Vancouver Ballet Folklórico, the City of Vancouver, and ARTSTRA bring this annual Day of the Dead celebration back to Esther Short Park. It’s a time to remember and honor loved ones who have passed, and it’s truly a celebration of life, love, and healing. Expect glowing luminarias, traditional Mexican dancing, music, guest artists, catrinas, and a community ofrenda.

The Historic Trust is opening up one of Vancouver’s most intriguing historic buildings. The Post Hospital has been off-limits to the public for decades, and this tour gives you access to spaces on all four floors so you can imagine the rooms in action. Your visit starts across the street at the Red Cross Building with a short seated talk from Holly Chamberlain, The Historic Trust’s Director of Historic Preservation, about the building’s history, architecture, and how it has changed over time.

Columbia Springs is inviting everyone out for a Nature Day all about creepy, crawly critters. It’s designed to be fun for every age, from preschoolers to high schoolers to grown-ups, with hands-on science and nature experiences exploring the not-so-scary creatures that live around us. Just bring your curiosity.

Calling all collectors, nostalgia lovers, and kids with birthday money. The Washington State Toy Show fills the Clark County Event Center with vintage and modern toys, comic books, trading cards, and collectibles from local vendors. Think action figures, die-cast cars, LEGO, video games, comics, and more.

Just when you think you’ve seen everything Oregon has to offer, along comes this Travel Portland Editor’s Pick. Since 2004, costumed competitors have climbed into hollowed-out giant pumpkins and paddled them across Tualatin Lake at the Commons in a series of races. These gourds are grown all summer and can weigh more than 2,000 pounds, and yes, they float with a person inside.