The Must List: Japanese Cultural Festival, Arcade Lights & More
What to do this weekend in Seattle
By Seattle magazine staff April 21, 2016
Must Taste
Pike Place Market’s Annual Arcade Lights
Friday (4/22, 7 p.m.) Head to Pike Place Market for the annual Arcade Lights Tasting Festival in the North Arcade. Enjoy a night of artisanal foods, beers and Washington wines. Indulge in unlimited snacks and use your five tokens to taste locally crafted drinks.
Must See
Trees in Bloom at the Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival
(4/22 to 4/24, times vary) Japanese cherry blossom trees only flower for a week or two for the entire year, so don’t miss your chance to peek at those pretty pink petals at the Seattle Cherry Blossom & Japanese Cultural Festival. The festival began 40 years ago when 1,000 cherry blossom trees were given to Seattle by Japanese Prime Minister Takeo Miki. Enjoy live performances, taiko drumming, food and games during the two-day event at Seattle Center.
Must Listen
Seattle Symphony Performs Music from Romeo & Juliet and More
(4/21 to 4/24, times vary) Musical director Ludovic Morlot conducts the Seattle Symphony in an evening of Romantic music. On the bill is Mendelssohn’s Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Britten’s Nocturne, Szymanowski’s Symphony No. 3 and Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet Fantasy-Overture.
Must Hear
Author Teju Cole Reads at Town Hall
Thursday (4/21, 7:30 p.m.) The Nigerian-born author’s epic novel, Open City, draws on his heritage to tell the fictional tale of one man’s experiences in a post-9/11 New York. Cole’s most recent novella, Every Day Is for the Thief, follows a nameless protagonist as he returns to Nigeria, reflecting on his personal relationships and coming to terms with his past. He will discuss how his heritage has influenced his writing and creative process.
Must Watch
Velocity Dance Center Presents Karin Stevens
(4/22 to 4/24, times vary) This big-thinking Seattle choreographer presents (Re)Move: Back Toward Again the (Re)Turn Facing, a piece she describes as “a personal and earth exploration at the interchange of science, philosophy, art and the movements of spirit toward a (re)form of imagination for our time.” With music by Seattle’s Wayne Horvitz, Michael Owcharuk and Nate Omdal.
Follow Us
Studio Sessions: Jade Solomon Curtis
With an interest in how bodies retain memory, emotion, and experience, the award-winning choreographer and interdisciplinary artist Jade Solomon Curtis presents an immersive work at Seattle’s historic Union station.
Discover choreographer Jade Solomon Curtis and her immersive dance installation, Keeper of Sadness, at Seattle’s historic Union Station this August.
Northwest Tune-Up Bike and Music Festival Brings Big Air and Loud Sets to Bellingham
The three-day festival celebrates its fifth year with bike competitions and a genre-spanning music lineup—plus one unforgettable band of mummies.
If I were to summarize the sensation of attending Northwest Tune-Up, Bellingham’s three-day bike and music festival, in one image, it would be watching Tomomi Nishikubo—a Japanese street trials biker—doing acrobatic acts of derring-do on his bike while Seattle rockers Thunderpussy shred in the distance. My second lasting impression of the festival would be rounding…
Ferry Tales: Eight Indie Bookstores Worth the Ride
Plan a summer day around these bookshops in Seattle, Bremerton, Bainbridge Island, Kingston, and Poulsbo.
Independent bookstores tend to be cornerstones of the communities in which they reside, and Seattle is no exception. In addition to helping customers discover their next read, these neighborhood hubs host weekly gatherings and events, like publication release parties, author talks, and book clubs. Many of them have cafés and reading tables that encourage lingering…
Rearview Mirror: Seattle Art Fair is Back, Nordstrom Throws a Block Party, and a Must-Try Ice Cream Sundae
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
SEATTLE ART FAIR RETURNS The buzziest event of the summer (well, aside from the World Cup), is returning next week. Now in its 10th edition, the Seattle Art Fair will once again take over the Lumen Field Event Center, packing it to the gills with art from 101 local, national, and international galleries. This year,…