It’s almost the weekend—do you know what you’re doing yet? If not, you’re in luck, because there are lots of cheap and easy things to do that won’t cost you more than $10. We’ve rounded up all of the options below, from the Spirit of Indigenous People festival to the Greenwood Car Show, and from a $1 screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens at CenturyLink to plenty of markets (including the Urban Craft Uprising Summer Show, The Punk Rock Flea Market, and the KURB Street Food Market). For even more options this weekend, see out our list of 35 cheap and easy Pride Weekend events, or check out our complete Things To Do calendar for even more events.
FRIDAY
1. ’80s Karaoke: John Hughes Party
After the 21+ Campout Cinema screening of John Hughes’ Sixteen Candles, stick around for this ’80s karaoke after-party hosted by Baby Ketten, which will emphasize songs from John Hughes soundtracks (like “Twist and Shout” or “Try a Little Tenderness”). Hughes-inspired costumes are encouraged. (Seattle Center, free)
2. Bad Luck, Erik Blood, Prom Queen
This bill is a three-pronged assertion of Seattle’s strong, idiosyncratic music scene. Stranger Genius Award nominee (for the second time!) Erik Blood is riding a creative high, producing Tacocat’s lauded Lost Time for Hardly Art and releasing his latest solo LP, Lost in Slow Motion… Prom Queen (aka Leeni Ramadan) shows grand ambition on every release… and Bad Luck bring Ken Burns–flouting, free-jazz power moves to a generation who’d only previously heard their elders speak about it in reverent tones. DAVE SEGAL (Capitol Hill, $8)
3. Chris Corsano, Arrington de Dionyso, Wilson Shook, Kate Olson, Uneasy Chairs Trio
You may not know Chris Corsano’s name, or work, but he’s insistently advancing one of the passionate precepts of free jazz—that the drummer has as much of a right to an individual statement, a lead voice, as anyone else. Kim Gordon and Yoko Ono, at least, seem to agree; they’ve shared a bandstand with him. ANDREW HAMLIN (Capitol Hill, $7)
4. David Daley: Dirty Politics and Gerrymandering in the GOP
David Daley (editor-in-chief of Salon) will speak about his new book Ratf**ked, about what he calls “one of the greatest heists in American political history,” or the actions of a small group of Republicans to revive their party (considered “ratf**king” to insiders) despite pundits considering it dead after Obama’s election in 2008, and widespread corruption in politics. (First Hill, $5)
5. Dream Things True
This retelling of Romeo and Juliet is about “daydreams and nightmares and playing in the backyard,” with whimsical transformations and creepy/lighthearted fun. (Wallingford, free, through Sunday)
6. Happy Hour: Ayron Jones
Local heavy-hitting singer-songwriter Ayron Jones brings his blend of soul, blues, hiphop, pop, rock, and just about everything else into a free intimate show at the Musicquarium. (Downtown, free)
7. Hardly Boys, Churn, Shredding, Dale Patchouli
Sweet best friendship punks Hardly Boys headline this show of honey thrashers like Churn, Shredding, and Dale Patchouli. (Central District, $5)
8. Ian Frazier
Writer, humorist, and longtime New Yorker contributor Ian Frazier will read from Hogs Wild: Selected Reporting Pieces, which brings together some of the best pieces from his body of work, about topics ranging from feral hogs to the rise of homelessness in New York City under Mayor Bloomberg. (Capitol Hill, free)
9. ICON Fridays
Kick off the weekend hard-core party style with music from PK, Rion, DNA, Koister, and Drew. (Capitol Hill, $10)
10. Ksenia Anske
Moscow-born and Seattle-based author Ksenia Anske will from her new novel, The Badlings, about vengeful books that suck readers into their pages as punishment for leaving said books unfinished. (University District, free)
11. Marco De Carvalho Trio
Brazilian guitarist and composer Marco de Carvalho brings his trio to Vito’s for a free show of guitar-centric world jazz. (First Hill, free)
12. Mary-Louise Parker with Sherman Alexie
Tony- and Emmy-winning actor Mary-Louise Parker visits Elliott Bay Book Company to read from her memoir, Dear Mr. You, which doesn’t at all sound like the self-aggrandizing, ghostwritten schlock you get from a lot of actors… That Dear Mr. You has literary ambitions is no surprise, considering the fact that, as an actor, Parker has taken on many complex characters in critically acclaimed works, such as weed-slingin’ mom Nancy Botwin in Showtime’s Weeds and Harper Pitt in HBO’s version of Angels in America. Big-time famous author, Stranger Genius Award winner, and all around great guy Sherman Alexie will lead a Q&A session with Parker after the reading. RICH SMITH (Capitol Hill, free)
13. Michelle Grabner and Brad Killam
Michelle Grabner and Brad Killam (founders of Chicago art gallery The Suburban and Wisconsin’s The Poor Farm) will speak about their interdisciplinary work in art; presented by Aeron Bergman and Alejandra Salinas of INCA. (Queen Anne, free)
14. Party and Screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens
As part of “Summer Nights in the North Plaza,” this Friday starting at 4 pm, the wonderful DJ Larry Mizell Jr. will spin as you try food trucks, drink specials, and games by Sound Excursions. At 7:30 pm, they’ll screen Star Wars: The Force Awakens on their big Video Board. (Pioneer Square, $1)
15. Seven-Year-Old Blind Girl, Ol’ Doris, The Goddamn Devil
Check out the “pre-post-punk-rock” of 7 Year Old Blind Girl at one of their last shows before their indefinite hiatus, with Ol’ Doris and The Goddamn Devils. (University District, $5)
16. Signal Flags, Visceral Candy, Tit Nun, Freud Frankenstein
Psychedelic garage rockers Signal Flags and friends bring that guitar, bass, and drum-based indie that is the Blue Moon’s bread & butter. (University District, $5)
17. Superscene
The Pocket Theater promises five stories directed by five improvisors in five different genres, at this night of improv comedy where the improvisors are also directors and the audience votes for which stories they want to see continue. “You will see the opposite of men. You will feel the opposite of anger.” Featuring fabulous improvisors Maria Dogero, Shara Tonn, Mona Thompson, Brittany Beavers, and Jessia Hoffman. (Greenwood, $10/$14)
18. Taste of Tacoma
This summer celebration promises a weekend of food, entertainment, and family activities at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma. (Tacoma, free)
19. This is Our Youth
Brian Toews presents This is Our Youth, Kenneth Lonergan’s 1996 play about kids with too much money in the 1980s. (Greenwood, $10)
20. TRL: Summer Lovin Edition
Nectar’s throwback dance party features late ’90s and early ’00s music from DJs Indica Jones and Pryme that get you in the mood for some hardcore Tiger Beat crushing, plus a live set from #ALL4DORAS, Seattle’s only tribute boy band. (Fremont, $7/$10)
21. The Untuning of The Sky
This evening of poetry hosted by Jim Demetre will have serene outdoor readings by Natasha Marin and Chelsea Werner-Jatzke, accompanied by baroque-inspired compositions by Nat Evans. (South Lake Union, free)
22. Violent Human System, Kinski, Dreamdecay, Celluloid
If you’re in search of a bill that also showcases some of Seattle’s best weird punk acts, look no further. Violent Human System (frequently shortened to VHS) are Seattle’s newest punks to watch. Tonight is the release party for Gift of Life, their new LP on Suicide Squeeze, which sees them adopting a Revolution Summer–era Dischord punk aesthetic filtered through a more antagonistic and crafty post-punk lens. Local noise-rock heavyweights Kinski dish out heavy grunge-psych riffs with Stooges-blessed raw power. Bands like Tool and Sonic Youth have embraced Kinski’s deeply sprawling rock sagas, which also possess a repetition-driven, krautrock intensity. Dreamdecay are also one of the local scene’s best noisy rock bands; they pummel through their artfully damaged “powerviolence shoegaze” songs with nuanced ferocity. BRITTNIE FULLER (Eastlake, $8)
SATURDAY
23. BadWill Market: Pride Edition
The Pride edition of BadWill Market (a 21+ monthly pop up) offers day drinking, food, shopping, and music; they’ll also have a donation booth for Voices Rising, and participating vendors will donate proceeds to LGBTQ nonprofits. (Capitol Hill, free entry, through Sunday)
24. Bellevue Strawberry Festival
The Eastside Heritage Center presents Bellevue’s Strawberry Festival, with live music, historical exhibits, an auto show, and tons of strawberries (plus, strawberry shortcake). (Bellevue, free entry, through Sunday)
25. Capitol Hill Pride Festival March & Rally
After the “Never Forget” 1969 Stonewall civic march at 10am, the free, all-day Capitol Hill Pride Festival will include live entertainment including a Michael Jackson tribute show, a Doggie Drag Costume Contest, Rainbow Light Art Walk, and more. (Capitol Hill, free)
26. Chittenden Locks Summer Concert Series
Grab a blanket, a Nalgene full of wine, and your child or someone else’s child and head to the Locks for their annual free public summer concert series. This Saturday, the Eastside Modern Jazz Orchestra will bring their mix of Latin, funk, jazz, rock fusion, and contemporary jazz, and, on Sunday, the Kirkland Civic Orchestra will play a mix of classical and pop music. (Ballard, free)
27. Drive-In Movies at ACM: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Grab a spot early for this free drive-in movie at LeMay, where you can watch E.T., in which a disease-ridden alien briefly befriends a young boy before being brutally exterminated in a heroic joint effort by NASA and the CDC. (Tacoma, free)
28. Edible Garden Tour
Tour more than a dozen local gardens and be inspired by how local gardeners have grown their own food, while embracing the use of “parking strips, containers, raised beds, bee houses, chicken coops, goats, fruit trees, berries and more!” (Ballard, $10)
29. Flea Market
Pacific Galleries Auction House hosts their annual flea market, where a variety of vendors will sell their artistic wares. (Georgetown, free entry)
30. Greenwood Car Show
The nearly 30-years-running Greenwood Car Show is the largest free show of its kind in Seattle, and features more than 800 classic and custom cars and motorcycles, vendors, and a kids’ zone. As part of the tradition, Naked City Brewery will also have a Beer Can Derby and Root Beer Can Derby, when breweries will pit their creations against top competitors from the general public. (Greenwood, free)
31. The James Band
Featuring James Baumgart front and center on guitar, the James Band is a rotating cast of some of Seattle’s best jazz musicians, despite the creatively-lacking name. (First Hill, free)
32. Kite Flying and Picnic
Guided Pathways presents a free, family kite-flying party and picnic—they’ll have sandwiches and drinks, but guests should bring a side dish to share. (They’ll have a few kites available to borrow, but everyone who has a kite should definitely bring it.) Enjoy beautiful Magnuson Park and the weather, whatever it turns out to be. (North Seattle, free)
33. KURB Street Food Market
Dozens of food booths and trucks will set up shop at this “All Food Market,” with savory options from falafel to kimchi, and desserts including donuts and macarons. (South Lake Union, free entry)
34. Life Stand Still Here: Artist Talk and Closing Reception
The closing reception for Life Stand Still Here (a quiet and searching exhibit about a lost partner) promises a talk by artist Rafael Soldi shortly after 2 pm. (Sodo, free)
35. Lust for Life
Tune in and shake it out to Britpop, dance, wave, post-punk, and rock from across the pond at Lust for Life, free before 10pm. (Eastlake, free)
36. Max Porter with Frances McCue
Max Porter will read from Grief Is the Thing with Feathers— described by the London Review of Books as “compact and splendid,” and a “polyphonic narrative with elements of the prose poem”—in a conversation with Seattle author and Hugo House Founding Director Frances McCue. (Capitol Hill, free)
37. NorthWest Flow Fest
Flow arts are forms of movement that use props like hoops and staffs to enter a state of “flow,” and, for two days, the NorthWest Flow Fest will bring together local and regional circus and yoga instructors for workshops during the day and flow parties with live music at night. If you’re not a professional flow artist, it’s free to watch the music and dancing during the day, there will be free beginner workshops at 6:30 pm on both days (including face balancing and hoop dancing), and there will also be craft vendors selling hand-crafted flow props. (South Lake Union, free)
38. The Punk Rock Flea Market
The beloved Punk Rock Flea Market survives, with vendors selling a wide variety of “stuff they made, stuff they purchased, stuff they stole.” (Capitol Hill, $1)
39. Rachel Barnard and Ksenia Anske
Rachel Barnard will read from her YA novelDonuts in an Empty Field, and Ksenia Anske will read from The Badlings, about vengeful books. (Lake Forest Park, free)
40. Runaway Seattle, Abby K, Evan Hulse, Stephanie Robbins
Enjoy an evening of local singer-songwriter rock and folk talents like Runaway Seattle, Abby K, Evan Hulse, and Stephanie Robbins. (Ballard, $8)
41. Seafair Pirates Landing
The Seafair Pirates will make a grand entrance on Alki Beach, and you can party with them all day on the beach, where there will be food, art, a costume contest, and inflatable rides for kids. (West Seattle, free)
42. Seth Goodkind: Don’t Look Away
One of those lines that all writers know but can’t seem to place is the one that goes, “The writer’s only job is to never look away.” Illustrator and comic artist Seth Goodkind takes up that charge in Don’t Look Away, which he will be releasing tonight. According to press materials, it’s a “a collection of 24 pen and ink portraits and stories of people who have fallen victim to systemically racist legal institutions and their blue-shirt military executors.” He’s a versatile and intelligent comic who you should keep an eye on. RICH SMITH (Ballard, free)
43. Shoreline Arts Festival
This free, two-day festival in Shoreline will have an artist marketplace, regional dance and music performers, youth art, performances from the Missoula Children’s Theatre company, a Juried Art Exhibit, hands-on art for both adults and kids, cultural rooms, and (of course) food trucks. (Shoreline, free)
44. Spirit of Indigenous People
Presented in partnership with Seattle Indian Health Board, Seattle Center Festal hosts Spirit of Indigenous People, a chance to celebrate the varied cultures of the first peoples of North America with music, food, dance and activities. This year’s family-friendly festivities include a Native Art Mart, full pow wow, community dance groups, and a canoe exhibit. (Seattle Center, free)
45. Urban Craft Uprising Summer Show
Urban Craft Uprising’s curated lineup of more than 150 makers, designers, and artisans will display and sell their work at the summer edition of this twice annual event. (Seattle Center, free, through Sunday)
46. Wind Talkers
Singers and multi-instrumentalists Amy Denio and Emily Hay make up Wind Talkers, an improvisational collaborative duo inspired by the Navajo code signalers recruited by the U.S. during World War II. Hay sings, plays both concert and bass flute, and works with electronics, while Denio sings, plays alto sax and clarinet, and also works with electronics. Together they create perpetually evolving musical synergy. (Wallingford, $5-$15)
47. Women of Color in Music
Experience the lush talents of three passionate musicians sharing songs and stories about their careers as a platform to empower women of color in music. (Capitol Hill, free)
SUNDAY
48. 42nd Annual Seattle Pride Parade
There’s a rich queer vein flowing through the city, and this weekend it takes the form of thousands of shouting, cheering, chanting revelers. This year’s theme looks to the future, asking what shape Pride might take as we continue to fight for justice and equality. The beer gardens open at 9:30 a.m., which is maybe a little early for a drink—but it’s never the wrong time to meet your friends, dress to impress, and hold hands in a great big mob of queer unity. MATT BAUME (Downtown, free)
49. Allison Preisinger with Annie Ford Band and Tekla Waterfield
Local folk-influenced singer-songwriter Allison Preisinger releases her new album at the Royal Room, with the Annie Ford Band and Tekla Waterfield expanding the Americana, soul, and pop canvases for the evening. (Columbia City, free)
50. Bill Lascher
Bill Lascher reads from Eve of a Hundred Midnights: The Star-Crossed Love Story of Two WWII Correspondents and Their Epic Escape Across the Pacific, a true story based on historical research, interviews, and the couple’s personal letters. (Capitol Hill, free)
51. Fundraiser for Bodies of Water
This fundraiser for Bodies of Water (a five-hour durational, site-specific performance by Alice Gosti about our city and its waters) will feature performances—”some from Bodies of water, some from artists involved in Bodies of water, some from artists we love in this city.” (Capitol Hill, $10)
52. Sunsets West, Psychic Death, Dogstrum
Enjoy the throaty alt pop of Sunsets West, with Psychic Death and Dogstrum, at the Sunset. (Ballard, $8)
53. Virginia Heffernan: How the Internet Changed Everything
New York Times journalist Virginia Heffernan talks about the power of the internet in her new book, Magic and Loss. (First Hill, $5)
