This Friday (June 12), Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County is encouraging you to take the day off, if you can, to familiarize yourself with elected officials and to educate yourself on systemic racism in America. Whether that means participating in the Silent March at Judkins Park or taking action from home by donating to antiracist causes, there's tons of ways to show up for your local black and brown communities. Read on for this weekend's BLM-focused protests and demonstrations, virtual events amplifying black voices, and other happenings (like the Seattle International Dance Festival and a Pride Flag-Raising Ceremony in White Center). For more ideas, check out our picks for the best movies to stream this weekend or our guide to restaurants that are now open for dine-in service.
Jump to: Black Lives Matter | Pride Month Events | Other Events
BLACK LIVES MATTER
COMMUNITYBlack Lives Matter Seattle Statewide March and General Strike
Last Saturday, Rich Smith reported that board members with Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County (BLMSKC) have called for a statewide general strike and silent protest march on Friday, June 12. He noted that, "BLMSKC has made it very clear that it's had no part in organizing any of the demonstrations against police brutality that have taken place across Washington over the last eight days, and BLMSKC board member Ebony Miranda said they have not taken this decision lightly." The BLMSKC website further explains, "Our chapter has made it very clear that we don’t want to put people at risk in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. So for those who can’t participate in a physical gathering, we urge you to participate in the general strike and in actions that we post online throughout the day." In light of that, Friday's event will be two-pronged. The Silent March will start assembling at Judkins Park at 1 pm, with the actual marching beginning at 2 and taking a 2-mile route to Jefferson Park via 23rd Ave S. The organizers note that they expect this to take 90 minutes or more. If you can't march, BLMSKC encourages you to strike: take the day off and spend the time familiarizing yourself with elected officials. They write, "It’s up to you to make sure your local officials feel the pressure to improve police accountability and dismantle the structural racism that has been built into all of our institutions."
Friday (various locations)
Free Drive-Through COVID Testing from BeyGood and #IDIDMYPART
In support of black and brown communities and essential workers in Seattle, who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, Beyoncé's BeyGood initiative and her mom Tina Knowles Lawson's #IDIDMYPART campaign are bringing free COVID-19 testing and essential supplies (such as care packages, diapers, and toiletries) to South King County. For more free testing sites, check out this list.
Sunday (Renton)
Culture Day
Stop by CHAZ to celebrate black, Latinx, native, and API cultures through music and dance at this informal community showcase.
Sunday
Seattle Children's March
From gun control to climate justice, Seattle youth have shown that they're a force to be reckoned with when it comes to rallying community members to take direct action toward global causes. Today, students will lead a march from Garfield High School to Bailey Gatzert Elementary School in solidarity with black Americans in Seattle and across the country.
Saturday (Central District)
Note: Another planned event, the #BlackLivesMatter March for Black Lives on Sunday in Westlake Park, has a significant following on Facebook, but it is not being organized in conjunction with the official Black Lives Matter Seattle King County group. We recommend attending BLMSKC’s Friday event instead.
FESTIVALSBear Witness, Take Action
Common and Keke Palmer will host this live multi-genre special celebrating YouTube's new $100 million fund dedicated to amplifying black voices on the platform. Look forward to appearances and performances from the likes of Roxane Gay, Indya Moore, Sterling K. Brown, Alicia Garza, Jemele Hill, and Carmelo Anthony. The event is free, but you're encouraged to donate to the Equal Justice Initiative after tuning in.
Saturday
2(06) The Break
In honor of Black Music Month, Central District black arts space Wa Na Wari presents a seven-episode series that puts a spin (this will become a pun in mere moments) on livestreamed DJ sessions you might've seen on the Instagram pages of artists like Questlove and DJ D-Nice recently. Each week, local hip-hop enthusiast Jazmyn Scott will pair two Pacific Northwest hip-hop DJs and task them with spinning a decade-specific set, from the 1980s to the present. Like last time, this week will focus on women in hip-hop.
Saturday
The Ailey Spirit Virtual Benefit
In the spirit of the legendary black choreographer Alvin Ailey, this virtual performance features pieces by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, the Ailey School, AileyCamp, and soloists Angela Bassett, Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Tim Shriver, Bryan Stevenson, and Lorraine Toussaint. After the performance, join a virtual after-party with DJs D-NICE and Ms. Nix.
Thursday
LOPsided
Mixed-race artist Brian J. Evans examines his own biases in this original work of music, dance, and theater, which premiered as a live one-man show in Minneapolis in 2018 as a part of the Right Here Showcase. This digital version is made up of 12 videos, which can be viewed on their own or in succession.
Saturday
Black Lit Book Club - Dread Nation
Sistah Sci-Fi ("a cauldron of all things Afrofuturism; Afro-mysticism; Black sci-fi; and voodoo casting spells to uplift literature written by Black women") hosts a BIPOC-focused book club every second Sunday of the month. This time, gather virtually for a discussion of Justina Ireland's YA bestseller Dread Nation, a zombie book set during the American Civil War.
Sunday
PRIDE MONTH EVENTS
COMMUNITYMatt Ortile with Ashley C. Ford: The Groom Will Keep His Name
In his new book of essays, Filipino American author and Catapult editor Matt Ortile recounts the xenophobia he experienced growing up in Las Vegas, and how taking the name of his white husband made him believe for a time that it would help him "belong in America." Join him for a live reading with Town Hall.
Thursday
Pride Flag Raising Ceremony in White Center
"While residents will tell you that the unincorporated King County neighborhood, just south of West Seattle and north of Burien, has long been a gay hub, you could say this Pride is a sort of coming out of the closet for [White Center]. The fest, which started as a conversation over drinks between local residents Matt Maring and Jason Loughridge, quickly evolved into a neighborhood-wide celebration," wrote The Stranger's Chase Burns in 2018. The neighborhood will keep its Pride tradition going strong with a rainbow flag ceremony livestreamed from Triangle Park, with drag performances by Cookie Couture and Old Witch.
Saturday
Rainbow Truth or Dare Pajama Party
Delightful Seattle drag queen and bingo host extraordinaire Sylvia O’Stayformore invites you to slip into something more comfortable, whip up some rainbow Jell-O shots (she'll give you a recipe, from the sounds of it) and play bingo to raise money for the West Seattle Senior Center’s COVID-19 response funds.
Friday
Dixon Place Criminal Queerness Festival
The National Queer Theater and Dixon Place, in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and NYC Pride, will go virtual with this second annual festival celebrating LGBTQ+ playwrights.
Saturday
Pride Prom
If you're wondering what all the living icons of queer culture icons are up to this Saturday (we're talking Lena Waithe, Trixie Mattel, Billy Porter, Randy Rainbow, Big Freedia, Cyndi Lauper... and the list goes on) they're participating in Billboard's virtual Pride Prom. Tune in for performances, drag shows, "glam sessions," conversations on queerness, DJ dance parties, and more.
Saturday
We're Still Here: Celebrating Pride in Solidarity
Eventbrite's virtual pre-Pride festival, curated in part by San Francisco Pride and New York City Pride, will celebrate the rights and struggles of LGBTQ+ and black communities around the world with queer-centric dance parties, drag shows (including one from San Francisco's oldest LGBTQ+ bar), cocktail hours, history lessons, movie watch parties, and much more packed into a single day.
Friday
Animal Crossing Pride Tea Party
Everyone's favorite quarantine pastime will serve as the inspiration for this virtual garden party with Friday Afternoon and Thésaurus Tea. Dress up your Animal Crossing character in a cute Pride outfit and usher them to the Rainbow Garden for a jam session and bonfire on the beach.
Saturday
An Evening of Pride & Liberation
Seattle-based BIPOC drag performers like Adra Boo, Taqueet$, Mila Skyy, LüChi, and spoken word artist Ebo Barton will fill out this Pride night hosted by Simone Pin, a burlesque company owned by womxn of color.
Saturday
OTHER EVENTS
COMMUNITYBattle for the Ballot: Women and the Vote
With the US presidential election around the corner, now's as good a time as any to learn about the history of women's suffrage—and the racial discrimination endured by women of color that pervaded the movement. Presented in collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Washington and League of Women Voters of Seattle-King County.
Saturday
Life in a Pandemic - Norman Lear and Rita Moreno in Conversation with RuPaul
The E.G.O.T. winner Rita Moreno and the legendary producer Norman Lear will chat virtually with drag legend RuPaul for a conversation about Lear's sitcom One Day at a Time, which was adapted in 2017 as an animated special starring Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Sunday
Glazer's Photofest: Virtual Edition
PhotoFest boasts a weekend-long bill of photography events including talks from a few dozen speakers, free workshops, interactive demonstrations, photo walks, and sales. This year's virtual event kicks off with a workshop on cinematic portraiture with Jonathan Thorpe and wraps up with an exploration of wildlife photography with Olympus explorer Brooke Bartleson.
Saturday-Sunday
Maple Valley Virtual Arts Fest 2020
No need to find a ride to Maple Valley—this arts festival will take place on Facebook this year, bringing live music performances, artist demos, and kid-centric activities.
Saturday-Sunday
Her Effortless Brilliance: A Celebration of Lynn Shelton Through Film and Music
Acclaimed Seattle director Lynn Shelton died too soon, and the grief felt by her fans, collaborators, and loved ones comes through in this documentary by Shelton's longtime friend Megan Griffiths. It's free to watch on YouTube and features a star-studded lineup of appearances, including Emily Blunt, Kaitlyn Dever, Rosemarie DeWitt, Mark and Jay Duplass, Jeff Garlin, Joshua Leonard, Sean Nelson, Michaela Watkins, and Reese Witherspoon, as well as live music from her partner Marc Maron, Andrew Bird, Ben Gibbard, Laura Veirs, and Tomo Nakayama.
Bramling Cross
Ethan Stowell presents Beef Storm, a pop-up featuring gourmet hamburgers and other beefy delights. Preorder for pickup from noon-5 pm, and look forward to round two next weekend.
Saturday-Sunday (Ballard)
Mamnoon
The Middle Eastern-inspired favorite is catering to pizza lovers with Mama Za’a, their first pizza pop-up. Choose a time slot online to pick up your Neopolitan slice with "Levantine flair" from 1-4 pm.
Sunday (Capitol Hill)
Serious TakeOut
Stop by the Tom Douglas pop-up to pick up your Rosé Porch Party Box ($38) for National Rosé Day (June 13). The first 20 people to order will get a pair of pink sunglasses.
Saturday (Ballard)
Happy Hour: Virtual Planetarium
Mix up your favorite cocktail and join Pacific Science Center experts Marshall Styczinski, Katy K., and Sarah Wyer as they take you on a visual journey through constellations and planet mythology.
Thursday
Bang on a Can Marathon
This virtual music marathon will bring you six nonstop hours of performances by composers and classical musicians from around the world, including new work by Kendall Williams and the world premiere of Susanna Hancock's Everything in Bloom.
Sunday
Digital Mirage: Online Music Festival
Electronic music outlets Proximity and Brownies & Lemonade rescheduled this online music festival to show support for Black Lives Matter last weekend, and the LA-based organizers are pledging to give all donations this weekend to the Equal Justice Initiative and Color of Change. Dance in your living room to sets from Chet Porter, Chromeo, Shiba San, Malaa, Softest Hard, SG Lewis, and many others.
Friday-Sunday
Essentially Ellington: Virtual International Festival
The Lincoln Center's 25th annual festival highlighting young jazz musicians will take place digitally this year, kicking off with Wynton Marsalis's Zoom conversation series Skaine's Domain, featuring Essentially Ellington alumni. If you've ever heard Seattle's Garfield High School Jazz Band play live, you won't be surprised that they made the finals and will be participating in the festival, along with Seattle JazzED and bands from Roosevelt High School, Mountlake Terrace High School, and Mount Si High School.
Thursday-Friday
Live From Our Living Rooms: Cancel Rent Now!
Vera Project and the Washington Bus will demand rent relief for those affected financially by COVID-19. This virtual benefit will feature sets from AJJ, Nana Grizol, Ratboys, Ian Sweet, Bad Moves, Your Heart Breaks, and other local rockers on Vera TV.
Saturday
Nite Wave Anniversary Show
Kicking off with a Duran Duran and Billy Idol tribute night, this two-night anniversary version of the high-energy show will bring an '80s jukebox to your living room.
Friday-Saturday
NW Seaport Virtual Chantey Sing
Think fondly of the Northwest Seaport as you sing maritime folk songs from your home.
Friday
The Warren G. Hardings Virtual Getdown
Jig to uptempo bluegrass with local string band the Warren G. Hardings, courtesy of Nectar.
Sunday
We are Here: A Celebration of Resilience, Resistance and Hope
In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and the 77th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising, this online concert presented by the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene and Sing for Hope, and other organizations will feature Whoopi Goldberg, Renée Fleming, Billy Joel, Lang Lang, Dr. Ruth Westheimer, Joyce DiDonato, Mayim Bialik, and many others. It will also feature a new work by the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Corigliano based on a text by Kitty O’Meara.
Sunday
Opening Night
Broadway fanatics can join musical theater stars for a virtual gathering filled with songs, scenes, and more from this past year. Highlights include a performance of Stephen Sondheim's Company with Patti LuPone, Katrina Lenk, and the rest of the cast and a monologue from The Sound Inside with Mary-Louise Parker.
Thursday
Poetry in America – Live featuring 'Finishing The Hat' by Stephen Sondheim
In honor of Stephen Sondheim’s 90th birthday, this edition of the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture's Poetry in America Live series, hosted by PBS's Elisa New, will focus on "Finishing The Hat" from the musical Sunday in the Park with George. Special guests include Tony Award nominee Melissa Errico and New Yorker staff writer and author Adam Gopnik.
Friday
Seattle International Dance Festival
In lieu of the Khambatta Dance Company's annual in-person festival, this two-week-long virtual event will bring interviews, full-length performance videos, behind-the-scenes looks, and more to your computer screen. All the videos (including performances from Sweden's Virpi Pahkinen Dance and a Seattle spotlight with local dancers Hope Goldman, Leah Mann, Lucie Baker, Sojung Lim, Elise Beers, and Cameo Lethem) have been uploaded, so you can watch them in whatever order you please.
Friday-Sunday
Aaron Bobrow-Strain: The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez
The story of Aida Hernandez, an undocumented immigrant who dreamed of moving to New York to teach dance and be reunited with her son, but who instead faced deportation to her birth country (Mexico), is not an isolated one in the US, which is in part what makes it worth reading about. Aaron Bobrow-Strain's book The Death and Life of Aida Hernandez frames Hernandez's story as part of the ongoing crisis at the US Southern border. Join him for a virtual Town Hall reading.
Sunday
Quarantine Book Club: 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is a captivating story of betrayal. Modern Library lists it as one of the 100 best novels of the 20th century. It was eventually made into a movie starring Maggie Smith, who won a best actress Oscar for playing Miss Jean Brodie. At the end of the four weeks, we will watch the movie together, and compare it to the book. I just taught The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie as a book-club class at Hugo House over the course of four weeks this past winter, and it went really well, all the students loved the book, and one of them, amazingly, was the bestselling novelist Maria Semple, who said afterward: "Christopher’s passion and insight left me near-delirious with an excitement and optimism I’ve since carried into all my reading and writing.” I loved teaching this class so much, and I want to make it accessible to as many people as possible, so I'm offering it at a fraction of the cost of similar classes elsewhere, and (just like we do the silent-reading party) on a sliding scale. Pay what you can. CHRISTOPHER FRIZZELLE
Saturday
Virtual It's About Time Writers' Reading Series
Hear new works from local writers Kristen Millares Young, Jean Ferruzola, and Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum in this Seattle Public Library series.
Thursday
Virtual Play Reading Series Titus Andronicus
Enjoy a casual reading of Shakespeare's tragedy Titus Andronicus from the comfort of your home.
Sunday
Socially Distant Sidewalk Sale
Fantagraphics and Georgetown Records will celebrate their reopenings this weekend with a big ol' outdoor sale of items accumulated during their closures. Bring a mask and practice social distancing while you engage in some touch-free browsing. On Saturday, Laura Knetzger will be signing copies of her new Bug Boys collection.
Saturday-Sunday (Georgetown)
Chase the Light
Photographic Center Northwest's annual fundraiser will move online, inviting people from all over the world to submit photographs. Once all submissions are in on June 15, judges will select one image from each participant (there isn't a specific theme, but keep in mind that the showcase is family-friendly, so maybe no butts) to be featured in a pop-up exhibition (June 20) benefiting Northwest Harvest.
Saturday-Sunday
An Equinox Tribute to Georgetown Carnival
In the absence of the Georgetown Carnival this year, Equinox Studios will host an art gallery that reintroduces Gardens of Gusto, a vertical garden installation featured at the 2018 carnival. There will also be socially distant studio tours and demos, live music, and other performances that you can see in person from your car or at home on your computer.
Saturday
Print Show: Online Group Exhibit
Need some new art on your walls? For the month of June, Ghost Gallery prints by local and national artists will be available for viewing and purchasing.
Thursday-Sunday (opening Thursday)
Virtual Opening for Meggan Joy's Battle Cry
Megan Joy's digital collages depict women's bodies—composed of thousands of individual photographs of botanicals and wildlife—in various stages of conflict. See the exhibition online, and get a virtual tour from gallery owner Judith Rinehart and Joy herself on the opening night.
Saturday-Sunday (opening Saturday)
