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Jump to: Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Multi-Day

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FRIDAY

FILM

Celia Past Event Like List
I'll be honest: I'd never heard of Celia before I saw the Beacon's plan to screen the film. That said, I love a deep cut, and the theater's endorsement has placed Celia firmly at the top of my watchlist. Set in '50s-era Australia, the film follows a nine-year-old girl whose introduction to a freaky fairy tale begins to color her early experiences of bigotry, communism, Red Scare tactics, rabbits, and the strange witchcraft that only children can invoke. The Beacon compares the film to Víctor Erice’s Spirit of the Beehive and Guillermo del Toro’s Pan's Labyrinth, and Ann Turner's arthouse madhouse finally seems to be earning its flowers—Celia was recently included in the Blu-ray collection All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror. LC
(The Beacon, Columbia City, $12.50)

Movies at the Mural Past Event Like List
Every Friday this summer, starting July 26 through August 23, the Seattle Center is hosting outdoor movie screenings at the Mural Amphitheatre. Bring your blankets or low-back lawn chairs for The Princess Bride, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Dune (1984), The Color Purple (2023), and my personal highlight, Singles. Watching Matt Dillon’s grunge frontman character Cliff Poncier explain the fictional song “Touch Me I’m Dick” to a music journalist while Alice in Chains play at a fictional nightclub on a 40-foot screen under the Space Needle? Doesn’t get much more Seattle than that. STRANGER ARTS AND CULTURE EDITOR MEGAN SELING 
(Mural Amphitheatre, Uptown, free)

FOOD & DRINK

National Ice Cream Sandwich Day: Hello Robin x Molly Moon’s Limited Edition Pint Drop Past Event Like List
Friends Molly Moon Neitzel and Robin Wehl Martin go way back—in fact, Molly and her husband Zack inspired Robin to open her cookie shop Hello Robin in the first place. In celebration of National Ice Cream Sandwich Day on Friday, the entrepreneurial duo is teaming up to offer an exclusive chocolate chip cookie dough collaboration flavor, made with Hello Robin's cookie dough and Molly Moon's vanilla ice cream. The special offering is available at all Molly Moon's and Hello Robin stores while supplies last—it's sure to sell out fast, so snag it while you can. JB
(Molly Moon's and Hello Robin locations)

PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE

Crush: For The Girls, Gays, and Theys Past Event Like List
Between camp queen Chappell Roan, “gayotic” pop band MUNA, and sapphic singer/actor Reneé Rapp, it is clear that we are living through an era of queer pop excellence. Engulf yourself in silk chiffon for this flirty dance party for the "girls, gays, and theys" with tracks from the aforementioned pop favorites. AV
(Neumos, Capitol Hill, $5-$10)

PERFORMANCE

Dank Moms Podcast Recording hosted by Dewa Dorje Past Event Like List
You might have already witnessed local laugher Dewa Dorje's persistent hilarity at her talk show-style comedy night, Dee's Nuts, where she gathered up some of her favorite fellow funny people to discuss everything from current events to beef jerky. The "working-class-first-gen-Tibetan-single-mom-with-C-PTSD and Restless Coochie Syndrome" has returned with a live taping of her podcast Dank Moms—head to this live taping to find out what the onetime Stranger Undisputable Genius of Comedy thinks of Sleeping in Seattle. LC
(Marination, Columbia City, free)

SATURDAY

COMMUNITY

Silent Reading Picnic Past Event Like List
I absolutely live for the Seattle Public Library's Book Bingo, and if your most nostalgic childhood memories reside with Pizza Hut's BOOK IT! Program and other similar summer reading challenges, I'm willing to bet you love it just as much as I do. I'm (perhaps just a bit over-ambitiously) going for a blackout this year and having a blast—some of my picks for this year's categories include Penance by Eliza Clark (Something That Scares You), Homebodies by Tembe-Denton Hurst (BIPOC Romance), Earth Angels by Madeline Cash (Short Story Collection), Rouge by Mona Awad (Retelling), and To Anyone Who Ever Asks by Howard Fishman (One Big Book/400+ Pages). If you're still trying to squeeze in a bingo before the September 3 deadline, Seattle Arts and Lectures is hosting this free silent reading picnic at the Volunteer Park Amphitheater, and I can't imagine anything cuter or more wholesome. Bring your own blankets, chairs, and snacks, and curl up with your book(s) of choice. Bingo cards will be available if you don't already have one. JB
(Volunteer Park Amphitheater, Capitol Hill, free)

FESTIVALS

Duwamish River Festival Past Event Like List
The Duwamish River was considered one of the nation’s most contaminated sites in the early 2000s, and though it's still affected by heavy industrialization, community efforts continue to push for climate justice and health equity. Stop by the 18th Annual Duwamish River Festival to engage with interactive educational booths and come together in community. Family-friendly activities like dancing, music, and crafts will be set up alongside food trucks and local vendors. You can also pick up a free air filter for the wildfire seasons we know are ahead. SL
(Duwamish River People's Park and Shoreline Habitat, South Park, free)

FILM

C-ID Summer Cinema Past Event Like List
C-ID Summer Cinema, the Seattle Asian American Film Festival’s free, family-friendly outdoor movie series, returns to Hing Hay Park. You’ll find live music, face painting, and popcorn before the movie each week. Don't forget to grab some delicious Asian food from surrounding C-ID businesses before or after the screening. Bring a chair or a blanket and get ready for some fun films! SL
(Hing Hay Park, Chinatown-International District, free)

LIVE MUSIC

Hotel Crocodile Presents: Lobby Session, Track 13 - J.Graves Past Event Like List
Did you know that there is a boutique hotel above the Crocodile (cue Lana Del Rey's "Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd")? The Hotel Crocodile will return with its intimate music series spotlighting local bands. This week, self-proclaimed "passionate dance-punk" trio J. Graves will drop by for an evening of catchy, guitar-driven jams. AV
(Hotel Crocodile, Belltown, $15-$17)

JRCG, Fashion Change, and Wow Wow Past Event Like List
Tucson-born, Tacoma-based musician Justin R. Cruz Gallego's project JRCG approaches indie rock with an experimental lens obscured by Krautrock, jazz, and electronic sounds. If you're familiar with the Silver Apples' 1968 self-titled album, consider JRCG's Sub Pop debut, Grim Iconic​.​.​.​(​Sadistic Mantra), to be a modern interpretation of the band's visionary and unnerving psych rock. Don't miss opening sets from fellow punk experimentalists Fashion Change and Wow Wow. AV
(Clock-Out Lounge, Beacon Hill, $15)

SHOPPING

Scarecrow Video Presents: 4th Annual Parking Lot Sale! Past Event Like List
Physical media ain't dead, so snag a wide variety of VHS tapes, Blu-rays, and DVDs at Scarecrow Video's parking lot sale, where they'll also have books, posters, players, and other film-related goodies on offer. Scarecrow boasts the largest movie rental inventory in the country, so I'm confident that the selection will be outta this world, but there's a better reason to stop by, too. As our friends at The Stranger reported last week, "In June, Scarecrow staff put out an SOS—Save Our Scarecrow—and announced that they need to raise $1.8 million before the end of 2024." LC
(Scarecrow Video, University District, free)

VISUAL ART

Tara Champion: Terraforming Past Event Like List
Tara Champion's graduate degree in biological photography doesn't just sound cool—it directly informs their art practice, which explores how imagery might be used to "enable conversations of biological representation in shaping individual and group identity." In Terraforming, the artist explores familial connections and generational echoes through modified photography and self-representation. The results are an intriguing blend of dreamy, vintage-feeling pieces and eerie black-and-white compositions. LC
(Solas Gallery, Pioneer Square, free)

SUNDAY

COMMUNITY

Summer at SAM Past Event Like List
Seattle Art Museum's summer-long series of free visual art, music, and community offerings will come to life at Olympic Sculpture Park again this year. On Thursday nights, attendees can expect live music and art activities, while Sunday mornings will serve up movement classes and guided tours of the park's sculptures. The festivities continue on August 4 with an hour-long vinyasa flow, followed by a silent reading meetup, art-making with teaching artist Nina Vichayapal, a native plant identification session, Zumba, and a folksy performance by the Snohomish-based band Blue Healers. LC
(Olympic Sculpture Park, Belltown, free)

LIVE MUSIC

Add-a-Ball Porch Shows Past Event Like List
If you've ever had a hankering to go to GameWorks but don't want to be around germ-ridden children, then Fremont's Add-a-Ball is for you. The part-bar, part-arcade has the city's largest collection of vintage coin-operated arcade games, along with a dazzling display of pinball machines. This weekend, local indie rock bands Blue Star Creeper, Cold Comfort, and Sleeping Planet your gaming experience with atmospheric and psychedelic tunes. AV
(Add-a-Ball, Fremont, free)

OUTDOORS

Free Entrance Days in the National Parks Remind Like List
The Great American Outdoors Act was passed in 2020, helping to provide funding to improve our natural public spaces and make them more accessible to all. Celebrate the legislation's anniversary with an entrance fee-free day to National Park Service sites this Sunday. Pack up the car and head to the majestic Mount Rainier; Olympic National Park, which is only a scenic ferry ride away; or Lewis and Clark National Historical Park and Fort Vancouver down by the Oregon border. SL (Various locations, free)

PARTIES & NIGHTLIFE

Forest For The Trees 7 Past Event Like List
This free, immersive dance/yoga party in Belltown's waterfront park is a must-attend event for anyone who needs to dance away their stress. Instructors from the Yo Yo Yoga collective will kick things off with a donation-based class at 12:30 pm. Afterward, six selectors from local DJ nights Uniting Souls, Viva!, and Flammable will soundtrack over seven hours of dancing in the sunshine. Don't forget your sunscreen! AV
(Myrtle Edwards Park, free)

MULTI-DAY

FESTIVALS

Umoja Fest & Parade Past Event Like List
Celebrate the African diaspora in the Northwest at Seattle's annual Umoja Fest! This Seafair community event highlights the history and culture of the Central District with a packed slate of live music and performances. It’ll all kick off with the high-energy Africatown Heritage Parade, but stick around for a headline performance from rapper/beatboxer Doug E. Fresh, a vendor marketplace, a fashion show, and tastebud-tingling foods from local restaurants and food trucks like Jumpin Jambalaya, Juice by the Pound, and Po'Boy & Tings. SL
(Judkins Park, Central District, free, Saturday–Sunday)

FILM

AGFA August Past Event Like List
The American Genre Film Archive, aka the "world’s only nonprofit archive and film distributor dedicated to preserving and protecting the greatest genre films of all time," celebrates its 15th anniversary this year, which means it's time for you to plop your butt in a seat for some of the weirdest exploitation filmmaking, found footage feasts, underground trash art, and riot grrrl flicks imaginable. AGFA makes rescuing forgotten features look easy—their archives house over six thousand 35mm film prints. In partnership with Something Weird Video and AGFA, SIFF will screen some solid selections from the collection. Expect everything from The Zodiac Killer, a '71 flick "made to capture the real-life Zodiac Killer, but instead deliver[ing]...outrageous and compelling 'tabloid horror,'" to John Cassavetes films, Sarah Jacobson's punk-inflected DIY films, and the world's first found footage horror. LC
(SIFF Cinema Egyptian, Capitol Hill, $14.50-$15.50, Friday–Saturday)

Center City Cinema Past Event Like List
Seattle Parks and Recreation presents this summer series of much-loved film screenings under the stars, with pre-movie activities kicking off around 6 or 7 pm and each film beginning at dusk. The series continues this weekend with nutty sci-fi cult classic The Fifth Element at Freeway Park on August 2. Polite Society, screening at Hing Hay Park on August 3, might be less familiar than The Fifth Element, but it's worth a watch—written and directed by We Are Lady Parts creator Nida Manzoor, the action-comedy blends South Asian aesthetics with East Asian martial arts. One scene sees the sisters "fight in fully embroidered anarkalis (long, traditional South Asian dresses) along with gold tikka (jewelry worn on the forehead)" (The Guardian). LC
(Various locations, free, Friday–Saturday)

In Our Day Past Event Like List
Nothing happens in the world of In Our Day. A cat runs off, a poet drinks an ill-advised beer, and three women murmur over a box of interesting toiletries. But disguised within the film's mundanity are serious reflections on the cosmic mysteries of identity, grief, vulnerability, and life itself. (In Our Day asks direct questions that you might be wondering about, too, like "What is it to live?" and "What is all of this?") If you're familiar with Hong Sang-soo's reticent, observational style, this likely comes as no surprise. If you're not, expect something akin to Aki Kaurismaki and Eric Rohmer's storytelling—people talk, people think, and then the film ends. It leaves you thinking, too. The 84-minute runtime is well worth it. LC
(Northwest Film Forum, Capitol Hill, $7-$14, Friday–Sunday)

Muppet Treasure Island Past Event Like List
Life is as brief and fleeting as a sail catching the wind, and there aren't enough opportunities to appreciate Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and Tim Curry in their full glory. Whatever you've got going on right now, though, Muppet Treasure Island is almost certain to make you feel better about it. The '96 summer voyage has goateed pirates and romance, plus all of the comforting irreverence that makes the Muppets the best domestic product in American history. LC
(Central Cinema, Central District, $12, Friday–Sunday)

FOOD & DRINK

Li'l Woody's Seafood Month Past Event Like List
If you couldn't get enough of Li'l Woody's Burger Month, in which the local fast-food chain offers new burger specials created in collaboration with local chefs each week, get ready for their Seafood Month. This version gives the Burger Month format a fishy spin, with exclusive sandwich creations inspired by the bounty of the sea. First, Li'l Woody's will gear up for the festivities by offering their annual interpretation of the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish as a prelude, featuring beer-battered cod, pickle-y tartar sauce, shredded lettuce, pickles, onions, and American cheese on a bun (July 30-August 5). Then the official chef specials begin. This year includes the "Saucy Li'l Devil" (panko-breaded fried rockfish, deviled Spam tartar sauce, and slaw on a Li'l Woody’s bun) from Kamala Saxton and Roz Edison of Marination (August 6-12); the "The Coastal AKA Coast Style" (a smoked salmon patty, sharp white cheddar, arugula, and barbecue berry sauce on a Li'l Woody’s bun) from Jeremy Thunderbird of the Native Soul Cuisine food truck (August 13-19); the Emerald City Catfish Sandwich (fried catfish, remoulade, lettuce, and tomato on a Li'l Woody’s bun) from Stevie Allen of Emerald City Fish & Chips (August 20-26); and the "LTD Edition Burger" (sake-marinated black cod, cabbage, white miso aioli, and shredded lettuce on a Li'l Woody’s bun) from Keiji Tsukasaki of LTD Edition Sushi (August 27-September 2). JB
(Li'l Woody's, Capitol Hill, Friday–Sunday)

Rosé Month Past Event Like List
Happy rosé season to those who celebrate! Whatever your thoughts on the ubiquitous blush beverage, it's hard to imagine a drink better suited for summer. Throughout the month, the farm-to-table pop-up-turned-restaurant Three Sacks Full will offer a weekly rotation of rosé specials by the glass, culminating in a special rosé dinner on August 28. (Co-owner Matthew Curtis is a licensed sommelier, so you can expect some well-curated picks.)
(Three Sacks Full, Roosevelt, $10-$14, Friday–Sunday)

OUTDOORS

Cedar River Salmon Journey with the Seattle Aquarium Past Event Like List
Thanks to the tireless efforts of countless ecological stewards, Washington’s salmon population is slooooowly rebounding, and you can learn all about how these humble fish support our entire ecosystem at a family-friendly gathering by the Ballard Locks. Salmon may look like slippery little weirdos, but their whole lives are fascinating quests rivaling those of the most intrepid adventurers. And here in Seattle, we’re fortunate to be able to cheer them along on their journey—one that helps keep countless other species from dropping off the face of the Earth. The Salmon Journey gatherings are hosted by trained naturalists on Saturdays from July to September; you’ll learn how to spot a spawning salmon, about their surprisingly epic exploits, and the cruel enemy threatening to wipe them out. (Shocking twist: It’s people!) FORMER STRANGER STAFF WRITER MATT BAUME
(Ballard Locks, Ballard, free, Saturday–Sunday)

West Seattle Glass Float Hunt Past Event Like List
Getting to West Seattle already feels like a bit of a scavenger hunt, so why not do an actual one that will yield you prizes? Starting August 1st, glass floats will be (gently) scattered around the neighborhood for lucky searchers to find—and keep! The glass spheres are hand blown by Avalon Glassworks and will be hidden both out in nature and inside local businesses. This is the third year of the hunt and the organizers promise it'll be bigger and better than ever. SL
(Various locations, West Seattle, free, Friday–Sunday)

PERFORMANCE

GreenStage Presents FREE Shakespeare in the Park Past Event Like List
Throw on your old-timey feathered caps and get thee to a nunnery—or maybe just head outdoors for GreenStage's always-free Shakespeare in the Park, which returns for its 36th season this year. They'll offer up productions of the Bard's Henry VI—Parts Two and Three and familiar rom-com Twelfth Night, plus some scaled-back "Backyard Bard" one-hour shows, including "problem play" All's Well That Ends Well, at parks across Seattle. Peep their calendar for performance times and locations. LC
(Various locations, free, Friday–Sunday)

Wooden O: The Two Gentlemen of Verona Past Event Like List
Seattle Shakespeare Company's free outdoor productions will continue this summer with The Two Gentlemen of Verona, the Bard's tale of Love Island-level backstabbing, a water spaniel named Crab, and a total abandonment of bro code. Grab a picnic basket and your thespian friends to catch one of the performances, which you'll find throughout the Puget Sound area—exact locations are listed here. LC
(Various locations, By donation, Friday–Sunday)

SHOPPING

Seattle World's Vintage Fair Past Event Like List
There's a new vintage fair in town, and I'm intrigued. The event is co-hosted by Throwbacks NW and giving off heavy "Bring Back the Sonics" vibes, so I expect a lot of sports memorabilia alongside records, sneakers, and other Seattle-adjacent collectibles. Heck, Sonics legend Shawn Kemp will present the first annual "Make It Reign Slam Dunk Contest," where local dunkers compete in front of celebrity judges, on Sunday. If you're unfamiliar with Wheedle, a quiet, lovable creature that served as the Sonics mascot during their 1979 NBA Championship season, now's your chance to pick up a signed copy of the children's book Wheedle on the Needle. SL
(Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, Uptown, $15-$20, Saturday–Sunday)

VISUAL ART

Andrea Dezsö: Storytelling Past Event Like List
I wasn't previously familiar with artist Andrea Dezsö's work, but I've quickly become a fan: Dezsö's detailed pochoir stenciling techniques, charming birch-carved designs, embroidered musings, and pyrovitreography reveal an artist who fears no medium. Her work also feels distinctly more bouba than kiki. I'm in love with the weird little guys populating her compositions, and I want to know all about their folktale-informed world, which also grapples with "women’s roles, authoritarianism, family, ideological and societal influence on the individual, relationships with nature, and the body." You'll probably dig it, too. LC
(Traver Gallery, Downtown, free, Friday–Saturday)

( ((elapse)) ) Past Event Like List
Research-based multimedia artist Lauren Ruiz and Washington-based poet/novelist Ocean probe the depths of "horological decay, compression, sempiternity, and aqueous time" in this multimedia, speculative fiction-inspired installation, which blends video and sculptural pieces with text-based works. Not sure what "horological decay" or "sempiternity" means? That's okay—just imagine you're exploring the artworks in ( ((elapse)) ) from aboard a subterranean research vessel. LC
(The Vestibule, Ballard, free, Friday–Saturday)

Hank Willis Thomas: LOVERULES—From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation Past Event Like List
Conceptual artist and activist Hank Willis Thomas blends mixed media with mass-produced, archival, and contemporary images to create photographs, sculptures, and installations that reckon with important questions about the role of art in civic life. LOVERULES, which pulls works spanning 20 years of Thomas's career from the Jordan D. Schnitzer Family Foundation's collection, includes some of his most well-known pieces, including the corporate advertising-inspired works Branded and Unbranded: Reflections in Black by Corporate America. Staying curious about advertising and visual culture as creators of "narratives that shape our notion of value in society," Thomas spotlights the cultural tropes that influence race relations, inequality, and resistance. LC
(Henry Art Gallery, University District, Suggested donation $0-20, Friday–Sunday; closing)

Smoke Season Past Event Like List
As someone who just spent a few weeks in eastern Oregon, the words "smoke season" elicit an all-too-familiar burn in the throat. Christian French's Untitled (Exodus series), a brutal red-tinged and desolate photograph featured in SOIL's new group exhibition Smoke Season, elicits a similar somatic memory. "The Anthropocene has become the Pyrocene," the show materials assert; I'm intrigued by Tim Marsden's fiery embroidery and janet galore's Smoke Break, a three-minute video looped on a vintage television set installed in the gallery. LC
(SOIL, Pioneer Square, free, Friday–Sunday)

Summer Flow Past Event Like List
Woman-run gallery Koplin Del Rio gets it right again with Summer Flow, a group exhibition that serves as a solid window into the space's 42-year history. The anniversary show is a "revolving door," displaying a rotation of artists and artworks informed by the gallery's "whims, mood, and atmosphere." Stop by to see pieces by some of the many artists affiliated with the gallery; it's a well-rounded way to anticipate the aesthetics you'll see in the space in fall, winter, and beyond. LC
(Koplin Del Rio Gallery, Georgetown, free, Friday–Saturday)