The Short List

MISC.

Volunteer Expo

The annual event, put on by The Standard, shares the virtues of volunteerism for Portlanders eager to make a difference.

11 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, Pioneer Courthouse Square,

www.standard.com, free

Oktoberfest

Celebrations take place this month all around the metro area and the state, with a big one at Sandy Oktoberest at St. Michael’s Church (www.sandyoktoberfest.net), Sept. 11 through 13. The biggest, the Mount Angel Oktoberfest, takes place Sept. 17 through 20 (www.oktoberfest.org) — it’s the 50th Oktoberfest at Mount Angel.

Rose Quarter

Wow, it’s an extremely busy next couple of weeks at the Rose Quarter; check out these upcoming events (tickets available, rose

quarter.com): Kevin Hart — “What Now? Tour,” 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, $40-$180, $13 parking; Shania Twain —”Rock This Country Tour,” 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, $46-$136, $15 parking; Foo Fighters — “Sonic Highways World Tour,” 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, $35-$75, $13 parking; El Grito Festival — 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, free, $5 parking; Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus — “Built to Amaze,” multiple shows, Sept. 17-20, $20-$50, $10 parking; The Who — “The Who Hits 50! Tour,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, $39.50-$139.50, $15 parking

Belmont Street Fair

Live music, art, entertainment, shopping, food, beer and activities for kids are on the agenda for the 20th Belmont fest. There’ll be free trolley rides along Southeast Belmont Street from 20th to 48th avenues.

11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, Southeast Belmont Street, between 33rd and 39th avenues, www.belmontdistrict.org

STAGE

‘Equivocation’

Post5 Theatre’s production mixes humor and political intrigue about a writer resembling Shakespeare, featuring 20 roles played by six actors. It stages through Oct. 4 at Post5 Theatre, 1666 S.E. Lambert St. For info: www.post5theatre.org.

‘Rent’

The Metropolitan Community Theatre Project, partnering with the Cascade AIDS Project, puts on the play about falling in love, finding your voice, and living for today, set on the Lower East Side of New York City. It’s a tale of young artists struggling to survive and create in the shadow of the HIV/AIDs scare of the 1990s.

7:30 p.m. Fridays-Sundays, 2 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays, Sept. 11-27, Brunish Theatre, 1111 S.W. Broadway, www.portland5.com, $25

‘Back Fence PDX: Mainstage’

The evening features local and out-of-town storytellers telling true personal tales based on the night’s theme of “Cried like a Baby: Exes and Ohs.” Former storytellers included a blood-spatter expert, a pet photographer, a park ranger, a funeral director, a former Scientologist and scientists, doctors, authors, actors/writers/directors and people from the street.

8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 N.E. Alberta St., www.albertarosetheatre.com, $15, $18 at door

‘Our Town’

Heads up: Portland Center Stage’s season opens with the American classic and Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Thornton Wilder. Rose Riordan, PCS associate artistic director, will direct. “’Our Town’ is about paying attention to every detail of our ordinary lives,” she says. It’s set in Grover’s Corner in New England, and is about secret desires, family conflicts, love and loss. There are several actors making PCS debuts. Previews start Sept. 12.

7:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays (some exclusions), 2 p.m. select Saturdays and Sundays, noon select Thursdays, Sept. 18-Oct. 11, Gerding Theatre, 128 N.W. 11th Ave., www.pca.org, starting at $37

‘Pippin’

Another heads up: The U.S. Bank Broadway in Portland opens Sept. 22-27 at Keller Auditorium, 222 S.W. Clay St., with the high-flying, death-defying hit musical, full of acrobatics and magical feats and soaring songs from the composer of “Wicked” (Stephen Schwartz) and featuring the choreography of Bob Fosse. The season’s other shows: “42nd Street”; “The Wizard of Oz”; “Newsies”; “Annie”; “Motown the Musical”; “Riverdance”; “Beauty and the Beast”; “The Lion King”; “The Book of Mormon.” See www.portland5.com for tickets.

MUSIC

Oregon Symphony: Pablo Villegas

The symphony welcomes the great classical guitarist with a program of Paul Dukas’ “La Peri,” John Corigliano’s “Troubadours,” Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Fantasia para un gentilhombre,” and Maurice Ravel’s “Rapsodie espagnol.”

7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 S.W. Broadway, www.orsymphony.org, starting at $23

Mark Knopfler

The legendary guitarist, formerly with Dire Straits, comes to Portland on his “Tracker” album tour.

8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, Keller Auditorium, 222 S.W. Clay St.,

www.portland5.om, $68-$100