The Must List: Folklife Festival, ‘Motown’ and Memorial Day Travel Spots
What to do this weekend in Seattle
By Seattle magazine staff May 26, 2016
Must Fest
Northwest Folklife Festival at the Seattle Center
(5/27 to 5/30, times vary) Memorial Day weekend brings Northwest Folklife to Seattle Center for its 45th year. The region’s demographics have changed over the years, and the festival has evolved accordingly, embracing a wider, more diverse spectrum of world music, dance and other performances, making it a more welcoming place for both Seattle newcomers and old-timers to celebrate their changing community.
Must See
Motown Musical Hits the Paramount Stage
(5/31 to 6/12, times vary) The Tony Award–nominated Broadway musical about Motown Records focuses, appropriately, on founder Berry Gordy’s journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson and countless others.
Must Listen
Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley Welcomes Arturo Sandoval
(5/26 to 5/29, times vary) The Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley welcomes 10-time Grammy-winning jazz trumpet master Arturo Sandoval for four nights and six shows. His band includes Rene Toledo on guitar, Dave Siegel on piano, John Belzaguy on bass, Johnny Friday on drums, and Richardo “Tiki” Pasillas on percussion.
Must Leave Town
8 Perfect Small Town Getaways
Hit the road this Memorial Day weekend and head toward one of these Northwest hamlets, all brimming with character, friendly locals, fantastic food and scenic views. They’re some of our favorite places to get away from it all.
Must Watch
ACT Presents Mystery of Love and Sex
(5/27 to 6/26, times vary) This contemporary coming-of-age story about two childhood friends who develop romantic feelings for one another as they go off to college was written by Bathsheba Doran (Boardwalk Empire, Masters of Sex) and directed by Allison Narver.
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…