Block 15 (300 SW Jefferson Ave., 541/758-2077), a brewpub, brings in a good mix of music—jazz, blues, bluegrass—on a pretty regular, though not nightly, basis. It’s a pleasant low-key place to hang out, with a strong emphasis on doing business sustainably. A good spot for cocktails and occasional music is CrowBar (214 SW 2nd St., 541/753-7373), tucked behind the American Dream pizza in a secluded alley spot.

Other live-music standbys and typical college taverns include the Peacock Tavern (125 SW 2nd St., 541/754-8522) and Squirrel’s Tavern (100 SW 2nd St., 541/753-8057), which brings in music most Saturday nights during the school year.

The Corvallis drama scene coalesces around the Majestic Theater (115 SW 2nd St., 541/766-6976), a restored 1913 vaudeville house. Close by is the excellent Grassroots Books and Music (227 SW 2nd St., 541/754-7558).

Aside from OSU Beavers football games, the biggest event in Corvallis is Da Vinci Days (541/757-6363, www.davinci-days.org), held the third weekend in July to carry on the creative spirit embodied by the genius for whom the festival is named. Sculpt, play chess on a computer, take part in a drama, or just sit and listen to music as Corvallis’s vibrant artistic and scientific community shares its inspirational bounty. New vaudeville acts and food booths also showcase the region’s creativity. Kinetic sculpture races—these must be seen to be believed—along with lectures by scientists and interactive exhibits impart an intellectual air to the proceedings.

The festival takes place on the Oregon State University campus and in Central Park, between 9th and 11th Streets. One-day admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids; full weekend tickets are $15 adults, $10 kids. Because festival events are spread out all over town, a car or a bike is necessary to take full advantage of it all.

Another big Corvallis celebration is the Corvallis Fall Festival (541/752-9655, www.corvallisfallfestival.com). This gathering of artists and craftspeople is now in its second decade. Nonstop varied entertainment and a block of food concessions, including an Oregon wine garden, provide a backdrop for this hotbed of creative ferment the fourth weekend in September in Central Park, between 6th and 8th Streets and Monroe and Madison Avenues.

Two area musical events held each summer are the Memorial Day Bluegrass Festival at Airlie Winery about 20 miles northwest of Corvallis (15305 Dunn Forest Rd., Monmouth, 503/838-6013, www.airliewinery.com) and Sweet Home’s Oregon Jamboree (541/367-8800, www.oregonjamboree.com), Oregon’s largest country music event. In years past, Merle Haggard, Wynonna Judd, Dwight Yoakam, LeAnn Rimes, and other big names have appeared for this early August event, organized to help timber-dependent communities cope economically with the era of limits in Oregon forests.