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Must List: The Grand Old 4th of July, Greenwood Car Show, ‘Summer Dreams’

Your weekly guide to Seattle's hottest events.

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MUST CELEBRATE

The Grand Old 4th of July
(7/4) Celebrate an old-fashioned Independence Day on Bainbridge Island. The all-day party features a parade downtown, a pizza-eating contest, a street fair and, of course, fireworks in the evening. (Don’t worry: there will be food vendors, live music and entertainment to keep you going until dusk.). The Bainbridge Island Chamber of Commerce definitely knows how to throw a good party; they’ve been throwing this one for 51 years! Free. Festivities start at 7 a.m.; grandold4th.com


Photo by Neon Saltwater

MUST DREAM

Summer Dreams
(6/28–8/22) This new exhibit at the Winston Wächter gallery is the stuff of 1980s dreams, thanks to Abby Dougherty, who works under the name Neon Saltwater, and her colorful installations of luminescent aquas, vibrating pinks and gelatinous greens. The show also includes works by the pop-inspired design studio Electric Coffin, Peter Gronquist’s wall-mounted 3-D light boxes (his version of “infinity mirrors”) and Jennifer Zwick’s boldly patterned floral photographs. Free. 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Mon.–Sat.; Winston Wächter Fine Art, Queen Anne, 203 Dexter Ave. N; 206.652.5855. seattle.winstonwachter.com

MUST VROOM VROOM

Greenwood Car Show
(6/30) The annual Greenwood Car Show is back with food, music and hot rods, of course. Walk through a mile and a half of classic cars and hydroplanes, participate in the ninth annual Beer Can Derby, grab a bite at one of the local restaurants in the Greenwood neighborhood and enjoy some live music. Plus, there is kids zone with a bounce house and games, so bring the whole family along. Free. 8 a.m.–4 p.m.;Greenwood Ave. (between N 90th St. and N 65th St.); greenwoodcarshow.com

MUST SEE

Taiwanese American Film Festival
(6/29–7/1) The Seattle chapter of Taiwanese American Professionals (TAP) is hosting the first ever Taiwanese American Film Festival that will showcase seven feature-length films and five short films by Taiwanese American film producers. Opening night on Friday kicks off  with a free showing of the short films, a panel discussion and the chance to experience virtual reality storytelling. Times, prices and locations vary. seataff.org


Photo via seattlesymphony.org

MUST LISTEN

Seattle Symphony
(6/28, 6/30 & 7/1) Camille Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 (1886), in which he played an organ at full throttle atop a large Romantic orchestra, runs the gamut from typical French elegance to violet-scented piety (the composer was a church organist) to one of the more rousing climaxes in the repertory. It’ll make a great finale to the Seattle Symphony’s season. Times and prices vary. Benaroya Hall, downtown, 200 University St.; 206.215.4747; seattlesymphony.org

Rearview Mirror: Spinasse at Home, a New Spa Experience, and Seattle Mag’s Reader’s Choice Awards 

Rearview Mirror: Spinasse at Home, a New Spa Experience, and Seattle Mag’s Reader’s Choice Awards 

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

YOUR VOTE MATTERS Everyone has a favorite restaurant, coffee shop, or local boutique. Call me old-school, but I will die on the hill that Caffe Vita has the best coffee in town. Disagree with me? Now’s your moment to speak up. Each year, we survey Seattle magazine readers, asking them to weigh in on everything…

Studio Sessions: Ling Chun

Studio Sessions: Ling Chun

The Seattle-based artist brings playful color to ceramics and neon while exploring memory, transformation, and life between cultures.

For Ling Chun, creating begins with something sensed before it can be named. Working with clay, glass, light, and sometimes synthetic hair, the Hong Kong-born artist gives physical form to things that words cannot always hold. “For me, the magnitude of making goes far beyond the object that is eventually produced,” Chun says. “The object…

The Magic of PAX Is Stronger Than Ever

The Magic of PAX Is Stronger Than Ever

PAX West draws more than 100,000 people to Seattle each year. Co-founder Jerry Holkins reflects on what the gaming convention set out to change, how its community has grown and why gathering face to face still matters.

Access to game news as it was happening was difficult back in the day. Even with the advent of the internet, communication between game publishers and journalists was still a very elite affair.  I used to fake credentials—via fax machine!—to attend the Electronic Entertainment Expo, mostly just known as E3. It was simultaneously as loud…

Your Guide to Bumbershoot 2026

Your Guide to Bumbershoot 2026

Navigate Seattle’s wildest end-of-summer weekend with 20 picks spanning Death Cab for Cutie, Blood Orange, wrestling, skateboarding and—obviously—movies made in 48 hours.

Four years after Bumbershoot returned with its quirkiness revivified, Seattleites broadly acknowledge the two-day multimedia extravaganza as a welcome finale to the summer festival season. Fests like Bumbershoot are designed around a choose-your-own-adventure model, but if you’re the kind of person who looked at this year’s sprawling lineup—featuring multiple bands, artists, and exhibits happening at…