The Must List: KEXP Rocks the Dock, Fourth of July Fun and More
Your guide to Seattle's hottest events.
By Seattle Magazine Staff June 29, 2017
MUST MEET THE MARKETFRONT
Pike Place MarketFront Grand Opening
(6/29) Unless you’ve been living under a busker’s accordion case, you know that Pike Place Market has undergone a massive expansion. The $74 million addition, which we got a sneak peek of earlier this week, officially debuts Thursday. The new MarketFront’s grand opening party features public art, craft demos and performances from Seattle soul queen Grace Love, the Dip and the Pazific. Free. 2-7 p.m. 1901 Western Ave., pikeplacemarket.org
MUST ROCK THE WATER
KEXP Rocks the Dock
(7/1) If our forefathers were here to celebrate Fourth of July weekend with tube meat and explosives, they’d remind us to never forget to rock. Seattle’s indie radio darling answers this important call, kicking off a summer series of waterfront events Saturday with KEXP Rocks the Dock. A solid lineup led by Portland faves the Thermals takes a stage nestled between the Great Wheel and the aquarium. Because it’s apparently Canada Day, Vancouver indie-rocker Louise Burns joins the bill also featuring locals Bread & Butter and Jenn Champion. The run of family friendly cultural events, spearheaded by nonprofit Friends of Waterfront Seattle, continues through Labor Day. Free. 3-8 p.m. 1401 Alaskan Way, www.friendsofwaterfrontseattle.org
MUST SET SAIL
Lake Union Wooden Boat Festival
(7/1–7/4) There’s a lot to dive into at the Center for Wooden Boats’ (CWB) annual celebration of all things nautical (including a sneak peek of the soon-to-be-completed Wagner Education Center). Board the museum’s visiting vessels and view the historic ships; explore pond boat sailing, paddle boating, toy boat building and a free public sail on Sunday. All day. Free. Center for Wooden Boats at South Lake Union Park, 1010 Valley St.; cwb.org
MUST UNIFY
Naturalization Ceremony
(7/4) Kick off your Fourth of July festivities with an event that celebrates the diversity that makes America great. Watch as more than 400 people from countries all around the world become naturalized citizens of the United States. The United States Navy Band will join Mayor Ed Murray in welcoming the new citizens. Band performs at 11 a.m., citizenship ceremony at noon. Free. Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St.; seattlecenter.com
MUST SEE FIREWORKS
Seafair Summer 4th
(7/4) For more traditional explosions-in-the-sky Fourth of July fun, head to Gas Works and Lake Union parks. Nearly 8,500 pounds of fireworks will beautifully blow up over Lake Union around 10:20 p.m., but the party starts at noon with live music at Gas Works, featuring local indie rockers Pickwick, Smokey Brights and many more. General admission is free, but reserved seating for primo fireworks viewing costs up to $60. God bless America? Times, prices and locations vary; www.seafair.com
Follow Us
Back to Gander
Seattle Rep revisits its original world premiere with a new staging that pulls you straight into the heart of the story.
When you walk into the theater, the cast is already onstage in what looks like a Gander high school gym—setting out dishes for a potluck, chatting, and then cleaning up. It feels like you’ve arrived in the middle of a reunion, which is the point. This run marks 10 years since Come From Away first…
Seattle’s Big Holiday Arts Guide
A full lineup of seasonal performances across local theaters and venues.
In the words of William Shakespeare, “All’s well that ends well.” Local theater and arts organizations are hoping for exactly that. Holiday productions often account for as much as half of their annual ticket sales. A 2018 Dance/USA survey found that The Nutcracker alone represented 48% of yearly revenue for many companies producing the Tchaikovsky…
Outside The Frame
In their first solo museum exhibition in Seattle, artist Camille Trautman uses photography to reclaim history, narrative, and self-expression.
You have probably seen Camille Trautman’s work without even realizing it. A huge photograph—20 feet wide—is currently hanging across the exterior of the Frye Art Museum, visible to passersby driving along Boren Avenue. The image is of a wooded landscape in black and white. Its edges are vacuous, with trees swallowed by darkness, but the…
Holiday Hunt in Pioneer Square
A daily ornament drop turns December into a neighborhood-wide scavenger hunt.
The holidays tend to bring out the kid in all of us. And if opening presents and eating too many treats weren’t enough, there’s also a scavenger hunt in Seattle’s oldest neighborhood. Pioneer Square’s Holiday Ornament Scavenger Hunt has returned for its third year. Twenty-five handblown glass ornaments—all made at Glasshouse Studio—are hidden across 25…