Feb 4–March 5

Africa’s leading documentary and feature filmmakers expand your cultural IQ to a new continent at the 21st annual CASCADE FESTIVAL OF AFRICAN FILMS, showing at various venues, all free. 

Feb 4 & 5
Head to the Rose Garden to watch mankind’s attempts to dominate the animal kingdom (for up to eight seconds) at the PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDERS PORTLAND INVITATIONAL. Forty of the world’s top riders will vie for prizes while trying to avoid concussions. 

Feb 13 Rather than succumbing to winter woes, try cycling them into submission in the WORST DAY OF THE YEAR RIDE. Take on either an 18-or 45-mile course, presumed (hoped for?) rain, and on-route goodies like cider, doughnuts, and soup. 

Feb 24 If life’s limitations have you down, take comfort in the notion that our universe may actually be just one of many “bubbles” in a rapidly growing “bath” of parallel dimensions. BRIAN GREENE, acclaimed godfather of physics’ string theory, shares this and other mind-melting thoughts in a lecture at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.