We've already compiled a list of 43 cheap & easy St. Patrick's Day events, but affordable and last-minute entertainment doesn't have to involve bagpipes or green beer this weekend. Below, find non-Paddy's Day options that won't cost more than $10, ranging from a reading with Portland-based writers Matthew Dickman and Emily Strelow to Friends of Seattle Public Libraries' Huge Book Sale, and from Nowruz in Seattle to the free natural spectacle that is the UW cherry blossomsâexpected to be in peak bloom this weekend. For even more options, check out our complete Things To Do calendar.
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FRIDAY
COMMUNITY1. CommUNITY Cultural Celebration: Afro-Cuban Night
Each month, Union Cultural Center showcases a different cultural art offered in regular classes. This month, for Afro-Cuban Night, enjoy tasty treats while Mark Ifewoluwa Lilly and Bembe Olele perform Rumba and Orisha song and dance.
(Chinatown-International District, $10)
2. 1948: Creation and Catastrophe
This documentary chronicles the "most pivotal year" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through personal narratives from both sides.
(Capitol Hill, free)
3. Isle of Dogs Promo Event
Excited about the new Wes Anderson movie Isle of Dogs? Bring your actual dog to Lake City's dog park and pick up promo items from the film from Fox Searchlight Pictures representatives.
(Lake City, free)
4. Free Oyster Fridays
As part of Pearl's March Oyster Madness, get your fill of complimentary oysters while they last, along with paired drink specials from Stella Artois, Casamigos, and Titoâs Handmade Vodka, and sparkling wines and champagnes.
(Bellevue, free)
5. Black Bone Exorcism, Holy Grove, Into The Storm, Oceans Fade
Black Bone Exorcism will roll out their dirty, heavy, pagan-inspired metal, with local support by Holy Grove, Into The Storm, and Oceans Fade.
(Ballard, $10)
6. Darqness
Darqness, a local arts collective for queer and trans people of color, will host a dance night with top-notch local DJs Qeermo, Toya B, NXMXGXLDXX, and J-Nasty. Non-QTPOC are welcome to attend, but should be very aware of the space they're taking up.
(Downtown, $10)
7. Digisaurus, Biblioteka, Visceral Candy
London's Digisaurus's music fuses mellow EDM and pop vocals with a funk influence. They'll be joined by Biblioteka and Visceral Candy.
(Pioneer Square, $7)
8. Henski, Pat Nasty, Dshookz, Semaj
Q Nightclub presents a night of party forward beats and diverse house music from local talents Henski, Pat Nasty, Dshookz, and Semaj.
(Capitol Hill, $10)
9. Honcho Poncho, Genders, Big Buddy
Meandering yet complex indie jam rockers Honcho Poncho will headline.
(University District, $6-$10)
10. Ladies of Rap
DJ Emecks and DJ U.NO.HU will be spinning all your favorite female rappers and singers of our time. Get down to Nicki Minaj, Missy Elliott, Cardi B, and others.
(Capitol Hill, $5)
11. Low Hums, Moon Darling, Fever Feel
Seattle alt-rockers Low Hums will showcase their varied shades of psych rock, power pop, and garage scuzz for a Capitol Hill audience, with support sets from Fever Feel and Moon Darling.
(Capitol Hill, $8/$10)
12. Neighborhood Brats, Dead Bars
Get your kicks for almost free at this pit stop for Neighborhood Brats, an anti-sexism, anti-patriarchy, excellently hardcore punk group from California touring the Pacific Northwest this spring, with local rippers Dead Bars.
(Eastlake, $5/$8)
13. Pukesnake, Pagan South, Me Infecto
Heavy rock group Pukesnake want you to wash their music down with a thermos full of venom. Their "bizarre reptilian/human phenomenon" can be found alongside sets by Pagan South and Me Infecto.
(Tukwila, $7)
14. Scattered Sunn, Acoustic Soul
Sip some beers and listen to Everett rockers Scattered Sunn and Acoustic Soul.
(Bothell, free)
15. Sunday Scaries, Cobrahawk, The Skeleton Keys
Spend your Friday rocking out with the Sunday Scaries, Cobrahawk, and the Skeleton Keys.
(Eastlake, $8/$10)
16. Arson Explains It All
Drag alien Arson Nicki, a staple of Seattle's queer scene, will perform a one-person show about their personal life "behind the polyester curtain," punctuated by lip synchs.
(Capitol Hill, $6)
17. The Bittersweet Life Podcast Live!
Former Town Hall programing director Katy Sewall and childrenâs book author and travel writer Tiffany Parks will host a live installment of the Bittersweet Life podcast, where they'll talk about Parks' new all-ages adventure book, Midnight in the Piazza.
(Greenwood, $5)
18. Apricot Irving: The Gospel of Trees
In her memoir, Apricot Irving recounts her childhood as a missionaryâs daughter in Haiti during a time of personal and political upheaval.
(Capitol Hill, free)
19. Brandon Mull: Time Jumpers
Brandon Mull will read from the final book in his Five Kingdoms series, Time Jumpers, wherein a boy and his friends try to find their way back home from a world where "magic is powerful and dreams are real."
(University District, free)
20. Roseann Lake: Leftover in China
China's one-child policy, enacted in 1979 and relaxed in 2013, has resulted in both an "enormous gender imbalance" and China's first generations of only-daughters. The Economist Cuba correspondent Roseann Lake's Leftover in China critiques this policy while also offering a "playful portrait of the romantic travails of Chinaâs trailblazing women and their well-meaning parents who are anxious to see their daughters snuggled into traditional wedlock."
(Rainier Valley, free)
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
ART21. Susanna Bluhm: Mississippi & Arizona
Many of us reacted to the 2016 election by crying, binge drinking, and unfriending family members on Facebook. Susanna Bluhm vowed to visit as many so-called "red states" as possible over the next four years to have firsthand experiences in places she only knew through the media. "I'm not trying to have the quintessential experience of each state," says Bluhm, but she's also "not observing from a distance." Mississippi & Arizona is what happens when a queer, white mother who happens to be one of the most sensuous and thoughtful oil painters in the Pacific Northwest seeks out intimate experiences in two places very different from her own. EMILY POTHAST
(Queen Anne, free)
Opening reception on Saturday
22. Zohra Opoku: Harmattan Tales
German Ghanaian artist Zohra Opoku's multimedia and photography give a glimpse into Muslim women's lives in Accra through their dressâespecially their veiling and unveilingâand their movement through public and private space. Opoku, an internationally exhibited artist whose work has been shown at the New York Armory Show, explores femininity, tradition, and creativity through dreamy, narrative imagery.
(Pioneer Square, free)
Closing Saturday
FRIDAY-SUNDAY
ART23. UW Cherry Bloom
The University of Washington's Yoshino cherry trees are expected to reach their gorgeous, fragrant peak this weekend. Make sure you take advantage of this free natural spectacle.
(University District, free)
SATURDAY
ART24. Screen-Printing Work Party for Gun Control
Local artists Claire Jauregui and Marja Huhta will guide participants in a screen-printing party to make postcards and posters in support of gun control.
(Central District, free)
25. Slip Rabbit Open Studio
Tour this digital ceramics studio and workshop at the invitation of the director, Timea Tihanyi.
(Wallingford, free)
26. Rachel Corrie: 15 Years Later
Join the Rachel Corrie Foundation for Peace and Justice in Seattle to "remember Rachel Corrie and celebrate 15 years of Palestinian solidarity and community organizing." Guests will learn about the International Solidarity Movement, the challenges of holding the Israeli and U.S. governments accountable for the struggles of Palestinian people, and the impact of grassroots organizing from speakers Huwaida Arraf and Rachel's parents, Cindy and Craig Corrie.
(Downtown, free)
27. Winter in the Park: Kids' Saturday
Kids can explore the Olympic Sculpture Park, get creative with drop-in art activities, and learn with community partners. Bring a cardboard box from home and turn it into a car for an indoor 'drive-in' movie.
(Belltown, free)
28. Dirtbag: The Legend of Fred Beckey
This documentary celebrates the life and legacy of late "dirtbag" mountaineer Fred Beckey, who made hundreds of first ascents in North America. Enjoy snacks and beer, enter a raffle to win a snazzy pair of climbing pants, and chat with special guest climber Barry Blanchard.
(Beacon Hill, free)
29. Saturday Secret Matinees
Grand Illusion and the Sprocket Society will continue their tradition of pairing an adventure serial with a different secret matinee movie every week. This year, the serial is Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe, and the theme of the feature film will change every fortnight (maybe they stole the idea from the Stranger's new printing schedule. Though probably not). These themes include "Alien Invasion!," "Swashbuckling Heroes!," "Very Bad Deals," "Twisted Intrigues," "Atomic Monsters," and "Widescreen Thrills." The coolest part, from a film buff point of view? Everything will be presented on 16mm.
(University District, $9)
30. Author Talk: How to Taste by Becky Selengut
Sure, tasting might sound easy enough, but truly honing your palate is actually a learned process that can help elevate your cooking to the next level. Luckily, local food writer Becky Selengut's new book How to Taste, based on her popular class of the same name at The Pantry, shows you how to do just that. The book explains the scientific principles of how salt, acid, sweet, fat, bitter, bite (heat), aromatics, and texture combine to create a flavor and teaches cooks of all levels on how to rely on their taste buds to tweak dishes, with kitchen experiments and recipes (sweet potato soup with chile and lemongrass, anyone?) to demonstrate the lessons of each chapter. At this event, Selengut will do a demonstration to illustrate some of the concepts from her book and sign copies purchased at the Book Larder. JULIANNE BELL
(Fremont, free)
31. Reading Rainbow: CD Ice Cream Edition with Jeffrey Cheatham II
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream and books at this free family-friendly event. Jeff "Jay" Cheatham II, founder of the Seattle Urban Book Expo (SUBE), will read from his award-winning children's books and host activities, and sweet treats will abound. Plus, there'll be raffle for a $15 Central District Ice Cream gift card and a signed copy of a book by Cheatham.
(Central District, free)
32. Bearaxe, Mona Celia, Beverly Crusher
Local prog-influenced rockers Bearaxe will deliver their bold, soulful vocals with support from Mona Celia and Beverly Crusher.
(Eastlake, $5/$8)
33. Cortége, The Sharp Teeth
Visiting from Texas, Cortége will play their ambient drone music with support from local rockers the Sharp Teeth.
(Ballard, $8)
34. Equinox Rising
This music showcase highlights QTPOC singer-songwriters, including Julz Ilang-Bulans, Zora Seboulisa, Nic Masangkay, Be Steadwell, and SuperKnova.
(Beacon Hill, free)
35. Fucked & Bound, Wasted USA, Trash Fire
He Whose Ox Is Gored have long served as Seattleâs torchbearers for post-metal. Their meticulously woven compositions of brute guitars and symphonic keyboards capture a malicious fervor tempered by discipline and restraint. While there is genuine angst and sorrow knitted into those elaborate songs, there is also the hint that something much more uninhibited lies beneath the surface. Enter Fucked & Bound, the outlet for the Ox tribe to set aside the melody and math for raging d-beat hardcore. The musicianship is still razor sharp, but the exploratory dynamics of HWOIG are ditched in favor of bulldozing riffs and vocalist Lisa Mungoâs confrontational command of the stage. BRIAN COOK
(Eastlake, $5-$10)
36. Ladies Musical Club: Celebrating Johann Sebastian Bach
Ladies Musical Club will continue their streak of free public classical concerts in celebration of iconic composer Johann Sebastian Bach's 333rd birthday with a program of instrumental and vocal selections from his long and storied career.
(North of Seattle, free)
37. Steady Mobbinâ
Join Still Ill DJs Paco and Chetbong for '90s and early 2000s hiphop and R&B throwbacks and dance party vibes all night long.
(Capitol Hill, free)
38. The "Who Am I" Tour
This rap and dance tour features Scorpion, the Animaniakz, YDP, E-YEE, Dopey Fresh, and John E. Wat. Local support comes from Lyric Divine, Ant W.y.$.e., Julie C, and JavDahart.
(Rainier Valley, $8)
39. 14/48:HS Spring 2018 Festival
Here are the figures for the spring 14/48:HS festival: Seven theater shows, 24 hours, 50 teens, and "unlimited revelry."
(North Seattle, donation)
40. Spring Returns!
This spring-themed show promises dancing, mimosas, flowers, and crafts. Your "spriteliest, springiest, most floral clothing" is encouraged.
(Greenwood, free)
41. Queer & Trans Clothing Exchange
Queer and trans folks, get your butts to the Hill for a whole afternoon of outfit swaps this weekend. A $10-$20 donation at the door is suggested to benefit the Queer and Trans Youth Music Project and Gay City's year-round youth leadership program Rogue Rainbow, but no one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Bring as much clothing and accessories to be swapped as you wantâeverything will be sorted by type, not by assumed gender, and all leftover clothes will be donated to YouthCare.
(Capitol Hill, $10-$20 donation)
42. Lamont 'U-God' Hawkins: Raw: My Journey into the Wu-Tang
U-God will be the first of the Staten Island hiphop titans to tell the group's story in his book Raw: My Journey into the Wu-Tang. Learn about his friendship with the other artistsâRZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Olâ Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface Killah, and Masta Killaâand the music that brought them out of the ghetto and into the airwaves.
(Central District, $5)
43. Matthew Dickman and Emily Strelow
Sit in on a joint reading with two Portland-rooted writers, Matthew Dickman (who will read from his new poetry collection, Wonderland) and Emily Strelow (who will read from her new novel, The Wild Birds). About Wonderland, Carrie Brownstein wrote, "Matthew Dickman captures the vicissitudes of childhood: the mess and wildness of it all, how we are both held and discarded, the way darkness subsumes the glow and vice versa. Dickmanâs poems are deft and sparkling and never cease to tear into you with their profound rawness and beauty.â
(Capitol Hill, free)
44. Penny Reid: Marriage of Inconvenience
Penny Reid will share the final novel in her Knitting in the City series. In Marriage of Inconvenience, billionaire heiress Kat Tanner is determined to marry a nice man and leave her turbulent past behind her.
(Lake Forest Park, free)
45. Seattle March For Our Lives with Rep. Pramila Jayapal
Rep. Pramila Jayapal and the student organizers of Seattle March for Our Lives will host a forum on gun violence and what we can do about it.
(Central District, free)
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
READINGS & TALKS46. Huge Book Sale
Invigorate your meager bookshelf without breaking the bank at this "HUGE" book sale. You'll find children's books for $1, audio materials (CDs, DVDs, audio books, and records) for $1, TV series DVDs for $2, paperback and hardback fiction and nonfiction for $2, and rare books for $3.
(Seattle Center, free)
SUNDAY
ART47. Apricity
Scott Keva James of Lusio will conjure another immersive, reactive light/videoscape for people of all ages to explore.
(Beacon Hill, free)
48. Notes on Art After Communism
Scholar and artist Minh Nguyen will host an episode of home school, a pop-up art education event, focused on art in countries like Vietnam in which communism has collapsed.
(First Hill, free)
49. Monisa Brown
The hilarious Monisa Brown (Dave Segal says she "killed it" when he saw her) will head a bill of local talent that also includes Connor Thompson, Howie Echo-Hawk, Clara Pluton, and Max Delsohn, as well as regulars Timmy Booth, Chris Mejia, Steven Mayes, Sean Riccio, and Natalie Holt.
(Capitol Hill, $5 suggested donation)
50. Nowruz
The Persian New Year, Nowruz, marks both the beginning of spring in the Northern hemisphere and the first month on the Iranian calendar. Celebrate locally by learning about the holiday's traditions through live performances, art exhibits, speakers from around the world, and more.
(Downtown, free)
51. The Reparations Tour: White Solidarity with the Black Power Blueprint
The Uhuru Solidarity Movement, who "organize in the white community for reparations to African people," launched the Black Power Blueprint to build economic development programs by and for the black community in St. Louis. On their national tour stop in Seattle, learn about the project and how to get involved from Uhuru speakers.
(University District, free)
52. Trump/Pence Must Go!
Join Refuse Fascism Seattle for an organizing meeting on how to protect immigrants from the Trump/Pence regime.
(Capitol Hill, free)
53. Voyeur Presents The Beaver Trilogy
Sean Penn and Crispin Glover star in Trent Harris' trilogy about a young man with a deep hunger for fame and an obsession with Olivia Newton-John.
(University District, free)
54. Coffee & Cameras
Fuel up with coffee and doughnuts before exploring downtown Seattle with the Top Pot team and your camera.
(Downtown, free)
55. Brothers Gow, Bob Fossil, Oso
For a melange of local musical stylings, dance to rock/jazz/soul jam quintet Brothers Gow and alt-rockers Bob Fossil and Oso.
(Fremont, $7/$10)
56. Dark/Light, Dyed, Slow Code
Portland punks DARK/LIGHT (Dirtcult Records) will play Seattle (well, Tukwila), with support from Dyed and Slow Code.
(Tukwila, $7)
57. Death Coach, Sun Mother, Of The Heavy Sun, Watch Rome Burn
Electro-rockers Death Coach promise to "wreck your face and shake your soul." They'll be joined by fellow jammers Sun Mother, Of The Heavy Sun, and Watch Rome Burn.
(Fremont, $6/$8)
58. Ian Ketterer, Jordan Kirk, Tobias the Owl, Patrick Galactic
Ian Ketterer, of emotionally driven indie alt-rock band Among Authors, will headline with a solo set and opening support from Jordan Kirk, Tobias the Owl, and Patrick Galactic.
(Ballard, $8)
59. Kingdom of the Holy Sun, The Orange Kyte, The Young Elders
Join Seattle six-piece Kingdom of the Holy Sun, the Orange Kyte, and the Young Elders for a night of shoegaze and "Cascadian psychedelia."
(Ballard, $8)
60. Parke Ave Presents Networking For Musicians
After mixing and mingling, play your instrument (and maybe plug your next show) in a "spotlight" jam session. After that, local artists will share their stories and give advice.
(Capitol Hill, $5)
61. The Pizza Pulpit: The Screaming Multitudes, Anime Creek, Wild Wild Mexico, Catch Penny
All rad, all local, so all the reason to grab a slice and hear these weird preachers preach to their weirdo choir. With a mountain of buzz and summit of fuzz, Seattleâs three-legged Screaming Multitudes howl with crunchy power chords and space-screeching riffs and noise. Their off-the-wall frontman/guitarist Mikiech Nichols keeps the bandâs set freewheelinâ with elastically funny faces and awkward entertainment, to his careless chagrin, while guitarist Michael Schoentag and drummer Jack McKool deliver with Dinosaur Jr.-loud decibels and dynamic, drilling chops. Throw in some bedroom pop, off-kilter cowboy- and indie-rock, and youâre good to go. ZACH FRIMMEL
(Belltown, free)
62. Spontaneous Music Session with Kenny Mandell
Move your experimental blues shoes to an open, all-levels, creative musical jam session with Kenny Mandell on sax acting as an improvisational guide.
(Greenwood, free)
63. Witch Bottle, Samvega, Star Meets Sea, Alina Ashley Nicole
Witch Bottle concoct some modern-day witchery with touches of folklore and feral fantasies in each of their songs. They'll be joined in this coven meet-up by Samvega, Star Meets Sea, and Alina Ashley Nicole.
(Eastlake, $6/$8)
64. Romeo & Juliet
See two star-crossed lovers meet their tragic fates in Off Road Shakespeare Company's production of Romeo & Juliet, directed by Leah Adcock-Starr.
(Downtown, free)
65. The Pinoy Image: Frank Mancao's Filipino America
From history scholar Adrian De Leon, learn about the life and work of Filipino American photographer Frank Mancao, who is known for his depictions of the Manongs (early Filipino migrant workers in the American West).
(Chinatown-International District, free)
