Skip to content

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

Your weekly guide to Seattle's hottest events

By Lauren Alexander, Gavin Borchert & Samantha Bushman June 20, 2019

Westsidestory

Love the Must List? Get it right in your inbox. Subscribe.

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

Follow Us

Ferry Tales: Eight Indie Bookstores Worth the Ride

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

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,…

Studio Sessions: Jennifer Leigh Harrison

Studio Sessions: Jennifer Leigh Harrison

Seattle artist Jennifer Leigh Harrison uses layers of paint and abstraction to explore what we carry beneath the surface.

Jennifer Leigh Harrison’s paintings are dense with movement. Color and texture gather into mosaic-like fields, as if they have been fractured and reformed. There are places in the work where a frenetic buzz seems trapped between the canvas and the first layer of paint. That energy runs through Patterns of Belonging, her current exhibition at…

ENHYPEN’s Jay Has K-Pop Stardom and a Seattle Heart

ENHYPEN’s Jay Has K-Pop Stardom and a Seattle Heart

The Federal Way-raised singer talks hometown memories, Ivar’s clam chowder, and how it feels to perform in the place he grew up.

Long before he was performing in sold-out arenas around the world and representing brands like Prada, ENHYPEN’s Jay called the Puget Sound region home. Born Jay Park (not to be confused with the other famous K-pop star of the same name, who is also from Seattle) in Seattle and raised in nearby Federal Way before…