The Must List: Freedom Fantasia, Fourth of July Festivities and the Gate to Nowhere Art Installation
Things to do in Seattle this weekend
By Seattle Magazine Staff July 3, 2014
Must Paddle
Rent a Canoe and See the Gate to Nowhere
(Through winter, times vary) — You’ve likely seen the abandoned SR-520 “ramps to nowhere” in the Arboretum, leftover after voters rejected the R.H. Thomson Expressway in 1972. The spooky half-built highway will be torn down when the new 520 Bridge is completed, but in the meantime, an art installation called Gate to Nowhere highlights the visual impact of the structures. It’s best seen up close, so rent a canoe or kayak and paddle through a piece of Seattle history.
Must Ooh and Ahh
Lake Union Festivities Galore
(7/4 to 7/6, times vary) — The Center for Wooden Boats is holding its 38th annual waterfront fest–featuring free boat rides, a boatbuilding race and historic ship tours. After you get your seafaring fill, locate a spot in Lake Union Park to plop down and watch the Fourth of July fireworks.
Must Head East
See Stunning Artworks at Bellwether 2014
(7/5 to 7/6, times vary) — It’s time once again for the biennial Bellevue sculpture exhibition, featuring exciting new installations by Northwest artists including Elizabeth Gahan and Junichiro Iwase. Drink in the art over the holiday weekend–30+ works stretching from Downtown Park to City Hall.
Must Fly a Fabulous Flag
Freedom Fantasia Takes Over The Triple Door
Thursday (7/3, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.) — This wonderfully wild spectacle of patriotism featuring song, dance, burlesque and theater returns for the fourth year to the Triple Door Mainstage. Witness stars BenDeLaCreme from season six of RuPaul’s Drag Race, local drag performer Lou Henry Hoover and Kitten LaRue of The Atomic Bombshells celebrate America in all its glittery glory.
Must Hear
Amy Pennington Reads at Book Larder
Tuesday (6/8, 6:30 p.m.) — Seattle urban farmer, host of KCTS restaurant review show Check, Please! and Seattle mag contributor Amy Pennington has released a new book, Fresh Pantry: Eat Seasonally, Cook Smart & Learn to Love Your Vegetables, bursting with recipes based in local bounty. She’ll share her words of wisdom at Fremont cookbook haven Book Larder.
Follow Us
Getting Ghosted
Kim Fu’s latest novel turns a rain-soaked Pacific Northwest winter into the backdrop for a story about grief and loneliness.
In their latest novel, Seattle-based author Kim Fu gets one thing right about the Pacific Northwest: the rain. Set during a particularly bleak winter, The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts tells the story of Eleanor Fan, an online therapist grappling with the recent loss of her mother, Lele. After Lele’s passing, Eleanor inherits money to put…
Go See Diné Artist Eric-Paul Riege’s Largest Show to Date at the Henry Art Gallery
With a mix of mediums, ojo|-|ólǫ́ examines questions surrounding the authenticity and ownership of Indigenous work.
It’s a phrase that’s been drilled into most of us since we were young children: When you’re visiting a gallery, please, do not touch the art. In many cases, it’s with good reason: the pieces on display are fragile, one-of-a-kind, or historic works that cannot be reproduced. It’s such an ingrained approach to the museum-going…
Rearview Mirror: Ballet’s Saddest Story, New Art in the Sculpture Park, and a Home-Grown Wine Label Promoting Social Justice
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
Circular Thinking I am very lucky to live just a 12-minute walk away from Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park. It’s a regular destination for my weekly walks and, aside from the world-class art, has one of the city’s best views of Puget Sound. Earlier this week, I went on a wet, windy walk and discovered…
Studio Sessions: Gabriel Stromberg
For his current show at studio e gallery, Gabriel Stromberg explores the challenges of working with clay.
Gabriel Stromberg has been a name about town for nearly two decades. As one of the cofounders of design firm Civilization (where he was the creative director and lead designer from 2008 to 2022), Stromberg worked on many award-winning projects, helped produce the wildly popular and always packed Design Lecture Series, and co-created and moderated…