Must List: Tet in Seattle, Bavarian Ice Fest, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’
Your weekly guide to Seattle's hottest events
By Jorn Peterson January 16, 2020
Love the Must List? Get it right in your inbox. Subscribe.
MUST SHARE CULTURE
Tet in Seattle
(1/18-1/19) This annual festival celebrates traditional Vietnamese culture and influence in the Northwest with art, food, music and other customs. The festival includes traditional lion dance, firecrackers, a cultural village, cooking competition and food eating contest. Come hungry! 11 a.m. Free. Seattle Center, Lower Queen Anne; tetinseattle.org
MUST TOE THE SNOW
Bavarian Ice Fest
(1/18-1/19) Washington’s European winter wonderland will further embrace its snowy surroundings with half-a-million lights and a weekend of chilly fun. Come for live ice carving, snow sculptures and snowshoeing, stay for ice games and the 6 p.m. fireworks show on Sunday. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Free. Leavenworth; leavenworth.org
MUST CELEBRATE CHANGE
Expansions MLK Unity Party
(1/19) KEXP and Clock-Out Lounge are pairing up to host Expansions’ 20th annual celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., with music, dancing and a live broadcast. Join the local, listener-powered radio station for two live broadcasts of Expansions, with a post-midnight after party to follow. This is a 21-and-older event. 6 p.m. Prices vary. Clock-Out Lounge, Beacon Hill; https://www.kexp.org/events/kexp-events/expansions-mlk-unity-party/
MUST EMBRACE THE UNPLEASANT
From Struggle to Survival: Creating Beauty out of Tragedy
(1/20) Commemorating the life, work and example of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., writers and musicians will come together to present original music and poetry as means of telling stories about their struggles and what it takes to survive. Themes include bringing hope in dark times and finding beauty in times of difficulty, as in times of joy. 7 p.m. Free. Elliott Bay Book Company, Capitol Hill; Facebook: ‘From Struggle to Survival: Creating Beauty out of Tragedy’
MUST SEE A CLASSIC REBORN
Fiddler on the Roof
(Through 1/19) Experience the classic production that was once the longest-running Broadway musical of all time. Tony Award-winning director Bartlett Scher and Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter string together a contemporary performance that embraces the story’s timeless sentiments of faith, family and tradition. Times and prices vary. Paramount Theatre, downtown; stgpresents.org
Coming up:
These events are weeks away but are bound to sell out—get your tickets now.
MUST TASTE, SAMPLE & POP!
Pop! Bubbles + Seafood
(2/21) This taste-it-all seafood and wine event at Seattle’s elegant Union Station features the premiere seafood from around the region, including clams, oysters and salmon, paired with Spanish Cava, Italian Prosecco and other sparkling wines from across the globe. 6 p.m. $85. Union Station, International District; seattlewineandfoodexperience.com
MUST SAMPLE CHARITABLY
Soul of Seattle
(2/7) Join James Beard Award-winning chef Edouardo Jordan and James Beard Award-winning author and historian Toni Tipton-Martin for a night of fundraising and feast. This inaugural event will showcase food from local chefs of color while raising money to support organizations that empower black youth in Seattle. Enjoy local beverages, small bites and a silent auction. A VIP ticket gets you a dinner specially curated by Jordan and Tipton-Martin. 7 p.m. Prices vary. Northwest African American Museum; urbanleague.org
MUST GET THE SCOOP
NYT reporters Jodi Kantor & Megan Twohey at Benaroya Hall
(1/29) Take a deep dive with the two New York Times journalists who broke the story of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual abuse scandal, an investigation that reignited the #MeToo movement and sparked an ongoing societal conversation. From their October 2019 book, She Said, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters tell the backstory of a front-page headline. 7:30 p.m. Prices vary. Benaroya Hall, downtown; lectures.org
MUST FERMENT FAVORABLY
Cider Making Class
(2/8) Learn the basics to cidermaking while tasting from the expert batch. Schilling Cider House’s cider making course will teach you the essentials of cider and see you off with a batch to continue fermenting at home. All necessary ingredients are included with the class, along with cider tasting and light snacks. 11 a.m. $50. Schilling Cider House, Fremont; schillingciderhouse-sea.com
Follow Us
Getting Ghosted
Kim Fu’s latest novel turns a rain-soaked Pacific Northwest winter into the backdrop for a story about grief and loneliness.
In their latest novel, Seattle-based author Kim Fu gets one thing right about the Pacific Northwest: the rain. Set during a particularly bleak winter, The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts tells the story of Eleanor Fan, an online therapist grappling with the recent loss of her mother, Lele. After Lele’s passing, Eleanor inherits money to put…
Go See Diné Artist Eric-Paul Riege’s Largest Show to Date at the Henry Art Gallery
With a mix of mediums, ojo|-|ólǫ́ examines questions surrounding the authenticity and ownership of Indigenous work.
It’s a phrase that’s been drilled into most of us since we were young children: When you’re visiting a gallery, please, do not touch the art. In many cases, it’s with good reason: the pieces on display are fragile, one-of-a-kind, or historic works that cannot be reproduced. It’s such an ingrained approach to the museum-going…
Rearview Mirror: Ballet’s Saddest Story, New Art in the Sculpture Park, and a Home-Grown Wine Label Promoting Social Justice
Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).
Circular Thinking I am very lucky to live just a 12-minute walk away from Seattle Art Museum’s Olympic Sculpture Park. It’s a regular destination for my weekly walks and, aside from the world-class art, has one of the city’s best views of Puget Sound. Earlier this week, I went on a wet, windy walk and discovered…
Studio Sessions: Gabriel Stromberg
For his current show at studio e gallery, Gabriel Stromberg explores the challenges of working with clay.
Gabriel Stromberg has been a name about town for nearly two decades. As one of the cofounders of design firm Civilization (where he was the creative director and lead designer from 2008 to 2022), Stromberg worked on many award-winning projects, helped produce the wildly popular and always packed Design Lecture Series, and co-created and moderated…