The Must List: Smith Tower Grand Reopening, Tall Ships Drop Anchor
What to do this weekend in Seattle
By Seattle magazine staff August 25, 2016
Must Ooh and Ahh
Smith Tower Grand Reopening
Thursday (8/25, times vary) After a few nips and tucks, the historic 1914 Smith Tower officially reopens its 35th-floor observation deck today! Expect a new Prohibition era-inspired bar, a new general store and two ongoing tour options: the 40-minute self-guided “Legends of Smith Tower” and the “Straight Up,” which zips you directly to the Observatory.
Must Walk the Plank
Set Sail Aboard a Tall Ship in Kirkland
(8/26 to 8/28, times vary) Calling all potential sea captains: The Lady Washington, an Aberdeen-based tall ship that starred alongside Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, makes a pit stop in Kirkland with sister ship the Hawaiian Chieftain. Opt to tour the ships or set out for a battle sail, wherein you’ll experience an 18th century naval skirmish with real cannons and gunpowder and perhaps sing a sea shanty or two.
Must See
14/48: The World’s Quickest Theater Festival
(8/26 and 8/27, 8 and 10:30 p.m.) What happens when you take some of Seattle’s best and boldest thespians, put them outside, and tell them to write, cast, direct, rehearse, score and design a play in just 48 hours? The World’s Quickest Theater Festival! This time around, it’s breaking even more boundaries: the plays will be completely acoustic, and for the first time ever, will take place in an intimate neighborhood setting in Frelard. Bonus: There will be a beer garden.
Must Push It Real Good
We Love the ’90s
Saturday (8/27, 7 p.m.) Salt-N-Pepa, Coolio, Young MC—and a few of the others on that mixtape labeled “My Jamz” that you probably had floating around in your car back in the day—will take the stage during this all-star open-air concert at Redmond’s Marymoor Park. Pack a picnic and a blanket and be prepared to bust a move.
Must Fly
Wings Over Washington Flying Theater Now Open
(Dates and times vary) Soar over the great state of Washington aboard the new, state-of-the-art Wings Over Washington ride. The “flying theater” attraction takes flight at Miners Landing on Pier 57.
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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,…