Skip to content

Must List: Hugo House Grand Opening, Seattle Children’s Festival, Local Sightings Film Festival

Your weekly guide to Seattle’s hottest events

By Beau Iverson September 20, 2018

1_73

MUST WRITE 

Hugo House Grand Opening 
(9/22) Seattle’s beloved writing center will open the doors to its new 10,000 square foot home in Capitol Hill, and all are invited. Emceed by Seattle Business magazine contributor Nancy Guppy, the celebration will feature special guest Maria Semple along with pop-up readings from writers such as Anastacia-Renee and Amber Flame, a literature-inspired musical performance by The Bushwick Book Club and more. 5–8 p.m. Free. Capitol Hill, 1634 11th Ave.; hugohouse.org 

Caspar Babypants performing at Seattle Children’s Festival in 2016. Photo via Facebook

MUST PLAY 

Seattle Children’s Festival  
(9/22) In this family-friendly event produced by Northwest Folklife and Seattle Center, everyone will have fun at concerts by Caspar Babypants and The Rhapsody Zone, activity-packed discovery zones, dance workshops, multicultural arts and crafts and more. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $10 suggested donation. Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St.; nwfolklife.org 

Via SIFF

MUST WATCH 

Local Sightings Film Festival  
(9/21­–9/29) Get your fix of Pacific Northwest films at the 21st edition of one of Seattle’s favorite and most home-grown film festivals. This showcase of Northwest moviemakers and PNW-themed flicks includes Kadazia Allen-Perry’s Chronic Means Forever and a special screening of It Happened at the World’s Fair at The Egyptian. Times and prices vary. Capitol Hill, 1515 12th Ave.; nwfilmforum.org 

Via Fremont Arts Council

MUST LIGHT 

Luminata  
(9/22) Wave goodbye to summer and light the way to fall at Fremont Arts Council’s annual autumnal equinox celebration. Head to Green Lake Park for the illuminated festivities, and feel free to come in costume (as long as it beams or glows). Lanterns made by locals will be available to buy at the Luminata Lantern Shoppe, and the night will also feature art installations, performances, music and a “secret” banquet. 7 p.m.–10 p.m. Free. Green Lake Park, 7201 East Green Lake Dr. N.; fremontartscouncil.org 

MUST DRINK 

Fremont Oktoberfest  
(9/21–9/23) Prost! with your friends at the largest beer garden in the northwest. Taste from a selection of over 100 pours in a 5 ounce mug, or opt for the more traditional (and not-so-mini) steins and boots. Enjoy a chainsaw pumpkin carving, a quirky neighborhood stroll known as the “Fremont Street Scramble” and your choice of football: the Huskies, Cougs and Hawks games will all be screening at the indoor beer hall. This is a 21+ event. Times and prices vary. Fremont, intersection of Phinney Ave N & N 35th St.; fremontoktoberfest.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…