The Must List: Ice Cream Fest, All-Star Softball Classic

Must Eat
Seattle’s Inaugural Ice Cream Festival
Sunday (5/22, 12 to 5 p.m.) Ice cream is perhaps the most quintessential way to ring in the summer season. Seattle’s inaugural Ice Cream Festival, the brainchild of Kurt Farm Shop’s Kurt Timmermeister, will feature a slew of Seattle’s most illustrious ice cream makers, including Molly Moon’s, Bluebird, Cupcake Royale and Full Tilt selling scoops of their best. Admission is free, and the event is open to all.

Must Wander
Stroll the University District StreetFair
(5/21 to 5/22, times vary) First started in 1970 as a way to bring a diverse and divided neighborhood together, the University District StreetFair has graduated to become an annual community event that draws fun-seekers from all over the city. Grab a snack from one of the food trucks, groove along to live music performances and peruse the craft booths that line “the Ave.”

Must Heel
Parade Your Pet at Petpalooza
Saturday (5/21, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Calling all four-legged friends! Game Farm Park in Auburn welcomes all leashed and licensed critters to bring their humans along for Petpalooza, the ultimate animal bash. Featuring a 3K/5K Dog Trot, pony rides for the kids, and vendor booths offering treats for pets and people alike.

Must Watch
United Way’s Annual All-Star Softball Classic
Sunday (5/22, 3 p.m.) Local celebs including chef Ethan Stowell, Sounders midfielder Ozzie Alonso, and Seahawks stars Jermaine Kearse and the now-retired Marcus Trufant will take the field at Safeco for the United Way’s fourth annual All-Star Softball Classic, benefiting at-risk youth. Expect family fun aplenty, between-innings antics and bonus: kids can run the bases after the game.

Must Listen
Writers Defend Clichés During the Hugo Literary Series
Friday (5/20, 7:30 p.m.) For this year’s Hugo Literary Series, Hugo House has asked writers to defend the use of clichés. On May 20, novelists Jenny Offill, Laura van den Berg, poet Maged Zaher and visual artist Dawn Cerny take up “The writing’s on the wall.”

Must See
Stick Fly Kicks Off the 2016 Intiman Theatre Festival
(5/24 to 6/19, times vary) Lydia R. Diamond’s play, which appeared on Broadway in 2012, takes place at the vacation home of an affluent African-American family, where two brothers introduce their girlfriends to their parents for the first time, exploring secrets and family tension surrounding race and privilege.