MUST CELEBRATE The Grand Old 4th of July(7/4) Celebrate an old-fashioned Independence Day on Bainbridge Island. The all-day party features a parade downtown, a pizza-eating contest, a street fair and, of course, fireworks in the evening. (Don’t worry: there will be food vendors, live music and entertainment to keep you going until dusk.). The Bainbridge…

MUST CELEBRATE Pride Parade and Seattle Center PrideFest(6/22–6/24) Pride hits its peak this weekend with a culmination of block parties, marches, festivals, performances, and of course, the parade. The 44th annual Seattle Pride Parade kicks off at 4th and Union 11 a.m. Sunday,  proceeding on to Seattle Center where the celebration continues with PrideFest, featuring…

MUST CELEBRATE SUMMERSolstice Parade and Solstice Night Market (6/16) Celebrate the longest night of the year at the Fremont Solstice Parade and the second annual nighttime market event. Get your day started with a naked bike ride at the parade, one of Seattle’s biggest summer celebrations. Once you scrub the paint off from the ride,…

MUST WATCHSIFF VR Zone(through 6/10) Immerse yourself in a movie—literally—at the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) VR Zone, a pop-up movie house screening virtual reality (VR) and interactive short films. Experience more than two dozen VR and 360 films, documentaries and games, each ranging from three to 20 minutes. Go up in a hot air…

MUST LOVE LOCAL MUSIC Upstream Music Fest + Summit(6/1–6/3) Paul Allen’s music and tech festival is back to Pioneer Square for a second year. Though regional music still remains the focus, national acts like The Flaming Lips, Miguel and Valerie June will be headlining. With more than 200 artists performing, how will you choose who…

MUST CELEBRATENorthwest Folklife Festival(5/25–5/28) The annual Folklife Festival is back for its 47th year. Enjoy music, dancing (including a Bollywood dance showcase!), food and art. Big names appearing at the festival include musical artists Naomi Wachira, Kung Foo Grip and Baby Gramps. This year’s cultural focus is on Mexican American and Chicana/o roots in the…

MUST LOVE MOVIES Seattle International Film Festival(5/17–6/10) For the 44th year, SIFF confronts local film buffs with a dilemma: how to choose from among the 433 films screening during the festival. Then, throw in the actor tributes (this year features Ethan Hawke and Melanie Lynskey), the discussions and workshops, the Secret Festival and archival features,…

MUST SEE Everyday Black(Through 12/30) One quote on Jessica Rycheal’s Facebook page—“Ain’t no competition when you’re in your own lane. Nobody can do you better than you”—suggests the reason for the Seattle photographer’s great success in both commercial and art photography: her focus on the unique individuality of her subjects. In this photography showcase about…

MUST SEE Aida(5/5–5/19) Audiences expect spectacle in productions of Aida, and always have; Verdi’s 1871 tale of a love triangle set in ancient Egypt was even then a throwback to the grand-opera approach of an earlier generation, extravagant affairs full of processions, ballets and as many extras as you can pack onto a stage. But…

MUST SEEFamiliar(4/27–5/20) Actress Danai Gurira may be known for her roles as Michonne on The Walking Dead and Okoye in Black Panther, but her skill as a playwright—notably for her 2015 play Eclipsed, about female sex slaves to a rebel leader in Liberia—has generated its share of acclaim. (Eclipsed was nominated for multiple awards and…

MUST NERD OUTMarvel: Universe of Super Heroes(4/21–1/6/2019) Billed as the largest exhibit ever staged at MoPop, Universe of Super Heroes is here to save the day, with more than 300 pieces of memorabilia, including iconic costumes, props and artwork from the adventures of Doctor Strange, Captain America, Black Panther, Spider-Man and others. Don’t be surprised…

MUST EMERGE Pacific Northwest Ballet: Emergence(4/13–4/22) For Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite, whose 2009 work Emergence gives PNB’s spring show its name, inspiration came from insects: How do organisms build social structures? More specifically, how might this be a metaphor for a ballet company? Pite’s approach was collaborative: “Get everyone contributing material: delegate, divide and conquer…[a…

MUST DINE AND DASH Seattle Magazine Brunch Run(4/7) Bring your friends and start the day right at the fourth annual Seattle magazine Brunch Run. The 5K dash begins at Magnuson Park and continues along Lake Washington. Waiting at the finish line will be brunch foods from 15 local Seattle restaurants and a variety of boozy…