1. Paddle out
For those looking to get out on the water, the Spring Paddle Festival offers both boats and information for beginning boaters and advanced paddlers. Alder Creek Kayak will bring more than 100 kayaks, canoes and paddle boards for visitors to try, along with offering clinics, demonstrations and lake tours throughout the day. Learn about choosing the perfect paddle, safety and rescue techniques, local paddling destinations and stand-up paddling. The free festival runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 23 and 24 at Vancouver Lake Regional Park, 6801 N.W. Lower River Road in Vancouver. 503-285-0464 or aldercreek.com/spring-paddle-festival
2. Celebrate pets
The annual NW Pet Fair celebrates pets of all kinds with products, vendors, entertainment and guest speakers in an event hosted by the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society. A pet fashion show contest will take place both days at 1 p.m. There will be pet adoptions, demonstrations from the Vancouver Police Department’s K-9 unit and a pet-food drive. Rojo the Therapy Llama will celebrate his 14th birthday with attendees at 11:30 a.m. April 24, including a pre-release and book signing for “Rojo: The Perfectly Imperfect Llama.” Visitors are welcome to bring leashed pets to the show; a pet waiver is required. The pet expo runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 23 and 24 at the Portland Expo Center, 2060 N. Marine Drive Portland. Admission is free, with $8 for parking. nwpetfair.com
3. 80 years at the movies
Kiggins Theatre’s 80th Birthday Celebration will be a big street party with a beer garden, magic acts, face-painting and music, including a performance by the Beacock Music Swing Band. During the outside festivities, the theater will screen the classic film “Swing Time,” featuring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire at 2 p.m. for $8. It will be followed with Charlie Chaplin’s “Modern Times” at 4 p.m. for $19.36, which includes drinks and popcorn. At 6 p.m. there will be an overview of the theater’s past, present and future, followed by the film that opened the Kiggins in 1936, “She Married Her Boss.” Tickets are $80 for those 21 and older, and include admission to the earlier films, plus refreshments and treats. All of the celebrations will run noon to 7 p.m. April 24 at the Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main St. Vancouver. 360-816-0352 or www.kigginstheatre.net/movies/80th-birthday-celebration
4. Activities for all
Take in some free community fun as the Firstenburg Community Center celebrates its 10th anniversary with a day of activities 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 23. There will be public swim sessions, limited to 100 swimmers, and climbing-wall sessions, limited to 12 climbers, with time slots handed out on a first-come, first-served basis. The fitness center, teen zone and gymnasium will be open to all ages at the Firstenburg Community Center, 700 N.E. 136th Ave., Vancouver. 360-487-7001 or www.cityofvancouver.us/parksrec/page/firstenburg-10th-anniversary-celebration
