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Must List: ‘West Side Story,’ Solstice Parade, Make Music Seattle

Your weekly guide to Seattle's hottest events

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MUST ATTEND 

West Side Story
(Through 6/23) Sure, it’s based on Shakespeare, but as long as one tribe feels threatened by a more recently arrived tribe—and every single day brings more tragic evidence that they do—Leonard Bernstein’s masterpiece will never stop being as timely as a CNN news crawl. Spectrum Dance Theater has been tapped to bring the all-important dance element to this production. Times and prices vary. The 5th Avenue Theatre, downtown, 1308 Fifth Ave.; 206.625.1900

MUST CREATE

Cocktails & Clothing  
(6/26) A relatively new, but most certainly beneficial trend of sustainable fashion has inspired a get together for local designers to share their knowledge with Seattleites during this one-night celebration. Check out Janelle Abbott’s design demonstration using only recycled fabric, meander through a range of sustainable pop-up shops, and have your fashion future read with oracle cards. And by the way, a complimentary cocktail is included with each ticket. This is a 21 and over event. Prices vary. 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. MOHAI, South Lake Union, 860 Terry Ave. N 206.324.1126

MUST CELEBRATE

Solstice Parade and Fremont Fair 
(6/22–6/23) Fremont’s annual human-powered parade, festival and famous naked bike riders welcome summer with true “keep it weird” Seattle style. Check this essential Seattle gathering off your to-do list and celebrate this weekend of live music, street performance, art, food and more. Parade begins at 1 p.m. on 6/22 at NW 39 Street and Leary Way NW, ending at Gas Works Park. Fair takes place 6/22–6/23 west of Fremont Avenue N on N 35th and N 34th streets. Times vary. Free. 206.547.7440; fremontartscouncil.org

MUST JAM

Make Music Seattle 
(6/21) Celebrate worldwide Make Music Day, held every year on the summer solstice in locations around the globe; events are geared toward making music accessible to all ages and abilities. Check out Make Music’s map for an interactive list of public concerts, workshops and jam sessions throughout Seattle, taking place at locations such as Westlake Park and Pike Place Market. Times and locations vary. Free. makemusicday.org/seattle

MUST RUN

Bridle Trails 5K Coyote Challenge  
(6/22) This scenic trail run/walk is part of a larger event called Party in the Park, which takes place immediately after the run. Come out and support the Bridle Trails Park Foundation, a nonprofit whose mission is to protect and maintain the Bridle Trails State Park. After the race, enjoy breakfast, activities for kiddos, and a variety of entertainment including equestrian stage combat, driving mini drill team, freestyle dressage and more. Times and prices Vary. Kirkland, 5300 116th Ave. NE. 425.649. 4275; bridletrails.org

Rearview Mirror: Godzilla, Cork, and a New Sushi Spot

Rearview Mirror: Godzilla, Cork, and a New Sushi Spot

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

POPPING OUR SENSES I don’t think I’ve ever given much thought to a wine cork beyond the satisfying pop it makes when opening a bottle, but after spending a morning at DeLille Cellars in Woodinville with about 50 other people, I have a new appreciation for it. The occasion was “(Pop) Open Your Senses,” a…

Best Bookstore: Beguiled Books

Best Bookstore: Beguiled Books

This Pioneer Square darling is easy to spot: pink doors and candy-striped details mark its home near Occidental Square. Beguiled Books started in 2024 as a mobile bookstore, making its way from table to tent to trailer, and finally to its current brick-and-mortar space. Labelling itself as “Seattle’s Original Romance Bookstore,” Beguiled specializes in just…

Best Art Gallery: Foster/White Gallery

Best Art Gallery: Foster/White Gallery

A pillar in Pioneer Square’s arts ecosystem, Foster/White Gallery opened in 1966 (then called Richard White Gallery) as the first space of its kind in the neighborhood. It soon gained notoriety for showing preeminent Northwest artists such as Morris Graves, William Morris, George Tsutakawa, and Dale Chihuly. In the decades after founding the gallery, its…

Best Museum: Seattle Art Museum

Best Museum: Seattle Art Museum

A vote for Seattle Art Museum is really a vote for three different art outings. The downtown museum pairs ambitious exhibitions with a global collection; the Seattle Asian Art Museum occupies SAM’s original 1933 Art Deco home amid the 43 acres of Capitol Hill’s Volunteer Park; and the Olympic Sculpture Park puts art out in…