Skip to content

6 Seattle Outdoor Music Festivals in July

Hear that? Outdoor music season is in full swing. Here are some of this month’s highlights

By Gavin Borchert June 27, 2018

Possi-AJ-Ragasa-31-copy

This article originally appeared in the July 2018 issue of Seattle magazine.

This article appears in print in the July 2018 issue. Click here to subscribe.

Seattle Chamber Music Festival (7/2–7/27)
The main classical event of Seattle’s summer, with music by composers ranging alphabetically from Aho to Vänskä and chronologically from Bach to a new commissioned work by James Newton Howard. Times and prices vary. Benaroya Recital Hall, downtown, 200 University St.; 206.215.4747; seattlechambermusic.org

Ballard Seafoodfest (7/13–7/15)
A festival celebrating Ballard’s Scandinavian heritage and connection to the sea—but there’s music too? Oh, yah, with Blitzen Trapper and All Them Witches headlining. Times and venues vary. Free. Downtown Ballard, NW Market Street and 22nd Avenue NW; seafoodfest.org

West Seattle Summer Fest (7/13–7/15)
On stage during this annual neighborhood party: Shannon and the Clams, Dude York and the Dusty 45s are among a lineup as eclectic as you’d expect from a ’hood anchored by Easy Street Records. Times vary. Free. West Seattle Junction, SW Alaska Street and California Avenue SW; wsjunction.org

Jamfest (7/19)
“Peace, Love and Chinatown” is the theme of this year’s music-filled showcase throughout the Chinatown/International District, featuring all-girl teen rock trio Bleachbear and The Voice’s Siahna. 5–9 p.m. Free, donations accepted. Venues vary. Chinatown-International District; wingluke.org

Capitol Hill Block Party (7/20–7/22)
Six stages filled with dozens of local and national acts are headlined by Father John Misty and Dillon Francis. Times and venues vary. One-day passes $65. Capitol Hill; capitolhillblockparty.com.

Wine Country Blues Festival (7/29)
[doo-doooo-doo-doot] Gotta hear me some blues. [doo-doooo-doo-doot] Gotta taste me some wine. [doo-dooo-doo-doot] They serve music all summer. [oh yeah] And everything’s gonna be fine! [piano break] 3 p.m. Prices vary. Chateau Amphitheatre, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, 14111 NE 145th St.; 425.488.1133; ste-michelle.com

 

Follow Us

Studio Sessions: Jo Cosme

Studio Sessions: Jo Cosme

The Seattle-based multimedia artist and 2026 Neddy Award winner challenges the postcard version of Puerto Rico and centers the persistence of its people.

Jo Cosme knows how seductive a postcard can be. The Seattle-based Boricua (Puerto Rican) multimedia artist works across photography, installation, video, sound, and interactive elements to examine and pull apart how Puerto Rico is seen, sold, and misunderstood from the outside. Trained in photojournalism, with a BFA in photography from Puerto Rico School of Fine…

Seattle's Drag Brunch Has History

Seattle’s Drag Brunch Has History

The city’s Sunday shows started long before the mimosas got bottomless.

There was a time not too long ago, when drag performances—now a mainstay of Seattle’s queer scene—were kept under wraps. And when brunches, complete with singing and dancing queens dressed in dazzling drag as you sipped mimosas, weren’t a Sunday staple.  During the 1940s and ‘50s, an era largely shaped by restrictive laws and bias…

Studio Sessions: Sangram Majumdar

Studio Sessions: Sangram Majumdar

Working at the confluence of history, culture, and various painting traditions, UW associate professor Sangram Majumdar is one of this year’s Neddy Artist Award winners.

Discover the art of UW professor Sangram Majumdar, a 2026 Neddy Artist Award winner. Learn about his inspiration and upcoming Seattle exhibition at Cornish.

Rearview Mirror: A Georgian Dinner, Sidewalk Sips, and One-of-a-Kind Clothing

Rearview Mirror: A Georgian Dinner, Sidewalk Sips, and One-of-a-Kind Clothing

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

A new life for old clothes To celebrate one year in its current studio, the FXRY—a clothing repair service available via in-person appointments, home pickup, or mail-in drop off—is dropping its first collection. A small batch of reworked pieces, Second Mark will feature 13 vintage barn jackets, cropped, chain-stitched, and renewed into a completely unique, one-of-one…