Thursday is here, aka the unofficial start of the weekend, and our critics have hand-picked these events for you in honor of the occasion.
READINGS: Love at First Swipe: The Art of Online Dating
Ever feel like you’re a disembodied head pulsing into the nothing of the Tinder universe? Or feel as if you’re both customer and merchandise of the human flea market that is OKCupid? Writers Corina Zappia, Jean Burnet, and Brian McGuigan, among others, prove you’re not alone. Babeland will be handing out door prizes and offering workshops, in case you wanna up your game. RICH SMITH
Plus, Carver Clark Gayton on “Slavery’s Lasting Scars” and History Cafe: The Legacy of Seattle Hip-Hop.
FOOD & DRINK: ChickChat’s “Women of Libations” Rooftop Party
The name “ChickChat” hurts me, and so does the fact that we even need an event to highlight women in the wine, beer, and spirits industry. (Guess what? There are lots of women in the industry—we’re everywhere, actually.) But similar to the restaurant world, where dudes still dominate media coverage and are considered the standard, the adult beverage industry should recognize its many female workers. Honorees at this event include Ali Boyle of Alexandria Nicole Cellars, Holly Robinson of Captive Spirits Distilling (makers of the excellent Big Gin), Janet Spindler and Elissa Pryor of Hillman’s City’s Spinnaker Bay Brewing, and Kristin Ackerman of Sip Northwest magazine. Here’s a chance to drink and network without all the usual mansplaining. ANGELA GARBES
Plus, Seattle’s Best Damn Happy Hour and Washington Cider Week events.
FILM: Women in Cinema Opening Night
SIFF presents a lineup of films made by, you guessed it, female human beings who make films! Leaving aside the organic bummer that such a genderized showcase is necessary in 2015—the indisputable gender inequity of show business is as contemptible as every other industry’s—the work on view is killer. Emily Ting’s It’s Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong kicks off the festival tonight (followed by a party at Capitol Cider), and it continues throughout the weekend with highlights like Catherine Hardwicke’s Miss You Already, Mélanie Laurent’s Breathe, and Léa Fazer’s Maestro. Best of all: The great Penelope Spheeris will attend screenings of The Decline of Western Civilization Part I and Wayne’s World (excellent!). SEAN NELSON
Plus, the last day of the Cinerama Fan Film Series and Electric Boogaloo.
This weekend, you’ve also got Fremont Oktoberfest and a David Schmader performance to look forward to, and you can find even more events on our Things To Do calendar.