Eugene Weekly

12/13/2025

I like to camp in the snow. My wife, Janell, is OK with a bit of snowshoeing, but she’d rather camp by a lodge fireplace, watching the snow drift down past windows.

In recent years, we’ve compromised with a snowshoe trip at Odell Lake Lodge each winter. On the far side of Willamette Pass, this rustic resort dates to 1905 and still has the feel of a place time forgot. It costs nothing to snowshoe from the lodge 1.2 miles around the lake to a viewpoint at Chinquapin Point.

Read about Odell Lake Lodge in Eugene Weekly!

Snowshoeing at Chinkapin Point at Odell Lake. Photo by William L. Sullivan. Ideal Lake Lodge Snowshoe from Odell’s rustic lodge and eat a veggie burger with bacon Outdoors by William L. SullivanPosted on 12/11/2025 Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Bluesky...

12/13/2025

Activist Alert

“If we are truly a great nation, the truth cannot destroy us.” — Nikole Hannah-Jones, The 1619 Project

Upcoming Protests, Rallies, Marches, Talks, Gatherings and More
• Interfaith Witness and Candlelight Vigil, 3 pm, Tuesday, Dec. 16, Wayne Morse Free Speech Plaza, Interfaith Alliance for Migrants.

• Art Build for Day Without an Immigrant, 11 am to 4 pm, Wednesday, Dec. 17, help with signmaking, MECCA, 555 High Street.

• Day Without an Immigrant, noon to 2 pm, Thursday, Dec. 18, downtown Eugene and downtown Springfield.

Activist Alert Protests, activism and more around Lane County News by Camilla MortensenPosted on 12/11/2025 Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click to share on Li...

12/13/2025

Next up in Best of Eugene, Arts & Performance, we’re featuring: Best Social Media Personality!

1. Eugene SLUG Queens, Instagram .

2. Lyta Blunt, Instagram .

3. Hazel Jae, Instagram .

https://eugeneweekly.com/2025/10/30/best-social-media-personality/

12/12/2025

Oregon’s largest teachers union, the Oregon Education Association, is encouraging its members to proactively train and prepare for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities on school grounds. In a meeting of more than 60 people on Dec. 6, several speakers told educators how to identify and react to ICE agents entering school property to detain immigrant students and their families.

Recent Trump administration policy changes allow ICE agents to make arrests at schools and churches, an activity that under the Biden administration was discouraged. “It’s worrisome for me that all of a sudden we have put teachers on the front lines,” says Juan Proaño, CEO of League of United Latin American Citizens, a national Hispanic and Latin American civil rights organization.

Read the rest in Eugene Weekly.

Jaime Martinez and Enrique Farrera. Photo by Eve Weston. Protecting Students Oregon’s largest teachers union holds an anti-ICE training in Eugene News by Eve WestonPosted on 12/11/2025 Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky...

12/12/2025

This is the show you have to see. Don't miss the history-making musical from the creators of South Park and EGOT winner Robert Lopez. Get tickets for THE BOOK OF MORMON at the Hult Center now! https://hultcenter.org/events/book-of-mormon/

12/12/2025

The city of Eugene launched a program in October — required by state law — that sheds light on its history of discrimination in regard to land use, housing and displacement.

In 2023, the Oregon Legislature passed House Bill 2001, which requires cities to “inventory and address past and current discriminatory practices in their housing planning work.” Equity Atlas: Selected Stories from Eugene’s History of Displacement, was built to help support planning projects that recognize the city’s extensive history of housing discrimination.

Talicia Brown, founder of the Black Cultural Initiative and member of the Urban Growth Strategies advisory panel, says it was important for her to collaborate with Equity Atlas because of the city’s housing history.

Read the rest in Eugene Weekly.

Screenshot from Eugene-or.gov/5491/Equity-Atlas The Story of Housing Discrimination Eugene’s Equity Atlas, mandated by the state, seeks to inventory and address discriminatory practices in housing planning News by Ysabella SosaPosted on 12/11/2025 Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) F...

12/12/2025

They’re called stealth cell-phone towers.

But little is stealthy about the latest one in Eugene, which measures 75 feet tall and is being disguised as a massive stone church bell tower.

It’s a looming presence at the Willamette Christian Center at West 18th Avenue and Hawkins Lane in west Eugene. It even features a couple of big dangling faux bells that can’t be rung.

Passers-by gawk, take photos and wonder what it is. The thing irritates some residential neighbors. One calls it a “big ugly tower.” But another says she doesn’t mind it.

Read the rest in Eugene Weekly’s Bricks $ Mortar

Willamette Christian Center’s tower under construction. Photo by Christian Wihtol. Bells and Whistles Disguised cell tower in west Eugene earns money for church but boos from some neighbors News by Christian WihtolPosted on 12/11/2025 Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click...

12/12/2025

Look for hidden gems throughout Hendricks Park at the Forest Fairies Nature Quest this Sunday, Dec. 14, 1-3 pm. Starting at the Wilkins Shelter, this walk includes a hunt for “fairies,” or pine cones decorated with fabulous craft supplies. After the walk, cozy up around a fire. Participants collect their own pine cones to decorate with craft supplies and a little hot glue. Aimed at families with preschool to elementary school-aged children, the walk is family-paced, says organizer Beth Stein. Nearby Nature tries to do a Nature Quest monthly, as, “You get a walk, and you get to learn some things, and you get to be imaginative, and then you go back, and you get to sit by the warm fire,” Stein says. Rain or shine and free for Nearby Nature members, organizers encourage non-members to register for $10 per family beforehand.

Read more in Eugene Weekly’s What’s Happening Calendar.

A homemade forest fairy hanging out in Hendricks before the walk. Photo by Beth Stein. Having Fun Finding Forest Fairies Forest Fairies Nature Quest put on by Nearby Nature is a youngster-friendly opportunity to engage with local wildlife. Whats-Happening by Grace MangaliPosted on 12/11/2025 Click t...

12/12/2025

An alien contacts an aspiring influencer. Could this catapult the influencer to the next level in a world dominated by personal brand? That’s the premise of CONTINUATION!, a 20-minute sci-fi thriller, premiering Dec. 13 at 6 pm at Caffé Pacori, located at 255 Wallis Street, Suite 3. Produced and filmed in Eugene by CowDog Productions, Thor Slaughter wrote and directed the film with cinematographer Daniel Martinez, inspired by old-school practical effects from movies like Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The movie stars Los Angeles-based Mason Shepherd, along with local actors, and an animatronic alien created by Webster Colcord, an animator and motion-capture artist from Eugene who now works in Hollywood. Along the way, the character goes through an “intense emotional downward spiral, and the deeper the rabbit hole goes, the more overwhelming and over the top and surreal everything sort of becomes,” Slaughter says.

Read more in Eugene Weekly’s What’s Happening Calendar.

Mason Shepherd in CONTINUATION! Photo courtesy CowDog Productions. Local Aliens Film by Will KennedyPosted on 12/11/2025 Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon Click t...

12/12/2025

If your gift list includes someone whose vibe is less jingle bells and more summoning spells, Sparrow & Serpent Pub has you covered with its Dark Yule Market: The Market of the Wild Hunt, located at 211 Washington Street, 11am-4pm on Saturday, Dec. 13. The pub is already known for championing Eugene’s shadow-loving creatives — from metal artists to witches to anyone who thinks the Krampus deserves equal billing with Santa. In the past, Sparrow and Serpent has welcomed all kinds of makers, but this time the spotlight narrows to the eerie, the folkloric and the unapologetically macabre. “This one is really focused on darker arts, darker themes,” Chappell says. Expect vendors peddling handmade jewelry, bone art, witchcraft supplies, herbal blends, blacksmith wares, Krampus gifts and enough gothic decor to make your house look like it hexed itself. It’s a winter market for those who prefer their holidays with a bite.

Read more in Eugene Weekly’s What’s Happening Calendar.

Haunting deer skull wearing a holiday hat. Photo by Kat Tabor. Have Yourself a Creepy Little Yule Sparrow & Serpent Pub brings an alternative twist to the holiday season with a market steeped in folklore, witchcraft and the darker side of Yule traditions. Whats-Happening by Kat TaborPosted on 12/11/...

12/12/2025

On Dec. 13 at The Hybrid Gallery, Eugene’s Natsukashii Soul plays selections from Silvereen, the pop, jazz and soul quintet’s debut album, set to be released that same day as their performance and will be available on Bandcamp and vinyl LP. Recorded by Randy Brewer at Eugene’s Bespoke Recording studio, Silvereen features six originals honed on stages in Eugene and Portland over the past several years, as well as a jazzy cover of “Sakura,” a traditional Japanese folk song. With keyboards, guitar, bass, and trumpet, and strong neo-soul vocals from Autumn Rose, Natsukashii Soul’s music often evolves from improvisational jam sessions, before Rose adds lyrics and vocal melody, sung in a sensual alto recalling Erykah Badu and Amy Winehouse. Natsukashii Soul celebrates Silvereen 7:30 pm Saturday, Dec. 13, at The Hybrid Gallery, 941 West 3rd Avenue. Tickets are $10. The show is all ages.

Read more in Eugene Weekly’s What’s Happening Calendar.

Soul Nourishing Soul Nourishing Natsukashii Soul celebrates debut album at The Hybrid Gallery Music by Will KennedyPosted on 12/11/2025 Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) M...

12/11/2025

Indigenous Oregon artist James Lavadour’s lengthy career is explored in depth in ‘James Lavadour: Land of Origin,’ an exhibition that runs through Jan. 11 at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon. The JSMA is closed Dec. 17 to Jan. 6.

Read more in Eugene Weekly.

James Lavadour near Pendleton. Photo by Mario Gallucci. ‘Land of Origin’ James Lavadour’s engaging art grows out of his deep relationship with the land where he lives in the Oregon desert Arts by Bob KeeferPosted on 12/11/2025 Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Click to ...