Our arts critics have already recommended 25 great things to do this week and our music critics have picked the 19 best concerts, but there are still hundreds more events happening. To prevent some of the quirkier and more extraordinary ones from slipping through the cracks, we've compiled them here—from a flash tattoo and cocktail party to the Grilled Cheese Grand Prix Pop-Up and from a metal concert for marine wildlife to Vintage Aircraft Weekend. For even more options this week, check out our complete Things To Do calendar.

Get all this and more on the free Stranger Things To Do mobile app—available now on the App Store and Google Play.


Jump to: Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday

TUESDAY

COMMUNITY

1. Africatown Stakeholders Update
Learn about new developments in the Africatown neighborhood with Black Dot.

FOOD & DRINK

2. Shipwrecked: Island Time Tuesdays
Sip "tropic cocktails" made with Jack Daniels and listen to music by DJ Explorateur.

GEEK & GAMING

3. Tuesday Trivia & Viewing Party: The Office
Get lost in nostalgia for the hit show about office romance and terrible bosses at this trivia night with screenings, drink specials, and prizes.

MUSIC

4. Coast 2 Coast Live Artist Showcase — Seattle All Ages Edition
Billed as the largest artist showcase in the world, Coast 2 Coast LIVE brings together artists, DJs, producers, and more for a professional networking event and work showcase. Participating artists will be judged by a panel of celebrity judges via iPads somehow, and whoever wins this arduous process will walk away with a huge prize package and a trip to Miami for the year-end Coast 2 Coast conference.

5. Crystal Beth & the Boom Boom Band
Crystal Beth & the Boom Boom Band are what happens when accomplished jazz musicians decide to take a reckless holiday in the rock realm. The Seattle group—led by the feral vocalizing and bass clarinet of Crystal Beth and featuring the flagrantly virtuosic guitar of Tristan Gianola—assay a kind of artful, deranged rock that recalls the Dirty Three and the Geraldine Fibbers at their most agitated and, alternately, at their most lugubrious. Check out the waltz-time rager of “Flesh” off Yugen 3 for evidence of the former. DAVE SEGAL

6. Hardly Art DJ Night
Continuing the celebration of their 10th anniversary, Hardly Art will treat you to tunes by DJs Danny Wahlfeldt and Keith Whiteman. It's totally free, but give them lots of money: All DJ tips and 10% of bar sales will be passed along to Trans Lifeline.

7. Violin to Vietnam
Renowned Vietnamese French violinist Stephane Tran Ngoc, currently concertmaster of the Danish Chamber Players, will give a benefit recital for Vietnamese youth music education programs.

PERFORMANCE

8. Best Friend
In Celeste Mari Williams's new play, a woman and her (we think) talking car embark on a final road trip together.

9. Resist! A Punk Variety Show
Punk burlesque, belly dance, and music (courtesy of FCON and Silent Opposition) rushes to the service of the Resistance. See alluring performances by Ana Belle, Onyx Asili, Sophie B Fawkins, Scarlett Siren, and Chiffon Headstrong.

READINGS & TALKS

10. Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity
Learn about some of the most fascinating denizens of our universe in a special planetarium show called Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity. Michael Park of UW will explain how astronomers identify these supermassive bodies, how they originate, and, more speculatively, how they might be used for space travel.

11. Gabriel Tallent
Gabriel Tallent's first novel, My Absolute Darling, depicts a wild teenage girl raised by a controlling, abusive father on the northern coast of California. When the teenager escapes with an ordinary boy, her tortured inner life and hardscrabble history come into conflict with his consumerist world. The Guardian called it "a remarkable debut."

TUESDAY-THURSDAY

ART

12. Dan Friday: New Works in Glass
See works in blown and hot-sculpted glass (including blown mosaic baskets) by Lummi artist Dan Friday.
This exhibit closes Thursday.

TUESDAY-SATURDAY

ART

13. Lucinda Parker
Celebrate mountains—their unending angles, the way they alternatively reflect light and eat it up, and their looming presence on the horizon—at this exhibit featuring paintings by Portland artist Lucinda Parker.
This exhibit closes Saturday.

TUESDAY-SUNDAY

FESTIVALS

14. Evergreen State Fair
This gigantic fair has all the staples: including carnival rides, a petting zoo, rodeo, the International Lumberjack Show, auto races, animal races, live music, pie-eating contests, pony rides, and food.

WEDNESDAY

COMMUNITY

15. Young Professionals Event with Representatives Jayapal and Swalwell
Meet two Democratic state representatives, Pramila Jayapal and Eric Swalwell, as well as other community leaders at this Young Professionals' gathering.

FOOD & DRINK

16. Rosé Wrap Up
See Mr. West's Rosé Month out the door with frosé, a raffle, and oysters. Your ticket includes eight tastes, plus soul selections by DJ Scotty G.

17. Two Beer/Seattle Cider Pint Night Fresh Hop IPA
Toronado will pour Cucumber Hibiscus Cider and "The First Fresh hop IPA of the season" by Two Beers and Seattle Cider.

GEEK & GAMING

18. MovieCat Trivia Night
Show off your screen smarts with some quality movie nerd company, plus "cats drawn into movie scenes."

MUSIC

19. Library Love - Art on the Plaza
Join Ringside Slam Poetry in a pop-up library event complete with a DJ, spoken word, and art making. Stay later for "What Every American Should Know," the evening program starting at seven featuring The Stranger's Charles Mudede, spoken word poet Ebo Barton, performance artist and rapper Jamil Suleman, and more.

READINGS & TALKS

20. Climate Science On Tap - Climate Change Impacts in Puget Sound
Find out how climate change may effect the local food web in Puget Sound with guests from the salmon advocacy group Long Live the Kings, the WA Department of Ecology, the NOAA, and the Makah tribe. To lighten the mood, there'll be trivia, food trucks, and of course, drinks.

WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY

PERFORMANCE

21. The Pirates of Penzance
Don't confuse this with your typical production of the Gilbert and Sullivan nonsense musical. This is the Core Ensemble's circus arts adaptation, so expect even more antics than usual. Expect some mildly vulgar "vaudeville humor."

THURSDAY

COMMUNITY & CIVICS

22. Ingersoll Gender Center's 40th Birthday Party and Fundraiser
Congratulate the Ingersoll Gender Center on 40 years of activism and support. Your ticket will include food and drink, and you'll hear speeches from representatives of the organization. Stay on for dancing and more fun.

23. International Overdose Awareness Day
Remember all the victims of overdoses this year with activist/advocacy organizations such as VOCAL Washington, Real Change, and the ACLU of Washington. They'll fill the park with balloons to represent each life lost. Come for information, speakers, photo viewings, and Naloxone training.

24. King County Sexual Assault Resource Center - Thank You Thursday!
Get acquainted with the staff and volunteers of the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center and support their mission of ending sexual violence. Reuben's will donate $1 from every pint to the organization from 3-8:30 pm.

25. So Bazaar
This market strives to create an "otherworldly atmosphere" with art installations and performances (including roller disco!). On the comestible side of things, enjoy food and drink from booths and trucks.

FILM

26. Movie Night: Dr. Strangelove
Join other political satire lovers and Kubrick fans for a screening of the reassuring classic Dr. Strangelove: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb along with some free popcorn.

FOOD & DRINK

27. Three Magnets Town & Country Open House @ Tavour!
Join Tavour and Three Mags Brewing for a beer release party from Three Mags' Town and Country series.

GEEK & GAMING

28. GarciaBellamy presents: PAX Countdown 2017
Celebrate queer nerdiness and pre-game PAX with DJ King of Pants. Eat free pizza, play games, and maybe score free drinks.

29. The Quest for PAX West: Geek Out! Trivia Night IV
If you're missing PAX, you can still reveal your extensive pop culture/nerd knowledge to your fellow geeks.

MUSIC

30. Deck'd Out
Deck'd Out returns to the Monkey Loft rooftop deck featuring cathartic jams by Natural Magic. Nick Easterday will be providing massage, and you can come early for yoga.

31. Flash Party
Be productive by getting a tattoo from Shannon Perry and Albie of Valentines Tattoos (done by raffle), dancing to a set by DJ Faustine (of Maldives and Grizzled Mighty), drinking cocktails, and eating dinner all in the same place!

32. Seattle Metal Benefit For Marine Wildlife Research
Find out how SRÂł, the Sealife Response, Rehabilitation & Research organization, saves wildlife in trouble. Your $10 ticket, which benefits SRÂł, includes a raffle entry. A metall lineup will keep things roaring: The 5th Year, Whythre, Born Without Blood, and Prey the Hunter.

33. Tom Varner et. al.: End of Summer Improvisations & Meditations
Tom Varner will lead a collaborative concert with an improvising brass ensemble and sound artists associated with the Seattle Phonographers Union, featuring bass, reeds, strings, and percussion players, as well as at least three field recording artists.

READINGS & TALKS

34. The Lab Presents: Animation at Work: eBook Launch
Rachel Nabors will share and sign her new ebook, Animation at Work, which addresses immersive UI animation. Join her after the reading for a toast.

35. Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo will discuss and do a signing for her new book, Wonder Woman: Warbringer, at the University Book Store. The novel follows Wonder Woman when she was merely Diana, Princess of the Amazons. She meets her enemy in a seventeen-year-old girl named Alia who turns out to be a descendent of Helen of Troy and wants to destroy the world. Those who purchase a copy of the book from the store will earn a prime spot in the first signing group.

RESISTANCE & SOLIDARITY

36. ILPS and IWA Report Back and Open House
Members of the International League of Peoples Struggle and the International Women's Alliance will report back from Toronto's "Solidarity and Fightback: Building Resistance to US-led War, Militarism and Neofascism" conference. Hear their report back from this anti-imperialist, anti-nationalist gathering. Sponsored by Anakbayan, a Filipino youth movement.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY

COMEDY

37. Stronger Than Love
Chris Compte, Shaina Ward Siegel, Ian Stone, and Yvette Zaepfel will perform their sketch comedy show, Stronger Than Love, which combines physical comedy and fast-paced sketches with a whole lot of puns!

MUSIC

38. 12th Annual Jerry Garcia Celebration
The world teems with Jerry Garcia acolytes, but few channel the late Grateful Dead guitarist’s preternaturally liquid, radiant style with more facility and feeling than does Seattle’s Andy Coe. Week in and week out at Blue Moon Tavern, Coe has applied his formidable talents toward honoring Garcia and the Dead’s adventurous improvisational spirit and poignant way with melodies. This show benefits the Rex Foundation, a nonprofit that Grateful Dead members and friends launched in 1983 to “proactively provide extensive community support to creative endeavors in the arts, sciences, and education,” according to Wikipedia. DAVE SEGAL

PERFORMANCE

39. Lily Verlaine: Giselle
Lily Verlaine's seductive adaptation of the classic ballet Giselle is set in an "award-winning haunted house set" designed by Julia Welch and stars renowned local dancers like Lara Seefeldt and Davione Gordon.

THURSDAY & SUNDAY

PERFORMANCE

40. Tesla: Ex Machina
Ricky Coates embodies the eccentric, virginal genius Nikola Tesla in this one-man theater show/science demonstration, which includes the "tesla coil, direct and indirect currents, and robotics." The Sunday show is a double feature with Curie Me Away!

FRIDAY

COMMUNITY

41. Labor Day Boat Party Seattle 2017
Dance on the deck with 250 other Labor Day partiers to DJ'ed hiphop, reggae, and mashups.

GEEK & GAMING

42. Indie PAX Party by Game Jolt & DreamHack
Drink specialty cocktails, dance to "DJ-blended retro tunes," and play indie games at Indie PAX Party, featuring nine games on display from gamedevs.

43. Night of Gaming for Good on Top of the World: PAX Edition
If you love tabletop and video games, check out this PAX after-party (open to PAX-goers and non-Pax-goers). The party will raise funds for the Imagine Guild, which provides support for kids at the Seattle Children's Hospital.

MUSIC

44. Eldridge Gravy & the Court Supreme, Yada Yada Blues Band
The Court Supreme ain’t never anything less than a total blowout. They’re a full and funky complement of honkin’ horns, tinklin’ keys, uh… lots of sweat, and a hype man, all bent on laying down high-energy, concrete-thick, late-1970s funk. MIKE NIPPER

45. Seattle Composers' Salon
Enjoy a layered evening of music and discussion with four Seattle-based composers: Patrick O’Keefe, S. Eric Scribner, Blake Degraw, and Cole Bratcher. The Seattle Composers' Salon is an ongoing bi-monthly series that seeks to foster the engendering of new works by regional composers and performers.

46. SoSleepyy's Bass Therapy: Stop Grinding To Dubstep
Enjoy solid bass music intended for headbanging thanks to DJs Super Square, SoSleepyy, it me, and upcoming locals. Grab $5 wells and $7 vodka Red Bulls until 12 am.

PERFORMANCE

47. Generation What?
Generation What?, written, directed, and produced by Brendan Thatcher, follows a man named Ryan who floats on the cusp between Gen Xers and Millennials. Surrounded by people who strongly identify with their generation, he struggles to find where he fits.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

ART

48. Anna Macrae: Fantasy Landscapes
See busy, abstract landscapes by Anna Macrae—many of them urban scenes with boxes stacked upon boxes—that suggest "a human imprint alongside organic forms."
This exhibit closes Saturday.

FRIDAY-SUNDAY

FESTIVALS

49. Vintage Aircraft Weekend
Fete antique vehicles and old-timey flying machines with an air show, plane rides, a Big Band Dinner Dance, chats with pilots, and more.

PERFORMANCE

50. The Tempest
The Fern Shakespeare Company tackles Shakespeare's sorta trippy tale of a powerful duke-magician, his slaves (an air spirit and a bitter native), his hot daughter, and their plot to regain the dukedom of Milan—despite being isolated on an island. See the play that launched a million papers on post-colonialism.

FRIDAY & SUNDAY

PERFORMANCE

51. Curie Me Away!
Celebrate the life of the brilliant and tragically fated physical chemist Marie Curie, who defied gender roles in Poland and France to become the first female Nobel Prize-winner. The Sunday Show is a double feature with Tesla: Ex Machina

SATURDAY

ART

52. Inner Selfies Caleb Thompson, Snax the Bunny, Von Wildenhaus
It's a multimedia night with Von Wildenhaus playing music and Snax the Bunny joking around as you gaze at the cartoon selfies of Caleb Thompson.

COMEDY

53. Kortney's (Stand-Up Style) Comedy Show
Kortney Shane Williams presents some of his fellow stand-up comic favorites, including former Seattle International Comedy Competition winner Nathan Brannon, LA actor Heather Thomson, and local Cameron Mazzuca.

54. Super Amazing Magic Fun Time
A hodgepodge of performers and artistic media collide in Super Amazing Magic Fun Time, guided by award-winning magician Aaron Wheeler. The show features stories, comedy, live music and more for a super amazing magic fun time.

COMMUNITY

55. First Caturday
Put your kitty on a harness and take the precious creature out to play at this cat-centric gathering. Obviously, don't bring cats that are prone to terror of other cats or murder of everything in sight.

FOOD & DRINK

56. First Anniversary Celebration and Bottle Release
Celebrate Figurehead Brewing's very first anniversary with a very special beer release—according to Figurehead, it's a big English barleywine, it's called First Leg, and it's been six months in the making. Get there early, since there will only be around 600 bottles of the stuff. Another bonus of showing up on time: free finger food from Kaspars Catering. If you get there later, not to worry. Das Brat Wagen will be onsite all day serving up sausages and pretzels.

57. Grilled Cheese Grand Prix Pop-Up
Luxuriate in cheesy sandwiches from restaurants, food trucks, and pop-ups.

58. Hellbent End of Summer Backyard Burger Bonanza
Join Lake City's Hellbent Brewing for an end-of-summer bash, complete with yard games, burgers, and beer. There will be wading pools, cornhole, a mini golf challenge sponsored by Flatstick Pub, beer pong, and bocce ball. Food trucks are set to include The People's Burger, Bread and Circuses, Big Boys Kainan and Food Truck, and Ballyhoo, a new hot sauce company.

GEEK & GAMING

59. NW Nerd Podcast After Party & Cosplay Contest
Hosted by the NW Nerd podcast, this PAX after-party will feature a cosplay contest with prize packages sponsored by Pacific Fabrics, Comics Dungeon, and Pink Gorilla Games. There will also be comic-themed props, and judges will include J Von Stratton (with the Seattle Mermaids and J. Von Stratton Designs), Royalberry Cosplay (with the Cosplay Repair Station), and Billythebrick Cosplay.

MUSIC

60. Gruv: Zach Bruce
Enjoy a night of good vibes with Skyway singer Zach Bruce and DJ Topsin, plus a performance by Tomeka Williams. There are some drink specials to be had and giveaways to win.

PERFORMANCE

61. Cucci Bites Back!
Cucci Binaca runs drag off the tracks alongside Butylene O'Kipple, Amoania, and Cookie Couture, with music by DJ Gag Reflex and DJ Barebacchus and art by Alex Thomas.

62. Zamani World Dance Gala Show 2017
Several international troupes will present "Raq Sharqi, Turkish Oriental, Persian, Middle Eastern, Near-East and Asian folk" dances courtesy of Roxy & Oriental Bliss Productions.

RESISTANCE & SOLIDARITY

63. Enough is Enough Walk
Stroll around Green Lake to aid the ACLU.

SPORTS & RECREATION

64. The Fun Run
Get blasted with color packets and run, run, run through Seattle Center.

SATURDAY-SUNDAY

FESTIVALS

65. Blackberry Festival
Celebrate the tasty (though invasive) blackberry—and do your environmental duty by eating as many of blackberry-flavored things as possible. There will be blackberry wine, pie, "slugs" (?), and more good stuff to eat, plus live entertainment.

MUSIC

66. Americana Festival
Spend your Labor Day Sunday watching folk, country, and bluegrass artists from near and far perform at the annual Americana Festival. Artists include Danny Newcomb & the Sugarmakers, Tekla Waterfield & the Sweet Nothings, Annie Ford Band, Drew Martin, and more.

SUNDAY

FILM

67. Twin Peaks Season Three Finale Viewing Party
Reenter the twisted world of Twin Peaks as its patiently-awaited third season finale airs this Sunday. Little Maria's will provide a full bar, pizza, coffee, and four HD televisions for your viewing experience.

GEEK & GAMING

68. Poropalooza
No PAX badge is needed at this fandom dance and ESports party, which features a $1,000 first prize for best cosplay and $250 for two runners-up. Free for those in costume.

69. Seattle Indies Expo 2017
Catch games from Seattle Indies Expo's developers in a low-stress setting as PAX rages elsewhere. They'll have some free drinks between 6-9 pm as well as some snacks. This event does not require a PAX badge.

MUSIC

70. B'ee with The Blue Hour
Folk artist B’ee (also known as In Gowen Ring and Birch Book) composes original acoustic songs that he refers to as "Symbolist Folk Music." He'll be joined by Seattle’s The Blue Hour, who will play an opening acoustic set.

71. Greenwood Music Crawl
Get into the neighborhood vibe with Greenwood's first ever music crawl, with three different venue spaces hosting twenty-three local rock, punk, pop, and metal bands playing for 12 straight hours.

72. NY STATE OF MIND
Pretend it's 20 degrees hotter than it really is with this hiphop dance night dedicated to all things New York City (including the summer humidity).

73. Pop Up Art, Music & Food Show
Stuff your face with Cult Cakes' goods and buy art by Renee Legaux and jewelry by Cosmic Twin as Taylor Bowyn and Justin Hansen regale you with live music.

74. School of Rock: Rage Against The Machine
Witness the tiny musical treasures of the future rip apart the resistance-rock relics of the past as School of Rock students cover the entirety of Rage Against The Machine's discography.

75. Talcum Labor Day Party!
Dance on the roof with the rare-soul-obsessed DJs of Talcum at an exceptional all-night show.

76. Veronica Rose and Janelle Leonard
Experience a secretive concert of healing vibes given by lyricist/usui reiki master Veronica Rose and "Sound Healer, trained Opera singer and Violist, student of Norse Shamanism, Reiki Master, SOMA Neuromuscular Integration® and CranioSacral practitioner" Janelle. Bring blankets, pillows, and snacks to share. Children older than 10 are welcome.

QUEER

77. werQ Labor Day Weekend
Five Senses Reeling presents werQ, a Labor Day Weekend celebration hosted by Isaac Scott, starring RuPaul's Drag Race stars Chi Chi DeVayne and India Ferrah. Local talent includes Fraya Love and Karmen Korbel.

Get all this and more on the free Stranger Things To Do mobile app—available now on the App Store and Google Play.