Happy Thursday, Vancouver!

It’s feeling officially like fall! The rain’s back, the sky’s moody, and our summer playlists have been replaced by the sound of windshield wipers. Unfortunately, that cozy vibe has been dampened a bit by the fire that’s been burning at the Port of Vancouver since Tuesday night, which crews are still working hard to contain (more info below). Big shoutout to everyone out there keeping things safe while the rest of us complain about soggy shoes.

In other (less smoky) news: it’s your last chance to grab a pint at Heathen Brewing Feral Public House before they permanently close their doors this Sunday, October 12th. If you’ve been meaning to go “one last time,” here is your chance!

Anyways, here's what to expect in today's edition of The PNW Report (Vancouver):

📰 Local News
☁️ Weather
🎉 Events & Things To Do
🤔 Lateral Thinking Puzzle

Let’s get started!

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LOCAL NEWS

😢 SW Watershed Alliance Drying Up By the End of the Year

After 17 years of planting trees, cleaning beaches, and making Clark County a little less grimy, the Watershed Alliance has just announced that they will be shutting down by the end of the year. The reason? No surprise here: budget cuts and funding delays. Well, this is one current event that we wish we could reverse the flow on.

🔥 Port of Vancouver’s Hottest New Metal Band: Pacific Coast Shredding

Things got lit on Tuesday night when a massive scrap pile at Pacific Coast Shredding at the Port of Vancouver went up in flames. Over 40 firefighters battled the flames for more than 10 hours, dousing the inferno that turned the Port of Vancouver into an unintentional pyrotechnics display. Luckily, nobody was hurt, but firefighters estimate it will take until this morning to finish battling the fire.

WEATHER [10/10 - 10/12]

Ah, back to normal!

Friday, 10/10: 60/48 🌧️ Showers
Saturday, 10/11: 57/47 🌧️ Showers
Sunday, 10/12: 53/45 🌧️ Rain

EVENTS AND THINGS TO DO [10/10 - 10/12]

Looking for something fun to do this weekend? You’re in the right place! 🎉

Stay tuned for Monday morning’s newsletter, where we’ll give the lowdown on all the cool upcoming weekday events for next week!

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10th

🗑️ Pick it Up, Vancouver! @ Esther Short Park | 10AM (FREE)
Join SOLVE for a litter cleanup at Esther Short Park and help keep Vancouver looking sharp! Meet by the clocktower for check-in, a quick safety rundown, and supply pickup. Clean work makes the dream work!

🏠 Marshall House Tour @ Officer’s Row | 10AM (FREE)
Step inside the Marshall House, where Queen Anne elegance meets military history. Once home to General George C. Marshall, this turreted treasure features stained glass, intricate woodwork, and a peek into the past with period furnishings and a recreated study. Walk-in tours available Wed–Fri, 10–2, and select Saturdays, 11–3.

😻 Hello Kitty Festival @ Cloverlane Events Center | 11AM - 3PM ($25 - $35)
Paws what you’re doing…it’s time to say Hello, Kitty! Step into a wonderland weekend stuffed with cuteness: themed café, carnival games, rare collectibles, and a real-life Hello Kitty meet-and-greet. Can you think of a more purr-fect weekend?!

🗳️ Candidate Forum @ Vancouver Community Library | 5PM (FREE)
The League of Women Voters is hosting a local candidate forum where you can hear directly from those running for key positions, including: Vancouver School District No. 37, School Director Position No. 3, Evergreen School District No. 114, School Director Districts No. 1 & No. 5, Clark Regional Wastewater District Commissioner, Position No. 1, and City of Vancouver Council, Position No. 3.

🎃 Pumpkin Lane after Dark @ Pomeroy Farm | 5:30PM ($40)
Pumpkin spice meets Pinot Noir? Sign us up! Pumpkin Lane After Dark is the grown-up version of your favorite fall tradition. Your ticket includes a hayride, a drink token, and two gooey s’more kits. You’ll be sure to have a gourd time (but remember to leave the kiddos at home as this is a 21+ event!)

🧹 Broom Making Workshop @ Vampire Unicorns | 6PM ($100)
It’s time to sweep into spooky season! Join your coven at this Broom Making Workshop and craft a stylish Rider’s broomstick. If the broom fits…ride it?!

🔥 Fire Cider @ Dandelion Teahouse | 6:30PM ($35)
Sip happens…but not to you if you’ve got Fire Cider! Join herbalist legend Erin Harwood for a hands-on workshop where you’ll brew up your own batch of this spicy, tangy folk remedy. You’ll leave with your very own 8 oz jar to keep the sniffles at bay!

👻 Spirit Tales of The Vancouver Barracks @ The Grant House | 7PM ($15)
Ready to get ghosted (historically speaking)? Join local historian Jefferson Davis (no, not that one) for the Spirit Tales Walking Tour through the eerie corners of the Vancouver Barracks. It’s boo-gie time!

🎥 Cinema of Horrors @ Clark County Event Center | 7PM ($70)
Buckle up, scream queens and kings! The Cinema of Horrors Drive-In returns to the Clark County Event Center tonight, with 18 terrifying (and a few family-friendly) films. There will be monsters, twists, immersive lighting, and Hollywood-level makeup. We hope you have a fang-tastic time!

🎭 Little Shop of Horrors @ Metropolitan Performing Arts | 7PM ($25 - $30)
Feed. Me. Seymour! The cult classic Little Shop of Horrors is taking root at Metropolitan Performing Arts from October 10 - 26. Tonight is opening night, so prepare to have the tunes (and the plants) blow you away!

🎭 I am Frankenstein @ Magenta Theatre | 7:30PM ($28)
Magenta Theater brings I Am Frankenstein to life…literally! Watch Victor’s experiment go shockingly wrong as his creature seeks revenge, and meet Mary Shelley herself in this electrifying retelling of the classic.

🎭 The 39 Steps @ Starboard Theatre | 7:30PM ($20 - $22)
One man, one mystery, and way too many costume changes! This zany noir spoof is Hitchcock meets Monty Python where where four actors play over 100 roles. Oh, and no actual stairs are required.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11th 

🌶️ Pepper Palooza @ Various Locations (FREE)
Three Saturdays, three locations (Hazel Dell Commons, Gather and Feast Farm, and Flat Tack Farm), and a whole lotta spice! Admission to Pepper Palooza is free, but your taste buds might need a water break!

🐴 BlackPearl Halloween Horse Show @ Clark County Event Center | 8AM - 6PM (FREE)
Saddle up for the BlackPearl Halloween Horse Show! This mane event raises funds to help horses and humans heal…one haunted hoofbeat at a time.

👟 Walking Tour @ Heritage Farm | 10AM (FREE)
Klarna and Affirm didn’t exist in the 1900s. So, what happened if you couldn’t pay your bills? You got sent to the “poor farm.” Fast forward to 2025, and that “poor farm” is now operating as the 78th Street Heritage Farm. Come attend a free walking tour where you’ll learn alllll about this property’s robust history.

🔦 DIY Mullein Torches @ Kindred | 10AM ($5 - $10)
Light up your spooky season the old-fashioned way: with a Mullein torch! During this self-guided class, you’ll grab a dried Mullein stalk, dip it in beeswax, roll it in herbs, and craft your own witchy torch. Perfect for backyard vibes (or outdoor rituals?!)

🌱 Perennial, Bulb, and Seed Swap @ NatureScaping | 10AM - 1PM (FREE)
Got too many plants and seeds? Trade your extras for someone else’s at the 9th Annual Perennial, Bulb & Seed Swap! Bring your potted pretties, labeled seeds, and non-invasive green babies to the Wildlife Botanical Gardens and swap like a true plant dealer.

🌿 Fall Native Plant Sale @ Clark College Native Plant Center | 10AM - 2PM (FREE)
Fall in love with native plants at Clark College’s Fall Native Plant Sale! Stock up on local legends like milkweed and goldenrod before they leaf for good.

🪦 Guided Tour of Vancouver’s Three Oldest Cemeteries @ Various Locations | 1:30PM - 4:15PM (FREE)
Join NPS Archaeologist Dr. Doug Wilson and Friends of Fort Vancouver Executive Director Mary Rose as they dig up the dirt (literally) on Vancouver’s oldest cemeteries (Old City Cemetery, Vancouver Barracks National Cemetery, and the Hudson’s Bay Company Cemetery). Each site has a half-hour tour, and participants are responsible for getting themselves from site-to-site. Interested? You should be. After all, it’s to die for!

🖼️ Paint Your Pet in Watercolor @ Art Zone | 2PM ($92)
Get ready to make some purr-sonalized art with artist Hannah Complin at this Paint Your Pet in Watercolor workshop.

🌳 Forest Under Siege: the Story of Old Growth After Gifford Pinchot @ Cascade Park Library | 2PM (FREE)
Branch out into history with this un-be-leaf-able story of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Now, science and sanity have teamed up to rewrite the script (and the Northwest Forest Plan) to save our tree-mendous elders. Presented by local author Rand Schenk.

🍺 Beer Choir Oktoberfestaween @ Heathen Brewing Feral Public House | 6PM (FREE)
Come out to Heathen Brewing Feral Public House one last time (closing day is 10/12) and get ready to raise your glass and your voice! The Vancouver chapter of Beer Choir is meeting to sing through some European-pub style tunes, and you’re gonna wanna be beer (uhhh…we mean, here).

👻 Spirit Tales of The Vancouver Barracks @ The Grant House | 7PM ($15)
Ready to get ghosted (historically speaking)? Join local historian Jefferson Davis (no, not that one) for the Spirit Tales Walking Tour through the eerie corners of the Vancouver Barracks. It’s boo-gie time!

🎥 Cinema of Horrors @ Clark County Event Center | 7PM ($70)
Buckle up, scream queens and kings! The Cinema of Horrors Drive-In returns to the Clark County Event Center tonight, with 18 terrifying (and a few family-friendly) films. There will be monsters, twists, immersive lighting, and Hollywood-level makeup. We hope you have a fang-tastic time!

🤣 Laughs on Loowit Comedy Showcase @ Loowit Brewing | 7:30PM (FREE)
Hops and humor = the perfect night. This free comedy show happens on the second Saturday of every month, and it’s the perfect chance to chortle while you chug. Or something like that.

🎭 I am Frankenstein @ Magenta Theatre | 7:30PM ($28)
Magenta Theater brings I Am Frankenstein to life…literally! Watch Victor’s experiment go shockingly wrong as his creature seeks revenge, and meet Mary Shelley herself in this electrifying retelling of the classic.

🏁 Felida Cars and Coffee @ Creed Coffee Company | 8AM - 10AM (FREE)
Start your engines and your caffeine buzz at this classy cars + coffee combo! Bonus: if you attend, you get 10% off your coffee order. Wins all around!

🛒 Vancouver Farmers Market @ Esther Short Park | 9AM - 3PM (FREE)
Your weekly reminder that vegetables can be aesthetic and bread is always the answer. Stock up, stroll around, and try not to spend all your money on honey and hot sauce. But, if you do, at least you’re spending local?!