MUSIC

Cathedral Park Jazz Festival

The 31st annual event features the likes of Norman Sylvester, Portland Jazz Quintet, Patrick Lamb and Tom Grant.

6 p.m. Friday, July 15, noon Saturday, July 16, noon Sunday, July 17, Cathedral Park (at foot St. John's Bridge), free

Berlin

The inimitable Terri Nunn, named to VH1's list of '100 Greatest Women in Rock, is still leading the influential band of the 1980s, which is touring in support of its 10th release, '4Play.' Kleveland is also performing.

9 p.m. Saturday, July 16, Star Theater, 13 N.W. Sixth Ave., 503-226-6630, $18, $21 at door

Arctic Monkeys

The English indie rockers combine ferocious energy, post-punk vocal and guitar attack (with a dash of math rock) to create a highly distinctive sound. Fellow UK rockers The Vaccines ply a similar trade, with a wee bit more romance.

9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W. Burnside St., 503-225-0047, $28, $30 day of show

STAGE

JAW: A Playwrights Festival

Put on by Portland Center Stage, four new plays drawn from national authors, four Oregon playwrights' work and new works by adventurous local companies are featured at the The Gerding Theater at the Armory. The big weekend includes a haunted war reporter in Dan O'Brien's 'The Body of An American,' a singing teen serial killer in Quincy Long's 'The Huntsmen,' a desperate young widow in WW I-era Vienna in David Grimm's 'Tales from Red Vienna' and Russian literature's most tragic heroine in Kevin McKeon's adaptation of 'Anna Karenina.' The Oregon writers in the 'Made in Oregon' series are Patrick Wohlmut, Andrea Stolowitz, Matthew B. Zrebski and Brian Kettler.

4 p.m., 8 p.m July 16-17 ('Made in Oregon'), July 21-24 ('The Big Weekend'), The Gerding Theater, 128 N.W. 11th Ave., 503-445-3700, free with reservations

Oregon Ballet Theatre

The 'OBT Exposed' show returns to Director Park in the South Park Blocks after a two-year hiatus, and it includes free dance classes, a movie in the park July 21 and a special 'Christmas in July' lunch July 22. A sneak preview of George Balanchine's 'The Nutcracker' will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

Various times, July 18-23, Director Park, 815 S.W. Park Ave., obt.org, free

MISC.

Portland Gear Con

It's the city's first Steampunk and Victoriana Convention, meant for gaslight explorers, adventurers and romantics. It'll be about presentations, workshops, authors, costumes, music and variety. Steampunk is a retro-futuristic subgenre of speculative fiction, set in or thematically referring to an alternate Victorian period in which the technologies of the Industrial Revolution achieve fantastic sophistication and power. Vagabond Opera and Wanderlust Circus perform.

July 22-24, Crowne Plaza Portland, 1441 N.E. Second Ave., see pdxgearcon.com for registration and info

Portland Story Theater

It's the summer finale, 'Urban Tellers: Against All Odds,' with storytellers such as Talen 'Niko' Moe, Ryan Harter and Lacey Mulford.

8 p.m. Friday, July 15, Hipbone Studios, 1847 E. Burnside St., 503-793-5484, $10

Gresham Art Walk

More than 150 talented artisans will fill the streets of Gresham for the 10th annual event. The event includes art for sale, live music, cultural performances, free children's arts and crafts and unique shops and restaurants to enjoy in downtown Gresham.

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, July 16, downtown Gresham, greshamart walk.com, free