How to Celebrate 'Ferris Bueller’s Day Off' in Seattle

June 5 marks 40 years. Call in sick like you mean it.

A young man with short brown hair leans back with his hands behind his head, wearing a patterned vest and a light-colored shirt and jacket, smiling at the camera.

Image courtesy of Paramount Pictures

It’s one of the greatest movies of all time. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, written and directed by John Hughes, gave us the blueprint for playing hooky: a couple of phony phone calls, some light auto theft, a baseball game, a parade with the best lip-syncing scene in cinematic history, and a near mental breakdown. Hughes once said of Ferris, “That kid will either become President of the United States or go to prison.”

And it all happened on June 5, 1985. Internet detectives matched the Cubs game Ferris, Cameron, and Sloane attended (Braves vs. Cubs, weekday at Wrigley) to the real MLB schedule, making this the unofficial Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Day. The movie came out a year later in 1986, but we’re here to celebrate the day Ferris skipped school by doing the same thing, but in Seattle.

Start with a sick day (wink, wink)

Call in if you have to. Otherwise, drop a “not feeling great” in Slack and vanish. Maybe throw in a cough emoji. Ferris hacked answering machines connected to landlines. The least you can do is fake a little OOO energy.

Take in the view from Columbia Center

Ferris had the Sears Tower. You’ve got the 73rd floor of Columbia Center, 902 feet up. Press your forehead to the glass. Watch the city move beneath you. Think about high school. It’s incredible you’ve made it this far.

Get emotionally wrecked at SAM

Cameron stares too hard at a painting and nearly comes undone. Go to SAM and find something that speaks to you. The Ai Weiwei show should do it. Let it crack you open. Let it confirm that you’re not okay, and maybe you never were.

Book a lunch under “Abe Froman”

Make a reservation at your favorite place. It doesn’t matter where — just do it under the name Abe Froman. Own it the second you walk in. You’re the sausage king of Seattle now.

Go to a Mariners game

Ferris didn’t skip school by himself — he brought his friends and made a day of it. Get your crew. Buy cheap seats and eat hot dogs. Going to a baseball game is still one of the best parts of living in the city. Yell “hey batta batta batta!”

Take a joyride

Cameron’s dad had a red 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California. You’re driving a 2008 Prius that smells weird and has one working speaker. Roll down the windows. Blast any song from the movie. Cruise Sand Point Way. It’s beautiful this time of year.

Go catatonic

Cameron wasn’t just tired or sick, he was collapsing under the weight of never being allowed to fall apart. And aren’t we all? Find a patch of grass at Volunteer Park. Don’t check your phone. Don’t talk to anyone. Stay there as long as you can. It’s good for you.

Make out on light rail

Jeanie spends most of the movie furious, which is fair. She’s the responsible one, the one who follows the rules and gets zero credit. But she finds peace in eyeliner and a bad decision. Take light rail without a destination. Flirt with someone who looks like they haven’t slept since the pandemic. Let yourself loosen up a little. Maybe this tiny act of chaos will help you realize the only person standing in your way is you.

End with a screening

Wrap up the day with a backyard showing of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Require trench coats and fedoras. Serve warm gummy bears. Drink every time Ferris breaks the fourth wall or Rooney says “nine times.” Sing along when Cameron slips into “When Cameron was in Egypt’s land…” Stay through the credits. Some of us need to be told to go home.