Saturday in Ashland: Film honors, markets and music

Ashland heads into the first February weekend with national recognition for its film scene and a full slate of arts and nightlife downtown.

City again ranked a top town for filmmakers

A national film magazine has once again named Ashland one of the top 10 small towns in the U.S. and Canada for moviemakers, marking the 12th time the community has made the list since 2014. The ranking highlights Ashland’s mix of tree-lined streets, historic neighborhoods and nearby landscapes that can double for many kinds of locations.

Local film advocates point to the city’s theater tradition, including a busy festival season, along with comparatively manageable costs and an active crew base, as reasons productions keep returning. Recent shoots in and around Lithia Park and Southern Oregon University have helped keep camera crews, actors and support businesses busy through the winter.

Night market lights up the Historic Armory

The Ashland After Dark Market continues tonight at the Historic Ashland Armory, bringing a celestial-themed night market to the heart of downtown. Dozens of local and regional vendors are offering art, jewelry, pottery, sweets, vintage clothing and more.

Organizers bill the two-night event as an all-ages mix of shopping and nightlife, with a live DJ both evenings, food and drinks on site and drag performances featured during the Saturday session. A single low-cost ticket covers entry for both nights, encouraging residents to drop in more than once over the weekend.

Busy arts calendar for Saturday night

For those looking for performances, today’s calendar is packed. A local theater company is hosting a two-day deep dive on Hamlet, led by a veteran Shakespeare scholar in a small-group setting. At Southern Oregon University’s music building, the latest Masterworks concert is set to celebrate love stories from classical favorites to Broadway ballads.

Downtown, a high-energy rock show at the Columbia Hotel is scheduled to close out the night, featuring a regional band known for a raw, playful sound. With multiple events overlapping, parking near Main Street and the SOU campus may be tighter than usual this evening.

Rainy, mild weekend weather

Forecasters expect showers to build through today and turn to steadier rain by tonight, with the heaviest rainfall likely on Sunday. Snow levels are projected to stay relatively high, bringing only light new snow to the surrounding mountains while the valley sees a classic soggy February weekend.

Sources

Ashland named top 10 small town for filmmakers for 12th time

Ashland After Dark Market

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ashland-after-dark-market-vol4-tickets-1980138026140

https://ashland.news/events/2026-02-07/

https://www.kptv.com/2026/02/07/first-alert-rainy-weekend-light-mountain-snow/