Jump to: Live Music | Arts & Performance | Culture | Food & Drink
Caroline Polachek
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Shapeshifting electro-pop artist Caroline Polachek will welcome you to her island in support of her critically acclaimed album Desire, I Want To Turn Into You. Don’t miss this opportunity to see this opera-trained vocalist at the peak of her career, performing ethereal pop tunes that pull inspiration from trip-hop, classical music, flamenco, and new wave. My fingers are crossed that she performs some older material as well like the TikTok-famed bop “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings” or the Enya-esque new age ballad “Go As A Dream.” As if you need any more reasons to be excited about this show, experimental R&B artist Sudan Archives is opening. AUDREY VANN
Showbox SoDo (Thurs May 4)
Belltown Bloom 2023
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This all-ages music festival will showcase an abundant bouquet of indie bands across three stages and two nights with headliners including grunge trailblazers L7, Russian feminist protest and performance art group Pussy Riot, Philly-based punk band Mannequin Pussy, and local rock stars Thunderpussy (we are starting to see a yonic theme here.) Plus, look forward to plenty of local highlights like dreamy indie rockers La Fonda, cinematic rock soloist Byland, and psychedelic dream pop ensemble Coral Grief. AV
The Crocodile (May 5–6)
Hayley Kiyoko
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This one’s for the girls! There are more pop stars singing about queer relationships than ever before, and Hayley Kiyoko’s 2015 hit “Girls Like Girls” was an undoubtedly pivotal moment in this sapphic shift. Since her public coming-out, the singer, dancer, actress, and winner of RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race, has been dubbed “Lesbian Jesus” by her fans because of her work to normalize lesbian relationships through her music. She truly is, as former Stranger writer Kim Seiling once called her, “the pop star we deserve.” Catch her on tour supporting her sophomore album, Panorama, which aims for a “darker” side of the pop universe than her uplifting debut, Expectations. AV
Neptune Theatre (Thurs May 11)
Bonnie “Prince” Billy
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Maybe you know him as singer-songwriter Bonnie “Prince” Billy. Maybe you know him as indie movie actor Will Oldham (if not, watch Kelly Reichardt’s Old Joy!), or possibly under band names/aliases like Palace, Palace Music, Palace Songs, or Palace Brothers. Whatever you know him as, we hope you know that he’s one of the most captivating songwriters of our time, crafting intimate, innovative, and individual folk songs that have made an undeniable mark on indie rock over the last three decades. Catch him just ahead of releasing his first-ever children’s book, Shory’s Ark, with a performance of old favorites and a bounty of new material. AV
Neptune Theatre (Sat May 13)
Ella Mai
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R&B singer-songwriter Ella Mai initially blew up with her now 7x platinum debut single “Boo’d Up,” which has broken several Billboard chart records. Not surprising, considering the song’s insanely infectious hooks and smooth-as-hell production (seriously, this song has been stuck in my head for six straight years and I’m not even mad about it!) Now touring on her second album, Heart on My Sleeve, Mai continues to meditate on her own vulnerability and resilience through stripped-down ballads and hip-hop-tinged beats. Don’t miss an opening set from the early aughts-inspired pop and R&B artist Thuy. AV
Showbox SoDo (Sat May 13)
Seattle Rock Orchestra Performs The Beatles: Abbey Road & Let It Be
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Children of Beatlemaniac mothers, listen up! The self-proclaimed “coolest orchestra in town” will pay tribute to the Fab Four’s seminal rock masterpieces Abbey Road and Let It Be as they continue their Mother’s Day tradition of reimagining The Beatles’ classic albums. AV
Moore Theatre (Sat May 13)
Andrea Bocelli
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If your mom is more of an opera kind of gal, wow her with tickets to see the world-renowned, dulcet-toned, Italian opera crooner Andrea Bocelli with a larger-than-life arena concert featuring songs from his wide-ranging repertoire. Don’t be afraid to get a little sappy with a soothing blend of early fan favorites, traditional arias, weepy love songs, and tracks off of his latest album, Believe. AV
Climate Pledge Arena (Sun May 14)
Rico Nasty
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Your favorite rowdy and raspy-voiced rapper is coming to Seattle, providing fans a chance to hear her acclaimed 2022 album Las Ruinas live. Ever since her studio debut, Nasty, the rapper’s career has been built on a foundation of genre bending—from sugary pop production to boom bap, to hardcore metal, and pop punk, Rico’s been heard on it all. On Las Ruinas, the artist pulls from an even wider range of influences and sounds, incorporating everything from tender singing to her signature rage-fueled raps. But the artist is perhaps best known for her rollicking live shows. There will definitely be time set aside for deeper cuts like her recognizable hits “Bitch I’m Nasty” and “Smack a Bitch,” and newer bops like her latest weed-fired banger “Gotsta Get Paid.”JENNI MOORE
Neumos (Tues May 16)
Fisherman’s Village Music Fest 2023
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Everett’s Fisherman’s Village Music Festival is back for its 10th year, filling downtown Everett with live music like vibe-y indie pop band Drugdealer, doo-wop rockers Shannon and the Clams, garage punk trio Bass Drum of Death, and blues/folk singer-songwriter Adia Victoria. There is plenty of space given to local talent as well, including longtime rock outfit Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band, Everett-based funk ensemble Cytrus, and dreamy psych rock band Spirit Award. AV
Downtown Everett (May 18–20)
First Aid Kit: Palomino Tour
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On their latest album, Palomino, sister-led folk band First Aid Kit pays homage to classic rock greats like Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush, and Tom Petty with stories of heartbreak, happiness, life, and love, woven into “a patchwork of natural instrumentation.” And like an old patchwork quilt, the album intricately stitches together contemporary pop, acoustic folk, classic country, and ‘80s synth into one united blanket of coziness. Arrive in time to catch an opening set from beloved Americana artist Hurray for the Riff Raff. AV
Paramount Theatre (Wed May 24)
Kali Uchis: Red Moon In Venus Tour
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You know she’s just a flight away, so Latin pop gem Kali Uchis will take a private plane to Seattle in support of her critically acclaimed third album, Red Moon in Venus. Describing the album in press materials as a “burning expression of desire, heartbreak, faith, and honesty” while reflecting the “divine femininity of the moon and Venus,” Uchis employs botanical imagery, glittering electronics, and dreamy featherlight vocals that truly feel like floating in the heavens. She will be joined by British pop artist RAYE, who you might know from her recent viral hit “Escapism.” AV
WaMu Theater (Wed May 24)
Northwest Terror Fest
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No matter your micro-genre preference, if you have a taste for any sort of gnarly or extreme style of music, it’s a safe bet there will be a few bands you won’t want to miss come Memorial Day weekend. From the nasty, filth-soaked goregrind of Bay Area’s Impaled to the beautiful, punishing doom of Oregon natives YOB, the entire spectrum of all that’s heavy and hard is represented. KEVIN DIERS
READINGS & TALKS
Eileen Myles
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Generation-defining writer and poetry legend Eileen Myles has been busy: They last packed the Elliott Bay house in celebration of Pathetic Literature, a “global anthology of pieces from lesser-known classics” they edited that included work by over 100 writers. That was in December, and they’re already returning with a new poetry collection. (What am I doing with my life??) Speaking of that Big Existential Question, Myles’ latest, A “Working Life,” digs into the everyday with a dualistic sense of lightness and foreboding. They may be the only poet alive who can pull that off, so go hear them read from the collection, which “takes you where Myles feels like, for however long they feel like it, and in whichever direction” (Vulture). LINDSAY COSTELLO
Elliott Bay Book Company (Fri May 5)
Seattle Art Book Fair
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Prepare your tote bags, people: The Seattle Art Book Fair, an annual roundup of experimental publishers, DIY designers, and independent creatives who consider books to be Art with a capital A, will return this month. The festival celebrates all things art book-related, with a variety of talks, workshops, a “mixed-reality art installation,” and (natch) artists slinging chapbooks and zines. Far-flung creatives and local presses will be present, including Wave Books, Shortt Editions, Publication Studio Vancouver, Monograph Bookwerks, and many others. Don’t forget, you live in a UNESCO City of Literature. Act like it!! LC
Washington Hall (Sat May 6)
Seattle Arts & Lectures Presents: Connie Walker
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Webby Award-nominated Cree journalist Connie Walker unveils a disturbing pattern of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in her podcasts Stolen and Missing & Murdered. In Stolen, Walker delves into the investigation of the disappearance of Jermain Charlo, a young Indigenous mother who vanished in 2018. More widely, Walker’s work “throws into sharp relief the difficulties Indigenous women face even today” (Rolling Stone). This talk will include a Q&A with Pacific Northwest journalist Wudan Yan, a multiple grantee of the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. LC
Town Hall Seattle (Mon May 8)
Bill Nye: Change the World! Ideas on Fighting Climate Change
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“Bill! Bill! Bill! Bill!” Television host, engineer, and science literacy activist Bill Nye, whom former Stranger editor Chase Burns once referred to as “basically the Britney Spears of science,” will drop by Seattle for a rare appearance to chat climate change and empower the audience with eco-friendly tips for fighting the crisis. LC
McCaw Hall (Tues May 16)
A Conversation with Tom Hanks
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Perhaps it’s never crossed your mind. Perhaps it’s never seemed like a possibility. But you do, in fact, want to be in the same room as Tom Hanks. Think about it: He’s tall, unproblematic, and probably starred in a movie you love to love. He posts inscrutable stuff like haikus about stranded articles of clothing , and, in a delightfully dad-like gesture, signs all of his posts “Hanx.” He has also won some Academy Awards or whatever. Doesn’t matter! He is Tom Hanks! Another thing Tom Hanks does is write books. His latest, The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece, follows the production of a comic book-turned-superhero film and vacillates between three time periods. In Hanks’ (Hanx’s?) own words, “Even the foolish moments are some kind of stunt I’ve pulled or mistake I’ve survived.” LC
Benaroya Hall (Wed May 17)
Seven Things I’ve Learned: An Evening with Ira Glass
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Ira Glass, beloved, bespectacled host and producer of This American Life, will return to Seattle with a fresh rendition of his Seven Things show, where he’ll share what he’s learned from his illustrious public radio career, what inspires him, and how his many failures and successes guide his decisions. Podcasters, writers, and anyone who’s ever wanted to tell a story should take notes. LC
Benaroya Hall (Sat May 20)
Matt Baume: Honey, I’m Homo! Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture
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Cultural critic, pop culture YouTuber, and former Stranger staff writer Matt Baume will head to Elliott Bay in celebration of the release of his new book, Honey, I’m Homo! Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture, a deep dive into the “subversive” queer comedy storylines that transformed the American sitcom and continue to shape cultural attitudes toward LGBTQ+ folks today. LC
Elliott Bay Book Company (Thurs May 25)
COMEDY
Heather McMahan: The Comeback Tour
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Self-proclaimed “high-functioning hot mess” Heather McMahan will return to Seattle to do the most, following up on the smash unprecedented success of her debut tour. (Consultants, watch your back.) McMahan is a little like the loudmouth friend you wish you had. The Atlanta native, who has been described as an “auditory David Sedaris for the millennial set,” wears sequins, keeps up on Bravo lore, and works out the emotional kinks of her life on her podcast, Absolutely Not. McMahan was also named in Variety‘s 2022 Comedy Impact Report—head to this set to see what the fuss is about. LC
Moore Theatre (Sat May 6)
Trey Kennedy: Grow Up
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Take heed, extremely online people! Trey Kennedy, whose viral YouTube and TikTok videos have garnered the comedian/actor/singer millions of followers across platforms, will stop by Seattle to give the youngins something to freak out about. Kennedy, who self-identifies as “basically just really extra” (same), first found fame on the now-defunct Vine app, and his popularity has exploded since then. (His videos spend a lot of time kinda-sorta making fun of people.) If that’s your favorite flavor of comedy, don’t miss it. LC
Moore Theatre (Sat May 20)
Second Annual Upper Left Comedy Festival
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Upper Left Comedy Fest will return for its second year with three days of solid stand-up acts and after-parties for laugh addicts. The buzzy festival showcases some of the best in local and national talent, including side-splitters and audience faves like the sweetly dangerous Amy Miller, profanity-free crowd vet Kermet Apio, wizardly ex-Mormon Emmett Montgomery, and Dewa Dorje, the Tibetan American host of comedy talk show Dee’s Nuts. You’ll find gigs at Here-After, the Rendezvous, and Rabbit Box Theater, so head out for guaranteed giggles and a lot more fun than car camping. LC
Various locations (May 11–13)
PERFORMANCE
Dragula Titans with the Boulet Brothers
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If you prefer your alt-drag shows with a side of gore and guts, you probably already revel in the chaos of the Boulet Brothers, whose punkish brand of eleganza often features bugs, gauged needles, pig brains, and live burial. (Contestants on The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula don’t exactly sashay away—they’re “exterminated” in a freaky death scene. Okay then!!) Grab your hello uglies fan and gag for the duo’s ghoulish glam when they drop by Seattle on their international tour. They’ll share the stage with their recently crowned, hot-yet-terrifying Supermonster. LC
Moore Theatre (Fri May 12)
Wolf Play
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South Korean translator and playwright Hansol Jung presents this one-two punch of a play, which follows a nonbinary boxer’s struggle to adopt a Korean boy with their partner. The off-the-record adoption goes awry when the boy’s original adoptive father discovers he won’t have a “dad.” From there, Wolf Play becomes a mischievous lone wolf journey, pawing through the broken adoption system and unraveling the “animality connecting us.” We’re intrigued by the post-show discussion on May 16, which will dig further into the play’s themes of re-homing and child custody with award-winning director Rosa Joshi and legal expert Janna Annest. LC
ACT – A Contemporary Theatre (May 5–21)
Lydia and the Troll
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Playwright Justin Huertas blends fantasy and folklore elements with real Seattle landmarks to create pure Pacific Northwest magic in Lydia and the Troll. (“Never turn your back on a Justin Huertas song,” says The Seattle Times.) The production follows a singer-songwriter whose writer’s block—and life circumstances—have her feeling stuck, but a chance encounter with a strange figure may lead to untold sacrifices. LC
Seattle Repertory Theatre (May 5–June 4)
La traviata
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Giuseppe Verdi’s elegant tale of high-class grandeur and tragedy follows a courtesan who seeks love among the fashionable elites of Paris while facing a deadly illness. This interpretation of La traviata by Francesca Zambello includes costuming by Tony–winning designer Jess Goldstein and Seattle Opera debut performances by Armenian soprano Mané Galoyan, South African soprano Vuvu Mpofu, and tenors Rame Lahaj and Duke Kim. LC
McCaw Hall (May 6-21)
Takahiro Yamamoto: NOTHINGBEING
Portland-based choreographer Takahiro Yamamoto’s investigative new dance performance, created in collaboration with composer Samita Sinha and artists Anna Martine Whitehead and David Thomson, ponders possibilities for embodied “presence of nothingness” through improvisational movements and meditations on surrender. The phenomenological inquiry relates to Yamamoto’s experience as an immigrant in the United States, where he has found a “tendency for the collective consciousness not to pay attention to events or situations unless a bigger and dire incident has taken place.” (If you need examples of what Takahiro’s talking about, just check your Twitter feed.) NOTHINGBEING holds contemplative space for questions of unity, connection, and the social self, so head to a performance if you’re feeling unmoored. LC
On the Boards (May 18–21)
Les Misérables
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This fresh staging of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony-winning testament to love and survival was described as “a reborn dream of a production” by The Daily Telegraph. Former theater kids shouldn’t miss the musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel Les Misérables, which is set against the tumultuous backdrop of 19th-century France. LC
The 5th Avenue Theatre (May 24–June 17)
FILM
Translations: Seattle Trans Film Festival
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One of only nine trans film festivals in the world, TRANSlations: Seattle Trans Film Festival offers a hybrid showcase of trans-centered features, short films, and special events. In an effort to increase accessibility, all films are subtitled for this year’s fest. We’re stoked for the selections curated by lead programmer Anto Astudillo, a Chile-born experimental filmmaker “rooted in theater and martial arts.” Standouts include TRANS THROUGH TIME, a short film program featuring works by jury members, independent filmmakers, and archival films from the UCLA/OUTFEST Legacy Project catalog, and the black-and-white documentary Kokomo City, which was directed by two-time Grammy nominee D. Smith. (Koko Da Doll, one of the film’s stars, was murdered on April 18. Rest in power, Koko.) LC
Various locations (May 4–7)
Seattle International Film Festival 2023
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SIFF returns for its 49th year with the best in buzzy international and independent cinema from across the globe. The hybrid festival, which boasts an impressive 200 films on the docket this year, will present screenings virtually and at SIFF venues citywide. Chase Hutchinson has the scoop on can’t-miss flicks and where to score tickets to the festival; we’re stoked for Mami Wata, a black-and-white film set in a West African village. LC
Various locations (May 11–28)
Seattle Arab Film Festival 2023
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Emerging and established Arab filmmakers are front and center in this two-day festival, which will return in its fourth iteration with 13 compelling short films. We think you should see ’em all, but themed screenings allow festival-goers to choose what interests them—on May 13, Northwest Film Forum will screen short documentaries (including O’ud, which tracks the life of late Palestinian refugee artist Mohammad El Agha) and a “Loss and Resilience” series, while May 14’s screenings will spotlight stories on “Family Matters” and “Luck of the Draw” themes, like tortoise-full road trip flick The Luck of the Turtles. LC
Northwest Film Forum (May 13–14)
VISUAL ART
Dana Claxton: Monsen Photography Lecture Exhibition
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Hunkpapa Lakota photographer, filmmaker, and performance artist Dana Claxton, who will deliver the Henry’s annual Monsen Photography Lecture
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, will also present a series of powerful works spanning her 35-year career. Reckoning with Native representation and the colonial histories of the United States and Canada, Claxton’s varied art practice aims to amplify Indigenous perspectives, responding to harmful Native stereotypes with humor and contrast. (We’re fans of Headdress, a series featuring figures swathed in beadwork to “extol Indigenous cultural abundance.”) LC
Henry Art Gallery (May 27–July 9)
Bike Everywhere Month 2023
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Whether you’re a longtime cycler or a relative newbie, Cascade Bicycle Club’s Bike Everywhere Month invites you to (you guessed it) ditch all other modes of transportation for your faithful two-wheeler for the entire month of May. To keep you motivated, there will be plenty of celebrations, challenges, and group rides throughout the month, including Bike Everywhere Day on May 19 and Seattle Bike-n-Brews on May 7. Though it’s not technically affiliated with the event, May 20 also marks the beginning of Bicycle Weekends on Lake Washington Boulevard, when the road is closed to motorized vehicles, giving you even more opportunities to celebrate pedal power. JAMIE REED
Various locations (May 1–31)
The Ultimate Cinco de Mayo Festival
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It’s right there in the name—this Cinco de Mayo festival has pretty much everything you could ever want out of an event celebrating the 5th of May (or in this case, the 5th through 8th of May). We’re talking mariachi bands, Azteca dancers, salsa lessons, runway drag, food and drink specials at Taqueria Cantina, and “lots of ENCANTO!” We’re not entirely sure what that means in this context, but this event is co-organized by Encanto Arts, a nonprofit focused on engaging underserved youth in Washington State, so it must be a good thing. JR
Harbor Steps (May 5–7)
Free Comic Book Day
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Free Comic Book Day is the most wonderful time of the year for comic enthusiasts—it’s when publishers shell out special issues and deals on popular titles like Spider-Man, Doctor Who, and The Avengers, along with lesser-known indie titles like Strangers in Paradise and Silver. Head to local shops to take advantage of free (or otherwise cheap) finds, attend readings, and meet people who love comics as much as you do. JR
Various locations (Sat May 6)
Windermere Cup 2023
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On the first Saturday of May for more than a century, hundreds of recreational boats have paraded from Portage Bay through the Montlake Cut for Seattle Yacht Club’s Opening Day parade to celebrate the official opening of Seattle’s boating season. In 1987, that weekend saw the addition of the Windermere Cup, a regatta featuring the University of Washington and other college crew teams from across the country and the world. Now, the first weekend of May combines both of those events, plus the ticketed 21+ Friday night Party on the Cut kickoff, for one giant rowing extravaganza. It’s free to watch the action from the shore, and there’s also food and drink vendors, a bouncy house and build-a-boat station for kids, and lots of screaming fans. JR
Montlake Cut (Sat May 6)
15th Annual Pike Place Market Flower Festival
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You know what moms love? Flowers. Ask every marketing department for any product in history. So it’s convenient that Pike Place Market, our nation’s ground zero for flowers hosts a giant flower festival every Mother’s Day weekend, with nearly 40 different tents selling tulips, daffodils, irises, and peonies, plus live busker music both days. Oh, my god, it’s almost like someone planned it this way. MEG VAN HUYGEN
Pike Place Market (May 13–14)
U District Street Fair 2023
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If this year’s traffic snarl around the cherry blossom festival is any indication, there’s never been a better time to take the train (or a worse time to drive) to the annual U District Street Fair. The annual gathering turns 52 beautiful years old this year, bringing together free live music, local art, craft vendors, and cuisine from around the world. Over 40 food trucks will be on hand to feed the 50,000 people expected to attend, stretching ten blocks on Brooklyn Ave NE and University Way NE. Buskers are welcome (in designated areas). Beer gardens will be available for the thirsty (ID required, of course), but most of the activities are family-friendly and accessible. Sounds great! Why don’t we have one of these every weekend? MATT BAUME
University District (May 20–21)
Stars On Ice
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This showcase of some of the best international figure skating stars will have you wistfully recalling your childhood ice skating dreams. (No? Just us?) Reigning Olympic Champion Nathan Chen will hit the rink alongside U.S. medalists Alexa Knierim, Brandon Frazier, Madison Chock, Evan Bates, and Jason Brown, plus others from around the world. JR
Climate Pledge Arena (Tues May 23)
Northwest Folklife 2023
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For those who aren’t hep to Folklife, it’s a huge open-air music/art festival at Seattle Center, and there are buskers and actual concerts and impromptu jam seshes, plus tons of stalls selling gorgeous food from around the world, along with ethnic arts and cultures being showcased. Oh, and there are a bunch of cool workshops and lectures, too. It’s all real crunchy and wholesome. If you haven’t been, you should totally go. MVH
Seattle Center (May 26–29)
Hood Canal Fjordfest 2023
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As Meg van Huygen wrote last year, “There’s a narrow annual window when sweet, delicate spot shrimp is in season, six to eight weeks max, and good news: Memorial Day weekend falls within it. Sure, you can get them at the upscale supermarkets in Seattle, but it’s so much better to find them at the source. The seaside hamlet of Brinnon, on the west coast of Hood Canal between Hama Hama and Quilcene, has a little food fest to celebrate the spot shrimp’s arrival each year–there are also bands and ‘other seafood,’ and you can harvest clams and oysters with a license from the Department of Fish & Wildlife.” This year, the festival has changed its name from the Brinnon ShrimpFest to the more expansive Hood Canal Fjord Fest, reflecting the fact that they also offer rides, crafts, and a beer and wine garden. MVH
Hood Canal (May 27–28)
More Than a Bake Sale: Fundraiser for Indigenous Women Rising | with Natasha Pickowicz + More!
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Thrice-James Beard Award-nominated, Brooklyn-based pastry chef Natasha Pickowicz, who just published her debut cookbook More Than Cake, has become known not only for her lovely confections, but also for her buzzy bake sales. Ever since Trump was elected in 2016, Pickowicz has been harnessing the power of baked goods to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Planned Parenthood and other nonprofits. Now you, too, can be a part of her sugar-fueled movement: On the Seattle stop of her book tour, she’ll join a group of some of Seattle’s most sought-after bakers, recipe developers, and cookbook authors to throw a happy hour bake sale. This is a rare chance to snatch up treats from Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille, Saint Bread, Temple Pastries, The Pastry Project, Twin Flower Baking Co., Samantha Gainsburg of Bakers for Abortion Access, and Pickowicz herself, all in one place. 100% of proceeds will go to Indigenous Women Rising, an organization that supports Indigenous and undocumented people seeking abortions and strives to make sexual health and reproductive justice accessible for all Native people. Pre-sale tickets are already sold out, but a limited quantity of tickets will be available at the door, so show up early. JULIANNE BELL
Book Larder (Wed May 10)
Seattle Beer Week 14
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Seattle’s craft beer scene is always alive and bubbling with activity, but during Beer Week, that geeky enthusiasm gets kicked into high gear, with a stacked lineup of beer dinners, festivals, socials, pub crawls, and releases galore. In 2019, there were nearly 200 events throughout the week; this year, expect a smaller, but still epic, group of events. So far, highlights include Cask-O-Rama on May 19 and Women in Beer on the 22nd. JB
Various locations (May 19–26)
Andrea Nguyen Author Demo: Ever-Green Vietnamese
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James Beard Cookbook Award-winning author and cooking teacher Andrea Nguyen has established herself as a respected authority on Vietnamese cuisine with numerous cookbooks as well as her blog Viet World Cooking. Her recipes feel as though a trusted guide is holding your hand through the process and often include ingenious hacks. Her latest release, Ever-Green Vietnamese: Super-Fresh Recipes, Starring Plants from Land and Sea, turns her attention to primarily plant-based cooking, with irresistible dishes like smoky tofu-nori wontons and oven-fried crispy shiitake imperial rolls. Pick her brain firsthand at this event. JB
Book Larder (Tues May 23)
Eat at the reopened Palace Kitchen
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Could nature actually be healing? Tom Douglas’s iconic downtown restaurant Palace Kitchen, a favorite of celebrities like Martha Stewart and Isabella Rossellini and one of the first Seattle restaurants to shutter when the pandemic hit, reopened on April 21. The Stranger‘s Christopher Frizzelle penned a poignant eulogy for the restaurant in March 2020, writing, “Everyone who’s been to Palace Kitchen knows how great it is. A golden glow pervades the place, emanating from the kitchen. The bar is in the center of the room, with seating on either side. The whole idea of Palace Kitchen is that this is where palace servants gather to feast and play, which explains that giant oil painting of a palace kitchen. The cooks all wear mechanics’ jumpsuits—and they include, sometimes, Tom Douglas himself, the man with three James Beard awards.” JB
Downtown
Check out the new Jilted Siren
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This “small plate exploration of Spice Trade Route flavors” from industry vet Amy Graham took over
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the former Kedai Makan
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space on Capitol Hill on April 3. Graham serves herbal-infused tincture craft cocktails and cocktails made with Lyre’s non-alcoholic spirits, with Greek mythology-inspired names like “Golden Fleece” and “Suitors of Penelope,” while chef Jonas Van Dyke offers dishes like dumplings, Moroccan frites, tandoori meatballs, and togarashi coconut kabobs. JB
Capitol Hill
Grab a class at Otherworld Wine Bar
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The team behind the cult-favorite pop-up Juice Club, which Stranger contributor Jordan Michelman called “a roaming series of natural-wine bottle parties with an experiential, interactive bent,” soft opened its long-awaited bar in the former Electric Tea Garden space in mid-April. In addition to small-producer wines by the glass or bottle, the spot also serves snacks. JB
Capitol Hill
Try the Secret Sandwich Counter at Off Alley
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Something new is happening at Off Alley, a Columbia City restaurant that Stranger contributor Jordan Michelman once claimed is so good “you’ll find yourself saying ‘HOLY SHIT’ to no one in particular.” This new thing happens only on Tuesdays and after 8 pm. The main and famously micro-slim restaurant is closed, and what is sold are carefully wrapped and excellent sane-sized sandwiches—not big; not small. (I honestly dislike huge sandwiches.) They are prepared by Ryan McLaughlin. And continually remixing the sandwich is his mode. The one I had on April 18 had tempura fried fish (petrale sole OR sea bream) between brioche buns. It also included a variety of striking sauces. The one I had on the day the great Harry Belafonte met his end had a grilled chicken thigh and chicken liver paté. Many of the people buying these sandwiches had, like I, just sung a tune or two at the Lottie’s
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, a bar across the street. My tune was “Cherish the Day.” CHARLES MUDEDE
Columbia City
Celebrate spring at Milk Drunk
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It’s officially spring and springtime is when we can walk down tree-lined city streets while leisurely enjoying soft-serve ice cream cones as tall as a child’s head. At Milk Drunk, the soft serve comes in six flavors, paired off for maximum swirlability—the current menu includes vanilla and malted chocolate, rainier cherry and matcha, and cold brew coffee and banana-coconut. While the ice cream is good enough to enjoy on its own—the flavors are well-balanced without tasting artificial and the texture is lighter than your average ice cream—it’d be a waste to not take advantage of at least some of the toppings Milk Drunk has available. There’s chocolate, caramel, peanut butter, or cookies ‘n’ cream hardshell (like Dairy Queen dipped cones but better!) and other crispy crunchy accouterments including Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, M&Ms, Oreo Bits, strawberry crunch, and sprinkles. Live a little! Get the works! It’s finally spring! MEGAN SELING
Beacon Hill