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The Must List: KEXP Rocks the Dock, Fourth of July Fun and More

Your guide to Seattle's hottest events.

wooden-boats

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

 

Rearview Mirror: Crocodile Guardians, Late-Summer Potato Salad, and a Halloween Costume Hunt

Rearview Mirror: Crocodile Guardians, Late-Summer Potato Salad, and a Halloween Costume Hunt

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

COOKING WITH ASTER PANTRY A few leaves turn, my inbox fills with fall festival pitches and cozy brunch menus, and suddenly I want to stay home with a glass of wine and cook. I love this nesting season, though I’m not ready to give up summer produce. Earlier this year, I wrote about Seattle chefs…

WALKDONTRUN Returns This Saturday, Turning Downtown Seattle Into a Sprawling Art Show

WALKDONTRUN Returns This Saturday, Turning Downtown Seattle Into a Sprawling Art Show

In its second year, the free festival brings 200-plus artists to a 20-block route September 19, with a secret garden and a former 7-Eleven stocked with art.

Most walks through downtown Seattle involve trying to get somewhere. On September 19, the crosswalk itself might be the reason to stop. Heap Troupe will turn a four-way crossing into a performance, one of dozens of encounters planned for this year’s WALKDONTRUN. The free, all-ages art walk stretches across more than 20 blocks. From 11…

At Two Dot Schoolhouse, Ruth Marie Tomlinson Builds an Artistic Community

At Two Dot Schoolhouse, Ruth Marie Tomlinson Builds an Artistic Community

For nearly 20 years, the Seattle artist and her husband have welcomed artists, writers, and musicians to a historic Montana schoolhouse. Now they’re searching for its next stewards. 

At her solo exhibition last year at The Vestibule, Seattle artist Ruth Marie Tomlinson presented a new series of work inspired by her close readings of British nature writer J.A. Baker’s The Peregrine and Icelandic author Sjón’s The Blue Fox. As if on sheets torn from a sketchbook, her pages included excerpts and outtakes of…

Rearview Mirror: Seahawks Off the Field, Seattle on the Board, and Smoked Oysters

Rearview Mirror: Seahawks Off the Field, Seattle on the Board, and Smoked Oysters

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

HOOKED ON KNOCKS Admittedly, I am late to this one. The Seahawks’ first season of Hard Knocks, the HBO series that follows NFL teams through training camp, premiered in August, but until last week, I had never heard of it. To be honest, my football knowledge starts with knowing what a touchdown is and doesn’t…