To prevent some of the quirkier and more extraordinary events from slipping through the cracks, we’ve compiled them here—from BrickCon to the Great British Take-Off, and from Seattle Made Week to a talk with former senator and SNL star Al Franken.
- Community Open House at Northgate
Curious about Seattle’s new professional hockey team? Stop by this open house to ask questions, hear about their future headquarters, and win prizes—you’ll have swag before the team even plays their first official game.READINGS & TALKS
- Ariel Meadow Stallings & Kristen J. Sollée: A Feminist Conversation About Witches, Sluts, and Pussies
Seattle publisher Ariel Meadow Stallings (Offbeat Empire) will speak with Kristen Sollée about her new book Cat Call: Reclaiming the Feral Feminine, in which she examines the venerable connection of the image of the cat with feminine sexuality. - Paula Becker: The House on Stilts
Becker, much appreciated locally for her biography of Betty MacDonald (Looking for Betty MacDonald: The Egg, the Plague, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, and I) and other works, chronicles how the opioid crisis has affected her personally: Her son became addicted to heroin. - Wildfire Smoke, Our Forests, and Your Health
Smoke clouds spared Seattle this summer, but it’s only a matter of time until they return. Join Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, who’s responsible for safeguarding about six million acres of land in Washington. She’ll be talking with UW atmospheric chemistry professor Dan Jaffe, UBC public health professor Michael Brauer, and moderator Robert McClure of InvestigateWest about our polluted future and how to deal with it.WEDNESDAY
COMMUNITY
- Aren’t Asians All Alike – Conversations about our Asian-ness
Join the National Association of Asian American Professionals for an open conversation (which may be recorded for future podcasts and YouTube videos) on the misrepresentation of Asian Americans in the media and how those stereotypes are finally being challenged on a wide scale with popular movies like Crazy Rich Asians and Always Be My Maybe.FILM
- Friends 25th: The One With The Anniversary
Your favorite sitcom is turning a quarter-century old. Why not celebrate by revisiting some classic episodes (like “The One Where Ross Finds Out” and “The One With Chandler In A Box”) on the big screen?MUSIC
- The Force of Listening #1
At this new music series put on by REALMOREREAL, an ambient “sound art” imprint of Flat Field Records, open your mind to experimental performances from Spätzer Clark (who is also using this opportunity to celebrate his debut LP), Olson Duo, Rahikka, Jessica Earle, Wiley_Soule, Aj Lindner-Michaelson, Aurora San Miguel, and Marcell Marias.READINGS & TALKS
- Annick Smith and Susan O’Connor: Hearth
Susan O’Connor and Annick Smith will read excerpts from their anthology Hearth: A Global Conversation on Community, Identity, and Place, which has essays on the concept of the hearth from well-regarded authors across the globe, such as Terry Tempest Williams, Bill McKibben, Pico Iyer, Natasha Trethewey, Luis Alberto Urrea, and Chigozie Obioma. - Cecilia Aragon: Writers in the Secret Garden
Cecilia Aragon, a professor in the Department of Human-Centered Design and Engineering at UW, will talk about all the ways in which young people can benefit from fanfiction communities, which she explores in her book Writers in the Secret Garden. - Confessions of a True Crime Addict with James Renner
Journalist and podcaster James Renner (The Philosophy of Crime) will help us look at the current true-crime craze and share his own stories about “hunting serial killers and hosting crime shows.” - Gary Marcus: Building Artificial Intelligence We Can Trust
Marcus, CEO of Robust.AI and former CEO/founder of Geometric Intelligence, will read from his book Rebooting AI to detail how many obstacles still stand in the way of creating true machine intelligence and how alternative approaches can use AI to improve our lives. - Lunch-and-Learn: Laureen Nussbaum
When Nazis invaded the Netherlands, Laureen Nussbaum and her family (and over 3,000 other Jews) were saved by Hans Calmeyer, a lawyer who was assigned to “doubtful cases.” The Seattle-based Holocaust survivor will sign copies of her memoir and read excerpts. - SCA Presents: Don Farwell from Earwig Studio
Audio producer Don Farwell, the founder of Wallingford-based recording studio Earwig, will talk about why sounds make us feel things.VISUAL ART
- Kaleidoscope: Tacoma Arts Month Opening Party
Kick off Tacoma Arts Month with live music and performances, hands-on activities, and the 2019 AMOCAT Arts Awards. Appetizers and drinks will be provided.WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY
SHOPPING
- Boutique Liquidation/Closing Sale
The Cunning Crow Apothecary is getting rid of its boutique to make room for bigger events, which is good news for two reasons: Their business is going strong and you get to shop all of their witchy inventory for 40% off. On Wednesday, you can also get a psychic reading from Kiki Robinson.WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY
PERFORMANCE
- Rocktober
Playlist presents four nights of original plays and performance pieces inspired by local bands the Brodcast (Wed), Asterhouse (Thurs), Ravenna Woods (Fri), and Duke Evers (Sat).THURSDAY
COMMUNITY
- Filipino American History Month Kickoff 2019
Celebrate Filipino History Month at this all-ages dance party with music from DJ Phenohype, vendor booths featuring local Filipino artists Imee, Kapatid Kollective, Rizelle Rosales, and Marcosa Opulencia, and food from Big Boy’s Kainan.FILM
- No Man’s Land Film Festival
No Man’s Land Film Festival is a series of films about women exploring the outdoors. See bike riders, climbers, sailors, and other intrepid women explore stupendous natural environments. Proceeds benefit Washington Wild. - Stories of Our Watersheds 2019
Learn about river systems and watersheds at this conservationist short film festival. Travel cinematically to British Columbia, Puerto Rico, Oregon, Arizona, Sequim, and elsewhere.MUSIC
- Wavelength: A Velocity Fundraiser
Help Velocity, the primary hub for contemporary dance in Seattle, stay alive at this fundraiser with modular synth artists Harsh Realm, Lousy Falcon, Planar Drift, Swift-Tuttle, Tree Cathedral, Wabisabi, and Nick Bigelow.READINGS & TALKS
- Judith Finlayson and Dr. Kent Thornburg: You Are What Your Grandparents Ate
Just as we inherit physical traits from our relatives, our eating habits are largely hereditary. That’s according to Judith Finlayson and Dr. Kent Thornburg, authors of You Are What Your Grandparents Ate, in which they highlight the work of the late epidemiologist Dr. David Barker. Join them at this Town Hall talk. - Olivia Gatwood: Life of the Party US Tour
Poet, slam performer, anti-sexual-assault activist, and internet notable Olivia Gatwood will lay down some lines. - Susan O’Connor and Annick Smith: Hearth
Susan O’Connor and Annick Smith will read excerpts from their anthology Hearth: A Global Conversation on Community, Identity, and Place, which has essays on the concept of the hearth from well-regarded authors across the globe, such as Terry Tempest Williams, Bill McKibben, Pico Iyer, Natasha Trethewey, Luis Alberto Urrea, and Chigozie Obioma. - Walking the Wild: Trekking the Footpaths of Scotland with Sheri Goodwin
Prolific hiker Sheri Goodwin will share stories from her many treks in Scotland—including the famous West Highland Way—and share tips for those planning their own on-foot adventure.VISUAL ART
- Asia Talks: The Brush and the Sword
Thomas Conlan of Princeton University will speak at SAM’s Asia Talks series. He’ll reveal what the samurai were really like in the Japanese Civil Wars period, beyond the stereotypes held in the West. - Belltown Art Fair Fundraiser
Enjoy live music, painting, a fashion show, and an art sale at this annual fundraiser for the Belltown Art Walk. - Cafe Solstice Night Market
Six local artists will sell their ceramics, zines, photography prints, and more at this pop-up.THURSDAY-SATURDAY
PERFORMANCE
- Solo Performance Month
Performers from all over Seattle bring short solo works to life during this extravaganza of indie talent, full of weird, cute, satirical, profound, queer, goofy, profane, and spiritual acts, in the Pocket’s 2019 iteration of its one-person-show festival tradition.THURSDAY-SUNDAY
FESTIVALS
- Seattle Made Week
Not only do local producers and manufacturers make cool stuff, but they also create jobs and allow our region to rely less on the global economy. Seattle Made’s annual celebration of local makers features a week of pop-ups, meet-the-maker events, a party, a panel discussion, and vendor showcases, including a Wine & Self-Care Masque-a-Red at Elsom Cellars on Friday and Taste of Seattle Made on Sunday.PERFORMANCE
- Club Sandwich
The Flying Karamazov Brothers are reviving their international hit circus show about three New York millionaires, their butler, and their quest to find the “self-juggling Clubs of the Pharaohs.” - Into the Woods
The Tony-winning musical fairytale mashup Into the Woods will get some love from local company Viva Vocalists. - Witch Prison: A Play With Music
An innocent witch is sentenced to Witch Prison and must rely on the powers of her tough-as-nails new friends Rexella Toadsbane and Tabitha Candlewax to survive the perils of Cell Block 666. If that sounds like your kind of party, get yourself to this seasonally appropriate musical. - The Women
A “comedy of manners” written and set in 1930s New York City, Clare Boothe Luce’s The Women will get a new take from Harlequin Productions.VISUAL ART
- Willenbrink-Johnsen Invitational: Great Friends Who Make Great Art
Karen and Jasen Willenbrink-Johnsen, known for sculpting stately glass birds and other natural forms, are joined by their friends Jeremy Bert and Jen Elek, Thor and Jennifer Bueno, Megan Stelljes, Alison Chism, and many others in this invitational.
Opening ThursdayFRIDAY
FILM
- Campout Cinema: 28 Days Later
For one session, MoPOP outsourced its film curating to its audience on social media. They chose the fast-zombie flick 28 Days Later, so Cillian Murphy and rabid biters are what you get! - Dammed to Extinction
All 73 of the Puget Sound’s Southern Resident Orcas are featured in this documentary, which raises awareness of the root cause of the pod’s endangerment: a rapidly dwindling Chinook salmon population. - Lars and the Real Girl: A Story of Loss, Latex and Love
Pitch in your two cents on how we deal with grief and sadness and how we replace lost objects after a screening of the Oscar-winning 2007 dramedy Lars and the Real Girl.FOOD & DRINK
- World Pho Day
Dive into a steaming, fragrant bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup to celebrate the dish’s unofficial holiday. Tacoma’s i5 Pho will provide music, giveaways, free food, a spicy food challenge, and a “buy one, get one free” deal on pho just for the occasion.MUSIC
- DXDW 5
Celebrate the fifth year of local rock and punk festival Dave by Dave West with an evening of high-energy live sets from Hippie Death Cult, Summoned by Giants, Scorpiknox, SHARK LEGS, Sorcia, and others. - ROCK and Roller Skate!
Experience the old-school thrill of skating around a rink while local rock bands the Dee Dees, the Lucky Boys, and Mangy play live.PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE
- Viking Disco and Feast
Dress yourself in sequins and a horned helmet for this event, which combines “disco dancing with a Viking theme.” Chef James Bushell will serve an authentic feast fit for a Norse seafaring warrior.READINGS & TALKS
- Al Franken
The ex-SNL writer and performer, ex-senator, and current Al Franken Podcast host will revisit his years in showbiz and politics. He may or may not address the contentious circumstances under which he was forced to leave the Senate, but he does promise insight into the grisly realm of Mitch McConnell and co. - The Future of U.S. Nuclear Policy
The World Affairs Council will lead a discussion on nuclear policy—and how those policies came to be—in the United States and Russia. Panelists include Ploughshares Fund program director Michelle Dover and Win Without War Executive Director Stephen Miles. - La Sala presents: Siluetas De Ebano / Silhouettes of Ebony
At this pop-up, Seattle-based artists Milvia Pacheco, Mirta Wymerszberg, and Leo Carmona will share a collective and multi-disciplinary body of work inspired by four black immigrant women from South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.VISUAL ART
- UnWedged
UnWedged is Pottery Northwest’s annual, national Juried Contemporary Ceramic Exhibition of artists from Canada and the US. This year’s juror is the renowned sculptor Tip Toland.
Opening FridayFRIDAY-SATURDAY
COMEDY
- Dino Archie
The winner of the 2015 Seattle International Comedy Competition, Dino Archie, will grace Comedy Underground with his tried and tested hilarity.FOOD & DRINK
- Delta Presents: The 17:00 Bar
Beer lovers can take a trip around the world by tasting brews from Europe to Asia, knowing that proceeds will benefit great causes: USO Northwest, Habitat for Humanity Seattle, and Northwest Harvest. Participants will even get the chance to win flights to one of Delta’s featured destinations from Sea-Tac.GEEK
- BrickCon
Legos may be popular among kids, but there’s something about building a world made of tiny blocks that transcends age requirements. At this 18th annual festival, you’ll get the chance to build your own masterpiece, marvel at models made by master builders from around the world, and purchase custom sets and parts.PERFORMANCE
- Africa Remix 2019
Gansango Dance will perform beautiful traditional and contemporary African choreography. - CDP Presents: A Preview of New Works
Continuum Dance Project will present premieres of works by Amber Jackson, Austin Sexton, Gabrielle Kazuko Nomura Gainor, and others. - Drove VII
The San Francisco-bred dance company Chlo & Co will curate an evening of art and performance that explores the theme of temporality. - The Great British Take-Off
Burlesque artists will serve scrumptious goodies to your eyes using the Great British Bake-off‘s format—we guess that means Signature, Technical Challenge, and Showstopper. - Moonwake
Explore the haunted gardens of Moonwake Manor with the Devil’s Advocates in this musical about sexual exploration, liberation, and “magical manifestation.” While you’re there, you can also enter a raffle to win locally made “Devil treats.” - Something Magical With David Parr: Dark Magic
David Parr, who’s appeared on Penn & Teller: Fool Us (where, it seems, he did fool them), will perform fright-inducing magic.FRIDAY-SUNDAY
MUSIC
- Pacific MusicWorks Underground: Bachtoberfest
Get hammered for a good cause, that is, supporting the upcoming season of Pacific MusicWorks Underground. The 15th annual Bachtoberfest will feature a performance by the Underground House Band with soprano Linda Tsatsanis and a blend of baroque music with drinks, pub quizzes, and games.VISUAL ART
- Iittala Bird Lovers’ Weekend
Love birds and glass art? In addition to performances and hands-on activities, this three-day event will welcome visiting glassblowers from Finnish design company Iittala, who will demonstrate how to make birds in all sorts of shapes and sizes.SATURDAY
COMMUNITY
- Behind the Seams: Sparkly, Shiny and Iridescent
Seattle Style: Fashion/Function curator Clara Burg will share her favorite light-catching garments from the exhibit. - Dogtoberfest 2019
Lederhosen-donning pups can get in on Oktoberfest fun by winning prizes in a costume contest. While you watch the lighthearted competition, sip local brews and enjoy live German music from Peter Radermacher. - Filipino American History Month Celebration 2019
Join Filipino arts collective Kapatid Kollective for an afternoon of food, music, art vendors, and “BBQ vibes” for Filipino History Month. After sets from DJs Phenohype, Planet B, Rogue Pinay, Rylee Raw, and Sami, there will be an open mic. - We The Future – Community Celebration
Kick off the opening of the exhibition We the Future: Young Leaders of Social Change by enjoying live performances from climate justice advocate and hip-hop artist Xiuhtezcatl (who is featured in the exhibit), as well as other local youth musicians, poets, and artists. That Brown Girl Cooks will provide delicious nourishment.FOOD & DRINK
- Magnolia SteinWalk
Go for an Oktoberfest stroll at this three-brewery hop, where you’ll be given a neat ceramic stein that gets you one free eight-ounce pour and as many $3 additional pours as you can drink. - OktoberFEAST Charity Eating Contest
Compete with a team to see just how fast you can scarf down a hearty Oktoberfest meal comprised of pretzel bites with spicy mustard, Nuremberg sausages and a pile of sauerkraut, currywurst and fries, and Berliners (German doughnuts with raspberry jam), followed by a toast of Underberg (a German bitter digestif). The winners will receive a $250 donation to a charity of their choice, plus a Rhein Haus t-shirt and $50 gift card. - Seattle Sunset Tiki Cruise
Relive the recently passed summer by cruising around Lake Union sipping Tiki-style cocktails. Local bands the Boss Martians and the Delstroyers will play sunny surf-rock and Paseo Caribbean Restaurant will serve up Cuban sandwiches and other tasty bites.GEEK
- The Trivia Crawl That Can Not Be Named
Test your knowledge of Harry Potter by hopping to various bars and competing for trivia prizes. Costumes are encouraged.MUSIC
- Full Vinyl Jacket, X Halen
Classic rock cover band Full Vinyl Jacket and Van Halen tribute X Halen will have you singing the oldies and playing air guitar all the way home. - Laser Black Sabbath Premiere
Laser artists and DJs will collaborate for a sensory-filled light show set to riff-heavy classics by Black Sabbath. - Sinister Sounds Saturday: Live Theremin by Sam Wilder!
Local musician Samantha Wilder will play the theremin (an electronic instrument controlled without physical contact) for you while you sip spooky drinks. You can even play some ditties yourself in a “theremin petting zoo.” - Soft Option OCT — Electric Jellyfish 6
Embody a cute but dangerous sea jelly (or your other favorite ocean-dwelling creature) and dance along with Soft Option DJs Erin O’Connor, Eric Allen, Trinitron, and Karl Kamakahi.PERFORMANCE
- Coming to Shore 2: Turn the Tide
Join artists Vincent Milay, Emerald Rain, MissNicole Pdx, Dorine DeLusciousm Scandal From Bohemia, and Aaron J Shay for an evening of burlesque, drag, live music, and raffles benefiting immigrants and asylum-seekers through the Asylum Seeker Advocacy Project, Kids in Need of Defense, and Northwest Immigration Rights Project. - Glam Rock: Flying Trapeze Shows
Watch the School of Flight’s acrobats palm the trapezes to fling themselves through the air along to rousing songs. - Re-arranged: A Seattle Pro Musica Cabaret
Singers will tackle Broadway and cabaret repertoire that they wouldn’t normally get to sing, according to traditional casting.READINGS & TALKS
- Rose Alley Press Anthology Poets
Celebrate the launch of Footbridge Above the Falls, the new poetry anthology from local publishers Rose Alley Press, at a group reading with contributors Rick Clark, Sharon Hashimoto, Michael Spence, Joannie Stangeland, and David D. Horowitz. - Seattle Urban Book Expo
The Seattle Urban Book Expo is an opportunity for local black and brown authors to gather and to present their work to the community. Stop by to eat food, listen to some tunes, and chat with the writers about their work.SPORTS & RECREATION
- Dance Day
Get an introduction to nine different dance styles, including salsa, tap, West Coast swing, and tango. - Fly 5K
You’ll receive a medal and free admission to the Museum of Flight when you finish this 5K. - Tweed Ride Ballard 2019
Don your finest tweeds and take a fall jaunt on your bicycle from the Ballard Bell Tower to Golden Gardens—where you’ll have tea—with the Ballard Historical Society. Bring your own cup and saucer.VISUAL ART
- Fall Art Festival
Sip on pumpkin spice treats, let your kids play in the bounce house or make leaf prints, discover the Life-Size Drawing exhibition, experience an open critique session, and more at Gage Academy of Art’s fall party. - Property of Visibility: An Artist-led Discussion with Takahiro Yamamoto
Using Carrie Yamaoka’s exhibition recto/verso as a springboard, this Portland-based choreographer and artist will read his own work and expound on performance, visibility, and the body within the Henry. - WTF Art History Series: Warhol!
Suzanne Walker will deliver a down-to-earth lecture on the 20th-century conceptual art icon Andy Warhol. Was he a “conceptually and technically brilliant artist who revolutionized art? Or a bewigged hack with a screen press and a gift for self-promotion?” Walker will argue that Warhol actually worked within artistic tradition rather than overturning it.SATURDAY-SUNDAY
COMMUNITY
- 2019 NWOS Orchid Show
The Northwest Orchid Society will take over the Volunteer Park Conservatory’s seasonal house. Admire their beauty and buy one for yourself—there will even be an orchid potting station to save you from having to consult Google or your mom.PERFORMANCE
- Expand Upon: Homelessness
Mirror Stage will continue its yearly tradition of commissioning two plays, presented on the same night, responding to a single community-selected theme, and using the same diverse cast. This year, see Untitled Play About Homelessness in Seattle by Holly Arsenault and Hand by Tré Calhoun at Taproot Theatre‘s Isaac Studio for this first weekend.SUNDAY
FILM
- Motherload
Liz Canning’s crowdsource-funded documentary Motherload introduces cargo bikes as an environmentally friendly transportation alternative. Stay on for a Q&A and enter a raffle to win prizes.FOOD & DRINK
- Leif Erikson Day Happy Hour
Gather at Ballard’s Scandinavian beer hall to celebrate the day dedicated to the first Icelander to travel to North America (which also happens to be Spongebob’s favorite holiday).MUSIC
- Nancy Wilson Tribute Show with Katrina Kope and Friends
Jazz singer Nancy Wilson (not to be confused with Nancy Wilson of Heart) will not be present tonight, but you can still hear her hit songs played by Katrina Kope and friends at this tribute show. You can be sure the artists will play Wilson’s hit 1964 single “How Glad I Am.”PERFORMANCE
- The Breakfast Club
If the recurring TUSH! is too shocking (or too age-inappropriate) for you, but you still want to see some quality drag, see the lovely Betty Wetter and friends (Betty Wetter, Vincent Milay, Cranberry, Romi, Dion Dior Black, and Cookie Couture) perform a kid-friendly brunch show. - Together Again: An Academy of Burlesque Reunion Show!
Graduates of Miss Indigo Blue’s Academy of Burlesque will get together with their former instructor, Ruby Mimosa, to flaunt their moves.
TUESDAY
COMMUNITY
