Our arts critics have already recommended 71 great things to do this week and our music critics have picked the 42 best music shows, 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 Kaleidoscope Ballard to First Caturday, and from the new Spooked in Seattle series Tea and True Crime to My Favorite Craft Fair. For even more options this week, check out our complete Things To Do calendar.
Found something you like and don't want to forget about it later? Click "Save Event" on any of the linked events below to add it to your own private list.
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- A Colonizer Walks Into a Bar
This Indigenous comedy showcase will feature mostly Northwest-based Native comics Howie Echo-Hawk, Vi Let, Danny Littlejohn, Kaitlyn Jeffers, and Ruby Stacey. PERFORMANCE
- All Purpose Hole
In this workshop production of Susan McNally's new play All Purpose Hole, you'll meet Emily, a matriarch who navigates "the pitfalls of domestic life" with little help from her husband, her mother, or her delinquent stepson.BoobTube: A Nerdy Variety Show
Drag performers and sexy dancers Mercury Divine, Scarlett O’Hairdye, Scandal from Bohemia, Scotty Moose, Flora La Fenice, and Ramona Rhapsody will hark back to geeky TV shows of yore. - Yuki D & Jinx Show
Brian Snoddy and Julie Baroh host this videocast. Tonight, sit in on a conversation with their illustrious guest Alan White, drummer for the prog rock giant Yes, the Plastic Ono Band, the Beatles cover band Apple Jam, and more. READINGS & TALKS
- Brews & Snow Leopards
Learn about the enigmatic and endangered snow leopard and the local nonprofit—the Snow Leopard Trust—dedicated to their conservation. All beer proceeds from the evening will be donated to the organization. - The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly: Global Access to Cancer Treatment
By 2030, scientists estimate that the number of new cancer patients diagnosed each year will double to more than 23 million worldwide, the majority of which will live in developing countries with limited resources. In honor of World Cancer Day, join Pat Garcia-Gonzalez (co-founder of the Max Foundation) as she shares "the good, the bad, and the ugly” of the global treatment access landscape and her organization's strategies for "removing barriers to cancer treatment access."TUESDAY-FRIDAY
VISUAL ART
- Persistence: Photographs by Blake Little and Maria Grinchuk
These two exhibitions illustrate "the persistence of LGBTQ spaces in less than sympathetic surroundings," namely the Blake Little's Gay Rodeo series from 1988-1992 and Maria Grinchuck's studies of drag theater in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Opening reception WednesdayTUESDAY-SATURDAY
PERFORMANCE
- Always... Patsy Cline
Cayman Ilika and Kate Jaeger star as Patsy Cline and her friend Louise Seger in Ted Swindley's theatrical ode to the great country singer. VISUAL ART
- 2019 Graduation Exhibitions
See the work of graduating University of Washington School of Art + Art History + Design students before they scatter to cheaper realms.
Opening TuesdayWEDNESDAY
COMMUNITY
- Daffodil Day
What's sweeter than getting a flower from a kind stranger? For this 22nd annual springtime tradition, volunteers in front of 19 downtown Seattle businesses will hand out locally grown daffodils from Pike Place Market farmers. FILM
- The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Return of the King
Watch the finale of Peter Jackson's fantastical blockbuster trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien's perennially popular Lord of the Rings saga. This is the theatrical cut. MUSIC
- Djime, Alpha Stream, Brad Anderson
Play pinball and drink beer while you move to experimental electronic sets from locals Alpha Stream, Brad Anderson, and duo Djime. READINGS & TALKS
- Civic Cocktail: Leaders in Law Enforcement and Lt. Gov. Cyrus Habib
Join Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best and King County Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht for a discussion of police-community relations and what 2019 holds for Seattle law enforcement departments. After that, Lt. Governor Cyrus Habib—who assumes many aspects of Jay Inslee's job when the Governor is out of state—will talk about his role. - Clive Thompson: The Culture of Coders
Clive Thompson will read from his anthropology of our tech overlords, Coders, seeking to elucidate issues like "the 'disruption' fetish of Silicon Valley" and the struggle for representation by women and minorities. - Iain S. Thomas: Every Word You Cannot Say
The author of the popular poetry book I Wrote This For You will sign his new book, Every Word You Cannot Say. - Sigrid Adriaenssens: Form Follows Force
Princeton University Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Sigrid Adriaenssens, who lists her areas of interest as "form-finding techniques, structural optimization, with applications in energy efficiency and human health," and much more, will present this year's Onouye lecture at UW. - Soniah Kamal: Unmarriageable
This novel is a feminist take on Pride and Prejudice set in contemporary Pakistan, co-presented with Tasveer.WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY
PERFORMANCE
- Jesus Christ Superstar
For its 100th anniversary of public theater programs, Cornish will present students in a production of Andrew Lloyd Weber's ecclesiastical musical, directed by Billie Wildrick (5th Avenue Theatre's Annie). VISUAL ART
- Morehshin Allahyari, Trinh Mai, Sara Zewde: Memory & Place
Iran-raised artist Allahyari (recognized as a leading global thinker by Foreign Policy magazine), interdisciplinary artist Mai, and landscape designer/urbanist/public artist Zewde unveil work.
Opening WednesdayWEDNESDAY-SUNDAY
PERFORMANCE
- Through the Looking Glass: The Burlesque Alice in Wonderland
The producers of The Burlesque Nutcracker, Lily Verlaine and Jasper McCann, will once again re-imagine Lewis Carroll's classic story as Alice visits Wonderland's hottest nightclub, the Looking Glass. With Lily Verlaine as the Caterpillar, Tory Peil as the Cheshire Cat, and Paris Original (House of Verlaine; Mod Carousel) as the Knave Of Hearts. VISUAL ART
- no hard feelings
Experience the art of "Seattle's dopest creatives," with drop-in pop-up shows by painters barry johnson and Che Sehyun, poet Kamari Bright, dancer Noelle Price, plus Adam Jabari, Aramis Hamer, Nijuana Chardonay, Noelle Price, Jen Moore, and Taqueet$.
Closing Sunday - Troy Gua: Le Petit Prince
Conceptual pop artist Troy Gua's photographic tributes to Prince are staged with tiny Prince dolls posed in evocative settings.
Opening WednesdayTHURSDAY
COMMUNITY
- 2019 Heart of Seattle Awards
The Chinook Book Heart of Seattle Awards recognizes retail and service businesses in Seattle and across the Puget Sound that set a high standard for "stellar social and environmental priorities, ethical business practices, happy employees, and loving customers." Celebrate the (as-yet-unannounced) six winners while enjoying bites and drinks from local spots and tunes from KEXP's DJ Chilly. - Catalysts: An Evening of Transformative Change
Seattle businesses Vulcan, WeWork, and The Evergrey will discuss various aspects of Seattle's changing landscape and their goals for the future. Join them for bites and cocktails. - Dr. Joy DeGruy Post-Event Conversation with ChrisTiana ObeySumner
After a lecture on post-traumatic slave syndrome with researcher Dr. DeGruy, join facilitator ChrisTiana ObeySumner for a discussion on how white allies can be "accomplices in antiracism." FOOD & DRINK
- Camper Van IPA Release
Be the first to try Camper Van, a new hazy IPA made with Mosaic hops and featuring "big aromas of blueberry with just a touch of grass on the back end." MUSIC
- Actors and Razor Clam Live on Band in Seattle
Be a part of the live studio audience for the next taping of the music and TV web series Band in Seattle, featuring Vancouver post-punk/darkwave band Actors and Seattle goth-pop/dreamwave band Razor Clam. - Rouge French Cabaret!
Get the most out of your French dining experience by enjoying tableside performances of songs by Edith Piaf, Cole Porter, and other such favorites by Parisian-style cabaret troupe Rouge, led by vocalist Janet Elle Rayor. PERFORMANCE
- Skinespheres: Somatic Ecologies in a More-Than-Human World
The website description refers to this performance as "a striking integration of Deep Ecology, electroacoustic sound art and experimental dance" that evokes "Queer Critters," quantum physicist Karen Barad's term for intelligent beings without central nervous systems (think underground fungal networks). It melds a score by Rocco Strain and choreography by Iván Espinosa. READINGS & TALKS
- Anja Snellman: Me Too, You Too, We Too
Finnish author Anja Snellman, well-known for her popular 1981 novel Sonia O. Was Here, continues to wrestle with the impossible double standards faced by women in a sexist world in her newest release Me Too, You Too, We Too. She'll come to Seattle for a reading. - The Future is Female!
Three female founders—ice cream deity Molly Moon Neitzel, ginger beer queen Rachel Marshal, and Kween Foods's Ali Bondar—will talk about how they achieved success in the Seattle food scene. - Spencer Reece, Kimberly Kruge, Jeremy Voigt
Poet (and the national secretary for the Bishop of the Episcopal Church in Madrid) Spencer Reece was shortlisted for the National Book Award for his collection The Road to Emmaus. He'll read alongside Mexico-based poet and translator Kimberly Kruge and local poet Jeremy Voigt. VISUAL ART
- 179 x CDICC Ice Cream Thursdae VOL 27
Jessica Crenshaw-Leonard of Dibble Dabble Art will be this month's featured artist, which means she'll be interviewed by fellow artist Angelina Villalobos. Listen in, eat ice cream, and shop from local vendors like Marcosa Opulencia, Alexander Pasqualle, Yessica Marquez, and Creations by Jaylin. - Diamonds in the Ether: Tuning In to Northwest Radio History
Historian Feliks Banel will teach about the radio history of the Pacific Northwest through a combination of vintage audio sample, historic images, and storytelling. - Laura Tempest Zakroff: Liminal Spirits
Immerse yourself in witchy, occult, nature-inspired dreams with the 42 full-size paintings of images that make up Zakroff's oracle deck.
Opening Thursday - Matrix of the Trees: The Power of Cosmic Symbiotic Networks
This one-night-only group show is inspired by "eco-tech collaborations" between humans, tree-speaking aliens, and cosmic tree-mushroom symbiosis networks. - Seattle des Indépendants: Avant-Garde Exhibition
Inspired by the work of French avant-garde artists like Matisse, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, this show gives first-time artists—particularly artists with Autism—the chance to show their work in a gallery.THURSDAY-FRIDAY
ART
- Troy Gua: Portals
These paintings by psychedelic pop artist Troy Gua carry the theme of portals—windows, doors, hatches, etc.—as a way of moving toward change.
Opening ThursdayTHURSDAY-SATURDAY
COMEDY
- Tony Rock
It would be unfair to refer to Tony Rock (Busted!, Think Like A Man, C'Mon Man) only as the younger brother of Chris Rock, because he has a career in his own right, including as the host of The Game of Dating. See him in the flesh.THURSDAY-SUNDAY
PERFORMANCE
- The Diary of Anne Frank
This co-production with Indiana Repertory Theatre brings to life the story of the teenage Dutch diarist who hid with seven other people from the Nazis. - SpringShot
This festival highlights solo shows, variety, magic, sketch, and other diverse forms of off-beat performance, like José Amador's drama Ague, set in a low-income emergency room, and Marisol Soledad's clowning fairy tale Here at Home, both of which you can look forward to this week. VISUAL ART
- Fumiko Kimura: On the Walls
This second-generation Japanese American artist hangs haiga paintings, a form of simple, elegant art associated with haiku. She will demo sumi ink art during the free opening reception.
Opening Thursday - Strange Couplings
Cute! This show is dedicated to working artist couples: Nichole DeMent and Stephen Rock, Perri and Craig Howard, and Kate Protage and Chris Sheridan.
Opening ThursdayFRIDAY
COMMUNITY
- Southgate's 8th Anniversary Party
Lace up your skates and do figure eights around the rink to celebrate Southgate Roller Rink's birthday. Eldridge Gravy & the Court Supreme, Swingset, and DJ Profound will provide live jams. FILM
- The Bikes of Wrath
The Banff Film Festival's People's Choice Award winner The Bikes of Wrath follows five Australians who attempt to cycle from Oklahoma to California in the path of the westward migration undertaken by The Grapes of Wrath's Joad family. Stick around afterward for a Q&A with the filmmakers. MUSIC
- Emerald City Music: Dreamers' Circus
Dreamers' Circus melds classical pieces with Danish folk traditions and a wayfaring tone for an accessible, jam-centric entry point into the two genres. They've collaborated with many talented artists, including Gustaf Ljunggren and the Danish String Quartet. - High Dive 14th Anniversary RAWK-FEST
Reliable Fremont rock venue High Dive will celebrate 14 years of age with a night of high-powered jams with AC/DC tribute band Problem Child and Metallica tribute band Blistered Earth. PERFORMANCE
- Doo-Wop That Thing We Do: A Burlesque Tribute to Doo-Wop Music
Puckducktion Presents a slinky and skimpy-clothed paean to melodious doo-wop, an R&B-influenced genre developed by black singers. - Lucrezia Borgia
The Puget Sound Concert Opera, dedicated to putting on affordable productions with high-quality musicians, will tackle Lucrezia Borgia, Gaetano Donizetti's tale of a wicked medieval poisoner and her son. - Mystery Drag Queen Theater 3000
Amazing drag queens make fun of not-so-amazing B-movies, in this case the deathlessly terrible Tommy Wiseau ego project The Room. Footballs will be thrown, doggies will be greeted, hearts will be broken. READINGS & TALKS
- Nikkita Oliver: Pebbles in My Shoes
Poet and activist Nikkita Oliver will share new work at this lounge-style reading. - Visiting Artist Lecture: Dan Paz
Visiting artist Dan Paz, whose photographs explore "queerness, racialized identities, the complications of nationality and Latinidad, and the impact of migration in the Global South," will talk about his work.FRIDAY-SATURDAY
COMEDY
- Belinda Carroll
Portland-based comic Belinda Carroll—who has been featured on Portlandia and is the co-director of the Portland Queer Comedy Festival—will tell jokes about imposter syndrome and other topics from the heart. FESTIVALS
- UW Maker Summit
At this annual summit, it's possible that you could be featured in the lineup. Submit an art project (be it a drawing, painting, or ceramic, glass, or fabric piece), your handmade electronic gizmo, or your short film or music video. You can also perform in an open mic or present your research in a presentation. Or you can just attend and take in the fruits of local talent. PERFORMANCE
- Peter and the Starcatcher
In this Tony Award-winning children's theater production, the origins of Peter Pan are revealed as a star-catcher in training goes on an adventure with an orphan boy.FRIDAY-SUNDAY
COMMUNITY
- Marine Mammal Mania
Nothing says "spring" like the sound of seals barking on giant rocks in the sunshine. That's why the Aquarium is celebrating the new season with a whole week dedicated to marine mammals, featuring diver shows, live science demonstrations, mammal meet-and-greets, special feedings and enrichments, and more. PERFORMANCE
- Decades: A Circus Story Lost in Time
Juggling, tightwire work, clowning, and more await you at this annual circus fest performed by SANCA's youth circus students. This year, they're going with a time-travel theme.SATURDAY
COMMUNITY
- First Caturday
Because even the laziest housecat is wild at heart, this event is the perfect opportunity to treat your beloved feline to an outdoor adventure among other kitties, whether they want to chase birds, eat bugs, or take a nap in the grass. - Museum Book Fair
In honor of the Washington State History Museum exhibition A Thousand Words' Worth, join Washington-based authors, illustrators, and publishers to hear talks, make your own zine, write a letter, see interactive storytelling performances, and buy books. - Toss the Tusk
Do you have a piece of vintage ivory you feel kinda weird about owning, given that it was made from an endangered animal? The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife will take it off your hands and donate it to education programs to combat wildlife trafficking. FESTIVALS
- Kaleidoscope Ballard
Get a little woozy this spring at Kaleidoscope, a new music and art festival that will feature live sets by Fruit Juice, Wild Powwers, SHARK LEGS, Peyote Ugly, Sea Salt, b r a c k e t s, the Whags, and FROND, all accompanied by a Space Pyramid-made "analog light experience" for some extra sensory overload. - Northwest Black Magick Fest 2019
Northwest-based black metal bands Witch Ripper, Summoned By Giants, Wizzerd, Edw0rd, Of the Heavy Sun, and Skullbot will tear up the night. FILM
- Shoreline Short Short Film Festival
See short films between three and 10 minutes long by Washington State filmmakers. - Should I Still Watch This Show?
UW professor and Humanities Washington speaker Amy Peloff will help you grapple with the dilemma of whether to keep watching media whose creators have been caught for bad-to-criminal behavior. She'll go over the following questions: "How do we weigh the cultural value of art against the behavior of the individual creating it? What do we think accountability in the #MeToo movement should look like? Do the decisions we make around our pop culture consumption even matter?" FOOD & DRINK
- Beer + Yoga at Old Stove Brewing Co
Follow up an hour of bending and stretching with a sudsy brew from Old Stove Brewing Co. GEEK
- Chibi Chibi Con 19
This student-run convention celebrates all things anime. Expect games, comics, animation, cosplay, J-pop, and more. MUSIC
- Autolite Strike, New Rose, Teen Cat, DJ Xerox
Earnest punks Autolite Strike, named after the Ohio federal labor union strike of 1934, have been known to rock the theremin. They'll take over Eastlake with New Rose, Teen Cat, and DJ Xerox. - The Fab Four - The Ultimate Beatles Tribute
Get the next best thing to a live show with John, Paul, George, and Ringo at this Beatles Tribute with the Fab Four. - Hot Girl Sings
Musical satirist Carly Martin (formerly known as Carly OMFG) composes heartbreaking ditties for YouTube like "Dave Beck Won't Add Me Back On Facebook," about an unrequited social media crush on a 98.1 Classical King FM host. See the youthful pianist/comedian in the flesh. - Laser Prince Premiere
Sing along to Prince hits in between fits of sobbing while laser artists shoot off colorful beams of light on 10 projectors. - Laserface by Gareth Emery
Ready yourself to be blown away by the self-described "World's Greatest Laser Show," choreographed by internationally renowned laser designer Anthony Garcia and set to the electronica of Gareth Emery. - Psychedelic Shindig with Sunflower Sutra, Palatine, Brianna Skye
Wear the trippiest colors in your closet and space out to the cosmic soundscapes of psychedelic rockers Sunflower Sutra, jazzy prog-rock from Palentine, and folk-pop from Brianna Skye and the Dark Clouds. To top it all off, Erin Fox will be doing live painting. PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE
- Unmasked Love
Raise money for the lovely Au Collective dance group by dressing up, masking up, and watching a performance by Malicious Vixens and DJ Phenohype before busting out some moves yourself. PERFORMANCE
- Bacon Strip: Drag Queen Storytime for Adults
Hear some probably naughty stories courtesy of the outrageous Bacon Strip company, with Honey Bucket, James and Kerry Darling, Suga Bear, Old Witch, and Ruby Ross the Drag Puppet. - Botnik Live!
Botnik Studios writers and engineers—who have created a predictive text Harry Potter chapter and a computer-generated Coachella poster, among other things—will host a night of readings, sketches, songs, and interactive experiments. - Danger Angel
A "recently dead, newly alive Danger Angel" named Arrhythmio tells his story through his favorite songs in this emo-electro monologue featuring music by Grimes and My Chemical Romance. - New Works
Olympic Ballet Theater will present an evening of contemporary dances, including by choreographers Nicole and Jason Cisler, Oregon Ballet Theater Artistic Directors Mara Vinson and Oleg Gorboulev, and Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist Kyle Davis. - A Conversation with Rock Martinez: The Journey from Tagger to Renowned Muralist
Professional muralist Rock Martinez—whose Prince mural is featured in the new special exhibit Prince from Minneapolis—will talk about his life and his journey from a street tagger to a renowned artist. - Hotel History: SROs in the Chinatown-International District
Dr. Marie Wong, author of Building Tradition: Pan-Asian Seattle and Life in the Residential Hotels, will join Atlas Obscura Society for a discussion of the 158-year settlement of Seattle's Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino communities and the hotels they called home. - Katie Arnold: Running Home
In her memoir Running Home, Outside Magazine contributing editor Katie Arnold talks about forces in her early life (like her complicated relationship with her father) that compelled her to become an ultramarathon champion. READINGS & TALKS
- Øystein Morten: The Search for Olav Tryggvason
Popular saga narratives tell us that the Norwegian King Olav Tryggvason grew up in Russia, brought Christianity to Norway and Iceland, founded the oldest City of Norway, and sent an expedition to America before he disappeared in the Baltic Sea in the year 1000. In The Search for Olav Tryggvason, historian Øystein Morten searches for "a truer picture" of the king. SHOPPING
- Garden Lovers' Book Sale
Stock up on bargain-priced books on everything from gardening to tree identification, plus works of art from the Pacific Northwest Botanical Artists. - Witches' Night Out Market Presents The Oracle Speaks
Witches and the metaphysically minded can shop for mystical wares, get psychic readings, and more. SPORTS & RECREATION
- Seattle Cascades vs San Jose Spiders - Home Opener
Seattle Cascades and the San Jose Spiders will open the 2019 ultimate frisbee season. VISUAL ART
- Artist Talk: Sara Siestreem
In partnership with yәhaw̓, visiting artist Sara Siestreem will talk about her multi-disciplinary practice, which addresses ancestral memory and continuing traditions, Indigenous survivance and sovereign rights, and "the inclusion of natural processes and environmental relationships." - Photowalk: UW Campus
Peak day for UW's cherry trees may have passed, but spring flowers are still very much abloom on campus. Take your camera and snap some pictures on this guided walk.SATURDAY-SUNDAY
SHOPPING
- Orchid Show
The Northwest Orchid Society will take over the Volunteer Park Conservatory's Seasonal House with a selection of blooming orchids.SUNDAY
COMMUNITY
- adult egg hunt
The fancy Easter Bunny will return to glassybaby to hide a few precious glass eggs among "a million" plastic ones. FILM
- DJ Nicfit & Substation Present: A Nightmare on Elm Street
DJ NicFit will remix a new soundtrack on two turntables to the horror classic A Nightmare on Elm Street, the Wes Craven original about a man named Freddy with a striped shirt and nasty claws who turns Johnny Depp into soup. MUSIC
- The Wheal, Harsh-R, Vox V/Nitel Etch/Celedon, Vanessa Skantze
Parisian electronic music maven the Wheal and Olympia's dark-electro spinner Harsh-R will team up for a DIY evening of darkwave and ritual noise. Also on the bill: Northwest artists Vox V, Nitel Etch, and Celedon and Vanessa Skantze. PERFORMANCE
- Off Road Shakespeare Company Presents: Twelfth Night
Leah Adcock-Starr will direct this Off Road Shakespeare production of the Bard's raunchy-sweet comedy Twelfth Night. - Spring Reading Series: Athena by Gracie Gardner
Hear a staged reading of a play about two Junior Olympics fencers who wish they were friends. READINGS & TALKS
- Evan James: Cheer Up Mr. Widdicombe
In Evan James's new novel, which he'll read from tonight, Mrs. Widdicombe tries to cheer up her husband by making their new home on Puget Sound a social hub, with unexpected and comic consequences for the entire family. - Tea and True Crime: Gary Ridgway
If you love podcasts and documentaries about serial killers, don't miss your chance to sip a hot cup of tea and steep in an evening of murder mysteries with horror and true-crime buff Kim Douthit at this new Spooked in Seattle series. This first installment will examine Washington's own Gary Ridgway, aka the Green River Killer. SHOPPING
- April Macabre Market
If the gentle rays and bright blossoms of spring have your craving darkness, this market will support your with witchy vendors like We Are Witchy, Foggy Moon Pottery, RACK Leather Goods, and Morbid Heart Designs. - Handmade Brigade Pop-Up: Spring Edition
Shop from over 75 Washington artists, artisans, and food purveyors. - My Favorite Craft Fair
If you're a fan of the podcast My Favorite Murder, this market is specifically for you. Artists and artisans will sling their crafty wares related to the beloved program about serial killers, from candles and pet products to paper goods and jewelry.
