The Must List: Seattle Beer Week, Boating Season Returns and a Kentucky Derby Watch Party
Plan your week with our guide to Seattle's best events.
By Seattle Magazine Staff May 4, 2017
Must Sip
Seattle Beer Week
(5/4) So overflowing with sudsy events is Seattle Beer Week, that organizers actually need 10 days to pack them all in. The first (of four) kickoff parties starts Thursday with a happy hour soiree at the Pioneer Square Flatstick Pub. 5–6 p.m. 240 2nd Ave. S; seattlebeerweek.com.
Must Eat Nordique
Nordic Culinary Conference
(5/5-7) The second annual food fest brings a handful of renowned Scandinavian chefs to Ballard to showcase Nordic cuisine, both contemporary and traditional. Claus Meyer, crusader of the new Nordic food trend, delivers the keynote address, while Sasu Laukkonen and Titti Kvarnstrom lend their Michelin cred to the series of talks, demos and, of course, tastings. $75-$350, Nordic Heritage Museum, 3014 67th St. NW; nordicmuseum.org.
Must Float
Opening Day Parade
(5/6) The cannon sounds, the Montlake Bridge goes up, and Seattle Yacht Club’s Grand Opening Day Boat Parade launches a thousand ships. Well, hundreds, and definitely a thousand sips. Watch the parade, then stay for the Windermere Cup crew races. 8 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Lake Washington Ship Canal, Portage Bay; seattleyachtclub.org.
Must Play the Ponies
Kentucky Derby
(5/6) Bust out your ornate headwear and pastel button-ups for Re:Public’s seventh annual Kentucky Derby party, where guests are required to don derby garb. The trendy South Lake Union spot promises a funked-out brunch soundtracked by a brass band, plus “luxurious” bus rides to and from Emerald Downs for a viewing party. $65, 9:30 a.m., 429 Westlake Ave. N; republicseattle.com.
Must Remember Mama
Creative Floristry
(5/7) Learn to create a spring bouquet for Mother’s Day (May 14) with instruction from Thatch Floral’s Sara Jane Camacho and Meadowview Flowers’ Sara Brown (her mom) in a Seattle Atlas Obscura Society event. 1–3 p.m. $50. Slab Art Studio, SoDo, 3100 Airport Way S, Building 9; atlasobscura.com.
Follow Us
Spring Arts Preview: Film
Festivals keep the region’s movie scene busy this season.
Spring is festival season for Seattle movie lovers. For a few weeks each year, film festivals take over the city’s theaters, turning them into gathering spots for audiences eager to see what’s new on screen. Here are some worth catching. Seattle Jewish Film Festival The 31st annual Seattle Jewish Film Festival is a celebration of…
Spring Arts Preview: Visual Art
New exhibitions across Seattle offer plenty of reasons to spend an afternoon gallery hopping.
Pioneer Square’s First Thursday crowds may be getting the headlines, but the city’s visual arts scene stretches far beyond one neighborhood. From Belltown to Ballard to Capitol Hill—and even down to Tacoma—galleries and museums are presenting new exhibitions that reward a slow look. Here are the shows we recommend seeing this spring. Indira Allegra: The…
Spring Arts Preview: Theater
Stages across the region are hosting everything from intimate productions to beloved Broadway favorites.
This spring’s theater lineup runs the gamut—from a Tony-winning drama at Seattle Rep to a velvet-roped cabaret in Capitol Hill and the return of one of Broadway’s biggest musicals. These productions offer a look at the range of work happening on local stages right now. Hurricane Diane Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Madeleine George, Hurricane…
Spring Arts Preview: Dance
This season’s dance offerings put storytelling at their forefronts.
With all the recent buzz around Pioneer Square’s post-pandemic awakening, a lot of people are claiming that the arts are back. In our opinion, they never went away. Seattle’s dance community has continued building new work, from longtime local creators to internationally known choreographers. This spring brings returning classics, world premieres, and festivals highlighting artists…