If you thought your limited budget was going to stop you from having fun this weekend, think again. Instead, you could kick off the holiday season with a festival of trees, check out a free concert from the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, see a famous Thomas Jefferson impersonator at Town Hall, and more. You can also find them all (plus tons more events) on our Things To Do calendar.
FRIDAY
1. Michael Martinez Duo
Latin jazz guitarist Michael Martinez plays Serafina.
2. Havana Social
Ladies get in free before 10 pm at this swanky yet low-stakes evening at surviving Capitol Hill hot spot Havana.
3. Transgender Day of Remembrance
Transgender Day of Remembrance is hosting this event at City Hall to remember and celebrate the lives of trans* persons who have died. Captain Smartypants (an ensemble group from Seattle Men’s Chorus) and Diverse Harmony will provide live music, and the group will continue the evening of remembrance at Neighbors afterwards.
4. 15 Years of Grrl Power
Reel Grrls is turning 15! The event will be both a retrospective of the work they have done in the past 15 years and a look at works from upcoming Grrls.
SATURDAY
5. Festival of Trees
Go check out some trees for free, won’t you please? Grand, elegant, gorgeously decorated Christmas trees of all persuasions will be found in the Fairmont Olympic lobby.
6. Beethoven and Chopin
Cellists from the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra perform a free, all-ages performance of Beethoven’s first cello sonata and Chopin’s cello sonata in G minor.
7. Warm The Winter
A benefit for Youthcare at Rachel’s Ginger Beer, with Moscow Mules for days.
8. Frye Art Museum/Yesler Community Center Project Opening Reception
The Frye’s new Genius exhibit from the Yesler Community Center poses the question, “Why not invest in schools rather than in juvenile detention?”
9. Pad Pushers
A night for sampleists, DJs, crate-diggers, and MPC mashers.
10. Cary Moon: Future Seattle: A People’s Forum
Stranger Genius winner Cary Moon leads this forum on how to make Seattle a city that is welcoming, diverse, inclusive, creative, and prosperous.
SUNDAY
11. McLellan/O’Donnell Living History Series: Clay Jenkinson
Master actor and researcher Clay Jenkinson embodies one-armed Civil War veteran John Wesley Powell for this heavily anticipated presentation/historical impersonation. You might recognize Jenkinson from his uber-famous Thomas Jefferson impression, or his appearances in Ken Burns documentaries.
12. Low Tones
Acid-jazz revivalists Low Tones have been plying their improvisatory, funky trade for some time now, usually at the Royal Room, where guitarist Tristan Gianola pulls double duty as booker.
ALL WEEKEND
13. Holiday Art Sale
Take advantage of this free event to appreciate and observe a large, varied selection of art! Or better yet, make progress on your holiday shopping while supporting local artists.
14. Margot Quan Knight: Made Especially For You By
Doilies, those intricate, hand-crafted items that used to signify class and elegance, are now abandoned or tucked away in drawers. The ones that are kept are held onto for meaning, not for aesthetics. This solo exhibition realizes the idea that, “Love, like art, proposes an alternate value system.”
15. Washington Brewers’ Guild Beer Hunt
From The Stranger‘s promotions department and Washington Brewers’ Guild comes this Seattle-wide beer scavenger hunt with a chance to win free tickets to the 2015 Winter Beer Fest at the end.
