floyd: For the Love of Trees at Hallie Ford Museum of Art, 700 State St | 503-370-6855, willamette.edu/arts/hfma
- Souvenirs of Imaginary Places: Photographs by Randall Tosh at Level 2 Gallery on the Second Floor at Salem Convention Center | 503-589-1700, oregonartistsseries.com
- A companion to Souvenirs of Imaginary Places: Photographs by Randall Tosh in the Art Hall at Salem Public Library
- Work by featured artist Robin Kerr and guest artist Peregrine at Salem on the Edge, 156 Liberty St NE | salemontheedge.com
- Celebrate the New Year! Celebrate Art! featuring work by 22 artists at the AiA Gallery, 444 Ferry St SE | AiAArtGallery.org
- Angkorian Might — An immersive exhibit exploring the culture of Cambodia at the World Beat Gallery, 390 Liberty St SE | 503-581-2004, salemmulticultural.org
Click here for a full list of what's on exhibit this January.