We’re continuing to celebrate the Best of Arts and Performance in Eugene this week. Today’s category: Best Drag Queen! 1. Lyta Blunt, @lytablunt. 2. Karress Ann Slaughter (Cornel Hardiman), Facebook.com/GlamazonsEugene. 3. Shirley Mental, instagram.com/shirley_mental.

Cozying up with a good book, a hot drink and a blanket is something of a lost art. So too is turning to books for education and research. In a world where there are so many books but so little time, this art is more than attainable in Eugene. Read more in Eugene Weekly’s Winter Reading issue.

Debra Gwartney is the author of numerous acclaimed essays and two book-length memoirs, Live Through This, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and I Am a Stranger Here Myself, winner of the RiverTeeth Nonfiction Prize and the Willa Award for Nonfiction.

"Genius. Brilliant. Phenomenal." — Jimmy Fallon, The Tonight Show. Treat someone special to the nine-time Tony Award® winner, THE BOOK OF MORMON! Hult Center tickets make the perfect holiday gift. Purchase yours here: hultcenter.org/events/book-... #sponsoredcontent #hultcenter #eugene

I recently had the pleasure of attending opening night of this musical masterpiece by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (book and lyrics) presented by Shedd Theatricals in the Jaqua Concert Hall. Read the review by Dorothy Velasco in Eugene Weekly — Oklahoma! runs through Dec. 14.

On Dec. 5 and 6, WOW-A-Thon II will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the day the WOW Hall was reborn and became the Community Center for the Performing Arts (CCPA). Read more in Eugene Weekly!

O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy is a play that takes audiences on a holiday adventure with the wacky Jamesy and the more serious James. Read more in Eugene Weekly’s What’s Happening Calendar!

Based on Oregon author Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel of the same name, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) was released in theaters 50 years ago. To celebrate the 50th anniversary, a 5pm reception will be held followed by a screening of the film. More in EW’s What’s Happening Calendar!

After enjoying the art of downtown Eugene in the First Friday ArtWalk, the party keeps going with the First Saturday Warehouse District Art Hop Dec. 6. As you galavant among the art this weekend, combine it with the holiday season at Caffe Pacori. Read more in EW’s What’s Happening Calendar!

Bend, Oregon, holds worlds of contradictions. Tourists come for the resort-like down-to-earth atmosphere, and yet Bend has also been described as “poverty with a view.” Read about Jonathan Bach’s book, High Desert, Higher Costs: Bend and the Housing Crisis in the American West, in Eugene Weekly.

Eugene developer Dan Neal has submitted plans to the city to build a 128-unit apartment complex on four acres that his development group recently acquired near the Interstate 105-Mohawk Boulevard interchange. Read the rest in Eugene Weekly’s Bricks $ Mortar column.

Eugene Weekly’s Activist Alert: Upcoming Protests, Rallies, Marches, Talks, Gatherings and More eugeneweekly.com/2025/12/04/a...

Halie Loren performs holiday favorites, original songs and winter-themed selections at Art House 8 pm Friday, Dec. 5, celebrating “The Bells Were Silent,” her new single out on streaming platforms the same day. Read more in Eugene Weekly’s What’s Happening Calendar!

Watch as the community transforms the streets of Springfield into an enchanted snowman forest — which is this year’s theme for the 73rd Annual Springfield Christmas Parade at 1 pm Saturday, Dec. 6, beginning at the corner of 21st Street and Olympic Street. More in EW’s What’s Happening Calendar!

Downtown Eugene’s Holiday Night Out is back! From 4:30 pm to 8 pm, join us for the Kesey Square tree lighting, musical performances, festive activities, and all the shopping, dining, and arts happening across downtown. Swing by EW's booth for the paper and your EW stickers. See you Dec. 5!

Oregon is and has been home to literary luminaries, and the same goes for Lane County. And in turbulent political times like these, we’re reading to get away from it all and reading to keep up with it all. Read the Winter Reading issue in Eugene Weekly.

Our Winter Reading issue is out now! Go grab your copy at the nearest red box. Don't know where to find one? Visit eugeneweekly.com/wheres-my-we... 🎨: Hikaru Takata

Today in Best of Performance and Arts we’re highlighting Best Local Band! 1. The Sugar Beets, Facebook.com/TheSugarBeets. 2. Soul Vibrator, Instagram @soulvibrator. 3. BabySmooth, Instagram @babysmoothsincebirth. eugeneweekly.com/2025/10/30/b...

We’re not owned by billionaires. We’re not chasing clicks. We’re definitely not behaving. We’re Eugene Weekly and today’s #GivingTuesday. If you like your journalism scrappy, independent, and occasionally snarky, toss a few bucks our way. support.eugeneweekly.com#GivingTuesday#EugeneWeekly #LocalAndVocal

For today’s Best of Arts and Performance: Best Local Clothing Designer! 1.Mitra Gruwell, DiscardUpcycling.com. 2. Sweet Skins Hemp, 850 W. 2nd Ave., 541-393-6925, SweetSkins.com. 3. Sierah, “SEW Fresh,” @sierahsewfresh. eugeneweekly.com/2025/10/30/b...

Holiday Glitz Returns to Eugene A Drag Queen Christmas is 7:30 pm Thursday, Dec. 4, at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets start at $42.50. Read more in Eugene Weekly’s What’s Happening Calendar.

Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle want to change your view of the climate crisis with their new documentary, Playing with Fire: An Ecosexual Emergency, screening at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art. Read more in Eugene Weekly’s What’s Happening Calendar.

Thoughts on LCC, Springfield schools, natural areas, Flock and a little clap-back in Eugene Weekly’s longtime letters to the editor pages! eugeneweekly.com/2025/11/26/w...

Starbucks strike, a horse virus, helping your neighbors and giving to nonprofits — it’s all in Slant! eugeneweekly.com/2025/11/26/s...

Best of Performance and Arts highlight of the day: Best Drag King! Luke N. Good, Facebook and Instagram.com/luke.n.good/. 2. Heavy Cream, Facebook and Instagram.com/heavy_creammm/. 3. Edd Zackly, Instagram.com/eddZackly/. eugeneweekly.com/2025/10/30/b...

This may come as a shock, but I recently discovered that the Trump administration is using false data to justify a policy position based on a preconceived notion unsupported by science. Read more in Eugene Weekly from retired pastor and longtime housing advocate Dan Bryant.

Next up in our Best of Arts and Performance highlight: Best Local Artist! 1.Emily Poole, EPooleArt.com, Instagram.com/epooleart/. 2. Shanna Trumbly, ShannaTrumbly.com, Instagram.com/shanna_trumbly_art/. 3. Jud Turner, JudTurner.com eugeneweekly.com/2025/10/30/b...

Tom Edison, a grocery clerk, poet and visual artist, is known for his warm demeanor and genuine interactions with regular customers at Safeway. Edison is also the author of five self-published poetry books. Read more in Eugene Weekly!

For those in your life who dearly miss Halloween, here are some of the best local artists and businesses that will provide the most unusual Christmas presents. Read about alternative gifts in Eugene Weekly’s Holiday Hoard issue!

Need some holiday movies to watch? Most likely, you’ve heard of the Oregon Trail, but there’s another trail Oregon is becoming known for: The Oregon Film Trail. Read about the long list of locally filmed productions in Eugene Weekly.

Eugene psychedelic rock band Cap’n Trips is playing the WOW Hall Saturday, Nov. 29, with their signature yearly concert “Dylan and the Dead.” Read more in Eugene Weekly’s What’s Happening Calendar.

The holidays are a time for gifting-giving, whether store-bought or handmade, but hiring experienced musicians, such as The Mistletones, is another less consumerist option to spread the holiday spirit. Read about alternative gifts in Eugene Weekly’s Holiday Hoard issue!

Best of Eugene highlight: Best Art Gallery! 1. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, 1430 Johnson Lane, U of O, 541-346-3027, Jsma.Uoregon.edu. 2. The Hybrid Gallery, 941 W. 3rd Ave., 541-321-6977, TheHybridEugene.com. 3. New Zone Gallery, 110 E. 11th Ave., 541-683-0759, NewZoneGallery.org.

Cottage Grove has a downtown district that is bustling with local businesses — many of which focus on selling knick-knacks, trinkets, vintage clothing and art. Read about alternative gifts in Eugene Weekly’s Holiday Hoard issue!

Holiday Market, Eugene’s wintry counterpart to Saturday Market, is already in full swing, transforming the Lane Events Center into a festive indoor bazaar every Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 24. Read more in Eugene Weekly’s What’s Happening Calendar.

This year, Radical Alternative Development, a punk nonprofit, is hosting its eighth annual Punks Who Give Benefit For Native Youth Wellness. Punks Who Give is 5 pm Saturday, Nov. 29, at Blairally, 245 Blair Blvd. Admission is $10, but no one is turned away for a lack of funds. Read more in EW.

Whiteaker Community Market’s Holiday Makers Faire pop-ups are every Saturday from Nov. 23 through Dec. 21, 11 am to 3 pm at Lovely Cafe, 111 Main Street in Springfield, and noon to 4 pm at Claim 52 Brewing, 232 Lincoln Street in Eugene. Free.

Fresh off building a large apartment complex near the University of Oregon, veteran Eugene businesswoman Silva Chambers is thinking about doing it all again, next door. Read the rest in Christian Wihtol’s Bricks $ Mortar in Eugene Weekly.

A local Latino organization has taken action to protect its community against ICE. The effort started before the reports of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Lane County this month. Read more about keeping our community safe in Eugene Weekly.

This holiday season, you might find yourself wondering: Just what exactly is there to give? From vintage trinkets to caroling and even gifts for the loved one that likes the creepier things in life, the Holiday Hoard gift guide is here to keep the ideas flowing and the gifts going.

We’re celebrating the Best of Eugene’s Arts scene this week. From galleries to painters to dancers, this one’s for you. Follow along all week as Eugene Weekly’s readers poll celebrates you! eugeneweekly.com/category/wha...

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In addition to letters on Flock, Amazon and more, check out the students of North Eugene High School in Eugene’s Weekly’s Letters to the Editor! eugeneweekly.com/2025/11/20/f...

ICE BOX: According to the Portland Immigrant Rights Commission’s Nov. 17 update, 96 detentions were reported to its hotline Nov. 10 to 16, and as of Nov. 1, more than 219 had been reported. Read this and more in Eugene Weekly’s Slant.

As Eugene’s current SLUG queen, you’d think I’d be used to slippery situations. Nothing felt slimier than being asked to promote a radio station featuring Sean Hannity and Mark Levin. Read more from Jen Jay, aka Hilaria Gastrognome in a Local and Vocal Eugene Weekly viewpoint.

What does resistance look like when it’s woven with poetry, song and ritual? MEND dismantles the traditional stage-audience divide with projections, shadow puppets, live music and collective imagination. Read more in Eugene Weekly’s What’s Happening Calendar!

‘Tis the season for giving back. On Saturday, Nov. 22 to Sunday, Dec. 14, The Giving Machines will return to Valley River Center for a three week run, says Brent MacCluer, AHM Brands media director. Read more in Eugene Weekly’s What’s Happening Calendar!

For Jon Jay Cruson, who came to Eugene from Sacramento in the 1960s to attend the University of Oregon, inspiration comes from the land — but not any one landscape. White Lotus Gallery is at 767 Willamette Street, open 10 am to 4 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. Yellow Fields runs through Nov. 29.

The ATF is updating its Firearms Transaction Form and says applicants should mark their birth sex. This may create barriers for transgender Americans seeking to purchase firearms. Read more online only on EugeneWeekly.com.

The Master Food Preserver Program of the Oregon State University Extension Service hosts the Eugene Food Preservation Workshop: Gifts from the Kitchen encouraging people to learn “how to give gifts that are homemade and that can be reused,” says Emily Lafon, OSU Extension. More in EW’s Calendar!