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3 Outdoor Movies to Catch This Holiday Weekend

Our top picks for the season’s final outdoor film weekend

people watching movie in open air cinema in city park
people watching movie in open air cinema in city park

Traditionally, Labor Day weekend marks (don’t say it!) the end of summer, but there are still a few final chances to catch outdoor movies (and avoid the crowds at Bumbershoot, if you like). Two are family-friendly, one decidedly isn’t. Pack up the lawn chairs and the picnic basket before you store them for the winter:

The Big Lebowski • 8:30 p.m., Thursday, August 29, 8:30 p.m.

A case of mistaken identity sets in motion the ridiculously complex, film-noir-spoofing plot of the the Coen Brothers 1998 cult fave, probably the most quotable film since Casablanca, with its fantastic cast of character actors: John Goodman’s hyperintense Vietnam vet (“You want a toe? I can get you a toe, believe me. . . . Hell, I can get you a toe by 3 o’clock this afternoon”), Julianne Moore’s languid artiste (“It’s a male myth about feminists that we hate sex. It can be a natural, zesty enterprise”), Sam Elliott’s avuncular narrator (“The Dude abides. I don’t know about you but I take comfort in that”), and of course Jeff Bridges’ iconic slacker (“That rug really tied the room together”). Peddler Brewing Company’s covered beer garden is the site; plenty of beer, but you may need to sneak in your own White Russians in a flask. Free. 1514 NW Leary Way; 360-362-0002; peddlerbrewing.com

Lilo & Stitch • 8:15 p.m., Thursday, August 29

One’s a headstrong 5-year-old, the other’s an obstreperous escaped space alien, and they come together for one of Disney’s most unusual stories ever, superimposing sci-fi atop traditional Hawaiian culture and a soundtrack full of Elvis songs. Keep an eye out for the gorgeous backgrounds; it’s a return to the painterly watercolor style of Disney’s earliest animated classics like Snow White. This bike-in screening’s a joint presentation of Northwest Film Forum, Bike Works, Urban Artworks, and NW Folklife, with art activities and live music before the show at 6 p.m. Free. Pratt Park, 1800 S Main St.; nwfilmforum.org

Finding Nemo • dusk, Friday, August 30

Concluding Magnuson Park’s summer lineup of movies about animals is this animated adventure from Pixar, a quest film set among sea life in the colorful tropical waters off the coast of Australia. (The film’s main human character, the demonic brat Darla, is like the dark side of Lilo.) A financial and critical blockbuster, it inspired a sequel to showcase Ellen DeGeneres’ hilarious voice work as Dory. Free. Magnuson Park Auditorium, 7400 Sand Point Way; blog.scarecrow.com

Rearview Mirror: Godzilla, Cork, and a New Sushi Spot

Rearview Mirror: Godzilla, Cork, and a New Sushi Spot

Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).

POPPING OUR SENSES I don’t think I’ve ever given much thought to a wine cork beyond the satisfying pop it makes when opening a bottle, but after spending a morning at DeLille Cellars in Woodinville with about 50 other people, I have a new appreciation for it. The occasion was “(Pop) Open Your Senses,” a…

Best Bookstore: Beguiled Books

Best Bookstore: Beguiled Books

This Pioneer Square darling is easy to spot: pink doors and candy-striped details mark its home near Occidental Square. Beguiled Books started in 2024 as a mobile bookstore, making its way from table to tent to trailer, and finally to its current brick-and-mortar space. Labelling itself as “Seattle’s Original Romance Bookstore,” Beguiled specializes in just…

Best Art Gallery: Foster/White Gallery

Best Art Gallery: Foster/White Gallery

A pillar in Pioneer Square’s arts ecosystem, Foster/White Gallery opened in 1966 (then called Richard White Gallery) as the first space of its kind in the neighborhood. It soon gained notoriety for showing preeminent Northwest artists such as Morris Graves, William Morris, George Tsutakawa, and Dale Chihuly. In the decades after founding the gallery, its…

Best Museum: Seattle Art Museum

Best Museum: Seattle Art Museum

A vote for Seattle Art Museum is really a vote for three different art outings. The downtown museum pairs ambitious exhibitions with a global collection; the Seattle Asian Art Museum occupies SAM’s original 1933 Art Deco home amid the 43 acres of Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park; and the Olympic Sculpture Park puts art out in…