If the early spring weather has you itching to get outside and do something, there are lots of options that won’t cost you more than $10. From El Centro de la Raza’s 11th Annual Cinco de Mayo celebration to the Friends of the Seattle Public Library’s Huge Book Sale, and from Free Comic Book Day to NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert on the Road, you’ll find all of your options below. Plus, check out our list of last-minute Mother’s Day events, or our complete Things To Do calendar for even more events.
FRIDAY
1. BBQueer Beach Bash
This is Dapper Down’s first all ages event (with “smoking hot” entertainment) promising fire shows and drag performances, as well as lots of food. Bring your own blanket! (Ballard, $5)
2. Brian Christian
Science writer and poet Brian Christian is the author of The Most Human Human, a book that The New Yorker called “terrific” and “one of the rare successful literary offspring of ‘Gödel, Escher, Bach,’ where art and science meet an engaged mind and the friction produces real fire.” Tonight, he’ll speak about his new book, Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions. (Capitol Hill, free)
3. Brooklyn Snow Pop-Up Opera
A pop-up opera and musical performance by Brooklyn Snow that will work with Billy Davis’ exhibit for a multimedia art experience. (Pioneer Square, free)
4. DUG with Psychic Mirrors
With its funk, hiphop, uh… kids’ records, and boogie, DUG is one of my fave DJ nights in town and an all-around kickass night of dancing. But when the DUG collective also chooses to feature a live act, you can guarantee the action will be dialed in tight. MIKE NIPPER (Eastlake, $10)
5. Jack Straw May Reading Series
Jack Straw presents their annual May reading series featuring poetry, prose, fiction, and creative nonfiction, curated by Karen Finneyfrock. In addition to student writers who will be featured at each reading, performers at the May 6 event include Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum, Ruby Hansen Murray, Robert Lashley, and Shin Yu Pai. (University District, $5)
6. OMW V.21: Swisha, Desai, Fleksor, NSo
A night of DJ-powered electronic and house beats from Swisha, Desab, Fleksor, and N So. (Capitol Hill, $5)
7. Rae Armantrout and Rob Halpern
Rae Armantrout and Rob Halpern will read original poetry at this event organized in collaboration with “from the Convergence Zone” and the MFA in Creative Writing & Poetics at the University of Washington Bothell. (Queen Anne, free)
8. Spring Festival of Flight
SANCA (Seattle’s School of Acrobatics and New Circus Arts) hosts an open house, featuring student fly demonstrations. How often do you get to see up-and-coming talent in acrobatic circus performance whizzing through the air? Contributions welcome at the door. (Georgetown, free)
9. Transience Opening Night
Lion’s Main Art Collective is opening their new exhibit to the public for an evening of live performances and art showcasing from many queer and trans talents. The three day gallery event is designed to address gentrification, displacement, liminal and transitional spaces, and challenges the artists in question to examine their relation to movement, memory, time, and flux. (Pioneer Square, $5-$10)
10. Way & Co. Mixtape Vol. 1 Release Show
Those meddling kids behind Way & Co. are releasing the first volume of their Mixtape Series that features tracks from local bands like Crater, Vats, and Great Spiders. Their release show at Everyday Music this weekend showcases live performances from some of the involved bands, including Iji, Versing, and Great Grandpa. Get in there and enjoy some communal music vibes. (Capitol Hill, free)
SATURDAY
11. ’80s Invasion!
Take off your Clubmasters and get a good look at the biggest ’80s music fanatics in town: ’80s Invasion. They’re an ’80s cover band, and they’re not afraid to tell you all about it, or sing a few songs to describe their constant nostalgia. (Fremont, $10/$12)
12. ArtHaus 2.0 Semi-Finals: Un-Natural Disasters
ArtHaus 2.0 returns for their semi-final competition, which will determine who moves on to the finals in their year-long haus vs. haus drag-off. This round’s theme is “Un-Natural Disasters” so each queen will be bringing their saddest, their baddest, their worst possible nightmare scenarios to life on the stage. (Downtown, $7)
13. Average Joe Cat Show
Whether your furry friend is a mutt or a fancy show cat, they’re invited to The Average Joe Cat Show, an event giving out titles like “Grumpiest Looking” and “Best Cat in a Box.” You’ll see famous cats like “Oskar the Blind Cat” and his friend Klaus, as well as Brimley (America’s Next Cat Star), Fancy of Fancy & Friends, Percy the Persian, and Merlin the Meowciful. At the very least, it’s a chance to make friends with some human weirdos with similar feline obsessions. (Shoreline, $5)
14. Bearracuda Seattle with DJ Louis Lennon
Bearracuda Seattle hits up the Eagle for one night only—Underwear Night, that is. Doors at 9pm, $6 before 10pm and $8 after, with babely gogo dancers on the bar, DJs Louis Lennon and Freddy Kop at the helm, and a clothes check available. (Capitol Hill, $6/$8)
15. Black Raven’s 7th Annual Flock Party
Black Raven is throwing their all-out flock party for the seventh year in a row, with local food truck Bread & Circuses, more beer than you could actually want to drink, and live music from Human Ladder, FourOnTheFloor, Dub Lounge International, C-Leb & the Kettle Black, and Massy Ferguson. (Eastside, free)
16. El Centro de la Raza’s 11th Annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration
El Centro de la Raza’s 11th Annual Cinco de Mayo Celebration is free, open to the public, all ages, and is generally a wonderful community party. Children’s activities, raffle prizes, craft and informational booths, traditional food, and live music by Folklore Mexicano Tonantzin, Sealth Mariachi, and Seattle Fandango Project will all be available for consumption. (Beacon Hill, free)
17. Corrie Befort: Soft Body
Choreographed by Corrie Belfort, this dance piece (exploring “somatic memory—how experience is inscribed in the physical body”) features performers Corrie Befort, Sheri Cohen, Mark Haim, Mary Margaret Moore, and Amelia Reeber. (University District, $10)
18. Epilogue/Prologue: A Celebration of Hugo House
Celebrate Hugo House’s old location at this “going-away/coming-back” party, where you can let your creativity run wild as you write on the walls of the house. There will also be “poetic surveys” and a performance by The Vis-à-Vis Society (Sierra Nelson and Rachel Kessler), a “confession booth” for Frances McCue’s film Where the House Was, a photo booth, the Skillet food truck, and more. Free beer or wine if you RSVP! (Capitol Hill, free)
19. Fred and Toody Cole
PNW rock legends Fred and Toody Cole bring their decades of psych garage talent to Highline, with Riffbrokers, Trees and Timber, and Radio On. (Capitol Hill, $10)
20. Free Comic Book Day
Free Comic Book Day is an international event where vendors offer free comic books (and often, blowout sales) at a day-long celebration. (Various locations, free)
21. Free First Saturdays: Mood Indigo
In a fascinating article that you should read in full, Jen Graves describes Mood Indigo (“89 pieces of cloth in every possible shade of blue from every time and every place”) as “both a diversion from the world and an invitation to lunge back into it.” Take in the calming, otherworldly show for free this Saturday—you’ll even get a chance to create your own dyed fabric inspired by the exhibit. (Capitol Hill, free)
22. Huge Book Sale
The Friends of the Seattle Public Library’s book sale (which also includes CDs, DVDs, and records) has a new location at the Seattle Center Exhibition Hall. If you don’t have plenty of space in your home for tons of goodies, make some, because they always have a gigantic selection of titles at prices made for media hoarding. ($1 for CDs, DVDs, and paperbacks, $2 for hardbacks, audio books, and records, and $3 for old/rare books.) (Seattle Center, free entry, through Sunday)
23. International Drone Day Seattle
International Drone Day is a competitive event with over 150 teams vying to win, as well as activities including an Autel Robotics Flight Experience, First Person View (FPV) Racing demo with Team Ecko, and safety and educational seminars. (Redmond, free)
24. Kentucky Derby Party
Watch the Kentucky Derby while sipping Mint Juleps and craft beer or cider at both The Sixgill and The Barrel Thief; they promise a hat contest, door prizes, and stick pony races. (Fremont, free entry)
25. Ladies Musical Club Free Public Concert
Ladies Musical Club continues their streak of free public classical concerts in celebration of their 125th anniversary this year. Enjoy diverse instrumental and vocal selections from Piazzola, Barber, Wagner, Verdi, and Bernstein. (First Hill, free)
26. Lucky Envelope’s First Anniversary
Celebrate the one year anniversary of Lucky Envelope Brewing with new beers on tap (including the Anniversary Nelson IPA and Thaiger Mom Belgian Tripel) and tons of chances to win many prizes, including gifts for early birds and three separate raffles. (Ballard, free entry)
27. Northwest Paddling Festival
More than 60 paddle sports businesses will be selling canoes, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, and paddling equipment at this festival that’s the largest of its kind in the PNW. You can also take a guided kayak tour of the lake and demo paddling vessels, but there’s a $7 demo fee for the day. (Issaquah, free, through Sun)
28. Pike Place Market Flower Festival
More than 40 Washington State farmers will bring their best blooms for the 8th annual Pike Place Market Flower Festival—a great choice to make Mom happy at the last minute, no reservations required. (Downtown, free)
29. Seattle Makers Market
Procrastinators, thank your lucky stars that Seattle has served up the Maker’s Market just one day before it’s time to give Mom a thoughtful, unique gift, with choices including candles, chocolates, jewelry, and soaps. You can even sip on a mimosa or bellini while you shop. (Capitol Hill, free entry)
30. Seattle Opening Day
The first day of Seattle’s official boating season starts with this day of festivities sponsored by the Seattle Yacht Club. Bring a blanket and a picnic spread to watch the morning crew races, a sailboat race, and the Grand Opening Day Boat Parade at noon, which starts with a cannon and the raising of the Montlake Bridge. According to the Yacht Club, this celebration is the nation’s largest regional celebration of water, and the only thing comparable is the annual parade of commercial vessels in Venice, so you’re advised not to miss this. (University District, free)
31. Touch Conference: Phillip Jeck, Mark Van Hoen, Daniel Menche
UK label Touch has been releasing an eclectic array of fascinating experimental and electronic music in exceptionally designed packaging since 1982, and tonight’s event offers a rare opportunity to hear some of its artists in person. DAVE SEGAL (Wallingford, $10)
32. Yellow: A Group Show
This group show featuring artists “whose styles, although varied, exude an ineffable quality of vivid expression that characterizes ‘studio e'” will have an opening reception tonight. (Georgetown, free)
SUNDAY
33. Ballard Farmer’s Market
A lovely weekly farmer’s market in Ballard, with tons of fresh produce and ready-to-eat goodies; sometimes, they’ll also have performers and musicians, and craftspeople selling their wares. (Ballard, free entry)
34. Capitol Hill/Broadway Farmer’s Market
Every Sunday, year round, rain or shine, walk Broadway for local produce, food, beverages, and treats. (Capitol Hill, free entry)
35. Cool Void, Young Elk, Medicine Bows
A night of DIY-enthused pop-infused shoegaze from Cool Void, Young Elk, and Medicine Bows at Lo-Fi. (Eastlake, $5)
36. Erica Freas, Jefferson Death Star, LIFESLOW, Alone in Dead Bars
A rare, acoustic gig from solo members of esteemed PNW bands, including Erica Freas of RVIVR, Ryan from Young Go-Hards as Jefferson Death Star, Derek from Murmurs as LIFESLOW, and John from Dead Bars as Alone in Dead Bars. (Eastlake, $5)
37. Kid Congo Powers and the Pink Monkeybirds, Bread and Butter
We oughta feel lucky to get to see Kid Congo Powers and the Pink Monkey Birds—who are touring in support of their most recent LP, La Araña Es La Vida—because they are ALWAYS such a good goddamn time. At this point in the game, Powers should be considered a rock-and-roll godhead. MIKE NIPPER (Ballard, $10)
38. Much Ado About Opera
Join Opera on Tap Seattle for beer, opera, and the Bard at Blue Moon Tavern, where OTS performers will be performing scenes from Shakespeare’s greatest works plus a few alleged surprises. (University District, $5)
39. NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert on the Road
NPR Music and Lagunitas Brewing Company team up with KEXP to bring the sounds of the Tiny Desk Contest to Seattle. Join KEXP and NPR Music staff at the new home of KEXP for a celebration of the Seattle musical community, including live performances by Naomi Wachira, Love and James (Grace Love and Jimmy James of Grace Love & The True Loves), and St. Paul de Vence. (Seattle Center, free)
40. Open Space Edition 6
A brief evening interlude of laying on the floor to contemplative music by candlelight, thanks to the piano talents of Aaron Wittrock. BYOCushionsPillows&Blankets, doors are at 8pm, and be sure to silence your phones, shut your mouths, and take off those loud shoes you’re always wearing. (Fremont, free)
41. The Pizza Pulpit: Ready Demolition, Critte and the Borzoi
This edition of The Pizza Pulpit (always free, all ages, and at the Back Bar of the Croc) features the electro-pop stylings of Ready Demolition and the dream-pop vibes of Critte and the Borzoi. (Belltown, free)
42. SPL African American Film Festival: Free Angela and All Political Prisoners
Several Seattle Public Library branches will host screenings to celebrate black actors, directors, and films; all events are free and open to the public. On Sunday May 8, the Douglass-Truth branch will host a screening of the Free Angela and All Political Prisoners (unrated). (Central District, free)
43. State Parks: Free Days
Celebrate Mother’s Day with the Washington State Parks. They’ll waive their usual $10 entrance fee, and you can enjoy the wonder of the Columbia Gorge, Olympic Rainforest, or Deception Pass for free. (Various locations, free)
